Fort Monmouth, N.J., April 7, 2009 -- The 956th Transportation Company cased its colors for the last time April 2. During a small but stirring ceremony here, Lt. Col. Randy Haufe, commander of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's 841st Transportation Battalion, paid tribute to the 956th Transportation Company's outstanding history of service.
First as Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne, N.J., and later as the 956th Transportation Company, the unit provided deployment and distribution support over the course of four decades, moving Department of Defense cargo through strategic seaports along the Eastern seaboard from Virginia to Maine. Its major customers included the 10th Mountain Division and the Defense Logistics Agency.
"The 956th Transportation Company will go down in history as an outstanding unit, that could always be counted on to provide world class support to the warfighter," said Haufe. "They ensured that the warfighter could focus on the fight without having to worry about how his equipment was going to get there."
SDDC also took time to honor several 956th employees, who will retire when the unit closes its doors for good July 3rd. SDDC presented the Commander's Award for Civilian Service to Margaret Odom, Cheryl Gannon, and Michaela Williams in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the nation's defense over a combined 133 years of service.
"On behalf of SDDC and the Army, let me offer you our sincere thanks for all you have done to support operations ranging from Vietnam to the present conflict against terrorism," Haufe said.
SDDC inactivated the 956th Transportation Company as part of a larger strategy to build the force structure required to support future conflicts.
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