SCOTT AFB, Ill. – U.S. Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, visited Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command headquarters here Monday to meet with SDDC leadership and receive an operations update. The visit was Van Ovost’s first to SDDC since assuming command October 14.
Following introductions, Van Ovost said she was looking forward to the update and learning about SDDC’s capabilities.
“I’m excited to be here and to be part of the team,” she said.
SDDC Commanding General Maj. Gen. Heidi Hoyle began the briefing with an overview of the command, highlighting how SDDC fits within the larger sustainment enterprise as both the Army Service Component Command of USTRANSCOM and a Major Subordinate Command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Hoyle continued with an explanation of SDDC’s command structure, noting how the command’s five active component transportation brigades are geographically located around the globe to support combatant commanders and placing special emphasis on the command’s U.S. Army Reserve force, the Deployment Support Command.
“We’re the only organization in the Army where the active and Reserve component Soldiers wear the same patch,” said Hoyle. “The DSC doubles our capacity.”
The update continued with Hoyle’s staff directors providing detailed briefings on the eight organizational capabilities that, according to Hoyle, contribute to SDDC’s readiness: Analysis and Systems, Rail, Ammunition Ports, Strategic Seaports, Total Force Integration, Vessels, Trucks and Highways, and Containers.
Hoyle then touched on the critical role that SDDC’s “fourth component,” commercial and industry partners, play in the command’s success.
“We couldn’t accomplish our mission without them,” said Hoyle.
The update closed with a discussion about SDDC’s financial status followed by a tour of SDDC’s Defense Transportation Tracking System branch, where Van Ovost learned how the command monitors and tracks all Department of Defense transport shipments of arms, ammunition and explosives throughout the continental United States.
Van Ovost said she appreciated the update and noted that it will benefit her ability to lead USTRANSCOM.
“Great work! This was very helpful,” she said. “You hit all the right things and I’m looking forward to hearing more.”
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