LIVORNO, Italy – The 839th Transportation Battalion recently offloaded 40 Humvees from the U.S. Naval Ship Yuma at the Port of Livorno.
The operation, known as a “Pitch and Catch mission,” because detachments from the battalion send and receive the shipment, said Cpt. Kevin Conley, the battalion operations officer.
Members of the Transportation Corps Detachment Eastern Mediterranean-Greece loaded the shipment in Alexandroupoli, Greece. Later in June, members of the Transportation Corps Detachment Western Mediterranean-Italy received the vehicles. The 839th, part of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, prides itself by its moniker, “Key to the Mediterranean.”
“[This mission] demonstrates our ability to deliver cargo on time, on target, every time throughout the theater of Europe,” Conley said.
The Humvees were returning to U.S. Army Garrison Italy’s Darby Military Community from the DEFENDER23 exercise. The garrison serves as a power projection platform for U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Army Field Support Battalion-Africa, 405th Army Field Support Brigade at Leghorn Army Depot stores, maintains and moves equipment for operations across the globe. The post is suited to this role, with rapid access to several transportation nodes to include an airport, railroads and highways.
A great deal of pre-coordination precedes a mission like this, Conley said.
“This is a multinational exercise in Europe where countries get together to do joint training,” Conley said. “Equipment comes from the United States and all over Europe for this exercise.”
Many units and host nation partners are involved in such a movement. The unit’s effort was coordinated with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 39th Movement Control Battalion, Army Field Support Battalion-Africa. Camp Darby’s Italian base commander and local contracted Italian labor force also played a role in the mission success.
Using a Navy ship was unique, as the 839th usually works with contracted commercial vessels.
“It’s a fast-moving vessel,” said William Dees, TC DET Western Med-Italy’s director, adding how the ship’s aluminum exterior makes paint unnecessary.
Within a few days the Humvees were back at Camp Darby, where they will be stored for future use.
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