U.S. Transportation Command

The U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM or TRANSCOM) is one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) nine unified combatant commands. Commanded by a four-star general, TRANSCOM coordinates and executes the deployment of forces to wherever they are required worldwide. The command synchronizes and executes the strategic movement of all U.S. forces globally by directing the entire joint deployment and distribution enterprise to [Page 1560]project strategic national security capabilities worldwide and to provide end-to-end distribution process visibility and responsive support to U.S. government, multinational, and nongovernmental force projection requirements. Headquartered at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the command consists of three component commands: (1) the air force’s Air Mobility Command, (2) the navy’s Military Sealift Command, and (3) the army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. TRANSCOM also coordinates missions worldwide through its commercial contract partners.

The DOD assigns four primary missions to TRANSCOM:

TRANSCOM commands and directs a massive fleet and workforce worldwide. The command directly controls a $52 billion worldwide fleet of military assets, including 87 ships, more than 1,200 aircraft, more than 2,100 railcars, and $1.4 billion worth of infrastructure. Through its commercial partners, TRANSCOM also directs an additional 1,000 aircraft and 360 ocean vessels. Its total workforce includes more than 51,000 active-duty military personnel, more than 88,000 guard and reserve personnel, and more than 16,000 civilian personnel. TRANSCOM relies on its commercial partners to meet 88% of continental U.S. land transport, 50% of global air movement, and 64% of global sealift.

During a typical week, TRANSCOM will conduct more than 1,900 air missions, have 25 ships under way, and have more than 10,000 ground shipments operating in more than three quarters of the world’s countries. It controls this worldwide enterprise through a technically advanced enterprise with a goal of seamless, integrated, end-to-end deployment and distribution under a single unified combatant commander during both peace and war. TRANSCOM executes missions through its three component subordinate commands, each with worldwide responsibilities.

The air component of TRANSCOM is Air Mobility Command (AMC), headquartered at Scott Air Force Base. AMC provides strategic and tactical airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation services for deploying, sustaining, and redeploying U.S. forces wherever they are needed globally. Many special duty and operational support aircraft are also assigned to AMC (including Air Force One). In addition, AMC contracts with commercial air carriers through the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (a fleet of commercial aircraft committed to support the transportation of military forces and material in times of crisis) and other programs for movement of DOD passengers and cargo. AMC’s air fleet provides swift response as an element of America’s global reach. Aircraft assets of the command include C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter, KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender, and C-9 Nightingale.

Military Sealift Command is TRANSCOM’s sea component. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Military Sealift Command uses organic U.S. Navy vessels as well as contract commercial ships to move unit equipment and sustainment supplies to and from theaters of operation worldwide in both peace and war. Including contracted vessels, Military Sealift Command frequently has more than 400 ships under way each day.

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