Defense Transportation Issues: MSC (Military Sealift Command) - Breakbulk Shipping; MAC (Military Airlift Command) - Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) Program; and MTMC (Military Traffic Management Command) - Defense Freight Railway

摘要

The current capability of the United States Department of Defense (DOD) to deploy and sustain military forces worldwide is dependent upon a mixture of airlift, land transportation, and sealift forces--the defense transportation system. Transportation is a key factor of any nation's military ability. Because of the critical role of transportation in our national defense, it is important to study the evolution of the defense transportation system and analyze the cause and effect relationships of major problem areas within the present system. This thesis examines various Department of Defense (DOD) transportation issues relating to the Military Sealift Command (MSC), Military Airlift Command (MAC), and the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC). Specifically, a history of the MSC, the demise of breakbulk shipping, and its impact on strategic sealift requirements are discussed; a history of the MAC, its reliance on the civil airline industry for augmentation of organic airlift resources (Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program), and the status of the CRAF are reviewed; and a history of the MTMC, its rationale for owning rail assets, and the feasibility of a CRAF-type program for rail are examined. Additionally, a brief overview of the newly organized United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) and its impact on the Transportation Operating Agencies is provided. Keywords: Logistics; Combat readiness; Deployment.