Photo By Sgt. Andrew Jo | The Port of Setubal, Portugal on Dec. 7. The 21st Theater Sustainment Command...... read more read more
Subscribe
SETUBAL, Portugal - The 21st Theater Sustainment Command supported the first-ever U.S. Army operation at the Port of Setubal, Portugal on December 7, 2023. The port operation was a collaboration between the 21st TSC, 598th Transportation Brigade (Surface Deployment and Distribution Command), U.S. Mission to Portugal, and the Portuguese military and port authority.
“The strategic importance behind getting this port in Portugal is, it is the furthest west that we’ve ever operated coming in or out of Europe,” said Col. Robert Kellam, commander, 598th Transportation Brigade. “We were able to effectively connect the furthest point in eastern Estonia to the furthest west port in Portugal and connect all the transportation nodes from here to there. So strategically, this is a momentous occasion for the 21st TSC and I think for EUCOM [United States European Command] as well.”
The mission was a year-long project and a “proof of concept” that enhances the capabilities of the 21st TSC, United States Army Europe and Africa, and Army Sustainment as a whole, across the European Theater.
“We have a long-standing relationship in many areas, the military-to-military relationship being one of the most important,” said Doug Koneff, deputy chief of mission, U.S. Mission to Portugal. “We want to continue working together, as we have been for a long time, to improve our interoperability and improve our capabilities, and this exercise that’s going on right now is such a great example of that.”
The United States and Portugal have a long-standing partnership rooted in shared history. Both countries were a part of the 12 founding signatories of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and have continued to build upon that partnership.
“We have a very strong defense cooperation relationship that spans decades and decades, so exercises like this go very far to really prove what we already knew,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jennifer Whetstone, Defense Attaché, U.S. Mission to Portugal. “We already know that we have a strong relationship, but we are continually striving to improve our interoperability and strengthen the alliance as a whole.”
The mission validated the port through the redeployment of equipment belonging to the 1st Brigade Combat Team “Bastogne”, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Approximately 500 pieces of equipment were craned onto the vessel Ocean Grand to be shipped back to their home station of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
“We initially moved all of our equipment into Poland with the help of the 21st TSC and then eventually on to Estonia, and now we’re standing in Portugal, having moved our equipment from Estonia to Portugal,” said Maj. Christopher Cummings, executive officer, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “So, it's a lot of long, difficult, and complex movements and is a fairly historic opportunity for us to test out a new port, similar to what our brigade has done on its first return to Europe since World War II.”
With the success of the initial mission, the intent is to continue to build and strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Portugal.
“Honestly, it's like we’ve done this many, many times,” said Kellam. “The coordination and relationships that we’ve established here, I think is going to be lasting and it’s been really amazing and very impressive.”
-30-
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2023 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 459622 |
| Location: | SETúBAL, PT |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 21st Theater Sustainment Command Supports First Port Operation in Portugal, by SGT Andrew Jo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
