Photo By Carlos Cuebas | Personnel from the installation's Logistics Readiness Center, Transportation Division,...... read more read more
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO- Personnel from the installation's Logistics Readiness Center, Transportation Division, a subordinate element of the 407th Army Field Support Brigade, coordinated with Army Reserve and National Guard units for the shipment of hundreds of military vehicles out of the port of Ponce, Jan. 2, in a clear testament to Fort Buchanan's capabilities to deploy units anywhere, anytime.
"Our mission is to deploy military units by providing technical guidance and preparing their deployment plans. We mainly do this for Army Reserve units, but also collaborate with National Guard units," said Javier J. Rivera, Transportation Chief, a retired Army Reserve colonel.
To successfully coordinate the deployment of this equipment, Rivera and his team used several automated applications, such as the Transportation Coordinators' Automated Information for Movements System II, the U.S. Transportation Command's Group Operational Passenger System, and the Cargo Movement Operations System.
"For this equipment being transported out of Ponce, we started the coordination with the Army Reserve 1st Mission Support Command a year ago. We assisted the units in putting together the unit deployment list. Then, we requested the Time Phased Force Deployment Data to get the deployment dates to create the mobilization plan in the Computerized Movement Planning and Status System (COMPASS). In all this process, the role of the unit-level leadership is critical," said Rivera.
To successfully facilitate the deployment of military equipment, the Fort Buchanan Transportation Division coordinates with the United States Army Forces Command in North Carolina, the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and the United States Transportation Command, both in Illinois, to contract the required modes of transportation.
"Our Unit Movement Coordinator and Freight Specialist coordinated directly with the military units to ensure every piece of equipment was properly reflected on the mobilization plans. Attention to detail is key. The equipment nomenclature, serial number, and vehicle composition are essential to this type of movement. Everything needs to be accurate so the COMPASS can be validated successfully," added Rivera.
The office coordinates the contracting of charter planes, ships, and buses to ensure that service members and their equipment arrive on time at their destination.
According to the retired colonel, the Fort Buchanan transportation division is the single point of contact for military personnel and equipment mobilization and deployment of military needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If needed, the office could support units' mobilizations in short periods of time.
"On Fiscal Year 2024, we contracted several means of transportation, spending approximately $3 million, including air and sea transportation, cargo trucks, and buses. Many of these funds, especially the cargo trucks and the buses, stayed in the local economy. If there is a mission, we will get the servicemembers and their equipment there," said Rivera.
Units interested in knowing more about the Fort Buchanan Logistics Readiness Center, Transportation Division, must contact Javier J. Rivera at javier.j.rivera.civ@army.mil (787) 707-3525.
With an annual investment in the local economy of over $500 million, Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve personnel. Fort Buchanan's mission is to serve as a readiness enhancement platform and facilitate the deployment of military personnel to any place at any time.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2025 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 488775 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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