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Amidst the constant sound of vehicle engines in and out of the bay for weighing and the creaking of containers opening and closing after inspection, a team of dedicated civilian personnel operates behind the scenes, ensuring mission-critical cargo and personnel movements happen seamlessly.
The Movement Control Center, a function of the 773rd Logistic Readiness Squadron, is vital in supporting real-world and exercise deployments and redeployments. Without their expertise and coordination, moving cargo and forces would be a logistical nightmare.
“Without the MCC, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson would struggle to move cargo and project forces,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Austin Buck, 773d LRS commander. “The MCC are the surface movement experts for the installation and without the training, hands-on expertise and guidance the team provides, the base would strain to meet operational requirements and commanders’ intent.”
So far in 2024, the MCC has coordinated the movement of:
7,000 vehicles and 15,000 passengers for convoy operations
22 rail missions, transporting nearly 450 tons of equipment
Two ship movements, processing 103 pieces of equipment totaling more than 500 tons
61 air operations, moving 1,800 passengers
Seven line-haul [long-distance over-the-road] operations, delivering over 3,000 tons of equipment
Transportation Inspection Points and Scale of nearly three million pounds of cargo
These numbers emphasize JBER’s ability to rapidly deploy forces, project power, and respond to contingencies across the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions.
“We serve as a central hub for Army deployment operations,” said William Lower, 773d LRS installation mobilization officer. “We facilitate TIPS and provide a marshaling area for multi-modal transportation coordination (air, sea, rail and ground) ... We collaborate with Army units and the installation deployment officer to determine and coordinate logistics requirements for all transportation modes.”
During the recent Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center exercise, the staff played a critical role in logistics and transportation operations. Leading up to the event, the MCC conducted TIPS inspections for 237 pieces of equipment belonging to the 11th Airborne Division for railhead movement in December. This set the stage for two major rail movements onto 49 railcars, moving roughly 820 tons of equipment in January, said Lower.
Beyond the rail operations, the six personnel conducted quality assurance and control checks for 32 convoy moment requests overseeing, the movement of 1,800 personnel and 927 vehicles.
“Recently, in support of the JPMRC, the MCC supported ground assault convoys, rail and line-haul movements,” Buck said. “They also provided joint pre-inspection for all cargo transported via air. The MCC is one of the keys to the projection of forces within the state of Alaska, the INDOPACOM theater and around the world.”
The staff also manages line-haul movements to ensure the efficient transportation of equipment between JBER, Fort Wainright, the Port of Alaska, the Donnelly and Yukon training areas. Additionally, they’re a critical part of every Army airborne exercise, coordinating unit movement officers, air load planners, and hazardous materials certifiers.
Lower highlighted the MCC’s broad responsibilities, including personnel and cargo deployment functions. The center supports the Alaska theater of operations, global contingency operations and support, special airlift assignment missions, and training.
“Mission success is delivering the right thing to the right place at the right time,” Buck commented. “The MCC team here is the most capable mission-enabling force in the [Department of Defense]. They are a small team of experts who provide a function so well many never see the effort put into every single unit movement.”
Through precision, expertise, and dedication, the MCC ensures that JBER units can deploy resources seamlessly whenever and wherever needed.
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2025 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 491153 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Movement Control Center: Backbone of strategic mobility, mission readiness, by Sheila deVera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
