Photo By Robert Hill | Mr. Jeff Wright, traffic management specialist with the Army Sustainment Command Army...... read more read more
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The Army’s supply chain is massive . . .and global. Whether delivering pallets of repair or replacement parts or major end items like tanks, the Army’s (and more broadly, the Department of Defense’s) transportation system is continually ensuring that “readiness drivers” are moved through the system expeditiously. Put another way, the system seeks to get the right equipment and parts that drive readiness to the right places at the right time at the lowest possible cost.
One organization that plays a major role in optimizing the delivery of readiness drivers to their required destination is the Army Sustainment Command Army Airlift Clearance Authority, located here.
Logic would suggest that almost all cargo, especially that going overseas, would be airlifted for the sake of speed. But speed alone does not ensure the optimization of the supply chain. Air transport is costly, and within the larger transportation ecosystem, often scarce. One of AACA’s main functions, therefore, is to assess and prioritize cargo to ensure only mission-essential readiness drivers are airlifted, while non-essential cargo is sent via surface means (ships, rail, trucks, etc.).
For fiscal year 2024, AACA saved the Army over $26 million by diverting non-essential cargo to more economical surface modes of transport, while still delivering readiness drivers when and where needed to meet mission requirements. The missions they support span the globe, whether it is the delivery of Presidential Drawdown Authority vehicles and equipment to Taiwan, support to combatant command contingency operations or exercises, or support to domestic operations such as Joint Task Force-Southern Guard.
“Our daily focus is to provide Army forces the commodities they require, while ensuring the prudent use of scarce transportation resources,” says Jack Dodge, AACA division chief.
A critical component of AACA’s mission that helps to further expedite delivery of readiness drivers around the world is ensuring that all Army cargo approved for aerial transport is properly packaged and palletized when it’s delivered to the various aerial ports, such as Dover Air Force Base. Improperly prepared cargo becomes “frustrated,” which results in delays until it can be properly packaged. AACA has an on-site liaison at Dover to resolve frustrated cargo and then clear and advance it through the Defense transportation system. When necessary, AACA also facilitates requests for special airlift assignment missions and validates their need.
According to Jeff Wright, a traffic management specialist and AACA’s customer service team representative at Dover, examples of actions taken by Army units that result in frustrated cargo include being simply unaware of the cargo clearance process and “hoping” for the best; leaving old shipping labels on cargo, resulting in confusion as to where it needs to go; incorrect documentation accompanying the cargo; hazardous cargo not having a hazard declaration; and cargo coming in damaged and improperly packaged.
Says Wright, “Some units just don’t do their homework when it comes to the cargo clearance process. They end up just hurting themselves by delaying delivery of the items they need to perform their mission.”
In addition, the personnel of AACA train and advise customers on the completion of the appropriate documentation that is required for movement. Army units needing assistance in shipping cargo via military airlift can contact AACA at usarmy.redstone.asc.mbx.aaca@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2025 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 493208 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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