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March 31, 2020
Defense Primer: United States Transportation Command
United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM
See Table 1 for TRANSCOM’s steady-state contracting
or TRANSCOM) is a Department of Defense (DOD)
estimates for FY2020.
functional combatant command responsible for providing
air, land, and sea transportation to meet national security
Table 1. USTRANSCOM Contracting Portfolio
needs. TRANSCOM’s assigned mission is to “conduct
globally integrated mobility operations, lead the broader
Division
Programs
FY2020
joint deployment and distribution enterprise, and provide
Airlift Division
10
$2.3B
enabling capabilities to project and sustain the Joint Force.”
It is the centerpiece of the Defense Transportation System,
Sealift Services
6
$877M
which comprises U.S. military, U.S. commercial, and
Specialized
foreign transportation resources.
Transportation &
15
$2.5B
Established in 1987, TRANSCOM is located at Scott Air
Support
Force Base (AFB), Illinois. Historically, the command has
Information Technology
provided strategic mobility in support of several major
60
$251M
& related services
contingency operations from Operations Desert Shield /
Desert Storm, to Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It
Source: USTRANSCOM
has supported peacekeeping initiatives such as Operations
Note: FY2020 estimated expenditures on al contracts.
Restore Hope (Somalia), Uphold Democracy (Haiti), and
Component Commands
Support Hope (Rwanda). It has also aided humanitarian
relief operations in response to natural disasters such as
TRANSCOM’s Transportation Component Commands
(TCCs) fulfill roles in training, equipping, and resourcing
Hurricanes Dorian, Florence, and Michael.
the forces necessary to carry out TRANSCOM’s global
TRANSCOM has a workforce of over 138,000 personnel,
missions. TRANSCOM is composed of three TCCs, one
of which about 50% are in the Reserve Component. The
each from the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. A
command reports that on any given day it conducts more
description of each follows.
than 240 air missions, has 30 ships underway, and sends
1,200 ground shipments. As well, TRANSCOM manages
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution
over 597,000 personal property shipments each year
Command (SDDC)
associated with Permanent Change of Station, or PCS,
SDDC, headquartered at Scott AFB, is TRANSCOM’s
moves as part of its steady-state operations (Figure 1).
Army component that is responsible for all defense surface
transportation. SDDC connects “surface warfighting
Figure 1. USTRANSCOM Shipping Providers
requirements through distribution network nodes to the
point of need, responsively projecting power and delivering
desired effects in support of the Combatant Commands
[COCOMs] and the Total Joint Force.” SDDC is also
involved in planning and executing the surface delivery of
equipment and supplies to all deployed service members.
Military Sealift Command (MSC)
MSC is TRANSCOM’s Navy component headquartered at
Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. MSC operates 125
civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships,
provide logistics support and strategic sealift, and perform
specialized missions around the world. MSC is responsible
for the ocean transportation of military cargo and supplies
used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners. During
contingencies, MSC also exercises operational command
Source: CRS analysis of USTRANSCOM data (March 2020).
over the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD’s) Ready
Reserve Force (See CRS Report R45725, Shipping Under
TRANSCOM operates in over 85% of the world’s
the Jones Act: Legislative and Regulatory Background, by
countries. To accomplish its extensive array of missions,
John Frittelli).
the command uses military assets (organic assets), but also
relies heavily on its commercial-sector partners (non-
Air Mobility Command (AMC)
organic assets). TRANSCOM’s commercial partnerships
AMC, TRANSCOM’s Air Force component headquartered
are reflected in its large volume of contracting activities.
at Scott AFB, provides airlift and aerial refueling services
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Defense Primer: United States Transportation Command
for all U.S. armed forces. AMC also provides rapid
Voluntary Tanker Agreement (VTA). The VTA is
transportation services in response to humanitarian crises
another program established by MARAD that derives its
and natural disasters.
authorities from the Defense Production Act of 1950. It
enables volunteer U.S. commercial tanker owners and
Major Subordinate Units
operators to make their vessels available to satisfy DOD
In addition to the TCCs, TRANSCOM has one subordinate
needs. The VTA helps meet contingency or wartime
command and one joint directorate. Subordinate commands
requirements for point-to-point petroleum, oil, and
are established in an area or functional role to exercise
lubricants (POL) movements. It is not applicable to
operational control within the assigned operational area.
peacetime resupply operations normally addressed by
The Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, or JECC, is
commercial-type charters.
TRANSCOM’s subordinate command that “provides
mission-tailored capability packages on short notice to
Defense Freight Transportation Service (DFTS). DFTS
assist Combatant Commanders to plan, prepare, establish,
is a collaboration between TRANSCOM, the Defense
and operate Joint Force Headquarters in globally integrated
Logistics Agency, and the Defense Contract Management
operations.” The Joint Reserve Component Directorate is a
Agency that provides “a single touch point for DOD
joint directorate under TRANSCOM that provides trained
shipments by allowing a commercial third party firm to
reserve component forces to support TRANSCOM’s
manage and coordinate transportation” using all forms of
mission. This directorate includes the Joint Transportation
surface transportation. TRANSCOM is responsible for
Reserve Unit, or JTRU, which augments TRANSCOM in
execution of the program, which is designed for high-
providing air, land, and sea transportation for DOD.
volume, repetitive shipments between fixed locations.
Non-Organic Assets
Considerations for Congress
The Commander of TRANSCOM, with the approval of the
Cyber security. As reflected in Figure 1, TRANSCOM
Secretary of Defense, has the authority to develop and
relies heavily on commercial providers for shipping.
maintain contractual relationships between DOD and the
This results in approximately 90% of TRANSCOM’s
commercial transportation industry to cultivate concepts,
communications occurring over unclassified networks.
requirements, and procedures that provide responsive
Consequently, TRANSCOM assumes a degree of
strategic mobility capabilities. Examples of DOD airlift,
mission risk resulting from threats and vulnerabilities to
sealift, and surface transportation programs involving the
the cyber security postures of its commercial providers
commercial transportation industry are as follows.
and their associated networks and systems. While
TRANSCOM actively manages the risk to its own
Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). The CRAF “is a
systems, it depends on external organizations to manage
cooperative, voluntary program involving the [Department
the risk to its commercial providers.
of Transportation] DOT, DOD and the U.S. civil air carrier
industry in a partnership to augment DOD aircraft
Fuel price volatility. TRANSCOM’s operations and
capability during a national defense related crisis.” The
annual budget are affected greatly by even small
program derives its authority from the Defense Production
changes in fuel prices, which are subject to multiple
Act of 1950, but was instituted by Presidential Executive
factors such as supply and demand, value of the dollar,
Order 10219 in February 1951. DOD and DOT work
and geopolitical risks and events (see CRS In Focus
collaboratively to manage the CRAF program to meet DOD
IF11202, Oil Price Volatility and the Department of
airlift requirements in emergencies when the need for airlift
Defense, by Heather L. Greenley). TRANSCOM uses a
exceeds the capability of the military’s aircraft fleet. All
Defense Working Capital Fund to mitigate price
CRAF aircraft must be U.S.-registered carriers that are fully
volatility, however the fund serves multiple purposes
certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. To
(see CRS In Focus IF11233, Defense Primer: Defense
provide incentives for civil carriers, the participating
Working Capital Funds, by G. James Herrera).
airlines are given preference in carrying commercial
peacetime cargo and passenger traffic for DOD. As of
Relevant Statutes
January 2020, 25 carriers and 436 aircraft are enrolled in
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 157 – Transportation
CRAF. These numbers change on a monthly basis.
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 961 – Civil Reserve Air Fleet
Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA).
Title 10, U.S. Code, §2218 – National Defense Sealift Fund
Secretary of Defense William Cohen approved creation of
the VISA program on January 30, 1997. Similar to CRAF,
VISA is a partnership between MARAD and the U.S.
Other Resources
maritime industry to provide DOD with assured access to
DOD Directive 5158.04, USTRANSCOM
commercial sealift and intermodal capacity to support the
Defense Transportation Regulation 4500.9-R
emergency deployment and sustainment of U.S. military
Joint Publication 4-01, The Defense Transportation System
forces. Established under DOT in 1981, MARAD has
responsibility in areas involving ships and shipping,
shipbuilding, port operations, vessel operations, national
security, environment, and safety. Through the VISA
G. James Herrera, Analyst in U.S. Defense Readiness and
program, DOD develops transportation solutions in
Infrastructure
anticipation of its wartime requirements.
Hibbah Kaileh, Research Assistant
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Defense Primer: United States Transportation Command
IF11479
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