ORIGIN DESTINATIONS
Home Stations Aerial Port of Debarkation
Installations Sea Port of Debarkation Ammunition Plants In-Theater Open Storage Areas
Arsenals In-Theater Closed Storage Areas
Supply Warehoused
Unit Field Locations
Factories
Figure 1-4. Effective Intermodal Movement
d. Standardization. Standardized procedures allows all users of containers easier understanding of shipping requirements and regulations and ensures efficient operations among the Services.
Intermodal containers are transportation assets designed to improve cargo throughput with minimum handling of cargo at mode transfer points. This capability demands standardization for ease of handling. Intermodal containers used within the DOD surface transportation system for international shipping are designed to conform to the ANSI/ISO specifications. DOD specifies the 20-foot and 40-foot ANSI/ISO containers as the standard for DOD unit equipment and sustainment.
Intermodal containers used within the airlift system conform to the military 463L pallet standard.
These include both pallets and containers.
e.
Container Status/In-Transit Visibility. ITV provides commanders with accurate near real time logistics information capabilities vital to the CINCs concept of operations.
Container status and ITV are essential for effective and efficient use of intermodalism employing containerization. Supported CINCs need to know where their critical resources are and when those resources will arrive to execute or modify courses of action during contingencies. This information also provides the necessary data needed to prioritize, allocate, and reroute resources between theaters if required. Because of the volume of containers moving in the DTS and the resulting inventories, this capability should come via an automated system.
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Identification and status information should include type of ANSI/ISO container, its location, and whether it is loaded or empty. The DOD is developing and refining information management systems to provide ITV capability. These should be interoperable with commercial systems and other DOD supply, transportation, and in-theater systems.
f.
Cargo Integrity, Security, and Safety. Our goal is to ship unit equipment, sustainment stocks, and multiple vendor shipments on the same vessel. The ability to lock and seal the container affords better cargo security, protection, and detection of pilferage.
The large size of containerships, state-of-the-art commercial and developing DOD ITV
systems, and the inherent security of ANSI/ISO containers facilitate unit integrity and cargo security. When using intermodal lift capability, unit integrity objectives of the customer will be adhered to and maintained at the highest level possible. Unit integrity is dependent on cargo type and capability/capacity of vessels involved. Intermodal containers decrease pilferage, injury to personnel, and damage to equipment and supplies. This is particularly important when moving Class V (both unit basic loads and resupply).
1-16.
PRIORITIZING INTERMODAL RESOURCES. Effective and efficient use of intermodal containers should be applied across the range of military operations. The following aspects of container operations should be considered to ensure a CINC receives continuity in logistical support throughout the execution of an OPLAN/OPORD:
• Deployment.
• Reception.
• Staging.
• Onward movement.
• Distribution of container system assets.
• Stuffing and unstuffing.
• Retrograde.
• Appropriateness of CSS force structure.
All activities regardless of command, location, or service who receive, ship, transship, and/or stuff/unstuff DOD common-use, CADS, or Army common-use containers must report container related actions to MTMC’s CFD in accordance with DOD Regulation 4500.9-R-1.
Since intermodal resources are finite, their use should be prioritized by USTRANSCOM in conjunction with a regional CINC’s operations plans during the deliberate and crisis action planning processes. Two examples of planning actions aimed at ensuring the effective and efficient use of intermodal resources in support of DOD and national security objectives are:
• Pre-designating containerships for movement of ammunition and sustainment.
• Establishing priority use of 20-foot intermodal containers for ammunition movement.
Another example could involve the theater container distribution plan. Since both force structure and CHE are limited, planners should consider where in the AOR, 20- and 40-foot containers are to be delivered.
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During deliberate planning, all UE and sustainment cargo suitable for containerization should be identified and appropriately coded for inclusion in the OPLAN TPFDD consistent with theater infrastructure capabilities and the geographic combatant commander’s concept of operations.
Containerships and intermodal systems can help improve closure of the force by augmenting RO/RO capability. Closure profiles using containerships for movement of UE should be made available to the supported CINC during the deliberate planning process, particularly when lift shortfalls for moving UE are identified.
Shipment of containerized cargo should be identified in OPLANs. The procedures in JOPES must be strictly followed to produce accurate TPFDD. Output from TPFDD provides detailed information which identifies materiel for possible containerization. This is done to identify and source appropriate strategic lift. This data enhances the planning process and assist receiving and shipping activities. The inclusion of accurate data in the TPFDD allows USTRANSCOM to assess the CINC’s strategic mobility requirements. Failure to accurately identify containerized cargo requirements results in inadequate or inefficient sourcing of required lift. Additional guidance is contained in Joint Publication 1-03.21, the Joint Publication 5-03 Series, and the Logistics and Mobility Supplements to the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan.
Another objective of prioritizing containerization during planning is to gain maximum effectiveness of strategic lift when projecting the force. In peacetime, cost/benefit efficiency is maximized while meeting CINC/customer RDDs.
DOD’s readiness to use fast commercial intermodal transportation systems is critical to provide a rapid, continuous flow of cargo from shipper to receiver in support of DOD and national security objectives. Containers will be used in peacetime to train for war, to meet peacetime transportation requirements, and to reduce transportation costs.
National transportation policy requires that DOD use existing commercial transportation equipment to the maximum extent possible. Commercial intermodal containership service will be the primary means used to ship sustainment cargo. Army-owned or leased containers will normally be used to ship accompanying supplies and certain UE in support of deploying forces. Use of Army-owned or leased containers to move these type items will help the Army maintain better control of these assets and allow for the use of these containers to support storage and distribution requirements in an AOR. Commercial containers should be unstuffed and returned expeditiously to the DTS to support continued DOD and industry shipping requirements. Commercial containers will be used to ship accompanying supplies and UE when Army-owned containers are not available.
When DOD-owned, Army-owned, or leased containers are planned to be used, the following factors should be considered:
• Availability and location of DOD-owned, Army-owned, and commercial containers.
• Time and resources required for positioning containers and related transport equipment (for example, CHE at stuffing points and download sites).
• Origin and destination capability at SPOEs and SPODs.
• Infrastructure for reception, staging, and onward movement.
• The CSS force structure available to conduct the operation.
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When sustainment cargo is not sufficient at the source for efficient container stuffing, it can be forwarded to a DLA/Service-operated container consolidation point or depot. Or, it can be shipped to a military ocean terminal as indicated by the MTMC routing authority for release unit shipments or as prescribed by DOD Regulation 4500.32-R, MILSTAMP, Volume 1, Appendix H, for “less-than-release unit shipments.”
Release unit shipments are shipments of a specific commodity, weight, size, or mode which requires an export release. Approving authorities are:
• Ocean Cargo Clearance Authority.
• Water Clearance Authority.
• Air Clearance Authority.
Figure 1-5 explains each of these agencies responsibilities. A less-than-release unit shipments can be shipped without requiring an export release from the appropriate authority.
Effective logistic support, with some exceptions, will require the efficient movement and handling of containers throughout the transportation system. Shipping activities and supporting units should take into account factors such as cargo hold time, single or multiple consignee delivery, configuration and density of cargo, and availability of different types of containers.
Deliberate planning requires continuous updating, evaluation, and analysis of information and intelligence. When the plan is developed, the CINC’s and the Service components’ staffs develop a detailed transportation analysis. This transportation analysis identifies transport requirements for the movement of all resources into the AOR to support the planned concept of operations and then an appropriate logistics support plan is developed.
OCEAN CARGO CLEARANCE AUTHORITY
The Military Traffic Management Command activity which books DOD-sponsored cargo for sea movement, performs related contract administration and accomplishes export/import surface traffic management functions for DOD cargo moving within the Defense Transportation System.
WATER CLEARANCE AUTHORITY
The DOD activity which controls and monitors the flow of cargo into and/or out of ocean terminals. For the Army MTMC operates an ocean cargo booking office.
AIR CLEARANCE AUTHORITY
A service activity which controls and monitors the flow of cargo into and/or out of the airlift system.
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Figure 1-5. Authorities for Release Unit Shipments
1-17.
TRANSPORTATION MODES. The movement of containers within the theater of operations will challenge available transportation resources. Plans to use rail, highway, air, and inland waterways should be developed.
Rail, when available, is the most cost effective and expeditious means of moving large quantities of containers when an inland waterway infrastructure does not exist from the sea port to a hub or GSSA. The hub and GSSA, depending upon the operation, may be collocated. Also, rail is the least affected by adverse weather conditions. Virtually all ANSI/ISO containers can be transported by rail. However, rail cars may not have pier side access in the port, therefore, containers may have to be handled twice when loaded onto a rail car. Rail movement requires detailed planning and preparation by the unit being transported. Coordination is necessary between the moving unit, traffic management office, rail facility, movement control center, and rail operations team from supporting beach and terminal operations units.
Military or HNS motor transport may be used throughout the AOR for the movement of containers. Motor transport may be the primary mode of transportation forward of the GSSA to the DSSAs and beyond. Motor transport is the most flexible mode for the movement of containers and will be employed in line haul, local haul, terminal clearance, and transfer operations.
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CHAPTER 2
THEATER CONTAINER OPERATIONS
The transportation distribution system to support container movements (depicted in Figure 2-1) is tailorable, flexible, and expandable to accomplish missions IAW METT-T as the theater grows and matures. There are vehicles best suited for long distance runs to support throughput missions from POEs into the corps area. The corps has a combination of smaller line haul and off-road tactical vehicles which are suited to the corps mission to provide support to forward units in the division area.
EAC
CSA, HUB and ISB
could all be co-located
SSA
TSA
PLS w/ CROP
CSA
(MOADS)
SUSTAINMENT
40
CONTAINERS
20 20
30FT TRLs and PLS w/ CHU
40
20
CORPS
20
20
PORT
HUB
DIV
SSA
40
THROUGHPUT
40
40
20 20
Exception
UNIT EQUIPMENT
CONTAINERS
20 20
20
40
20
MA
40
ISB
TAA
PLS
40
30FT
20
20
NOTE: ALSO USE INLAND WATERWAY AND OCEAN TRANSPORTATION IF AVAILABLE.
SSA - SUPPLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY
CSA - CORPS STORAGE AREA
MA - MARSHALING AREA
TAA - TACTICAL ASSEMBLY AREA
CROP - CONTAINER ROLL-IN / OUT PLATFORM
ISB - INTERMEDIATE STAGING BASE
MOADS - MANEUVER ORIENTED AMMUNITION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Figure 2-1. Container Onward Movement
2-1.
THEATER CONTAINER DISTRIBUTION. Within the theater, 20-foot and UE
containers should be throughput as far forward as practical. This will be based primarily on the capability of receiving units to off-load and unstuff containers. This is tied to the availability of CHE and MHE. With the introduction of the CROP, the container can be stripped at CSAs and Corps SSAs and only the CROP flatrack must be transported forward.
Figure 2-2, page 2-2, shows three primary channels that containers transit during onward movement in a theater. Shown from top to bottom are the ammunition, sustainment, and UE LOCs.
Depending on the intermodal activities required to accomplish distribution along these LOCs, force structure and CHE must be in place to handle the arriving container. Appendix A provides an 2-1
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overview of force structure capabilities and Appendix B provides the capabilities of available Army CHE.
CL V
TSA
CSA
20
ATP
X
X
X
X
SUSTAINMENT
X
40
HUB
SSAs
DSSA
20
UE
20
ISB
AA
TAA
Figure 2-2. The CSS Container Mission
Ammunition uses only 20-foot containers and is delivered to the TSA and CSAs on theater transportation assets. Working in these storage areas are ordnance ammunition companies (see Appendix A, paragraphs A-1 and A-2) who receive strategic configured loads and build mission configured loads for onward movement to the ASPs and ATPs. The CROP is pulled from the container at the CSAs by a corps-assigned PLS truck and the CROP flatrack moves forward loaded with ammunition. Figure 2-3 depicts the Class V distribution process.
Unit equipment primarily uses 20-foot containers and flatracks. The goal is to deliver UE
directly to units in their assembly areas. This is dependent on the desired theater destination and the arrival of the supported unit. UE might transit the same channels as sustainment on the way to the final assembly area. Figure 2-4 depicts the UE distribution process.
Sustainment comes in 20- and 40-foot containers. The goal is to use 20-foot containers to support the initial deployment. This will allow the theater time to get CHE into place to handle 40-foot containers at the planned destination nodes. Figure 2-5, page 2-4, shows this process. The CTC is the Army's only company designed to handle intermodal transport missions. The CTC has four modular platoons capable of supporting sea, air, rail, and truck terminals. The CTC can work in four separate terminals simultaneously. Theater-assigned or trucks provided by HNS are the only assets capable of transporting a 40-foot container inland. In Figure 2-5, the exception refers to the delivery of 40-foot containers to the division area. Twenty- and forty-foot containers routinely move to GSSAs and DSSAs throughout the corps. Class I, water, and other selected commodities which 2-2
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routinely come in 40-foot containers will be throughput to the division. Delivering a 40-foot container to the division presents challenges. The division has no CHE. Therefore, the container will remain uploaded on the chassis until it is unstuffed and ready for retrograde. When this requirement exceeds the theater's ability to support, the container and chassis is left in the division area. In this situation, the platoons from a CTC must be forward positioned to handle the throughput of 40-foot containers to the division.
XXXX
XXX
XX
SPOD
20
20
20
20
CL V
TSA
20
20
CSA
20
X
X
X
X
ASP
X
ATP
Figure 2-3. Class V Container Distribution
XXXX
XXX
XX
SPOD
20
20
UE
20
20
ISB
AA
EAC
20
UNIT
x
EAD
20
x
UNIT
x
x
x
TAA
DIV
20
UNIT
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Figure 2-4. UE Container Distribution
XXXX
XXX
XX
SUSTAINMENT
40
20
20
40
20
SPOD
20
20
CTCs
40
40
20
HUB
By Exception
40
x
20
CTC
x
SSAs
GS/DS
PLT
40
SUP
x
20
x
DSSA
x
SUP
CTC
CO
PLT
Figure 2-5. Sustainment Container Distribution
Forty-foot sustainment containers will generally be moved to GS supply echelons. DS
supply echelons either do not have adequate CHE and MHE to unload 40-foot containers or they do not require the volume of material at one time that 40-foot containers provide. A 40-foot container throughput to the division area would be an exception as discussed above. Figure 2-6 summarizes the distribution of containers arriving in theater. Shown in the figure is the in-theater movement of containers to hubs, SSAs, by exception to division DSSA, and to users throughout the COMMZ, corps, and division areas.
2-2.
THEATER CONTAINER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. The TMCA will develop, disseminate, and monitor policies and procedures for containerized shipments moving in the theater.
Appendix C provides a sample SOP for container management. TMCA responsibilities may include:
• Tracking the movement of containers consigned to activities within the theater.
• Coordinating and approving reconsignments with the origin and destination MCTs.
• Receiving, diverting, staging, and release from staging requests from theater commodity managers and MCTs.
• Ensuring reconsignment, diversion, staging, and release from staging information is quickly submitted to the ports and MCTs.
• Assisting, through the servicing MCT, shippers in planning the proper stuffing of containers with multiple consignees.
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The TMCA movement information division’s responsibilities are to:
• Receive all container movement information transactions and ensure they are quickly submitted for input into an automated system.
• Monitor automation-generated data and automatic digital network transmissions to supporting HQ.
• Ensure that automated cargo forecasts are promptly forwarded to the concerned organizations.
THEATER CONTAINER DISTRIBUTION
XXXX
XXX
XX
20 20
CL V
TSA
CSA
20
20
ASP
20
ATP
CTCs
40
20
SUSTAINMENT
20
40
DSSA
40
HUB
20
SUP
CTC
CTC
SSAs
GS/DS
CO
20
PLT
PLT
SUP
20 20
40
20
By Exception
40
SPOD
UE
20
20
ISB
AA
TAA
EAC
EAD
DIV
20
20
20
UNIT
UNIT
UNIT
Figure 2-6. Overview of Theater Container Distribution
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The transportation battalions and corps MCCs, through their subordinate MCTs, may:
• Provide inbound container and CADS information to MCTs to be passed to consignees.
• Provide disposition instructions to the TMCA based on information received from the MCTs and customers.
• Ensure the MCT notifies consignees of the impending arrival of multi-stop containers and the need for priority discharge of these containers at intermediate stops.
• Monitor arrival, unstuffing, and pickup of containers within their AOR.
• Maintain a container log that reflects all containers forecasted or received within their AOR.
• Report the receipt of unforecasted containers to the TMCA.
• Report all empty containers to appropriate mode operators and coordinate pickup.
• Notify the TMCA when a consignee reports receipt of an unserviceable or damaged container or cargo damage.
• Receive and process requests for reconsignment action from customers.
• Monitor retrograde operations.
• Ensure MCTs reduce retrograde backlog.
2-3.
CONTAINER MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. When developing container management procedures, the TMCA must consider the following container management objectives.
These objectives represent goals which will improve theater distribution of containers.
• Consolidate shipments for single consignees versus multiple consignees or breakbulk points.
• Minimize the time for holding or consolidating cargo to fill up containers.
• Maximize container cube use to achieve economical movements.
• Expedite the movement of throughput and high-priority container shipments.
• Maintain 100 percent ITV of containers and contents.