United States Army Transportation Corps

The Transportation Corps was established 31 July 1942 by Executive Order 9082. The Transportation Corps is a combat service support

Combat service support

Combat service support is a subset of military logistics. Combat service support is more limited in depth than logistics, as it primarily addresses those factors directly influencing combat operations.-United States Army:...

branch of the U.S. Army, and was headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, but has now moved to Fort Lee, Virginia. The Transportation Corps is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. Its motto is "Spearhead of Logistics," and it is currently the third smallest branch of the Army. According to an article in the Army News Service, "The first students to attend classes at the new Transportation School will be those enrolled in the transportation management coordinator course - MOS 88N. It is the only one of the five transportation MOS-producing courses that will be taught at Fort Lee (the others are taught elsewhere)." For example, Motor Transportation Operator (truck driver, MOS 88M) training is conducted at Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood (military base)

Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...

, Missouri. Railway training for Army Reserve soldiers (MOSs 88P, 88T, and 88U) and Army civilian employees has remained at Fort Eustis, as there are only warehouse tracks and no railway system available for training at Fort Lee.

Early history

As far back as the Revolutionary War, General George Washington appointed the first wagon master, John Goddard of Massachusetts, who can be considered the first Chief of Transportation. Prior to the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

, military transportation had taken a back seat in the national military strategy. It was apparent after the war that some form of organized transportation support was needed to guarantee the new nation’s ability to successfully engage and defeat an enemy. In response to this need, General Thomas S. Jesup was appointed as Quartermaster General

Quartermaster general

A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...

in 1818. Later Jesup initiated programs that not only improved the transportation capability of the U.S. military, but also encouraged the United States expansion to the west. These programs included the building of the Great Military Road of 1836 which linked the far flung ports of the west with the industrial bases of the east and the use of the steamship for amphibious landings

Amphibious warfare

Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...

Civil War

During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, transportation proved to be an integral part of military logistics through the organization of railroads as a viable and efficient means of military transportation. By 1864, five of the nine divisions in the Quartermaster

Quartermaster

Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...

Department dealt exclusively with transportation. A substantial number of battles were won because of the field commander's ability to swiftly and effectively move troops and supplies. Most wounded soldiers were carried away in a banana-shaped cart called a gondola.

Spanish-American War

During the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

, the task of mobilizing and deploying a largely volunteer force to Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

and the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

magnified the need for a separate transportation service within the Quartermaster Department. Army transporters worked with both the civilian railroads and the maritime industry to pull together a successful intermodal operation.

World War I

The American Expeditionary Force

American Expeditionary Force

The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...

that deployed to France during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, emphasized the need for a single transportation manager. William W. Atterbury

William W. Atterbury

William Wallace Atterbury was a Brigadier General during World War I. He was instrumental in reorganizing railroad traffic during the war for more efficient transportation of troops and supplies for the American Expeditionary Forces. After the war, he became the 10th president of the...

, a former railroad executive, was appointed as the Director-General of Transportation and a separate Motor Transport Corps

Motor Transport Corps (United States Army) (World War One)

The Motor Transport Corps was formed out of the Quartermaster Corps on 15 August 1918, by General Order No. 75. Men needed to staff this new corps were recruited from the skilled tradesmen working for automotive manufacturers in the U.S....

of the National Army was established 15 August 1918. The United States Army School for Truck Drivers had been established by 9 July 1918; and the Transportation Corps of the AEF was abolished after the war, The M.T.C. subsequently conducted Transcontinental Motor Convoy

Transcontinental Motor Convoy

The Transcontinental Motor Convoys were early 20th century vehicle convoys, including three US Army truck trains, that crossed the United States to the west coast...

s in 1919 and 1920.

World War II

On 9 March 1942 the Transportation Service was established as part of the Services of Supply, and on 31 July 1942 the Transportation Service became the Transportation Corps. In March 1942, the transportation functions were consolidated into the Transportation Division of the newly created Services of Supply

Services of Supply

The Services Of Supply or "SOS" branch of the Army of the USA was created on 28 February 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department" and War Department Circular No. 59, dated 2 March 1942. Services of Supply became one of the three autonomous components of the...

. By the end of the war the Transportation Corps had moved more than 30 million soldiers within the continental United States; and 7 million soldiers plus 126 million tons of supplies overseas.

Cold War

When the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

cordoned off the city of Berlin in 1948, the Transportation Corps played a vital role in sustaining the city. Two years later, on 28 June 1950, President Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

established the Transportation Corps as a permanent branch of the Army.

Korean War

During the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, the Transportation Corps kept the UN Forces supplied through three winters. By the time the armistice

Armistice

An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...

was signed, the Transportation Corps had moved more than 3 million soldiers and 7 million tons of cargo.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

saw the most diversified assortment of transportation units ever assembled. For over a decade the Transportation Corps provided continuous support for American and allied forces through an unimproved tropical environment using watercraft, amphibians, motor trucks and Transportation Corps aircraft.

On 31 July 1986, the Transportation Corps was inducted into the U.S. Army Regimental System

U.S. Army Regimental System

The United States Army Regimental System was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System, to provide each Soldier with continuous identification with a single regiment, and to support that concept with a personnel system that would increase a soldier’s probability of serving...

Gulf War

In 1990 the Transportation Corps faced one of its greatest challenges with the onset of the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

. During Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, the Transportation Corps working out of ports on three continents demonstrating its ability to deploy and sustain massive forces.

Post Cold War

Operations in Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

, Rwanda, Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

, and Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

have also seen the deployment of large numbers of transportation units.

Transportation Battalions - partial list

Transportation Battalions
Unit	Subordinate to	Garrison
6th Transportation Battalion	7th Sustainment Brigade 7th Sustainment Brigade (United States) The 7th Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army. It is known and referred to as "the most deployed unit in the Army" because of its continuous mission to provide logistical support to all branches of the service for both training and war-time activities.-Units:* 7th...	Fort Eustis
7th Transportation Battalion	82nd Sustainment Brigade 82nd Sustainment Brigade (United States) The 82nd Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It provides logistical support to all tenant units at the base, and is under the direct command of FORSCOM....	Fort Bragg Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
10th Transportation Battalion	7th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Eustis
11th Transportation Battalion	7th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Eustis
14th Transportation Battalion	21st Theater Sustainment Command 21st Theater Sustainment Command The 21st Theater Sustainment Command provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, Staging, Onward Movement & enable Integration functions...	Germany
24th Transportation Battalion	7th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Eustis
25th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control)	Army Material Support Center Korea	Camp Carroll Camp Carroll, South Korea Camp Carroll is located on the south east portion of South Korea, in Waegwan, close to the city of Daegu. It is named after Sergeant First Class Charles F. Carroll, a posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts of heroism during the Korean War.Camp Carroll is located at the... , South Korea
39th Transportation Battalion	21st Theater Sustainment Command 21st Theater Sustainment Command The 21st Theater Sustainment Command provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, Staging, Onward Movement & enable Integration functions...	Germany
49th Transportation Battalion	15th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Hood
53rd Transportation Battalion	7th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Eustis
57th Transportation Battalion	593rd Sustainment Brigade 593rd Sustainment Brigade (United States) The 593rd Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army.-History:Having been restructured from a corps support group, the 593rd Sustainment Brigade as part of the transformation of the United States Army, the 593rd was one of the last units to complete its transfer into a...	Fort Lewis Fort Lewis Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
58th Transportation Battalion	3rd Chemical Brigade 3rd Chemical Brigade (United States) The 3rd Chemical Brigade is a training brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, retaining for historic reasons its name.- Organization :* 3rd Chemical Brigade** Headquarters and Headquarters Battery...	Fort Leonard Wood Fort Leonard Wood (military base) Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
71st Transportation Battalion	8th Transportation Brigade	Fort Lee Fort Lee Fort Lee may refer to:* Fort Lee, New Jersey* Battle of Fort Lee was fought on November 19, 1776 between American and British forces.* Fort Lee , a United States Army post...
106th Transportation Battalion	101st Sustainment Brigade 101st Sustainment Brigade (United States) The 101st Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Campbell. It provides logistical support to the 101st Airborne Division , and is under the direct command of FORSCOM.-Organization:...	Fort Campbell Fort Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
180th Transportation Battalion	15th Sustainment Brigade	Fort Hood
1144th Transportation Battalion	108th Sustainment Brigade	Illinois Army National Guard

External links

Destination Berlin: The Transportation Corps (WWII history booklet)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Early history

Civil War

Spanish-American War

World War I

World War II

Cold War

Korean War

Vietnam War

Gulf War

Post Cold War

Transportation Battalions - partial list

See also

External links