By Cynthia Bauer, U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs It's a scene played out in the background of the larger, more dramatic stage of the humanitarian crisis in the Republic of Georgia. In a quieter sense, the global U.S. defense transportation system worked to help get more than 22,000 humanitarian daily rations to a relief organization in the area to feed a growing number of Georgian refugees. The U.S. Transportation Command and its component Army's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, both headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, were monitoring a shipment of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), awaiting transportation to American forces. As the crisis in Georgia developed, members of SDDC, USTRANSCOM, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), U.S. European Command, and the State Department worked together to find a way to get the food to where it was needed. Soon after the DLA released the 40-foot container of MREs to the State Department, arrangements were made for Counterpart, a non-government organization, to receive the meals. Delivery coordination fell to SDDC's 598th Transportation Group in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Although the meals were destined for a different location, the group reacted quickly and, working with the DLA, U.S. European Command, industry partner Hapag-Lloyd and many others, was able to secure delivery to Counterpart on August 21. "We stayed in front of this and were able to use our unique position and enterprise perspective in the EUCOM distribution-based logistics process to execute this critical task in a timely manner," said 598th Group Commander Army Col. Stephen E. Farmen. "We realized the urgency and importance of the humanitarian crisis and the opportunity a container of MREs could provide. Our team, working with our supported commands and logistics partners in Europe, was able to redirect this container and produce thousands of meals for persons in need," he said. Under instructions from the Ministry of Finance of Georgia and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy, the container of MREs was delivered in Kutaisi for subsequent distribution in the Imereti region. "It's about helping people and doing the right thing. An action such as this amplifies the military and logistics capability to bring 'soft power' to bear on a situation and produce positive effects" said Farmen. "Whether delivering supplies in support of a humanitarian mission like this, or getting supplies delivered to troops fighting in the war on terror, our 598th team is there with the capability and capacity to touch and influence the supply chain networks necessary to put logistics in motion to help," he said. According to EUCOM officials, after two weeks of high-tempo humanitarian relief operations, the U.S. military delivered 2 million pounds of aid to Georgia in the wake of conflicts earlier this month. The U.S. military's role in the overall humanitarian assistance effort, dubbed "Operation Assured Delivery," has delivered 2,174,000 pounds of food, water, bedding, and medical supplies to displaced persons and people in need at the request of the government of Georgia. In addition to the land shipment, the Defense Transportation System has also been engaged in aerial deliveries. Assets from Air Mobility Command, USTRANSCOM's air component, including C-5 and C-17 aircraft, have delivered about 974,000 pounds of relief supplies from the United States for staging in Europe, or directly into the Republic of Georgia. In describing support to Georgia, USTRANSCOM's Director of Operations, Air Force Maj. Gen. Mike Gould said, "We work with our customers across the globe, and depending on what needs to be moved and how quickly it needs to be there, we will find the right mode of transportation."
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