Defense Primer: United States Transportation Command

United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM or TRANSCOM) is a Department of Defense (DOD) functional combatant command responsible for providing air, land, and sea transportation to meet national security needs. TRANSCOM’s assigned mission is to “conduct globally integrated mobility operations, lead the  broader joint deployment and distribution enterprise, and provide enabling capabilities to project and sustain the Joint Force.” It is the centerpiece of the Defense Transportation System, which comprises U.S. military, U.S. commercial, and foreign transportation resources.

Established in 1987, TRANSCOM is located at Scott Air Force Base (AFB), IL. Historically, the command has provided strategic mobility in support of several major contingency operations from Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It has supported peacekeeping initiatives such as Operations Restore Hope (Somalia), Uphold Democracy (Haiti), and Support Hope (Rwanda). It has also aided humanitarian relief operations in response to natural disasters such as Hurricanes Dorian, Florence, and Michael.