United States Army Transportation Corps

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U.S. Army Transportation Corps branch insignia

Transportation Corps regimental insignia

The United States Army Transportation Corps was established July 31, 1942 by Executive Order 9082. The Transportation Corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. Army, and is headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The Transportation Corps is responsible for the movement of personnel and materiel by truck, rail, air, and sea. Its motto is "Spearhead of Logistics," and it is currently the third smallest branch of the army.

1 History
2 See also
3 Resources
4 External Links

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

As far back as the Revolutionary War, General George Washington appointed the first Wagon Master, who can be considered the first Chief of Transportation. Prior to the War of 1812, 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 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.

[edit] Civil War

During the American Civil War, 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 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.

[edit] Spanish-American War

During the Spanish-American War the task of mobilizing and deploying a largely volunteer force to Cuba and the Philippines 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.

[edit] World War I

The American Expeditionary Force that deployed to France during World War I, emphasized the need for a single transportation manager. William W. Atterbury, a former railroad executive, was appointed as the Director-General of Transportation and a separate Transportation Corps was established in 1918. Having satisfied the immediate need and requirements of the day, this forerunner of the modern Transportation Corps was abolished after the war.

[edit] World War II

With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States began the largest mobilization in its history. In March 1942, the transportation functions were consolidated into the Transportation Division of the newly created Services of Supply. That same year, on July 31, President Roosevelt established the Transportation Corps. 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.

[edit] Cold War

When the Soviet Union cordoned off the city of Berlin in 1948, the Transportation Corps played a vital role in sustaining the city. Two years later, on June 28, 1950, President Truman established the Transportation Corps as a permanent branch of the Army.

[edit] Korean War

During the Korean War, the Transportation Corps kept the United Nations Forces supplied through three winters. By the time the armistice was signed, the Transportation Corps had moved more than 3 million soldiers and 7 million tons of cargo.

[edit] Vietnam War

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

[edit] Gulf War

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