Draft_Readiness_Language.pdf

Enclosure E5.3 of Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 4500.57, Transportation and Traffic Management (March 18, 2008) states: "The Department of Defense relies on the private sector for transport of a significant portion of its wartime and peacetime cargo. The relationship between the Department and the private sector is critical to mobilization, deployment, and sustainment of military forces. The goal of VISA is to provide assured access to the U.S. flag ocean transportation industry through the contractual pledges by carriers of their vessels and intermodal systems capacities, in return for priority for DoD peacetime business."

In accordance with DoD Directive 5158.4, the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is responsible for sealift and airlift readiness and assigned the mission to "Provide effective and efficient air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense (DoD), in times of peace and war”. In support of the assigned readiness requirement, USTRANSCOM, may include an additional strategic readiness evaluation factor on individual task orders. The strategic readiness evaluation factor will evaluate the capability a carrier brings in support of the USTRANSCOM readiness mission to provide commercial sea transportation and terminal capability to support the global deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment of U.S. forces pursuant to the Unified Command Plan.