JTF-PO ‘is a biggie’ Published March 18, 2009 By Bob Fehringer U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- A few weeks ago we at the United States Transportation Command gave you RO/RO, the first acronym with built-in punctuation. This week we have a hyphenated acronym for what we hope is your reading pleasure. This is a biggie, so many of you probably already know what JTF-PO stands for. If not, it's Joint Task Force-Port Opening. JTF-PO Port is a concept that USTRANSCOM and the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, or SDDC, have developed to bring logistical support and open distribution nodes with an early entry force opening distribution pipelines immediately after securing an area. With this expeditionary capability, supplies can be brought in within hours after the military has arrived, in order to support the range of military operations from combat to humanitarian aid. In May 2005, USTRANSCOM initiated the development of a concept of operations to rapidly assess, open and operate an initial aerial point of debarkation and create the initial distribution network using jointly trained air and surface elements. The result is our JTF-PO capability. The JTF-PO air capability is provided by elements of Air Mobility Command's contingency response wings, while the surface element is sourced from Army cargo transfer and movement control forces under the direction of SDDC. The JTF-PO mission is to provide a joint expeditionary capability to rapidly establish, and initially operate, a port of disembarkation and distribution node, facilitating port throughput in support of combatant commanders' executed contingencies. JTF-PO does not replace Joint reception, staging, onward movement and integration, and theatre distribution, but facilitates its execution by providing an effective interface at the aerial or sea port of disembarkation and the forward distribution node.