Camp Darby demonstrates its Power Projection Platform capabilities

LIVORNO, Italy – The Darby Military Community continues to be a power projection platform for the U.S. military in Europe as personnel there recently unloaded equipment from the 101st Airborne Division – Air Assault, at the Livorno port.

The U.S. vessel Cape Wrath docked at the port with vehicles and equipment from the famed division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. It was the largest download of U.S. military equipment in Livorno in many years, said Lt. Col. Christopher Sheets, of the 839th Transportation Battalion.

“This was total teamwork, from the top to the bottom,” Sheets said. “The port of Livorno is a port that can facilitate the movement of our cargo and there will probably be more moves to follow once we prove the capability.”

In total, 450 pieces – vehicles and containers – were removed from the ship to the dock and sent immediately by truck and rail to their destinations. Soldiers from the 386th Movement Control Team, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command and Soldiers and civilians from the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade worked with Italian contractors to enable the movement of the equipment from the port, Sheets said.

This is 839th Transportation Battalion’s first time in many years to unload equipment from a ship and load it directly onto a train, inside the port, destined for eastern and northern Europe.

“This shipment proved that we are able to provide a shipment effectively and timely,” said Antonio DeMarco, the 839th Terminal Manager. “We shipped to four different destinations with two different transportation means.”

The 839th Transportation Battalion safely finished the Livorno port operations at the pier “Italia” on time, despite strong wind and waves. Having a dedicated pier at the Port of Livorno considerably increases the security of operations, said Monica Simoncini, terminal and documentation chief with the 839th Transportation Division (SDDC).

“This is the first time in many years that we uploaded onto rail straight from the Port of Livorno,” Simoncini said.

Army installations like Camp Darby, are power projection platforms supporting U.S. military operations to support forces anywhere in the world at any time. Camp Darby supports operations in the U.S. European and Africa Command’s areas of responsibility. The 839th oversees the movement of equipment and supplies in that effort said Lt. Col. Michael Harrell, the 839th Transportation Battalion commander.

“This proves we are able to project combat power in any region of the world, in the time and place it is needed,” Harrell said.