TRANSCOM: A Look at the Process of Organizational Evolution

The creation of the United States Transportation Command in 1987 was a major milestone. The unified command, as part of the new Goldwater-Nichols era of strengthened joint activities, was set up as a wartime command. The initial implementation plan for TRANSCOM left open key issues on command relationships and peacetime authority. The development of emerging roles and missions for USTRANSCOM is presented, along with insights into the process and the opposing points of view. Observations on organizational strengths, obstacles to total restructuring, service concerns and a recounting of the methods chosen to implement change are detailed. The future roles and relationships are examined as force structure and service doctrine evolve. A look forward suggests that further refinement may be necessary to overcome obstacles and to achieve assured force deployment capabilities.