DVIDS – News – SDDC's D2S2 improves future large joint force deployments

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command kicked off the new year by hosting the annual Deployment and Distribution Synchronization Symposium, or D2S2, here Jan. 10-11 to synchronize requirements in support of large-scale joint force deployments. Working in a contested environment.

The mission of this year's event is to integrate and synchronize stakeholders across the Joint Publishing and Distribution Enterprise to operationalize the National Defense Strategy's dynamic force employment goal in support of large-scale combat operations.

“We are here to have frank conversations about how we can improve JDDE, find points of friction, and improve future large force deployments,” said Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, commanding general of the Air Defense Development Center.

D2S2 is a collaborative event attended by senior staff representatives from U.S. Transportation Command, Army Materiel Command, and U.S. Army Forces Command to name a few, and is well attended by our maritime and land-based industry business partners (our fourth component).
Nearly 100 senior service members, civilians, and industry partners (our fourth component) from across the logistics enterprise attended this event.

After introductory comments, an intelligence briefing “set the scene” and prepared the team to continue discussing combat power projection in a contested environment.

“The capability that our fourth component provides us is extremely beneficial to our ability to accomplish our mission,” said Lt. Gen. John Sullivan, deputy commander of U.S. Transportation Command.

Sullivan also stressed that no one is more invested in providing support to the joint force than our Component 4 partners and the Surface Warriors at SDDC.

The two panel discussions served as the cornerstone of each day's activities; The first day's panel included installation transportation officials who provided their views on friction points at key levels, while the second day's panel, made up of business partners representing ports, rail, road trucking and sea bridges, presented their views on supporting a defense department.

Both panels were moderated by retired Army Major General Kurt Ryan. Ryan previously served as the 20th Commander-in-Chief of SDDC from 2016 to 2018.

Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command, kicked off the second day's agenda virtually by offering his thoughts on projecting national military power in a contested environment when we know our adversaries will challenge us every step of the way.

Lawrence concluded the second day of D2S2 with closing comments that confirmed the success of the event.

“Thank you for all the hard work,” Lawrence said. “I truly believe we have identified the points of friction within JDDE and now have a clearer path forward.”