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Lieutenant General Gary H. Hughey, USMC
Deputy Commander

United States Transportation Command
(September 2072 19 November 2004)

AN ORAL HISTORY

Condueted By:

Dr. Jay H. Smith
Director, Research Center
ied States ‘Transportation Command

Féited Ry:
De. Jay H. Smith
Margaret J. Nigra
Historian, Research Center
United States Transportation Command

‘November 2006
Scott Air Force Base, Ilinais

Preface

sncral off
she USTRANSCOM Deputy Corman:

General Hughey served at a momentous time. During his tenure, the command not only
placed anc execatec the deployment and susie ment 0? forces for che war with Irsq and
Follow on opezations (Operation Irsgi Hreedom); it ofso receiver! a new misc as
deploymen: process ownes, which waasformed the command from being just the single
mneayer Tor deferse Ganspertacion te the single enily charged wit directing te
execution of surctegie distributan for the Department of Defense. General Hughey
discusses these and ether copice from his perspective as a key member of the
USIRANSCOM lesdetstup,

Psior to General Ivghey's retirement in January 2005, I conducted thee hour-long,
inser views with bi on 26 Ocioher, 2 Naveenher, anal 9 Noveteler 2004. Thy anal
history hes been ersfted Stam the wssscrigs of those intervigws. The original recondings
an verbatn: transcripts are available 12 the USLRANSCUM Reseaich Center

Margart J. Nigt, sarah at USTRANSCOM cansrbed ie tapes, sis the
manuscrip:, created and arcanged Une Fontan uch malls, generate the inn,
shee onl gpa te fea mr lorabicoion IGE pmctily rtnceledng
her invaluable and incispersaste contoutions I vetsin sole seepansibility for any ertois
tr shlong

JAY IL SMITIL PhD.
Duector, Research Center
United States Transportation Command
Scott Aic Forse Base, Minis

ia

Table of Contents

Tile Page i
Preface sion patios ai
Phetwgsapd essen ne ¥
Table ef Contents Mii
Narrative
Increduetio. L
Fist Mati.e Cops Ocueral al USTRANSOOM : wo
Role of Dep.ity Cormander 7
Rolatonship with the Transporation Comzoner= Commands 10

Vales of the Chief of Stat E

Operation iraqi Freedem. ”
leaning for the Deploymert. sun smnennnonnnonnnesnninin 2
Firsthand Observations ofthe Deployinent %
Overearniny, Deployment Chullesges 2
Comparing Operations Desert Shiele‘Desert Storm: with

Operation Iragi Freee 26
Lessons Learned, . 27

Logisties Transfo-mation seu 4
Distribution Pracess Owner 20
United States Centra! Command Deplovinent Distiibution

Operations Center 2
Logisties Transte-mation Struct svnisnnsnansin 33
Relatonship Bevween Unites States Trersportation Command

snd dhe Defe:

‘Taeater Logistics Issues ir. United Ststas Peeifis Command,
Joint Theater Logistics Corsmander Initistive.

USTRANSCUM Reciganiaon

Seavift and Acrl:f Issues,

Strategie Planning,

‘Conclusion
Challenges
Accomplish:nents.....
Convers fem the Fines
Memorable Peep
Furuse Plans
Importeace of Famslies

Bivgraphy 6

ui

Ds Srith

Geen Hughey:

Introduction

First Marine Corps General ut USTRANSCOM

ist Marine Corps flag cificer and first Mesine Comps deputy
ander at USTRANSCOM ‘United States Transportation Command]
Tow dic thet come about?

That was interes

ing. I wes in Korea minding my own business on an
fevencise in 2001, Twas talking with Jerry Hamble [Marine Corps Major
joneral Jer-y D., Commands, US Marine Corps Forces Korea and
assisam Cai

of Steif der Plans, Policy, and Strategy, Unite

Nations
Command and

ublic cf KoreaiU'S Combined Forces Command, and
Unised Stucs

orca, 1996 to 2001], and he indicated te me shat 1
was being neminaied for a deputy CINC fecmmancer in ohief] job. Thad

ard nothing bout it, so when T got back to Jape where 1 as the

sy Commander, US Forces Japan, [called Heudsuiers Marie

Corps ard asked "What's going on?” ‘And they said,“

Musing Come
s going te nominate ¢ fag vlliver 1 verve

tke deputy eombarant
commander at USIRANSCOM, and it's a Io

istics assignment
Lieutenant Genel [Gary $.J MeKiwors, who wes our deputy
5 (USL), Sestember 1998 te
|. a nelicutes’ ha he wanted! me nominated for chat

comasandant for snstaltabns ane log!

Sepiemer 200
Jonitian ‘Thal vans a gnod thing for me, ead Think u go0é chaice on the

past of Genial McK sa

Thete were two of us who were logerciams at chet

time, and both of us were probably vying fir the deswty commandant for
IAL post:

dds om favorie wes Rick Kelly [Marine Comps Major
ral Richard Ll
was rightfelly
Masine Corps, ‘new what they were doing, and new where che Marine

eplernber 2077 16 Seprember 2005], and that

because he bad spent ul of tis at

feadquarters
Dr. Smith

Gen Hughey:

Corps was going in logistics. On the osher hend, [ kad been in jeint
assignments or in Okinawa, out there ox the edge of the empire, aad had
sot keen involved in she efforts within the Marine Corps to improve our
logistics srocestes, Rick Kelly was more informed 0: Chal, und he relly

was the right ch

(Quite frankly, shey were leok.g fora ob for me,

‘The TRANSCOM job didn’t pan out beczuss General Brown [Army
Lisutensnt Geners! Daniel C., Deputy Commander, USTRANSCOM,
Oete2er 1999 10 Sepiember 2002)

another year, So I remained at US Forces,

did not retire that yea, He stayed

wn for my second year,
whiea T should have

sdoing, It was also a very guod decision secause
of what we were Sorking on at the tine, and wil we cnamaged «9 get

snecomalished in the second year I was cut there

ur Commardant, Gereval Jones [Masine Corps Genotal James L.,
2003], hed a

ns sk

Commandant of the Mscine Corps, July 1999 te Janary

rather novel idea in the assignmmers cf general ofieers, ancl

us what

would like 29 do, [Laughter] We conesponed with him

Tinea nat since the intent

individually at the begianing of 2a

hed deen to norsinate mie the yea: be‘owe ler the TRANSCOM position,
they do the sare ia 2002, see th
that. In Tebruary of 2002 I came ca TR ANSCOM to inter

and the rest i hist

‘yeur ik would he vaccred. And he 6id
» fos the jab,

Tr what

cays do you think your caer prepared yen. fie his?

The Murine Comps dacsn’t have a componest in TRANSOM, Ou
oansportation

jnhin the Maire Cozps is ll atthe tactical level. We uo
‘les, ame thes about it, But we're a big customer cf IRANSUOM's. |
iin thsi, ore thar anpthirg else, arepated me for the TRANSCOM,
fdeoaty job, because [was looking at everything fiom a custcner's

pespective, [now what it's ke so stan eul there om the tirme jn the

room waiting fer a C-SA that deesn't show up. 1 know whut i's ke tn