UMO Lessons Learned: Moving my Unit 8,240 Miles

As a new lieutenant arriving at my first unit, I was eager to apply what I learned and make a difference. So I was excited when my commander appointed me as the Unit Movement Officer (UMO). I didn’t know what that was, but it sounded important, and I was happy to learn and contribute to the team. However, I quickly learned that UMO duty is not for the faint of heart. It is very tedious, requires a lot of external coordination, and comes with a great deal of responsibility.

For my recent deployment, I was responsible for ensuring hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment successfully moved from my duty station, Fort Bliss, TX, to Qatar so that my unit could fulfill its mission. In this article, I hope to share lessons learned from my experience in order to help others who are assigned UMO duty.

1. Documents and Resources You Need to Know (see the CJO toolkit!)

Your UMO duties start in garrison as you prepare your UMO Binder for Staff Assistance Visits (SAV) and Organization Inspection Program (OIP) Inspections. You must keep a thorough, organized binder with pertinent documentation such as unit movement SOPs, regulations (FORSCOM Regulation 55-1 and Army Techniques Publication 3-35), appointment orders, training certificates, recall rosters, the Organizational Equipment List (OEL), the Unit Deployment List (UDL), convoy movement requests, special hauling permits, packing lists (DD1750), vehicle load cards (DA7598), HAZMAT forms (DD2890), and any other documents you deem necessary (see UMO Toolkit for these forms). Keeping this binder to standard will enable you to pass all inspections and be prepared for any potential movement you must conduct.

2. Attention to detail

In logistics, the ability to pay attention to minute details will make or break you (and therefore your unit). As a deployment approaches, you will be inundated with checklists that your equipment must adhere to in order to be transported, whether that be via air or surface (water, rail, or road). These checklists will guide you on how to prepare each piece of equipment for shipping and list the standards it must meet to be accepted for shipment. As the UMO, you must spot-check everything to ensure each item meets the standard which will allow for smooth air/rail load operations. It is also vital to verify that all shipping documents have the correct information. If one Military Shipping Label (MSL) has the incorrect port code on it, for example, your piece of equipment may not end up where you want it. As another example, if your UDL has incorrect vehicle weights or dimensions, that vehicle may not fit on the ship you are trying to put it on. An acute eye for the small details (and simply double-checking everything) will make the movement as smooth as possible.  

3. Know and prepare your equipment

Preparation is key to unit movement operations because units have a strict timeline that they must meet to deploy. This starts by ordering necessary parts and shipping material early (RFID tags and batteries, blocking and bracing material, shackles, HAZMAT placards, shipping labels, and zip ties). The Army supply system needs time to deliver. Next, buckle down on maintenance to ensure your vehicles can move under their own power and have no leaks. Having to tow a vehicle to the rail or port is another added step you would rather avoid. Additionally, many items must be placed into a reduced configuration to ship, so begin that early as well. Pick a couple of pieces of equipment every Motorpool Monday to reduce so you don’t have to do everything at once.

Part of knowing your equipment is knowing its weight, dimensions, destination, administration number, etc. All of this information goes onto the UDL, which is the ultimate source of truth. Higher echelons from Battalion to USTRANSCOM refer to this document or information derived from it to coordinate the movement, so all information on the UDL must be correct. Therefore, you must know accurate data about your equipment to put into the system of record for all unit movements called Transportation Coordinators’ Automated Information for Movements System II (TCAIMS II). As previously mentioned, attention to detail will go a long way.

 4. Work as a team

 A UMO can only succeed with the assistance of others, which is why you must leverage others at all levels to get your job done. Hand receipt holders know the equipment they signed for best; therefore, they can fill out shipping documentation on their own equipment and you can check it when complete. The Battalion S4 shop can help you get the resources that you need and communicate with the Brigade. The Brigade Mobility Warrant Officer is an expert on all things transportation and is a valuable resource, especially if you are a brand new UMO and have never done a movement before. The Unit Movement Branch at the local Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group knows the best practices for rail and air load operations and can also give training for those operations. Sometimes you even have to coordinate with other branches of the military to get your equipment moved to where you need it. I had to work with the Air Force on my deployment to get an item expedited for shipment so it could be repaired quickly. Ultimately, getting help or gaining knowledge from others will enable you to be successful.

Being the UMO is a challenging job. However, commanders often assign this duty to an Officer they know they can trust, so embrace the opportunity. I also encourage you to read George Fust’s article “Army Schools… Go To Them” and Clinton Grable’s article “So You’ve Received an Additional Duty” for more tips on how to prepare for and succeed in Army schools like UMO. Keep in mind that your efforts directly influence the unit’s ability to perform its mission. As long as you remember your relevant documents, pay attention to detail, know your equipment, and work as a team, you will excel.

CPT Hannah Potter is a native of Elgin, SC. She graduated from USMA in 2020 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her first duty assignment was in Fort Bliss, TX with G-1 ADA (Iron Dome) as a Platoon Leader. Following this assignment, she served as the Executive Officer for D/2-43 ADA and is currently a student at Air Defense Artillery Captain’s Career Course. She served as a Battery UMO for three years.