March 7 Panel
"An enterprise Approach to multi-modal deployment and distribution"
Moderator
Mr. Bruce A. Busler, SES
Director, Joint Distribution Process Analysis Center
United States Transportation Command and
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
Transportation Engineering Agency
Mr. Bruce A. Busler, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is dual-hatted as the Director of the USTRANSCOM Joint Distribution Process Analysis Center (JDPAC) and Executive Director of the SDDC Transportation Engineering Agency (TEA). He also serves as the Special Assistant for Transportation Engineering to implement DoD policy guidance for highway, railroad, and port for national defense programs.
In his role as the Director, JDPAC, Mr. Busler develops a strategy to support the broad needs of the Distribution Process Owner (DPO), USTRANSCOM directorates, Combatant Commands and the Services. He directs a joint team of analysts, engineers, transportation specialists, and computer scientists that includes Air Mobility Command Directorate of Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned (A9) as well as SDDCTEA to provide assessments of future transportation capabilities; joint analysis to inform mobility programmatic decisions; and analytically driven deployment and distribution courses of action to move and sustain the joint force.
As the TEA Executive Director, Mr. Busler manages that portion of the Department of Defense (DoD) Engineering for Transportability Program assigned to the Secretary of the Army and acts for the Commanding General, SDDC, as the Army Transportability Agent. Mr. Busler serves as the senior advisor to the Commander, USTRANSCOM and Commanding General, SDDC, as well as the Army and Defense Secretariats, for transportation engineering matters including transportation engineering policies, long-range plans, programs, and DoD transportation engineering issues.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Busler was employed as a senior defense contractor providing support to USTRANSCOM J5/4, where he developed numerous concepts addressing deployment and distribution operations for USTRANSCOM and the DoD. Mr. Busler retired from the USAF in 2005 as a colonel and command pilot with over 3,800 flight hours in mobility and trainer aircraft to include the C-5, C-141, C-9 and C-21. He served as the commander or vice commander at the squadron, group, wing and expeditionary mobility task force levels and deployed as the Deputy Director of Mobility Forces and as the Deputy Director of the CENTCOM Deployment Distribution Operations Center for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Horn of Africa. Mr. Busler was also the USTRANSCOM J3 Mobility Control Center chief of operations where he managed several contingency response efforts to include mobility support for combat operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. He was a systems engineer in the C-17 program from critical design review up to first flight and later served as the Air Mobility Command operational test & evaluation manager for the C-17 during the height of the flight test program.
Mr. Busler holds a bachelor of science degree in Engineering Mechanics from the USAF Academy, a master of science degree in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, and Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters. During his USAF career, he was recognized in 1998 by the Secretary of Defense for Excellence in Leadership and was selected as the Air Education and Training Command Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award winner in 1997.
Panel Members
Mr. Kevin Farrell
Director of FMS, Breakbulk and Ro/Ro
Farrell Lines
Kevin Farrell’s career in the industry began when he joined Farrell Lines in December of 1975. Through the years, he has held a number of management positions in sales, Trade management, financial planning and terminal operations with Farrell Lines, P&O Nedlloyd and Maersk.
Kevin’s responsibilities at Farrell Lines are to manage its day-to-day global operations. Kevin has also been with Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) since February 2006. He became a member of Maersk Line through its acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd in 2005.
He is a member of various industry associations, including the National Defense Transportation Association. Kevin holds a B.A. degree in Management from Saint Bonaventure University.
Lieutenant Colonel Karen G. Fleming
Battalion Commander
831st Transportation Battalion
Lieutenant Colonel Karen G. Fleming hails from Louisville, Miss. She graduated from Jackson State University and was commissioned as a Distinguished Military Graduate into the Transportation Corps in May 1990. Her first duty assignment was in the 2nd Infantry Division, Korea, from May 1991 until May 1992. She served as a Light-Medium Platoon Leader B Co, 702 Main Support Battalion and later as the Support Operations Supply and Services Officer. She then was assigned to the 1st Calvary Division, Fort Hood, Texas where she served as a heavy truck platoon leader and executive officer in B Co, 27th Main Support Battalion and subsequently assigned as the Assistant Division Transportation Officer on the “First Team” Staff. After completion of her tour in the 1st Calvary Division she attended the Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course in February 1995.
In July 1995, she was assigned to the 7th Corps Support Group, Bamberg, Germany, where she served as the Support Operations Transportation Officer and later deployed to Taszar, Hungary in support of Operation Joint Endeavor/Guard. Upon redeployment in April 1997, LTC Fleming took command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 181st Transportation Battalion, Mannheim, Germany. After the completion of 18 months of command she was assigned as the Assistant Inspection General, Fort Eustis, Va. LTC Fleming was assigned in June 2002 to the 24th Transportation Battalion as the S3, where she deployed to the Kuwaiti Naval Base to conduct JLOTS/terminal operations. In the summer of 2003 she attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and earned a Master’s of Business Administration from Webster University.
LTC Fleming returned to Fort Hood in 2003 and was assigned as the Support Operations Officer, 180th Transportation Battalion and then executive officer, and deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After redeploying, she was assigned as the 64th Corps Support Group, SPO until the Group’s inactivation. In July 2007, LTC Fleming was assigned to the 75th Battle Command Training Division where she served as the Executive Officer for 1st Group and 1st Battle Command Training Brigade Deputy Commander. She currently commands the 831st Transportation Battalion headquartered in Bahrain with Soldiers spread across the USCENTCOM AOR in support of OEF.Her awards and decorations include Bronze Star Medal (1OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), Army Achievement Medal and Parachutist Badge.
Mr. Steven B. Harrison
President
National Airlines
Mr. Steven B. Harrison is President of National Airlines with executive responsibility for airline operations to include fleet integration, quality, maintenance, supply chain, procurement, security, human resources, finance, and administration. Steve is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and retired as a Colonel after 22 years in the United States Air Force culminating in Deputy Director for Operational Logistics, Joint Staff J4. As Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, at Andrews AFB, Maryland, Colonel Harrison was charged with conducting worldwide special air mission airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications support for the President, Vice President, cabinet members, combatant commanders, and other senior military and elected leaders as tasked by the White House, Air Force Chief of Staff, and Air Mobility Command. Colonel Harrison also commanded the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover AFB, Delaware, and was the Vice Commander of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB, South Carolina.
Among other notable assignments, Colonel Harrison served as the Aide de Camp to the Commander, United States Transportation Command and as the Director of Global Mobility Concepts of Operations at Headquarters, United States Air Force, the Pentagon. Colonel Harrison has also commanded an airlift squadron as well as two expeditionary airlift squadrons and an expeditionary airlift group in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Colonel Harrison is a command pilot with more than 3,400 hours in the C-32A, C-5B, C-17A, KC-10A, T-38A, and T-37B. A Rhodes Scholar, he holds Masters Degrees in Engineering Science as well as Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, from Oxford University, Oxford, England. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Masters in National Security Strategy from the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, AL.Steve and Jill Harrison live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and have two daughters, Hilary and Mollie.
Major General Michael J. Lally
Director, Operations and Plans
U.S. Transportation Command
Major General Michael J. Lally is the Director of Operations and Plans, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He is responsible for directing the deployment of forces and the distribution of supplies and equipment for humanitarian, peacetime, and wartime operations for the Department of Defense including joint training, exercises, and war planning. In addition, he is responsible for force protection for USTRANSCOM and its components, and has operational control of the Defense Courier Service and the Joint Operational Support Airlift Center. He also provides associated policy guidance.
Major General Lally graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1978 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Transportation Corps. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. His military education includes the Transportation Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, Fort Eustis, Virginia; the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.