Transportation Operations: Field Manual No. 55-1

This manual provides standards for the execution of Army transportation functions in support of military operations. It reflects the shift to joint operations, prompted by the 1986 Goldwater- Nichols Act. It presents the transportation doctrine commanders require to integrate the Army's transportation capability with the capabilities of other Services and the DTS. This doctrine applies when executing missions throughout the full range of military operations, including OOTW. It is also applicable regardless of the size of the Army force involved in an operation. The manual portrays the Army transportation system as a basic element of warfighting. It uses the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war to frame the system. Because the system is controlled by different commands throughout the levels, this manual describes procedures commanders should follow to establish a seamless total distribution system. The system links all Army installations, to include forts, camps, mobilization stations, and depots to fighting positions. This manual uses the functions of a transportation system to present the Army transportation capabilities. These elements are movements control, terminal operations, and mode operations.