Port of Philadelphia Handles Sizable Military Cargo in October, Second Big Military Outload in 45 Days

Philadelphia, PA, October 14, 2009- This past weekend and continuing into this week, the Port of Philadelphia is handling its second shipment of important military cargo in 45 days, again demonstrating the agility of its two largest terminals, said John H. Estey, Chairman of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA). The cargo that arrived in Philadelphia this past weekend is heading back from Iraq to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard facilities at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. The Guard needs to have this equipment returned quickly so it can be repaired and be available for training and other state emergencies.

The added benefit of using the Port of Philadelphia for this latest cargo is that the soldiers supervising its movement, who have been deployed overseas for over a year, can remain close to their homes instead of traveling to out-of-state locations away from their families, Chairman Estey said.

The two shipments are estimated to contribute more than $2 million to the region’s economy. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and Congressman Bob Brady have worked closely with the Department of Defense (DOD) to make Philadelphia a distribution hub for military cargo moving between the United States and theaters of operations around the world. Senator Specter and Congressman Brady have praised the Port of Philadelphia for working in conjunction with DOD to ensure that the Port’s workforce, facilities and technologies are available to move equipment back from Iraq to waiting repair facilities located throughout Pennsylvania and the greater Northeast and Midwest. In a letter to U.S. Transportation Command and U.S. Army Material Command, they highlighted the economic and logistical benefits of shortening the distance cargo must travel to return to its home unit or to a military depot to be reset.

The Port of Philadelphia, along with Pennsylvania-based commercial and military repair facilities, have been preparing to be a major player in the movement, storage and refurbishing of the thousands of pieces of equipment that must be returned from Iraq, repaired, and quickly made available for use again. Noted Senator Specter and Congressman Brady, “As DOD draws down forces in Iraq it will be a major challenge to get this equipment repositioned and repaired. In the past this has been a major pitfall for DOD and we are hopeful that we here in Philadelphia can play a leading role to insure that this effort happens more efficiently than it has in the past.”