MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Iwakuni -- In an official message July 7, Headquarters Marine Corps passed that Traffic Management Offices will now be known as Distribution Management Offices. The name change will not affect what DMO does for station residents.
DMO Marines purchase airline tickets, book seats on patriot express flights, provide the transportation of operational freight, household goods and other various passenger services for service members and civilians permanently changing stations and going on temporary additional duties.
DMO Marines also provide support for individuals who need to be medically evacuated and require emergency leave services.
DMO wants station residents to know it is not a foreign entity, said Master Sgt. Earl L. Legette, the DMO distribution management chief.
According to the message sent from Headquarters Marine Corps Logistics Planning Division, the defense transportation community has evolved substantially over the past decade. Meanwhile, the concept of distribution has developed and expanded.
In this context, the traffic management community within the Marine Corps recognized the need to reshape itself.
Neither the name “traffic management” nor the term TMO clearly or comprehensively portrayed the three functional areas of freight, passenger travel and personal property, which DMO operates.
The DMO Marines aboard the station have carefully juggled servicing resident needs, operational freight distribution and various other responsibilities their military occupational specialty requires.
“We make sure the service members and civilians are taken care of and get on their flights to where they need to go,” said Cpl. Placido Sanchez, the DMO passenger travel noncommissioned officer in charge.
The common perception of TMO was the place one went to obtain plane tickets or arranged for household goods to be moved.
“We make sure personal property gets where it needs to go,” said Sgt. Gerard Jones Jr., the DMO personal property NCOIC. “For station personnel, we are the first line of defense for getting their household goods to the owners after they PCS or go on TAD.”
The majority of Marines in the DMO MOS field are deployed. They distribute freight materials more frequently than Marines and civilians who require travel and household goods to be transported.
“Due to us being at war for so long, our MOS has been re-aligned to lean more towards the operational distribution aspect instead of the station transportation services,” said Legette.
The importance of distribution operations while deployed or in garrison, was not clearly understood.
Headquarters Marine Corps was aware of this misunderstanding and set out to clarify any questions.
The DMO Marines continue to ensure their mission of providing safe travel and transportation will be complete.
For more information on transportation of personnel between duty stations, TAD and personal property, contact DMO at 253-6174.