The book examines the U.S. strategic lift for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm from the perspective of United States Transportation Command, the unified command responsible for deploying and sustaining U.S. forces worldwide. It emphasizes the interrelationships of the three transportation modes--air, land, and sea--and places the deployment in the context of the overall joint operation. Discussions include rail, truck and bus transportation from forts to ports; seaport and airport operations in the United States and overseas; C-141 and C-5 airlift of passengers and cargo; and Ready Reserve Force, Afloat Prepositioning Force, and Fast Sealift Ship transportation of materiel in support of the war effort. Other topics covered are containerization of ammunition and unit cargo; security against terrorists and saboteurs; contributions of reservists; and command, control, communications, and computer transportation systems. The tremendous contribution of commercial industry to the strategic mobility equation is highlighted. The authors make numerous recommendations for improving strategic lift capability based on lessons learned from the operation in the Persian Gulf.