Black
Sea port may offer new way
of rotating equipment out of Kosovo
By Ward
Sanderson
Stars and Stripes
The
U.S. military may have found a new route for rotating equipment out of Kosovo
— the Black Sea.
A
contracted Greek cargo ship pulled into Burgas, Bulgaria, on Friday and was
loaded with 221 pieces of military gear, including Humvees and trucks. If commanders
decide the move went well, Burgas could be used regularly to ship equipment
to and from Balkan peacekeeping missions.
It
was the first time the United States has used the Black Sea for such a job.
"The
good thing about our mission in Burgas is it’s an ideal opportunity to test
the port facilities," said Army Maj. Michael Pond of the 21st Theater Support
Command in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
About
100 soldiers from that command are working in Burgas. They will remain throughout
the month.
According
to the Military Sealift Command, which moves military equipment by ocean, Greek
and German ports have been used before. Using a Bulgarian port is a plus because
the country borders the former Yugoslavia. The country’s rail system links to
major industrial centers in the Balkans.
In
a prepared statement, Army Lt. Col. Tom Boyle said the military will consider
the port’s facilities, how cooperative the Bulgarian military and port officials
were and how safe the area is before deciding whether to use Burgas frequently.
Officers
from the Army’s transportation command seemed pleased with the operation.
In
a prepared statement, Army Maj. Carl Axelson said the Bulgarians’ "ability
to operate our military equipment, unload trains and upload the ship demonstrated
that this port can support much larger operations in the future."
Another
large rotation is planned for May. Officials have not said whether they will
use Burgas again.
The
gear loaded Friday belongs to the 101st Airborne Division. It is headed for
Charleston, S.C. According to Ed Baxter, an MSC spokesman, the gear arrived
in Bulgaria via rail from Kosovo.
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