Dozens of Europe-bound POVs
destroyed or damaged by fire on ship
By Keith Boydston,
Stars and Stripes
A fire onboard a cargo ship destined for Europe has damaged or destroyed up to 175
vehicles owned by U.S. servicemembers in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.
The June 9 incident occurred during the trans-Atlantic crossing of the American
roll-on/roll-off ship Tellus, according to a news release issued Friday by the Military
Traffic Management Command.
"At this point in the investigation, it appears that about 21 cars have been
destroyed," Bill Antonelli, vice president of the American Auto Logistics, Inc.,
headquartered in Monroe, N.J., said in the release.
AAL is the Military Traffic Command’s primary contractor for moving
servicemembers’ vehicles to Europe.
Another 154 vehicles incurred varying amounts of damage, said John Randt, a spokesman
for the traffic command in Alexandria, Va. He said 168 other vehicles and cargo onboard
were unaffected by the fire.
"They’re still trying to contact the owners of the damaged vehicles,"
Randt said. "It’s a laborious process, but we’re confident in the effort
[the contractor] is making."
Randt couldn’t give a timeline on how long it would take or how many
servicemembers had been contacted.
This marks the second time since November that AAL has had to answer for a large amount
of damaged property.
Last November, 180 military privately owned vehicles and household goods shipments were
totaled when 10 tons of diesel fuel spilled on them.
"It’s just a coincidence that the two [incidents] are so close; they’re
unrelated," Randt said. "Unfortunately, it portrays the hazards of maritime
shipping."
Servicemembers in Europe concerned about their POV or household goods shipment should
call (49) 6107 9440, toll-free in Germany at 0800 8726 7227 or e-mail Rmoritz@wlhinet.com. Another option is to call (49)
6107 9441, toll-free in Germany at 0800 8726 7227 or e-mail Edullaghan@transcargroup.com.
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