Transportation Corps to Celebrate 70th Birthday
The Army Transportation Corps (TC) will celebrate its 70th birthday at Fort Lee, Virginia, during the TC Symposium, to be held from 25 to 28 July 2012.

All TC Soldiers are invited to attend.  Events will include a state of the corps brief by the Chief of Transportation, Colonel (P) Stephen E. Farmen, memorialization of the Army Transportation School building, ceremonies recognizing TC warriors, fallen heroes, and hall of fame inductees.  The event will also include a regimental run, a golf scramble, a regimental ball, static equipment displays, and automation systems demonstrations.  For more information, visit the Army Transportation School page on Facebook or its website at www.transchool.lee.army.mil.

2012 Transportation Corps and Regiment Awards
Each year, the Army Transportation Corps recognizes transporters past and present for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the corps.

The Transportation Corps and Regiment currently is accepting nominations for the 2012 Distinguished Members of the Regiment, Transportation Hall of Fame and Transportation Corps Soldier of the Year.  Nomination instructions are available through the Army Transportation Corps and Regiment website located at www.transchool.lee.army.mil.

Select the "OCOT" link found near the top of the page and click on the "Regt Plans and Opns" tab found in the drop-down menu.  Here you will find links to the requested information.

The deadline to submit nominations is 28 February 2012.

Army War College Sponsors Strategic Landpower Essay Contest
The Army War College and the Army War College Foundation are sponsoring the 2012 Strategic Landpower Essay Contest.  The competition is designed to advance professional knowledge of the strategic role of landpower in joint and multinational operations.

This year's topics of interest for the contest include the future of landpower, the strategic role of landpower, and the Army's role in national security.  Essays must be original and must not be previously published or exceed 5,000 words.  All entries must be postmarked by 17 February 2012 in order to be accepted.  Everyone except those involved in the judging is eligible to enter and win.

For more information or for a copy of the essay contest rules, contact Dr. Michael R. Matheny at the college's Department of Military Strategy, Planning and Operations by telephone at (717) 245-3459 or DSN 242-3459, or by email at michael.matheny@us.army.mil.

Sustainment Panels Slated for Upcoming AUSA Symposia
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) will hold its annual Winter Symposium and Exposition from 22 to 24 February at the Greater Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The theme of this year's symposium is "America's Army-Decisive Force."

Lieutenant General Raymond V. Mason, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, is slated to chair a panel on operational power and energy.  Dr. Marilyn M. Freeman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research and Technology), is slated to chair two panels: one on science and technology priorities and another on the impact of Army science and technology strategy on industry.  Heidi Shyu, the acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), is expected to chair a panel on developing versatile and affordable equipment.  Additional forums will be held on reset and retrograde, providing timely and integrated logistics information support to the warfighter, the agile lifecycle process, and modernization.

A second symposium is slated for 8 to 10 May in Richmond, Virginia.  The AUSA Institute of Land Warfare Sustainment Symposium and Exposition will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

For more information or to register for either event, visit www.ausa.org.

37th Annual Military Culinary Arts Competition
The 37th Annual Military Culinary arts Competition will be held from 29 February to 7 March 2012 at fort Lee, Virginia.  The event is open to the public and includes a field kitchen competition, the Armed Forces Student Chef of the Year competition, the Nutritional Hot Food Challenge, cold food displays, ice carving demonstrations, and cooking competitions and demonstrations.  New categories are being added this year that mirror the categories found at the World Culinary Olympics held in Germany.

For more information, visit the Facebook page of the Advanced Food Service Training Division: www.facebook.com/army.culinary.

Defense Maintenance and Sustainment Summit
Worldwide Business Research will hold the Defense Maintenance and Sustainment Summit from 27 to 29 February 2012 in La Jolla, California.  The summit will include workshops addressing the primary barriers and challenges to implementing condition-based maintenance (CBM) plus throughout the Department Defense, controlling the risk and cost of weapon system total life-cycle support, and examining the benefits of a CBM strategy for sustainment.

For more information or to register, visit the summit website: www.defensemaintenance.com.

CALL Issues Responsible Drawdown Study
The Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) in partnership with the Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) has released the first-ever handbook on drawdown operations written for all levels of Army sustainment.  The special study, titled Responsible Drawdown and Reset, became available online in September 2011 and is designed to guide future leaders and planners in the tasks associated with the drawdown and reset of units.

CALL stresses that the information contained in the handbook "reflects the actions of units in the field and may not necessarily be approved U.S. Army policy or doctrine."

In the handbook's forward, the CASCOM commander, Major General James L. Hodge, notes, "This document will continue to evolve as new lessons are derived; we encourage units to continue to support this effort by providing constant feedback from the field to the Center for Army Lessons Learned..., further closing the information gap between the generating and operational force."

This information not only is for use by U.S. Soldiers but also is available to coalition and allied partners.  To access the digital version of the study, go to https://call2.army.mil/toc.aspx?document=6788.