Photo By Kelly Haertjens | Luther Kirby, a logistics management specialist for U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - Most Soldiers don’t think twice about how their gear gets from point A to point B, they just know it shows up when and where it’s needed. But behind every shipment is a team making sure nothing gets lost, delayed, or unpaid. One member of that team is Luther Kirby.
Kirby works on a small but mighty team that manages Second Destination Transportation, a top management level logistics program directly run by U.S. Army Sustainment Command. ASC’s mission is to deliver strategic logistics support and materiel to maintain readiness, ensuring Soldiers have the equipment and supplies in accordance with Army priorities and requirements. SDT plays a key role in that mission by handling the movement of freight, household goods, and storage items between Army worldwide locations. Unlike first destination transportation, which covers shipments from manufacturers to the Army, SDT takes over once items are already in Army hands, moving critical assets to depots, units, or contractors for repair, redistribution, or fielding.
This behind-the-scenes system keeps the Army mobile and mission ready. Kirby’s team of five manages two key parts of SDT: the Third-Party Payment System and Transportation Account Codes. Together, these tools make sure shipments are tracked, paid for, and properly funded.
Kirby, a logistics management specialist, coordinates both systems. Before becoming an Army Civilian, he served in active duty and worked across several departments, earning a reputation as a jack of all trades. His deep knowledge and practical approach help solve problems that affect Soldiers every day.
“When I was a young Soldier, we would do things, and we would have bullets to shoot and cots to sleep on,” Kirby explained. “But we never thought about how we procured it and how it got to that level. If I could just tell anyone, hey, there's people behind the scenes, making the lights stay on for you and making sure when you’re hungry, you have some MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat), and when you're thirsty, that bottle of water will be there for you.”
Kirby’s team ensures that freight carriers are paid quickly and accurately through TPPS, a system that has been in place since 2013. It replaced outdated methods that relied on paper invoices and email chains, leading to delays in payments. Now, payments are tracked in real time, and mismatches between orders and invoices are caught instantly.
“We used to have invoices from carriers floating around, and we had no way to match them to orders,” Kirby said. “Now we have tools that catch mismatches immediately. We can see it, call the carrier and get it fixed fast. That speed matters.”
Delayed payments caused issues with vendors, and that can mean delays for items reaching Soldiers on the front lines.
The team also manages TACs, which are four-digit codes that link each shipment to its funding source. With TACs, the team can trace every shipment and every dollar spent, which holds the Army and vendors accountable for executed shipments and rendered services within the enterprise.
Each year, Kirby’s team processes more than 6,500 TACs for Army commands and agencies across the country. They work at the top level, coordinating with administrators at organizations such as the National Guard Bureau and U.S. Army Reserve Command.
Kirby and his team took over the process in 2019 when the SDT mission was transferred to ASC from Army headquarters who were contracting the process out.
The transition wasn’t easy. Kirby’s team took over right before the annual TAC renewal season, a busy time when TACs must be renewed for the new fiscal year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, adding the challenge of remote operations.
Despite the pressure, Kirby stepped up as both coordinator and trainer. He recently restarted cross-training efforts so every team member can handle both TPPS and TAC tasks. He credits ASC’s support and focus on growing talent from within for the program’s success.
One of the biggest improvements came with the launch of Army Vantage, a digital platform that manages TAC workflows. Before Army Vantage, everything was done manually. Now, requests that used to take 15 to 20 minutes can be completed in just two or three. Kirby was a major part of bringing the platform to life at ASC.
Processing times have been cut in half, and thousands of errors, which are common with manual entries, have been eliminated. Army Vantage also centralizes communication, stores request data, flags mistakes, and automates many steps. Users can submit, review, and annotate shipment requests while keeping records clean and up to date.
“Through Mr. Kirby’s expertise, attention to detail and dedication, he not only helped develop this automated solution but spent countless hours developing training packets to deploy this capability to the enterprise,” said John Germanceri, chief of SDT. “He spent many months prior to the launch date ensuring that all Army stakeholders were trained and proficient in the new Army TAC process.”
Kirby compares his team’s work to special operations forces - invisible unless something goes wrong.
“We’re the quiet professionals,” he said. “If you don’t hear about us, that means we’re doing it right. Getting stuff on time, where it’s supposed to be, with no problems, that’s satisfaction enough.”
As Army logistics continue to evolve, SDT remains essential to keeping Soldiers equipped and ready. Whether it’s a box of supplies or a household move, Kirby’s team ensures every shipment is accounted for and every carrier gets paid. Their work may be behind the scenes, but it’s the foundation that keeps the front lines moving.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2025 10:55 |
| Story ID: | 546382 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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