"Chiave per il Mediteranneo // Key to the Mediterannean" For centuries, the port of Livorno, Italy has been an important commercial and industrial center for the Tuscan region. On 19 July, 1944, during the second World War, Allied Forces entered the port and found that the enemy destroyed much of the infrastructure in order to deny Allied use of the strategically located port facilities. However,
within thirty days of the Allied entry into Livorno, the harbor was cleared; port facilities were repaired; and the first of countless Liberty ships was docked and discharged. In July 1951, the U.S Army established the Livorno Port of Embarkation providing support to all U.S. military services in the Southern European Region. On 1 October, 1976, the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC), assumed control of all U.S. military water terminal operations in the country of Italy. At that time, Leghorn Terminal was officially established as a subordinate command of MTMC's Terminal Transportation Group, Europe. In the early 1990's Leghorn Terminal served as a critical sustainment platform during U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf. On 1 October 1997, the Leghorn Terminal was redesignated as the 839th Transportation Battalion (Terminal) and assumed mission command of MTMC terminals in the Azores and Greece. The mission of the battalion and its subordinate units was to plan and execute common-user water terminal operations and traffic management in support of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and Atlantic Commands. In November 1998, the battalion assumed increased responsibility within the European theater as the command charged with port operations in the Balkans and Black Sea regions. When the battalion opened the strategic port of Rijeka, Croatia, MTMC began supporting the Stabilization Force and Kosovo mission....a support effort that continues to present day. In January 2004, MTMC changed its name to the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). This redesignation imposed several changes to the 839th's focus and organizational structure...primarily the 839th's assimilation of the newly established SDDC Detachment in Izmir, Turkey. The most recent change to the structure of the 839th took place in 2007 when it formed and assumed responsibility for the SDDC Italy Detachment that is co-located with the Battalion headquarters on Leghorn Army Depot, Livorno, Italy. Today, the 839th TB is charged with operating strategic seaports and providing port management and distribution activities/services across three continents and two combatant commands (USEUCOM & USAFRICOM). This combined Area of Responsibility encompasses 131 seaports spread throughout fifty-seven separate countries on three continents. Forward deployed and ever-vigilant, the 839th Transportation Battalion remains true to its motto: "Chiave per il Mediteranneo" ... "Key to the Mediterannean."
