Logistics plays an important role in Ukraine getting weapons from the U.S.

Logistics plays an important role in Ukraine getting weapons from the U.S.

Transcript¹

The United States continues to send weapons and machinery² to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia. The increase in shipments includes much needed howitzers from a U.S. base in Delaware.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

It's been 71 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. In order for Ukrainian fighters to fend³ off Russian forces, they, of course, need lots of weapons, and many of them are being supplied by the West. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is attempting to stop his troops from getting those weapons by targeting critical infrastructure⁴ targets, including electrical power facilities and transportation hubs like railroads. But the Pentagon says it's not working. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is still able to flow weapons systems and other materials into the region. And those shipments have been happening nearly every day. The U.S. and its NATO allies fly military equipment to Eastern Europe, where it's trucked into Ukraine - billions of dollars' worth of drones, armored vehicles, Howitzers, shoulder-fired missiles, even helicopters and tanks. And more is on the way to help give the Ukrainian military an edge as it continues to fight Russian forces.

Some of that equipment will fly out of Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman went there and has this report.

TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE⁵: The warehouse⁶ squats⁷ on a remote edge of the base behind a chain-link fence. Inside, it's all bustle⁸. Front-end loaders dart⁹ about, lifting up pallets of Howitzer rounds. They look like massive green bullets. Each one weighs 90 pounds.

DAN ROMAINE: As fast as we can push it.

BOWMAN: Airmen tie down the pallets with thick nylon straps¹⁰ so the shells don't shift when they're heading across the Atlantic. Technical Sergeant¹¹ Dan Romaine records it all in a clipboard. Today's load will total some 1,300 shells, just a small amount of the 190,000 rounds promised for Ukraine.

ROMAINE: Last month we moved a lot of the Stinger and the Javelin¹² missiles. I think it was something like 800 javelins¹³ or so.

BOWMAN: Eight hundred of the tens of thousands of shoulder-fired missiles the U.S. and NATO are sending over. They all work 12-hour shifts round the clock. Pallets come in and quickly go out on a waiting aircraft. There are three flights each day bound for an air base in eastern Poland. There's an address sticker on the pallet, a military district in western Ukraine, right down to the street address. Ukrainian military has been desperate for the Howitzers and the shells to help push back the Russian forces.

Senior Airman Jordan Duquette tugs¹⁴ on the nylon straps.

JORDAN DUQUETTE: It gets very repetitive, but I think with that, we can get the process down very smoothly¹⁵.

BOWMAN: He reflects on the horrific videos from Ukraine - the loss of life, the destruction, desperate people on the move.

DUQUETTE: I think it's very heartbreaking that people are - have to go through that. People are being displaced from their homes.

BOWMAN: Moving shells and missiles in a warehouse might not be the stuff of war movies, but Sergeant Romaine says it's his warehouse and the daily flights of armaments that could be a deciding factor in the Ukraine war.

ROMAINE: Logistics is - will make or break the war. Logistics is going to get it there, and it's going to sustain it.

(SOUNDBITE OF AIRPLANE LANDING)

BOWMAN: The C-17 has just landed. It came from McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey¹⁶. And we can see the pallets out there, pallets loaded as the pilot, Air Force Captain Jonathan Sollender, completes his flight check in the cockpit. Nine hours from now, he'll touch down in Poland.

JONATHAN SOLLENDER: Nice to meet you.

BOWMAN: Nice to meet you.

He's about to turn 28.

SOLLENDER: And some people have gone their entire careers not actually doing missions that matter. So here I am, you know?

BOWMAN: Last summer, he flew four missions from Kabul, Afghanistan, rescuing hundreds of refugees. They were crammed¹⁷ elbow to elbow in the vast cargo¹⁸ bay. He remembers what happened as a plane rose off the runway.

SOLLENDER: As soon as, like, they were able to get the wheel liftoff feeling, they were cheering and excited.

BOWMAN: Now his plane is stuffed with 18 pallets of Howitzer shells. It's his first mission to Poland. He says it likely won't be his last.

Tom Bowman, NPR News, Dover Air Force Base, Del.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

3 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

7 squats   

n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• The square squats in the centre of the city. 广场位于市中心。 来自互联网
• Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans. 主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。 来自互联网

8 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

9 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

10 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

11 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

12 javelin   

n.标枪，投枪

参考例句：

• She achieved a throw of sixty metres in the javelin event.在掷标枪项目中，她掷了60米远。
• The coach taught us how to launch a javelin.教练教我们投标枪。

13 javelins   

n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The heavy infantry blocks moved forward, throwing javelins just before the clash. 在正面交火之前，庞大的兵团会整体向前移动并投掷标枪。 来自互联网
• Elite mercenaries, originally from Aragon, armed with javelins and light armour. 加泰罗尼亚标枪兵为精锐雇佣部队，最初来自阿拉贡，装备标枪和轻甲。 来自互联网

14 tugs   

n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The raucous sirens of the tugs came in from the river. 河上传来拖轮发出的沙哑的汽笛声。 来自辞典例句
• As I near the North Tower, the wind tugs at my role. 当我接近北塔的时候，风牵动着我的平衡杆。 来自辞典例句

15 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

16 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

17 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

18 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。