Transportation Command at Scott AFB helps deliver much-needed baby formula

The U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base is playing a key role in easing the national baby formula shortage.

The shortage prompted President Joe Biden to use the Defense Production Act and parts of the U.S. military tied to Scott Air Force Base.

Over the weekend, the first overseas shipment of formula totaling 78,000 pounds arrived in Indianapolis with coordination from the U.S. Transportation Command, which is stationed at Scott.

It was part of Biden’s announcement last week of Operation Fly Formula, which instructed the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture to use commercial planes contracted by the Defense Department to import formula.

“We learned only a couple hours before the president made the announcement that the Department of Defense was going to be a part of this,” said Scott Ross, a deputy director of public affairs at TRANSCOM. “There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle that were still missing.”