Today more than any time in the past the Air Force must be able to respond to a threat to our national security interests worldwide. This response must be credible, organized and timely. A task of this magnitude will require a total effort from a prepared team of professionals. The transportation organization will play a major role in our readiness. Transportation's success will depend on the skills of its newest member- -the Plans and Programs Officer. The Transportation Plans and Programs workcenter became a reality in 1985. Many of the planning and programming functions performed as additional duties in days past are now aligned with this workcenter. Before 1985, no formal training was available in the operations of force planning, reception planning and operational planning for the base level transportation officer. As a result, only a small core of experience exists today. Formal training for today's base level transportation planner is very limited. This guide was prepared to expose base level transportation planners to the big planning picture. This guide will focus on three major planning functions (force planning, deployment/mobility, and reception of forces) and two major programming functions (manning and budget). A brief overview of each topic with focus on its relationship to force readiness will allow the base level transportation planner to logically approach duties and know where to seek additional guidance.