How to Submit Articles for the

"SPEARHEAD: Voice of the Transportation Corps"

Focus: "SPEARHEAD: Voice of the Transportation Corps" concentrates on presenting to its readers articles, photographs and graphics in areas for which the Transportation Corps has proponency. The biannual publication’s mission is to review doctrine, training, operational support, career development and future concepts within the Transportation Corps. The target audience is the soldier in the field who works in logistics, distribution, movement control, cargo transfer or port, watercraft or highway operations. 

Readership: All Transportation enlisted, warrant officer, officer and Department of the Army civilians worldwide in Active and Reserve Component TOE and TDA units; retired Transporters; and sponsors of the Transportation Corps Regimental Association (TCRA).   TCRA mails the SPEARHEAD two or more times a year at no cost to company-level Transportation Corps units and to TCRA members and sponsors.  Some of the SPEARHEAD’s articles also appear on the TCRA at www.tc-regt-association.org.

Submitting Articles:  If you are interested in writing for the Professional SPEARHEAD, here are suggestions that may be helpful:

• Before you begin writing, review a past issue of the SPEARHEAD; it will be your best guide.  Keep your writing simple and straightforward; avoid quotes; and identify all acronyms and technical terms. 
• Generally articles are approximately 2,500 words in length.  But do not worry too much about length; just tell your story, and we will work with you if length is a problem. However, if your article is more than 4,000 words, you should expect some cutting or perhaps the article will run in consecutive issues of the SPEARHEAD.
• Do not submit your article in a layout format. A simple Word document is best.  Do not embed photos, charts, or other graphics in your text.
• Submit graphics or photographs that you think will work well in illustrating your article as separate files.  Photos are a great asset for most articles, so we strongly encourage them.  Photos may be in color or black and white.  Photos submitted electronically must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi (.jpg or .tif).  Prints of photos may be submitted by mail.
• Ask your public affairs office for official clearance for open publication before submission to the SPEARHEAD.  This step is not needed for historical articles or those that reflect a personal opinion or suggestion.  This review ensures that operational security is maintained.
• Include a biographical sketch about each author as well as your contact information.  The managing editor may wish to contact you during the editing process. 

Submission Dates:  The SPEARHEAD is generally published twice a year – in July and December.  Articles must be submitted to the Secretary, TCRA by 10 April for the Summer issue and by 10 September for the Winter issue.

Appropriate Content: The Transportation Corps Professional SPEARHEAD will consider and publish only original articles that have not been published elsewhere.  The SPEARHEAD is a doctrinal and training publication rather than a public affairs publication (closer to a field manual than a press release).  Appropriate transportation topics include technological developments; tactics, techniques and procedures; "how to" instructions; practical exercises, training methods; and historical perspectives.

Inappropriate Content: Army guidance for professional SPEARHEADs specify the following as inappropriate to publish: nonfunctional photographs or illustrations; materials that promote self-aggrandizement of Army or non-Army individuals, groups or institutions; personal notices to include routine announcements of promotions and assignments; everyday news items; and "personality-type" articles except for those with historical significance.

Selecting Articles for Publication:  The managing editor of the SPEARHEAD will review all articles submitted for publication.  The editor may choose to correspond with the author to gain additional clarity or to suggest revisions.  The managing editor will rank order the articles found appropriate and interesting.  That ordering process and the available space remaining in the SPEARHEAD after departmental updates and advertising space, determine which feature articles are published.  The Publication Chair will attempt to communicate the publication decision to each individual who submits an article for consideration.

Cover Photographs:  Often our readers have suggestions for photographs for the cover of the SPEARHEAD.  Mail or e-mail ideas and photographs (600 dpi at 5x7) to the addresses below.  

Advertisers:  Those who wish to advertise in the SPEARHEAD should contact our Publications Chair LTC (R) Jeff Brown at (804) 734-0883

Addresses:  For editorial review, submit articles by surface mail to Transportation Corps Professional SPEARHEAD, Transportation Corps Regimental Association, PO Box 4260, Fort Eustis, VA 23604.  If using surface mail, please include a 3 ½-inch disk or CD along with the hard copy and tape captions to any photographs or diagrams included.  Articles may also be submitted via E-mail to tcra@cox.net.

Points of Contact:

• Publication Chair LTC (R) Jeff Brown  (804) 734-0883

•    Editor:   COL (R) Gary Howard  gsrahoward@sbcglobal.net