U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Transportation Command, About USTRANSCOM, https://www.ustranscom.mil/cmd/aboutustc.cfm (accessed May 29, 2018). RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. Answer (1 of 4): I'm as logistics officer at the IDF can tell you that no army can move for more than 72 hours without the military logistics. Naval Supply Systems Command, Logistics Quotations, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/navy/log_quotes_navsup.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018). Availability and delivery of parts and spare components, maintenance capability and the capacity to surge increased maintenance volume on short notice, the ability to contract additional support when necessaryall of these logistical elements are essential to military effectiveness. The criticality of logistics is not a new phenomenon, however; logistics has a significantly more complex nature today because of its integration across air, land, sea, space, and the information and cyber environments. The use of unmanned platforms will be critical to the future of agile logistics. the great importance the alliance attaches to the civil dimension and its impact on military operations. The shrinking militaryindustrial base that provides the wherewithal of national power faces significant challenges because of unpredictable budgets and inconsistent program funding. U.S. forces initiated the deployment with Military Sealift Command (MSC), a USTRANSCOM subordinate command, prepositioning assets moving to Kuwait beginning in October 2002, with the off-load of increased military capability beginning in earnest in January 2003 and wrapping up in April 2003, completing the six-month force buildup. It is an important area of supply chain whose effective use can ensure a balance between supply and demand. The problem is made worse by the complexity of dealing with both old and new technologies in a single logistics enterprise. An important factor against integrated logistics is the experience in Iraq where the lapse in logistic doctrine of US revealed a Static inventory is distribution moving at zero miles per hour, and anything that is static on the modern battlefield has little chance of remaining survivable. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, DLA at a Glance, http://www.dla.mil/AtaGlance.aspx (accessed May 29, 2018). The Military Ensures Our Freedom and Safety Around the World From the battlefields of the American Revolution to the front lines of Eastern Europe, American service members have been ensuring the freedom of America and its allies for centuries. The planning done by the German general staff, and the recognition of the importance of railway-based logistics in moving the mobilized reserve, was such that their plans were dubbed, "war by timetable." Just as DNA represents the fundamental and distinctive characteristics or qualities of someone or something,9 logistics planning and modernization define the distinctive characteristics or qualities of the military force and ultimately provide the military commander the freedom of action, endurance, and ability to extend operational reach that are necessary to achieve success. To remain a vital contributor to military success, logistics must adapt continuously so that it bridges old systems and capabilities while embracing new technologies and concepts. Lacking something as simple as power generation capability on a ship, on the ground, or on an aircraft can prevent a unit from establishing the command and control capabilities that are vital to modern warfighting. Our logistics enterprise is absolutely vital for responding to emergencies while preparing for future conflicts." "I've been unwavering in my insistence that we cannot build a combat creditable deterrence if we do not have the logistics capability and capacity to realistically support the complex military operational plans we are likely . The term, first used by Henri Jomini, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and others, was adopted by the U.S. military in World War I and gained currency in other nations in World War II. 1021, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McDew_04-10-18.pdf (accessed May 29, 2018). General Darren W. McDew, U.S. Air Force, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, statement On the State of the Command before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, April 10, 2018, pp. Military logistics is a mission-critical part of operations, and with global tensions becoming strained, improved planning, execution and contingency becomes a high a priority for all government defences agencies across the world. The U.S. has only 23 designated Strategic Seaports17 commercially operated and six under military controlthat make it possible to sustain overseas forces daily and keep them sustained during wartime. The United States might look at its support of Ukraine as a potential model for future defense strategy. Logistics, the means of strategy and tactics, determines what is practically possible in war. Six months may seem a long time, but the volume of activity was immense. Once the 2 nd World War finished, enterprises and businesses within the United States took up this word and started implementing it within normal business . The U.S. military has not had to fight its way to the fight since World War II. That was more than 78 percent of the total MSC active fleet of 214 ships that dayships dedicated to supporting the US forces. . The term logistics was not commonly used until shortly before World War II, but the concept and understanding of logistics have been around since the earliest days of warfare. In short, we need to have the ability to autonomously anticipate the needs of the commander, not simply respond faster to bottom-up needs identification. Twenty-five of 33 Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force ships were providing combat logistics for the carrier strike groups and amphibious strike groups involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A logistics management system underpins that effort and includes inbound and outbound transportation management, warehouse management, fleet management, order processing, inventory control, supply and demand forecasting, and managing third-party logistics (3PL) service providers. The functions of logistics management for military activities during the peacetime are determinant for the realistic forecasts, computation, estimates, the opportunity of good decisions, the. Is the Defense Acquisition System Postured to Solve National Defense Strategy Operational Problems? See, for example, The Honorable Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army, and General Mark A. Milley, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, statement On the Posture of the United States Army before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, 115th Cong., 2nd Sess., April 12, 2018, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Esper-Milley_04-12-18.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018); The Honorable Richard V. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy, statement on Fiscal Year 2019 Department of the Navy Budget before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, April 19, 2018, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Spencer_04-19-18.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018); Admiral John M. Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, statement on Fiscal Year 2019 Navy Budget before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, April 19, 2018, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Richardson_04-19-18.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018); General Robert B. Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps, statement on The Posture of the United States Marine Corps before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, April 19, 2018, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Neller_04-19-18.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018); and The Honorable Dr. Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force, and General David L. Goldfein, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, USAF Posture Statement: Fiscal Year 2019, Department of the Air Force presentation to the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, 115th Cong., 2nd Sess., April 24, 2018, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Wilson-Goldfein_04-24-18.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018). Shipbuilding History, Large Naval Ships and Submarines, http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/navalships.htm (accessed July 27, 2018). One such measure is deploying task-organized units, also referred to as provisional units. Training, quality data improve MEDLOG catalog. The role and importance of logistics King, Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II, is equally telling: I dont know what the hell this logistics is that [General George C.] Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.14 Similarly, in his timeless treatise on warfighting, Defeat into Victory, British Field Marshal Viscount Slim commented that building his theaters logistical infrastructure and supply reserves and maintaining his armys health were two of the three foundations of victory in his campaign in Burma and India. They also are applicable across the entire U.S. military from the strategic level to the tactical level. Military partnerships exponentially improve the depth of logistics capacity available, creating force posture options that may not have existed before, shape regional capability, and influence long-term commitment through the sharing of organic and non-organic national industrial capability. Logistics: The Lifeblood of Military Power, DoD, Mass Comms Specialist 3rd Class Karl Anderson, http://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/jp4_0.pdf, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Esper-Milley_04-12-18.pdf, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Spencer_04-19-18.pdf, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Richardson_04-19-18.pdf, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Neller_04-19-18.pdf, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Wilson-Goldfein_04-24-18.pdf, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dna, https://www.ustranscom.mil/cmd/aboutustc.cfm, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McDew_04-10-18.pdf, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/navy/log_quotes_navsup.pdf, https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf, https://news.usni.org/2018/02/16/new-pentagon-separation-policy-non-deployable-service-members, http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104583/civil-reserve-air-fleet/, https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/sealift-oif.htm, http://www.msc.navy.mil/publications/pressrel/press03/press34.htm, http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/navalships.htm, https://news.usni.org/2018/02/12/fy-2019-u-s-navy-30-year-shipbuilding-plan, https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/10/21st-century-logistics, http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrarsenalofdemocracy.html, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/poor-richard-s-almanac. The authors propose assessing the defense acquisition system's ability to overcome the operational problems outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, discuss why the approach is valuable, and suggest next steps. The impact of logistics beyond readiness grows exponentially when taken in the context of the larger complexities of strategic logistics capabilities such as national and international highway, rail, port, and sealift capacities. Military 80 Penn State program trains Marines on battlefield logistics DC Velocity DECEMBER 18, 2018 You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics. 1. It must be able to dictate the time and tempo of its buildup and control the massive capabilities of the U.S. military. Researchers identified approaches the U.S. Coast Guard could take to improve crew satisfaction with precommissioning assignments on offshore patrol cutters and overall fleet readiness, then evaluated the options using five criteria. All you can think about . Improvements in logistics effectiveness require improved integrated capabilities and authorities that allow logistics challenges to be resolved at the lowest levels, leveraging shared awareness, and focused on effectiveness. RAND has long provided guidance and effective solutions to military supply and logistics decisionmakers, resulting in significant savings, improved readiness and combat support, and unit flexibility. These historically rooted truths of the centrality of logistics to success in war are reflected in the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) in which Secretary of Defense James Mattis notes the criticality of logistical preparation to the resilience and agility of U.S. forces in any setting. The same account further reflects that from January 2003 through the end of April 2003, MSC delivered more than 21 million square feet of warfighting equipment and supplies, 260 million gallons of fuel, and 95,000 tons of ammunition to the Persian Gulf area for the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy warfighters involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Research has recognized supply chain as an important source of competitive advantage. The intention here is to try and bring about a change in outlook on this very important area that is taken for granted. Peter Dye, The Bridge to Airpower: Logistics Support for Royal Flying Corps Operations on the Western Front, 1914-18 Aircraft are complicated machines. 29. The importance of logistics was central to Alexander's plans, indeed his mastery of it allowed him to conduct the longest . 24. Reverse logistics is an important aspect of supply chain management, like when you order from amazon and need to return your products which can be a process in itself. The logistics challenges of domestic military and civilian shipments are often comparable. Mathematical optimization of a common, periodically updated authorized stockage list for each of the U.S. Army's three types of ground brigade combat teams provides improved performance in support of equipment readiness and reduced transition costs. Girardinihas led projects focusing. This situation will strain the systems, processes, and resources intrinsic in military logistics, and exacerbate the friction along the combatants' lines of communications. Therefore, to ensure military readiness, it is important to evaluate . 169180. Prior to World War I, the German Army knew in detail what it would take to deploy the force via railroads to the frontiers. Lieutenant General Michael G. Dana, USMC, 21st Century Logistics: Designing and Developing Capabilities, Marine Corps Gazette, Vol. Improvements in munitions and energy systems will directly improve the speed and reliability of the force and, thus, its logistical survivability and effectiveness. Press release, MSC Area Commands Provide a World of Service to Military Forces in Middle East, U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, July 23, 2003, http://www.msc.navy.mil/publications/pressrel/press03/press34.htm (accessed May 29, 2018). Unlike commercial firms that can prepare by the calendar, the military must operate without knowing when the date of each event occurs and still have the ability to respond to a sudden change in the latest hot item within hours, if not minutes. 101, Issue 10 (October 2017), https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/10/21st-century-logistics (accessed May 29, 2018). 13. Effectiveness is ultimately what matters at the tactical edge. Logistics is an elemental component of all military operations; it is not only a major function unto itself, but also a vital consideration in every other aspect. Researchers conducted an analysis of alternatives of interoperability measurement systems to support the U.S. Army in achieving interoperability with partners. bilities outside the military logistics system. This report presents algorithms that monitor the U.S. Army logistics distribution system and automatically detect distribution issues that might affect equipment readiness. U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) provides daily examples of what it takes to keep U.S. forces and their sustainment moving around the world. The end for which a soldier is recruited, clothed, armed, and trained, the whole objective of his sleeping, eating, drinking, and marching is simply that he should fight at the right place and the right time. It is often termed "the Forgotten War" in the United States. Port facilities capable of handling critical munitions movements are critical to force deployment and sustainment. To add a qualification at this point I don't count insurgencies or stay behind forces as defensive forces or defensive operations. Logistics always over-promises and under delivers. In addition to ensuring that modernized logistics capabilities are appreciated as central to regaining our military advantage, logistics capabilities must be considered in the ongoing discussion of solutions to overcome the current readiness shortfalls of todays military. These interventions enable logistics capability development for new generations of warfare. 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