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. 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. This sets the globe left of conflict and logistically. Nevertheless, changes that positively influence the agility, survivability, responsiveness, and effectiveness of logistics systems can and must be made. Within logistics, the supply function is critical to equipment readiness. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, DLA at a Glance, http://www.dla.mil/AtaGlance.aspx (accessed May 29, 2018). Logistics is the oxygen that allows military muscle to function, grow, and strengthen. FORT DETRICK, Md. Perpetual optimism, believing in yourself, believing in your purpose, believing you will prevail, and demonstrating passion and confidence is a force multiplier. ognition of the importance of the logistics system to these ar-mies, attacks on magazines, baggage trains, and lines of . One chain, fast but low volume, moves commodities like food, medicine and clothing - the . This requires both technological and training/conceptual change across the force, not exclusively in the logistics enterprise. 1021, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McDew_04-10-18.pdf (accessed May 29, 2018). DNA, Oxford Living Dictionaries, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dna (accessed May 29, 2018). 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. logistics , In military science, all the activities of armed-force units in support of combat units, including transport, supply, communications, and medical aid. Is the Defense Acquisition System Postured to Solve National Defense Strategy Operational Problems? It is of vital importance for any military operation and, without it, operations could not be carried out and sustained. These interventions enable logistics capability development for new generations of warfare. The combination of innovation and new technology is therefore critical to maintaining the competitive logistical advantage that U.S. forces have enjoyed since World War II. Military logistics follows the same logic, being divided into-strategic logistics, operational logistics and tactical logistics , . The span of that bridge was literally a ship every 72 miles from the US to Kuwait. Modernizing home game infrastructure must also include improved, state-of-the-art ranges and maintenance facilities, which are critical to supporting the readiness of new platforms that are being acquired in every service. Although many of industrys best practices and technologies are relevant and even vital to the modernization of military logistics, the agility, survivability, responsiveness, and effectiveness of military logistics require another level of integrated innovation in technology and operational concepts. The shrinking militaryindustrial base that provides the wherewithal of national power faces significant challenges because of unpredictable budgets and inconsistent program funding. Of these ships, 26 were operated by federally employed mariners and 141, or 84 percent, were crewed by merchant mariners employed by commercial companies under contract with MSC. The ASLP will achieve the goals of that vision by transforming Army logistics from a system based predominately on redundancy of mass to one based on velocity mobility and information. 20. 15. "The line between disorder and order lies in logistics". Whether the unit engaging the enemy is in the air, on land, at sea, or in space or cyberspace, it must embrace innovation in logistics that not only integrates new technology, but also innovates in the hybrid environment of old and new in order to retain our militarys true advantage as the worlds only force that can prevail in conflict and preserve peace through strength,31 both today and well into the future. Lieutenant General Michael G. Dana, USMC, 21st Century Logistics: Designing and Developing Capabilities, Marine Corps Gazette, Vol. The importance of the global commons reigns supreme. Additionally, U.S. and partner-nation forces had significant time to deploy military capability, ultimately using a single point of entry with mature facilities and infrastructure and Internet access. This dangerous assumption tends to exclude logistics from the conversation regarding the nations current and future warfighting needs. Logistics is the foundation for the success of military operations from entry-level training to the most complex operations across the spectrum of conflict. Michael Howard and Peter Paret (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989), p. 95. Military Logistics Featured Logisticsthe transfer of personnel and materiel from one location to another, as well as the maintenance of that materielis essential for a military to be able to support an ongoing deployment or respond effectively to emergent threats. Logistics, the means of strategy and tactics, determines what is practically possible in war. 11. They also coordinated the loading of another 10 MSC ships at Tacoma, Wash., and San Diego, Calif., which resulted in the movement of over 1 million square feet of military equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division. 9. The Military Health System needs an agile, resilient, and global network of treatment and storage facilities and transportation assets, as well as knowledge of gaps and risks that could hinder effective medical support for future combat operations. Logistics, Merriam-Webster.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logistics (accessed May 29, 2018). The ability of the system to support the joint force in the event of major conflict is at best untested and could be problematic. From the farthest tactical edge to the economic system of the nation, military logistics has far-reaching implications for the nation and the military element of national power and therefore. 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. In addition, the success of every new system and concept, every new technology and military organization, must be evaluated against the commensurate evolution and revolution in logistics sustainability. This report presents algorithms that monitor the U.S. Army logistics distribution system and automatically detect distribution issues that might affect equipment readiness. It should be noted that the current shipbuilding plan projects 11 more battle force ships than were projected in the 2017 plan. Utilizing its people, trucks, trains, railcars, aircraft, ships, information systems, and distribution infrastructure, as well as commercial partners 1,203 aircraft in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) and 379 vessels in the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA), USTRANSCOM provides the U.S. military with highly responsive strategic mobility.11 Its handoff to service logistics personnel around the globe creates a distribution pipeline that moves critical sustainment from the factory to the tactical edge of U.S. military operations. Logistics and supply-chain management Alexander's 35,000-man army could carry no more than a 10-day supply of food when remote from sea transport.1 Yet, Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement, supply, and maintenance of military forces. Perhaps counterintuitively, a constrained ability to build new iron (ships, aircraft, and major ground weapons systems) actually increases the logistical burden and budget because the cost of maintaining older systems necessarily increases. Admiral Brewer put these accomplishments into context: The amount of cargo we delivered could fill all 119 Division 1-A college football fields three times over.22 Specifically: From November 2002 to May 2003, nearly 85,000 pieces of cargo and 4,000 containers of ammunition, requiring 16 million square feet of cargo space, were loaded aboard MSC ships under MSC Atlantics operational control. In January 2003 momentum was really gaining and APS-3 downloaded several ships of equipment into theater. The growing complexity and diversity of the needs of modern-day armies require supply and logistics efficiency, enabling militaries to achieve national goals. At the tactical level, one need only look at the various elements of readiness reporting reviewed by senior leaders to discern that the fundamentals of logistics directly affect the majority of elements that define readiness across the servicespersonnel, equipment, and supply readinesswhich in turn directly affect the ability of the services to meet the recurring needs of ongoing deployments and generate the forces needed for war. The company understands the importance of logistics and has developed a reliable supply chain to deliver coffee to troops in even the most remote and hostile locations. 26. On deeper inspection, however, the differences are profound. Logistics is nearly absent from the recent testimonies by military leaders, members of congress, and industry.4 While all of the testimonies highlight the need to modernize the U.S. military in order to regain our technological advantage, few specifically highlight the need for modernized logistics capabilities. 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. This focus on effectiveness will prioritize the forces critical logistics needs by evaluating all requirements against mission success and differentiating the critical requirements from the multitude of inputs: in essence, providing the nail at the right time and place that prevents having to build a complete inventory of shoes, horses, and riders in order to win the battle.30. 101, Issue 10 (October 2017), https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/10/21st-century-logistics (accessed May 29, 2018). Obviously then, the logistics system must be in harmony, both with the economic system of the Nation and with the tactical concepts and environment of the combat forces.3. bilities outside the military logistics system. It must coordinate with allies and partners to place combined force capabilities against the adversarys weakness and develop and sustain a broad array of overseas advanced bases that will change frequently and provide the responsiveness and effectiveness needed to prevail despite enemy efforts to prevent U.S. forces from getting to or operating within the theater of combat. 29. That was more than 78 percent of the total MSC active fleet of 214 ships that dayships dedicated to supporting the US forces. The military is also going full steam ahead on hardware acquisitions, but when it comes to Revolution in Military Logistics (RML), most, particularly in the military circles, are in a denial mode. Fundamentals In the conduct of war, war-making activity behind the cutting edge of combat has always defied simple definition. Simply stated, supply readiness is the ability to have the right types and amount of equipment available for a ground unit, a ship, or an aviation unit. 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. Military Logistics: A Brief History - Logistics is a relatively new word used to describe a very old practice: the supply, movement and maintenance of an armed force both in peacetime and under operational conditions. Military readiness is the capability of the military force to meet the requests of their designated assignments or missions. 1. Logistics touches every aspect of military strength and is the sum of the capabilities brought to bear by all of the U.S. military services and those of a wide array of international partners.6. Many have written on the challenges of logistics in the 21st century, but Lieutenant General Michael Dana, Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics, has captured the requirement succinctly in his term hybrid logistics, which he defines as the era where old meets new.28 This is a period in logistics operations in which the combination of old and new technology and innovative concepts will provide precise logistics support to a widely distributed force instead of a large logistics footprint that delivers through a central hub. Managing logistics is extremely crucial as it helps the organisations to gain deep insights of the supply chain. Highlights 16. In addition, unmanned platforms that can evacuate the injured from the point of injury without sacrificing high-cost combat platforms and additional combat capability will be critical in the dispersed battlefield. To add a qualification at this point I don't count insurgencies or stay behind forces as defensive forces or defensive operations. The Timelessness and Ever-Changing Nature of Logistics. In Clausewitzs words, getting the force to the fight at the right place and the right time1 is the true essence of military logistics. Logistics is critical not only to employing the force, but also (and perhaps even more importantly) to building the everyday readiness of the force. The Movement Coordination Centre Europe commissioned RAND Europe to conduct a scoping study to understand constraints of operating in Africa, as well as barriers to the efficient coordination of airlift and other logistic support in the continent. zdebir, drawing attention to the importance of opening the military logistics field to the civilian industry, emphasized that the defense support capabilities of Trkiye will increase with the participation of the private sector. U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Transportation Command, About USTRANSCOM, https://www.ustranscom.mil/cmd/aboutustc.cfm (accessed May 29, 2018). Military logistics involves the interaction of military and government entities with private, commercial, foreign, and multinational organizations worldwide. In concert with the diplomatic, information, and economic instruments of national power, the military helps to implement America's national security and defense strategies, 1 but success in. The Honorable Alan Estevez, remarks at Marine Corps Association and Foundation 14th Annual Ground Logistics Awards Dinner, Arlington, Virginia, March 22, 2018. The importance of logistics was central to Alexander's plans, indeed his mastery of it allowed him to conduct the longest . DLAs activity is spread across 48 U.S. states and in 28 different countries.12. The report also offers recommendations for improved distribution monitoring. The U.S. military has not had to fight its way to the fight since World War II. 22. article examines Alexander's implementation of logistics principles and how these same principles can be applied suc-cessfully to the supply-chain management process of organi-zations today. The importance of logistics planning in military action has become perfectly clear in the operations that led to the liberation of Europe, starting with D-Day on June 6, 1944. The acquisition, storage, distribution, use, maintenance, and disposal of materiel; Medical services including patient movement, evacuation, and hospitalization for U.S. and partner personnel as well as indigenous personnel affected by operations; Facilities and infrastructure acquisition, construction, use, and disposition; Provision of food, water, and operational hygiene and sanitation support; Operational contract support including contract management; Infrastructure assessment, repairs, and maintenance; Common-user logistics support to other U.S. government entities, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and other nations; Establishing and sustaining large-scale and enduring detention compounds; Planning, coordinating, and integrating host-nation support from overseas partners; Disposal operations that deal with the removal and remediation of waste and unusable military property; In-transit visibility of sustainment and asset visibility of all major military end items; and. While procurement is not exclusively a function of logistics, the countrys industrial capacity affects the availability of spare parts, the availability of technical support for contract maintenance, and the ability to replace warfighting platforms that are well beyond their service life, be they ships, aircraft, or major land-component systems (tanks, artillery, reconnaissance vehicles, personnel carriers, radars, ground vehicles, etc.). Reductions in the size and capability of the industrial base, limitations on our national sealift capacity, and aging of the infrastructure needed to move personnel, weapons systems, ammunition, and fuel all directly challenge the ability of the United States to project military power. Additionally, two of the three Maritime Prepositioning squadrons supporting the U.S. Marine Corps were unloaded at the Ash Shuayba Port in Kuwait. The Military Health System will need to implement a portfolio of mitigation strategies to ensure an agile, resilient, and global network of capabilities and a robust industrial supply base to effectively treat combat casualties in future conflicts. /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/reports, /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/blogPosts, /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/multimedia, /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/caseStudies, How China Understands and Assesses Military Balance, Russian Military Operations in Ukraine in 2022 and the Year Ahead, Consequences of the War in Ukraine: A Bleak Outlook for Russia, RAND President and CEO Presenting to House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, RAND Experts Discuss the First Year of the Russia-Ukraine War, Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change, Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive, Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research, Military and Defense-Related Supply Chains, Common Authorized Stockage Lists for the U.S. Army's Brigade Combat Teams, Improving Precommissioning Assignments and Readiness on the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter, Rapidly Detecting and Correcting Degradation of Military Supply Distribution Performance: Algorithms, Visualizations, and Case Studies, The Problem of Intra-Theater Lift: Moving Things Around in the Pacific Area of Responsibility, Assessing the Effectiveness of Future Concepts in the U.S. Air Force: Application to Future Logistics Concepts, Supporting Combat Power Projection Away from Fixed Infrastructure, Retention of Enlisted Maintenance, Logistics, and Munitions Personnel: Analysis and Results, Implementing Variable Cost Pricing in the Transportation Working Capital Fund, A Tradition of Service: Q&A with Two Veterans, Achieving Global Mobility: Future Force Design 2040, Global Mobility: Future Force Design 2040, An Analysis of Alternative Approaches to Measuring Multinational Interoperability: Early Development of the Army Interoperability Measurement System (AIMS). The U.S. joint force's ability to move materiel and people across oceans and continents is unique among militaries. As cyber and electronic warfare capabilities are introduced to the forward edge of the battlespace, individual capabilities represented by on-hand quantities of various technologies and trained personnel will truly define a units ability to execute the mission-essential tasks demanded in the complex warfighting environment of a peer adversary. Many logistical challenges will remain unchanged in the near future because of the sheer physics of distributing ammunition and bulk liquids and the requirement to move major ground warfighting equipment and personnel. 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. 68, Issue 1 The aim of this paper is to present the role, importance and trends of logistics development in modern conditions, as well as to present different approaches to the study of logistics, and approaches in the education and development of military logistics professionals. It is largely self-evident that bringing new technology into military organisations is challenging. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. Developments in mechanized, aerial, and amphibious warfare made the logistic support of armed forces vastly more complicated and extensive (Nelson, 1992). Logistics is perhaps the most complex and interrelated capability provided by todays military. Global Security.org, Sealift in Operation Iraqi Freedom, last modified July 7, 2011, https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/sealift-oif.htm (accessed May 30, 2018). 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 Future of Combat Casualty Care: Is the Military Health System Ready? Strong operations professional with a Master of Science - MS focused in Human Resources Management & Development (CIPD) from The University of Salford. The name . In preparation for combat operations in Iraq, logisticians had six months to deploy the force and its associated sustainment. In fact, logistics often determines the course of a war, experts say. Importance of Logistics 5. The essence of logistics is an integrated approach to all its constituent activities, which reduces costs and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the logistics system in supporting. This was enough military cargo to fill the deck space of 58 Nimitz class aircraft carriers. Change must be made that ensures logistics agility by designing procedures and acquiring systems that adjust to changing requirements across a widely distributed force constantly and with domain-wide visibility, highlighting the needs, resources, and capabilities of the force. The United States Marine Corps has implemented some proactive measures to respond to global events and crises. Data Rights Relevant to Weapon Systems in Air Force Special Operations Command, Strategic Airlift in Africa: Understanding Challenges and Opportunities for the Movement Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE) and Member Nations. Naval Supply Systems Command, Logistics Quotations, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/navy/log_quotes_navsup.pdf (accessed May 30, 2018). Of the 141 ships, 127 ships were carrying combat equipment and cargo from the U.S. or Europe into the theater of operations or were en route to load cargo for the operation.20. [6] Further, uncertainty permeates operational plans, making it important that military leaders make timely and effective decisions based upon available information. Therefore, to ensure military readiness, it is important to evaluate . I love these famous logistics quotes! At first glance, the challenges of military logistics may appear to be the same as, or at least very similar to, those experienced by FEDEX, Walmart, Amazon, DHL, or any other major supply chain operation supporting vast numbers of customers both internationally and across the United States. The future fight will require significantly greater responsiveness and diversity in the face of a greater threat. The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. Without the right equipment, units cannot train to the full complement of their mission sets. Carl von Clausewitz, On War, ed. Failure to understand the implications of not modernizing logistics in a time of great technological change potentially spells doom for the success of the modernized force. Research has recognized supply chain as an important source of competitive advantage. MSC normally operates 120 civilian-crewed, non-combatant ships for a variety of missions around the world. The operational integration of these various capabilities provides the linkage between the tactical and strategic levels: a means to leverage the Arsenal of Democracy29 in the hands of the men and women who serve in harms way around the globe. (ARL Magazine) One of the most important areas of every army is logistics. The third foundation, the morale of his troops, was directly affected by the first two.15 Slims ability to innovate in planning, organizing, and sustaining his logistics enterprise was critical to his logistics success. It is therefore important that logistics correctly assess the short-term consumption expected by combat forces; that is, the "here and now", which are essential to facilitate combat readiness and the . James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America: Sharpening the American Militarys Competitive Edge, U.S. Department of Defense, p. 7, https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf (accessed May 29, 2018). Dictionaries, https: //www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McDew_04-10-18.pdf ( accessed May 29, 2018 ) and multinational organizations worldwide, that... Corps Gazette, Vol World war II U.S. military has not had fight... Success of military operations from entry-level training to the full complement of their designated assignments or missions the forces... And in 28 different countries.12, without it, operations could not be carried out and sustained the regarding. And training/conceptual change across the force, not exclusively in the face of a greater threat at! 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