It's impossible to overstate the benefits of business logistics systems or the importance of distribution logistics. During the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom, MSC had 167 of its 214 active ships directly supporting the war. Nevertheless, changes that positively influence the agility, survivability, responsiveness, and effectiveness of logistics systems can and must be made. Military operations involve multifaceted threats, many with differing agendas, reactive capabilities, and adaptive competencies in a non-static environment. U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Transportation Command, About USTRANSCOM, https://www.ustranscom.mil/cmd/aboutustc.cfm (accessed May 29, 2018). Prior to World War I, the German Army knew in detail what it would take to deploy the force via railroads to the frontiers. More than 90 percent of the military cargo to support OIF was delivered by MSC ships. In preparation for combat operations in Iraq, logisticians had six months to deploy the force and its associated sustainment. Military strategic capability is achieved by the economic, industrial and military might of a nation. Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms. 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. Researchers identified a new approach, the Army Interoperability Measurement System. Major-General Carl von Clausewitz, On War. In the MSC Sealift Program, 106 of 115 ships, including government-owned surge sealift ships, Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Fleet ships, and chartered commercial ships, were carrying equipment and supplies for the Armys 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and V Corps and the Marine Corps I and II Marine Expeditionary Forces. 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. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right . 6. In this interview, they discuss what made them want to join the service, what led them to research, and how their military experience guides the work they do at RAND. Logistics. Therefore, understanding its nature is vital to commanders and institutional leaders. Military logistics involves the interaction of military and government entities with private, commercial, foreign, and multinational organizations worldwide. The ability of the system to support the joint force in the event of major conflict is at best untested and could be problematic. 169180. Logistics became particularly important for being the backbone of the entire supply chain. 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 . The goal of military readiness is to ensure that the military force is ready and able to complete tasks at any time. As a result, the logistics enterprise is rarely debated outside the logistics profession with the same intensity as other more publicized warfighting needs, especially the need to regain our military technological advantage over major competitors like China and Russia, are debated. In January 2003 momentum was really gaining and APS-3 downloaded several ships of equipment into theater. 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 . 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. As part of a military supply chain, the logistics manager is responsible for managing both the equipment and the personnel involved with making the supply chain work. Logistics > PRISM | National Defense University > News. 19. Without the right equipment, units cannot train to the full complement of their mission sets. Its nature is expressed in operational choices and decisions, and is fundamental to military preparedness. To ensure Army readiness, the enterprise will continue to focus on its global logistics reach, which includes boosting Equipment on Hand rates by moving millions of pieces of equipment to the. Therefore, to ensure military readiness, it is important to evaluate . This trend is very similar across the industrial capacity capabilities that produce aircraft and major land-component warfighting systems. Boost Business Profitability. MSC normally operates 120 civilian-crewed, non-combatant ships for a variety of missions around the world. 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." Importance of Military Readiness. Three of 25 Special Mission ships were directly supporting Navy combatants with telemetric, hydrographic and acoustic data. From providing the facilities that house the members of the force and the ranges where they train, to sustaining the equipment warriors operate and wear, to providing fuel and ammunition in operations and training, the interconnectedness of logistics inextricably links logistics to military combat power. All you can think about . To appreciate the challenge confronting Americas logistical capabilities, imagine having to execute a future operation similar in scale to the major deployment of U.S. combat power to Kuwait in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in March 2003. USTRANSCOM conducts more than 1,900 air missions during an average week and has 25 ships underway and 10,000 ground shipments operating in 75 percent of the worlds countries. 5. It must be able to dictate the time and tempo of its buildup and control the massive capabilities of the U.S. military. In Clausewitzs words, getting the force to the fight at the right place and the right time1 is the true essence of military logistics. The importance and the proportion of military logistics have developed at the same pace as the development of the industry of defence and the reassesment of the war concepts thus being forced to face bigger demands 3. Vision, sure. 1. 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. 26. Logistics is critical to success on the battlefield. An understanding of the changing requirements must be achieved in the absence of direct input from the supported force through predictive capabilities that are enabled through improved artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. For the U.S. to be able to sustain effective combat operations in the modern era, it must prioritize prepositioned forward stocks and munitions, strategic mobility assets, partner and allied support, as well as non-commercially dependent distributed logistics and maintenance to ensure logistics sustainment while under persistent multi-domain attack.16. The shrinking militaryindustrial base that provides the wherewithal of national power faces significant challenges because of unpredictable budgets and inconsistent program funding. 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. This was enough military cargo to fill the deck space of 58 Nimitz class aircraft carriers. Amateurs think about tactics, but professionals think about logistics. Logistics survivability upgrades can achieve reduced targetability of the logistics force through development of manageable electronic signatures, a reduced logistics footprint, and improved distribution with reduced static inventory. 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. COURIER, 2020, Vol. Learn about the top 10 major importance of logistics management. RAND researchers present a Future Logistics Concept Assessment Framework, which is a disciplined, systematic way to assess proposed future logistics concepts to meet the requirements of the National Defense Strategy. 10. The name . In this companion report, researchers identify next steps toward implementing variable cost pricing for selected business lines funded by the Transportation Working Capital Fund. Consequently, it is far more complex than even the most sophisticated global business enterprises. During fiscal year (FY) 2017, DLA provided more than $35 billion in goods and services, coordinating the actions of 25,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel who provided food, clothing, fuel, repair parts, and other items across nine supply chains distributing approximately 5 million distinct consumable, expendable, and reparable items. Secondly, the introduction of complex systems and machines will transform the way militaries will organise. The NDS focuses on investments needed to improve the ability of forces deployed abroad to maneuver against an enemy and ensure that the posture of those forces (how they are arrayed in theater) has resilience (the ability to sustain losses and remain effective). 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. Logistics MCDP 4 40. 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. Fundamentals In the conduct of war, war-making activity behind the cutting edge of combat has always defied simple definition. 1021, https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McDew_04-10-18.pdf (accessed May 29, 2018). The intention here is to try and bring about a change in outlook on this very important area that is taken for granted. 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. These 1,089 ships included 32 carriers, 10 battleships, 62 cruisers, 442 destroyers, and 563 frigates and destroyer escorts.26 Compare this to the Navys Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2019, which proposes the construction of 54 battle force ships during the five years from 2019 to 2024.27. It is the Army's responsibility to position the right assets for the joint force to seize the initiative in large-scale combat operations. The importance of the global commons reigns supreme. Logistics is primarily a military term, so the first applications were in military areas. The core functions within logistics are supply, maintenance, deployment and distribution, health services, logistic services, engineering, and operational contract support (OCS).7 Logistics includes planning and executing the movement and support of forces as well as those aspects of military operations that deal with: Thus, military logistics defining attributesagility, survivability, responsiveness, and effectivenessare measured by the breadth and depth of these core functions, which affect the military from force generation to training to the readiness of units stationed at home and abroad. "There's an old expression that is sometimes true in the logistics business: parts is parts," Hooper says. "The cost of operating and maintaining a system over its useful life is driven primarily by system design, and reliability and maintainability decisions, which are typically made before production." - Ms. Christine Fox, Former Director, Cost Assessment & Program Evaluation (CAPE) Improved planning, execution, and online university for military can be of great help for boosting the market. 101, Issue 10 (October 2017), https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/10/21st-century-logistics (accessed May 29, 2018). The military supply-chain can be divided into three distinct chains, note military logistics experts. During World War II logistics gained importance in army operations covering the movement of supplies, men & equipment across the border Today It has acquired the wider meaning and is used in the business for the movement of material from suppliers to the manufacturer and finally the finished goods to the consumers. Read this work not for its focus on the sea but for its focus on national power. Having greater logistics capability than the enemy is a force multiplier. A highly motivated, resilient and inspirational individual who possesses an extensive array of equipment . Ultimately, the effectiveness of any logistics capability is determined at the tactical level, but sustained success at the tactical level requires effectiveness further upstream at the operational and strategic levels. 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. For example, Secretary of Defense Mattiss recently announced intention to reduce non-deployable personnel is one aspect of force readiness that is affected by the health services component of logistics.17 Large numbers of non-deployable personnel reduce the available strength of military units, and without the full complement of personnel, teams cannot be trained effectively, whether they are ground units, ships crews, or aviation formations. Strategy, yes. In a time of constrained fiscal resources, this means doing differently with less. Equipment readiness is another area of concern. 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). At the same time, Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force oilers pumped more than 117 million gallons of fuel to Navy combat ships for bunkering and aircraft fuel. Integrating simulators and virtual reality capabilities into range design will also help to reduce the logistical impact of home-station training and generate much-needed efficiencies in major range training opportunities while also improving overall warfighting readiness. Technologies such as additive manufacturing, improved manmachine interfaces, and advanced robotics will contribute significantly to improved survivability. Improvements in munitions and energy systems will directly improve the speed and reliability of the force and, thus, its logistical survivability and effectiveness. Lieutenant General Michael G. Dana, USMC, 21st Century Logistics: Designing and Developing Capabilities, Marine Corps Gazette, Vol. U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Warfare Systems) (N9), Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2019, February 2018, p. 3, https://news.usni.org/2018/02/12/fy-2019-u-s-navy-30-year-shipbuilding-plan (accessed May 29, 2018). 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. 30. 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. The report also offers recommendations for improved distribution monitoring. These are far from back office functions and are truly what sustain the force and support its warfighting readiness. Highlights Here is why: Logistics connects the world. Field Marshal Viscount Slim, Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan in Burma and India, 19421945 (New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000), pp. 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. It is an important area of supply chain whose effective use can ensure a balance between supply and demand. They are innovative in thought and practice, with a command and control architecture that is immunized against cyber and electronic warfare threats, and data-driven through predictive analytics. Not explicitly addressed in the NDS but fundamentally implied is the equally daunting challenge of winning the home games by having the critical militaryindustry partnerships and dedicated infrastructure that serve as the preparation and launching pads for our forces. Ultimately, change must ensure both speed and reliability of logistics systems that build trust from the tactical level to the strategic level. 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 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. It should be noted, however, that in the years since these tremendous accomplishments, the size of the force available to execute these missions has shrunk considerably. 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. For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, / For the want of a shoe the horse was lost, / For the want of a horse the rider was lost, / For the want of a rider the battle was lost, / For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost, / And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richards Almanack, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/poor-richard-s-almanac (accessed May 30, 2018). 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