“The so What Factor” of Logistics: The Science and Art of Military Logistics

By LTC James H. Henderson "Cotton"

Th is book is designed to provide the reader with a diverse look at the di?erent logistical processes that make up the Science and Art of Logistics, focusing on old as well as new doctrine and theorys, and how to implement new ideas, procedures, and technology that can enhance the overall logistical capability of any operations.

WARNING: Th e last three Chapters are conceptual and not under development, but I sure wish I would have had this functionality when I was in a uniform!

Other Publications:

The Process of Military Distribution Management; A Guide to Assist Military and Civilian Logisticians in Linking Commodities and Movement

Logistics in Support of Disaster Relief

Military Logistics Made Easy; Concept, Theory, and Execution

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781463448851

LTC James H. Henderson "Cotton"

Lieutenant Colonel James H. Henderson was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant and assigned to the Quartermaster following completion of his Master’s Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in May 1985. He is also a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the Quartermaster Officer Basic Course and Quartermaster Officer Advanced Course. Lieutenant Colonel Henderson has served tours in Operations Desert Shield and Storm, as well as Operations Iraqi Freedom II (OIF II). He retired from active duty on 1 August 2005, and is currently working as a consultant for the U.S. Army Product Directors for the Battle Command Sustainment Support System (BCS3) and Transportation Information Systems (TIS). Mr. Henderson is the author of, The Process of Military Distribution Management; A Guide to Assist Military and Civilian Logisticians in Linking Commodities and Movement, and Logistics in Support of Disaster Relief, and Military Logistics Made Easy; Concept, Theory, and Execution. He conducts classes and seminars for the U.S. Army Active, National Guard, and Reserve units on Distribution Management and Logistical Support to Disaster Relief.

Book preview

The So What Factor

of Logistics

The Science and Art of Military Logistics

LTC James H. Henderson, Cotton, USA (Ret.)

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© 2011 LTC James H. Henderson, Cotton, USA (Ret.). All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 9/19/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4634-4885-1 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-4886-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-4887-5 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011915315

Printed in the United States of America

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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Preface

Doctrine

Theory

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Process

Procedure & Execution

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Procedure &

Execution +

Automation

(Current)

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Procedure &

Execution +

Automation

(Future)

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Summary

Glossary

Preface

The So What Factor

Within the contents of this book, we will try to grasp the theories, concepts, and ideas that build the framework of our logistical doctrine, but ones that may not just jumped right out at the reader. I call this the So What Factor, and this is the key reason why units and/or staff elements are conducting the tasks and functions in the first place. For many years over my career as a logistical staff officer, I questioned why we did certain logistical tasks or functions a particular way, and nine times out of ten the answer was always the same, Well, that’s the way we have always done it. This is like saying the Army never changes, and we all know that is crazy, that the Army is always changing and evolving over time to new ideas and technology that improve the way we do business. Good examples of new ideas and technology that has drastically forced the Army to change their business processes is the impact of Supply Chain and Distribution Management concepts, as well as innovative automation technology that provides the soldier near real time In-transit Visibility (ITV), as well as Asset Visibility (AV) of commodities and movements throughout the battle space.

Knowing the significance of the tasks and functions The So What Factor is imperative in developing a successful logistical strategy. The answer could be as simple as designing the different logistical functions and services, such as supply and transportation operations, and nesting the two so they complement one another under an overall capability, and not just as standalone functions or services dependent on their own success. By thinking in this context, it makes the logisticians plan the overall operation in a complete cycle striving to maximize their resources throughout the process.

Now I know this is easier said than done, and we all struggle to achieve this end state, but for some reason we seem to fall short in our endeavors to develop a cohesive sustainment process. This book is designed to provide the reader with a diverse look at the different logistical processes that make up the Science and Art of Logistics, focusing on old as well as new doctrine and theory’s, and how to implement new ideas, procedures, and technology that can enhance the overall logistical capability of every operation.

Figures

Figure 1; Battle Command

Figure 2; Logistical Strategy

Figure 3; Distribution Management Process executed at CORPS Distribution Center (CDC)

Figure 4; Logistics Functions and Capabilities

Figure 5; TMR Management Process Iraq (Military Movement)

Figure 6; TMR Management Process Afghanistan (Commercial Carriers)

Figure 7; Total asset visibility (TAV) across the levels of war (strategic, operational, and tactical)

Figure 8; Responsible Draw Down (RDD) Process Diagram

Figure 9; OPORD to Server to Execution

Figure 10; Situational Awareness/Visibility Process

Figure 11; Information Management Functional Concept

Figure 12; Distribution Data Service

Figure 13; LOG Planning Factor Service

Figure 14; Distribution Capacity Planning Service and Distribution Visibility Service

Figure 15; Presentation Service

Figure 16; Information Flow

Figure 17; Command and Control (C2) Web Page

Figure 18; LOG Information Dashboard Menu

Figure 19; Common Operating Picture

Figure 20; STAMIS and Container Management

Figure 21; Navigator, Messaging, Task Tracker, and Links

Figure 22; LRT, Graphic, Briefs, and Chat Board

Figure 23; Distribution Capacity Planning Web Page

Figure 24; Distribution Visibility Web Page

Figure 25; LOG Planning Factors Web Page

Figure 26, Planning and Presentation Tools

Figure 27; Example of the Search and Query Tool

Figure 28; Example of the Collaboration Tool

Figure 29; Example of the Design Tools

Tables

Table 1; Traits and Supporting Components

Table 2; Business Requirements

Table 3; Features for Supporting System Functionality

Table 4; Functional Requirements Criteria

Table 5; Functional Requirements and Data Analysis

Table 6; Functional Requirements Presentation

Table 7; Organizational Outlook for Information Management

Table 8; Organizational Information Flow

Table 9; Information Flow Elements

Table 10; Distribution and Capacity Planning Cross Walk

Table11; Distribution Visibility Crosswalk

Table 12; Log Planning Factors and Distribution Data Cross Walk

Table 13; Service Cross Walk Reference

Table 14; Doctrinal Procedure Alignment

Doctrine

Theory

Chapter 1

Battle Command and Sustainment

After 26 years of training and experience in conducting military logistics in support of combat and garrison operations, I have began to understand the Why, How, and When our doctrine is to be implemented. I guess the sad part is that when looking back on my planning and execution of sustainment operations I now realize that it might have been successful in the way that I conducted it, but bottom line is that I may not really have understood the concepts and ideas behind the theory of the doctrinal procedures. This also means that when I was improvising my plan and execution to fit the tactical scenario, the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP’s), which I used may have been just lucky in their successful outcome for I truly may not have understood the actual reason Why they work. This could lead back to the way our logistical doctrine was taught to us as young Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers. When I was instructed on the How and When to execute our doctrine I actually did not have enough situational base understanding to comprehend the correlation between the doctrine and theory, and how they intertwine within the framework of the document. Meaning that doctrine is made-up of theories and theories are then made-up of concepts and ideas, and by analyzing these concepts and ideas you will begin to see the logic behind the theory and recognize its relevancy within the doctrine. Therefore, many times what we find is the individual does not have the job experience to actually understand what is being taught to them, and the instructor does not explain the theory behind the doctrine to the fidelity required for the person to grasp the true meaning that the doctrinal writer is trying to convey. This happens for two basic reasons; first the most understandable and practical reason why this happens is there’s just not enough time within the instructional courses timeframe to allow for this type of dialogue, and the second reason, I fear is right the majority of the time, is the instructor themselves may not really understand. Now this may sound negative and harsh, but remember the instructors themselves were taught under the same concept as we were when schooled in doctrine. If the instructor them self does not have the actual on-the-job experience of executing the theories, concepts, and ideas themselves then how could we expect them to understand the Why and How the operation truly works within the framework of the doctrine and to be able to teach it.

Let us begin with reviewing what our doctrine states is the true meaning of Battle Command and Sustainment, from FM 4-0 Sustainment. 30 April 2009:

"3-5. Battle command is the art and science of understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing forces to impose the commander’s will on a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to translate decisions into actions—by synchronizing forces and WFFs in time, space, and purpose—to accomplish missions. Battle command is guided by the commander’s professional judgment gained from experience, knowledge, education, intelligence, assessment skills, intuition, and leadership. Figure 1; diagrams battle command.

ID 356345_Figure1.jpg

Figure 1; Battle Command

3-6. The sustainment commanders must have broad perspective, understanding, and knowledge of sustainment activities throughout the operational area. They must share the visualization of the operational commander and then how to employ all elements of sustainment capabilities at their disposal in support of the operation. Then they must describe and direct how these capabilities are provided."[1]

Well, our own doctrine points out that there is a strong relationship between the art and science as it relates to the execution of battle command tasks and the commanders understanding of the situation, as well as their ability to apply leadership to translate decisions into actions. The commander’s capability to orchestrate these actions to accomplish the mission is guided by their experience and knowledge base, and how they can relate that familiarity to their formal education, to come up with a viable solution. The other traits that were talked about; intelligence, assessment skills, intuition, and leadership are also learned talents, but are more in the line of analysis and decision-making skills, rather than job understanding and formal doctrinal instruction.

The sustainment commander must not only have the same skills and understanding that the battle commander displays, but a broader perspective and knowledge of sustainment activities throughout the area of operation (AO). Moreover, they not only have to know Why to employ all elements of sustainment capabilities they have to be able to describe and direct How and When these capabilities are provided. Now this is getting interesting, the last two traits that the sustainment commander must possess brings us right back to our beginning discussion of how well do they understand the Why, How, and When our doctrine is to be implemented.

What all this says to me is that the sustainment commanders must possess knowledge and experience to understand the Why, How, and When. And to break this premise down even more, the doctrinal knowledge provided by the formal educational base seems to me to be the Why, and the experience and understanding is the How and When. Now take this argument one-step further, for it would be logical then to assume that doctrine is the science, and the experience and understanding is the art. The problem is military logistics is not that simple to understand or implement, but if we are to understand it better, we have to be able to dissect the doctrine from the theory, as well as a theory from concepts and ideas. I think the answer might reside in the concept I have always heard as The Science and Art of Military Logistics.

Chapter 2

Science and Art

More than once, I have heard the notion that there is a science, as well as an art to military logistics operations. The question becomes where does the science end, and the art begin, or is it the other way around. So the real issue; is it more science