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. To say the least, the challenges of military logistics are unique. The ability of the system to support the joint force in the event of major conflict is at best untested and could be problematic. 16. 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. Managing logistics is extremely crucial as it helps the organisations to gain deep insights of the supply chain. Perhaps not so obvious is the interconnectedness of supply readiness to all other aspects of unit readiness. 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. The shift in our military focus to competing in an era of great-power competition demands an even greater understanding of logistics and highlights the breadth of the requirement to support the entirety of the force in innovative ways, from training in the United States to deploying far from home. The shrinking militaryindustrial base that provides the wherewithal of national power faces significant challenges because of unpredictable budgets and inconsistent program funding. The most junior personnel in logistics today are going to have to come up with creative ideas on how to set and sustain a theater of operations for logistics, resupply and repair in a new world. Currently open to internships as well as full time jobs. I love these famous logistics quotes! Additionally, two of the three Maritime Prepositioning squadrons supporting the U.S. Marine Corps were unloaded at the Ash Shuayba Port in Kuwait. 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. 101, Issue 10 (October 2017), https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2017/10/21st-century-logistics (accessed May 29, 2018). Training, quality data improve MEDLOG catalog. This narrated presentation describes the project, including key findings. Military forces must receive such support regardless of how limited or intermittent their access to the Internet may be, and supporting logistics forces must meet the demand while an enemy is trying to kill the customers, both at home and in the parking lot, and is destroying the delivery fleet at every opportunity. Unlike commercial companies with global distribution operations, the military faces conflicts that usually erupt with very little warning and immediately create enormous demands for support akin to the Christmas rush, the Black Friday crush, and Cyber Monday rolled into one. Logistics always over-promises and under delivers. 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. Supply and logistics operations are important for the world's armed forces, fulfilling the needs of fighting and administrative units. Having greater logistics capability than the enemy is a force multiplier. During World War II, from 1939 to 1945, the United States delivered 1,089 warfighting ships to the fleet that today would be classified as battle force ships. Research has recognized supply chain as an important source of competitive advantage. 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. 15. 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. 10. More than 90 percent of the military cargo to support OIF was delivered by MSC ships. This requires both technological and training/conceptual change across the force, not exclusively in the logistics enterprise. It has the ability to improve the operational excellence which is necessary to grow and expand your business. They are delivered from the sea by means of modern connectors, platforms, processes, and concepts with the flexibility to enable multi-domain fires and maneuver. John E. Wissler, Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.). In February, MSC Pacific provided direct support in the activation of 10 MSC cargo ships at various West Coast ports. 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. By investing time into learning the different types of reverse logistics and the . Friday, June 25, 2021 A supply ship unloads supplies at the Port of Pusan. He was the director of the Military Logistics Program in the RAND Arroyo Center from 2011 to 2016 and has worked extensively in supply chain management, logistics, and data analytics. It also outlines a range of options to deliver global mobility in dynamic threat and policy environments. 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. Fundamentals In the conduct of war, war-making activity behind the cutting edge of combat has always defied simple definition. Given the evolution of competitors abilities to threaten the logistical underpinnings of U.S. combat power, force logistics planning now requires innovation in both technology and operational concepts. 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. Logistics essentially undergirds operational capability in support of national security. Major-General Carl von Clausewitz, On War. 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. 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. "The line between disorder and order lies in logistics". Supply readiness has been the subject of various testimonies to Congress regarding the readiness of the force on land, in the air, or on the sea. Logistics became particularly important for being the backbone of the entire supply chain. 8. Logistics is critical to success on the battlefield. 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. While 10 percent of the cargo was delivered by other means, primarily aircraft, understanding the magnitude and significance of sea-based sustainment is critical to understanding what it takes to deploy and employ the U.S. military. 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 . US admits "We're not the clear [technology] leaders that we used to be" Developments in mechanized, aerial, and amphibious warfare made the logistic support of armed forces vastly more complicated and extensive (Nelson, 1992). Every military has planned for operations its systems of logistics cannot support. 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. 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. Here is why: Logistics connects the world. 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. Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement, supply, and maintenance of military forces. 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. The manufacturer isn't a logistician and neither is the consumer; and both need the logistics middle man to deliver what they need. Logistics is critical not only to employing the force, but also (and perhaps even more importantly) to building the everyday readiness of the force. Military 80 Penn State program trains Marines on battlefield logistics DC Velocity DECEMBER 18, 2018 There is no option to fail, and there is no hope of unlimited resources. The mix of ships encompassed all four of MSCs programs, and included the U.S. Maritime Administrations Ready Reserve Force, and more than four times the normal daily number of commercial ships. In coordination with USTRANSCOMs distribution functions, the actions of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) as supplier for the military are equally staggering in scope and scale. 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 affects every aspect of organizing, training, equipping, deploying, and employing the force. 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. 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. Logistics is the oxygen that allows military muscle to function, grow, and strengthen. The Importance of Military Logistics The Swiss strategist Antoine Henri Jomini defined "logistics" as "the practical art of moving armies." [8] He listed 18 constituent elements of a wide range: "successive arrival of convoys of supplies. 9. 30. 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. While not a new consideration in designing a force for tomorrow that remains relevant today, the development of integrated, agile, technologically advanced, and effective logistics systems that drive efficiencies into every corner of the military is increasingly essential in todays dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-changing national security environment. Because of their logistic importance, fabrication and assembly plants, highway networks, ports and canals became a primary focus. 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