Operational Sustainment: The Impact of Critical Decisions upon Operational Design
Abstract
The dynamic tension between operational sustainment planning and operational design is examined. Since operational planners must fully consider both the limitations and possibilities of operational sustainment and its inherent risks when designing campaigns and major operations; they must thoroughly understand this tension and how to minimize its detrimental impacts upon planning. Critical sustainment decisions which concern the interface of sustainment and combat activities are of great importance. The paper's purpose is to answer the question: Does doctrine adequately describe the impact of these critical sustainment decisions on operational design? It focusses on both the description of the impacts and methods for minimizing those impacts. Three case studies of campaigns wherein an initial sustainment base was lacking are analyzed in terms of the decisions concerning lines of support, staging, altering lines of communication, sustainment priorities, and force expansion. Conclusions include: 1) the doctrinal description of the impact of these decisions contained in FM 100-5 is adequate; 2) selection and organization of an initial sustainment base is a critical decision interfacing combat and sustainment activities not specifically identified as such in FM 100-5; 3) from an operational sustainment perspective, a campaign plan is inadequate if only a general concept of operations without specific planning details exists for subsequent phases of the campaign. (edc)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 17, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA215777
Entities
People
- Stephen P. Peterson
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College