Logistics Command and Control (C2) and Its Application During Desert Shield/Storm

Abstract

With the integration of warfighting concepts from AirLand Battle, Future to AirLand Operations and their requirements for nonlinear battles with enduring sustainment imperatives anticipation, continuity, integration, responsiveness and improvisation, the future of our Army to project power on major regional contingencies depends even more on logistics as a combat multiplier. General Norman Schwarzkopf made this clear when, in the early stages of Desert Shield, he said 'once again the logistics tail wags the fighting dog'. Our logistics decisions today will affect combat capabilities tomorrow. Our emerging combat service support (CSS) doctrine, calling for a multifunctional Command and Control (C2) headquarters at the battalion and group level set the stage to correct earlier doctrine that seemed to lag behind our Warfighting Doctrine. Reviewing logistics lessons during Operations Desert Shield/Storm, the outcome of the war bears out the fact that logistics never constrained a tactical or strategic commanders' decision. While true, such a statement may lead to the incorrect conclusion that our logistics support concept is adequate for the Army of the 21st Century. In fact, our ability to support the operation more accurately reflected the limited duration of the ground war than our logistics robustness. The corps support group concept of logistics C2 can support forces involved in regional contingencies, by creating sufficient flexibility to adapt to requirements that our country's military strategy demands. However, now that we are in a world of high technology, limited resources and face a downsizing force structure, we must continue to refine logistics C2 and a new methodology for deploying of CSS assets, that incorporate changes in technology and lessons from Desert Shield/Storm.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 15, 1992
Accession Number
ADA250821

Entities

People

  • William H. Taylor

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Combat Forces
  • Combat Operations
  • Command And Control
  • Deployment
  • Force Structure
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Logistics
  • Maintenance
  • Medical Personnel
  • Monitoring
  • Organizational Structure
  • Security
  • Task Forces
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control