Effects of the New FM 3-0 Operations (Final Draft) on Combat Service Support Planning Models
Abstract
A gap exists between how logistics planners and operational planners see the military environment. This leads to asynchronous planning and flawed solutions. The central theme necessary to merge these two worlds is the common operational picture. By understanding the nature of the problem, efforts can be mutually applied to strengthen the impact of the solution while adequately protecting friendly vulnerabilities from threat influence, This common operational picture rarely forms without a common frame of reference. Nested doctrine tempered by operational art provides the foundation of that framework as it synchronizes planning models and illuminates the critical relationships between them prior to force application. The operational planner depends on clear, comprehensive doctrine to guide and inform the planning process. Shared understanding essential to collective staff work requires a common doctrinal base that is useful, relevant and nested with parent doctrine. Army CSS doctrine must parallel maturation of joint operations doctrine for the logistical focus to remain sharp. The perspectives from which operations and logistics planners respectively view military problems are fundamentally different, yet they have similarities and a mutual purpose. The purpose of logistics is to enable operations. The purpose of operations is to gain the advantage relative to the threat. Both focus on defeating the threat. Neither of these efforts can be successful without the other. In abstract terms both perspectives must merge to highlight relationships necessary to defeat the threat while perpetuating friendly strengths. This holistic approach to problem solving relies more on synthesis of comprehensive doctrine than on branch specific analysis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA382001
Entities
People
- Steven T. Mitchell
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College