Feasibility of a Joint Engineering and Logistics Contract
Abstract
The Army, Air Force, and Navy each currently manage their own separate engineering and logistics contracts for employing civilian contractors as a force-multiplier during military operations. Civil Augmentation contracts afford the services flexibility when limited by the availability of manpower resources during contingency operations. Allocation of military forces is often constrained by other contingency commitments, inactivation of reserve components, and political considerations with a host nation. The Army first awarded the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract in 1992. The Navy awarded the Construction Capabilities Contract (CONCAP) in 1995 and the Air Force followed suit with the Air Force Contractor Augmentation Program (AFCAP) contract in 1997. A General Accounting Office (GAO) report published in 1997, however, questioned the validity of executing three separate contracts and stated that it may be more effective and efficient if one service acted as the lead executive agent to eliminate duplication of services. The GAO report also noted that existing military doctrine was vague in addressing how to properly integrate contractor resources with the military force structure during contingency situations. This research paper addressed two of the very important questions raised in the GAO report regarding the use of contractors in support of joint military operations. First, will a joint engineering and logistics service contract provide the combatant and service commanders any benefit over maintaining individual Navy, Army and Air Force service augmentation contracts? Secondly, does current joint doctrine adequately address the use of contractor services in support of contingency and wartime operations? If not, what information should be included in future joint doctrine?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA396513
Entities
People
- Maria J. Dowling
- Vincent J. Feck
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College