Mitigating the Need for a Logistic Pause

Abstract

The United States has now invaded Iraq on two separate occasions. They both occurred on nearly the same terrain with similar equipment, and both fought against Iraqi forces under the leadership of Saddam Hussein. The first invasion occurred in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm (ODS), which had the objective of liberating Kuwait from Iraqi forces. The second invasion occurred in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), which had the objective of forcing Saddam Hussein from power. These dissimilar objectives, in conjunction with a lapse of 12 years, resulted in some notable differences between the two operations: the distance traveled in the offense, the tempo of the operation, enemy actions and responses, preparation time available to campaign planners, and the forces employed in the offensive. Another significant point, and the focus of this paper, is the conduct and effectiveness of the logistics system used in support of these offensives. Of particular concern is the fact that each offensive encountered, or nearly encountered, a logistic pause. For the purpose of this research, the definition of a logistic pause is an unplanned delay in military operations due to the inability to coordinate or complete effective logistic support in a predictable manner. The fact that ODS nearly encountered a logistic pause and that OIF did encounter a pause indicates that logistic efforts may have been lacking in both operations. Current joint doctrine recognizes that pauses may be required to prevent a major operation from reaching the end of its sustainability, and in some circumstances are necessary due to logistical constraints or shortfalls. This paper explores aspects of these campaigns that proved critical to the development, or near development, of a logistic pause in operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 25, 2006
Accession Number
ADA450161

Entities

People

  • Jason A. Carrico

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Combat Forces
  • Combat Operations
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of Defense
  • Deployment
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Information Systems
  • Iraqi-War
  • Logistics
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Supply Chain
  • United States Transportation Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.