Logistics in Wargaming - An Initial Report
Abstract
The Joint Staff has been concerned about analyzing logistics capabilities in an operational context for some time. Two recent events deepened that concern. First, the Secretary of Defense charged the Chairman with carrying out wargames to validate the two nearly simultaneous major regional conflict (MRC) strategy using the Bottom-Up Review update force structure. Second, he called for realistic evaluations in support of the joint warfighting capabilities assessment (JWCA) process. This led to the adoption of gaming as a means of undertaking joint assessments of critical logistics issues. Wargames are unique, low-cost ways to examine issues in an operational setting. Logistics analyses are often conducted without the participation of warfighters. Moreover, logistics is normally seen as an operational constraint in wargames. As a result, wargames tend to avoid focusing on how the presence--or absence--of logistic support affects campaign planning. Wargaming models largely ignore the logistic impact on operations, making it difficult to quantify specific logistic needs, support requirements for meeting those needs, and evaluate the implications of not meeting them. In most cases experts qualitatively assess possible constraints on operations. In the past year the incorporation of logistics as an integral part of wargames has improved communication between warfighters and logisticians. The former have gained an appreciation of the critical role of logistics in operations and the latter have come to see logistics in an operational context. Now, at the conclusion of many games, the representatives of regional CINCs characterize constraints on logistics as operational rather than narrow logistics issues.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA584965
Entities
People
- David P. Garner
- John E. Laplante
- Patricia I. Hutzler
Organizations
- National Defense University