THE BRIGADE
INTRODUCTION
a. Army units accomplish combat, combat support, and combat service support (CSS) missions. Combat units fight the battle to defeat, destroy, or capture the enemy. Examples of combat elements are infantry, mechanized infantry, armor, and attack helicopter units. Combat support units provide "operational assistance" to combat elements. Examples of combat support units include signal battalions, combat engineer battalions, military police (MP) companies, and military intelligence companies. CSS units perform logistics functions. Examples of CSS units are maintenance companies, supply companies, transportation companies, medical companies, and personnel service battalions
b. Logistics is the process of planning and executing support for military operations. It is an overarching process that occurs across the range of military operations. Geographic conditions, space and time dimensions, and a determined enemy work to make logistics operations difficult. Logistics operations are planned so they continue to resource forces throughout conflict, adapting as conditions change. A dependable uninterrupted logistics system helps commanders seize and maintain the initiative. The logistics objective is to ensure successful operations
c. Logistics arrangements cannot be so meager that they do not meet commanders' needs as they execute operations, nor can they be so excessive that they overwhelm commanders' abilities to move, protect, and employ them. The logistics system must strike a balance, providing sufficient support to resource operations through the peaks and valleys of their duration without burdening commanders with more support than is necessary to succeed. Logistics is required at all levels of conflict
Strategic logistics is largely the purview of the continental United States (CONUS) industrial and civilian sector. Strategic logistics deals with mobilization, acquisition, projecting forces, strategic mobility, and the strategic concentration of logistics in a theater base and communications zone (COMMZ
Operational logistics focuses on force reception; infrastructure development; distribution; and managing materiel, movements, personnel, and health services. Operational logistics encompasses those support activities required to resource campaigns and major operations. It enables success at the tactical level of war
Tactical logistics enhances the tactical commander's ability to fight battles and engagements. Successful tactical logistics provides the right support at the right time and place. The focus at this level is on the tactical logistics functions of manning and arming tactical units, fixing and fueling their equipment, moving soldiers' equipment and supplies, and sustaining soldiers and their systems
d. Certain logistics characteristics are prescribed by logistics doctrine. These characteristics provide a framework for logisticians to adhere to when planning and executing logistics operations. These characteristics are anticipation (of mission requirements), integration (of logistics plans and tactical plans), continuity (continuous support to the commander), responsiveness (of logistics support in meeting changing requirements), and improvisation (innovative methods of support). Logisticians can contribute greatly to success on the battlefield by adhering to these characteristics
e. A variety of organizations provide support to Army forces in the field. Those organizations range in size from several individuals at company level to major commands like the transportation command (TRANSCOM) that consists of hundreds of soldiers at theater army (TA) level. CSS organizations are either fixed or "tailored" to meet anticipated logistic requirements. At corps and TA, the logistics organization is tailored to meet supported organizations' anticipated needs. The basic building block of the logistics system above division level is company-sized or detachment-sized elements. Up through division level, the logistics organization is essentially fixed by a table of organization and equipment (TOE). Augmentation can provide additional capabilities
COMPANY-LEVEL SUPPORT (MANEUVER COMPANY)
a. A company team (battery, troop) is the lowest level administrative and tactical organization with personnel designated to perform logistics functions (the company supply section). A typical maneuver company team receives support from two principal sources: from within its own structure and from a battalion task force headquarters (HQ). The burden of logistics is largely removed from the company team commander and placed under the battalion task force's control. This allows the company team commander to concentrate on fighting his unit to accomplish the tactical mission. The company team's logistics responsibility is to report its status and requirements, and assure logistics operations are properly executed in the company area
The company team's executive officer (XO) is the logistics planner and coordinator. During preparations for combat, he coordinates closely with the first sergeant (1SG) to determine what CSS logistics support is required and makes sure arrangements have been made to support the tactical plan
The 1SG is the company team's CSS operator. He executes the company logistics plan. The 1SG directly supervises and controls the company trains (normally limited to medical and maintenance activities) and company resupply operations
The supply sergeant is the company team's representative in the battalion field trains. He organizes the standardized resupply logistics package (LOGPAC) and moves it forward to link up with the 1SG. The supply sergeant then assists the 1SG in conducting resupply operations at the company level
b. The battalion task force HQ will normally provide the following support to a typical maneuver company team
A maintenance team with recovery vehicle from the maintenance platoon
An aidman from the medical platoon, along with an evacuation team consisting of an ambulance with an aidman and ambulance driver
Fuel and ammunition transported by vehicles from the support platoon
A mess team from the support platoon when hot meals are available
c. When company elements are cross-attached from one battalion to another, forming battalion task forces, the logistics assets necessary to provide support are also cross-attached. Higher HQ standing operating procedures (SOPs) normally establish the composition of logistics assets needed to support the cross-attached company. This organization usually includes medical and maintenance support, and supply and transportation assets to deliver classes I, III, V, and IX
BATTALION-LEVEL SUPPORT
a. The maneuver battalions in a heavy division have organic CSS elements within the headquarters and headquarters company (HHC). The HHC has three platoons that provide logistics to the battalion,medical, maintenance, and support platoons. FM 71-2, The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force, discusses in detail the CSS platoons organic to the battalion. The CSS elements of other battalion-sized combat organizations, such as cavalry squadrons and field artillery battalions, perform essentially the same logistic functions as the platoons mentioned previously
b. Trains are any grouping of personnel, vehicles, and equipment organized to provide CSS at company team and battalion level. Trains may be centralized in one location (unit trains), or they may be echeloned in three or more locations (echeloned trains). There are three types of trains,unit trains, combat trains, and field trains
(1) Unit trains consist of all battalion logistics assets, including company team assets, and any supporting assets from higher HQ. Unit trains are common in assembly areas and during extended tactical marches. Once combat operations begin, the battalion commander, based on the tactical situation, will either keep all logistics assets in one location as a unit train or echelon logistics forward