SUSTAINING SOLDIERS AND THEIR SYSTEMS
INTRODUCTION
Sustaining soldiers and their systems includes personnel service support (PSS), health services, field services, quality of life, and general supply support. This chapter will describe the activities belonging to those logistics functions and their impact on the health, morale, and welfare of Army soldiers, civilians, and families.
PERSONNEL SERVICE SUPPORT
PSS is defined in FM 100-5, Operations, chapter 12, as the management and execution of six personnel-related functions: personnel services, resource management, finance services, chaplaincy activities, command information services, and legal service support. PSS provides essential services to sustain the force's human dimension. These services affect the force from the human perspective,soldiers are reassured by concerned, positive leadership and a personnel system that ensures care for them while they perform their missions. These functions are usually within the purview (coordinating staff responsibility,not execution) of the tactical unit's G1/S1, although at different echelons, they may be represented by different staff officers and unit commanders. The six PSS functions are described below.
Personnel services. Personnel services are the products of the personnel system that provide essential services to sustain the highest possible level of readiness and essential services to soldiers, civilians, and family members to sustain the force's human dimension. The challenge of the personnel service function is to provide the postal; morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR); and essential services to sustain soldiers and civilians. FM 12-6, Personnel Doctrine, outlines the personnel system and how it fits into the Army today. Personnel functions form an integrated support system that sustains the fighting force and contributes to both national will and the soldier's will to fight.
Refer back to figure 8-1 to see the relationship of personnel services to the other tactical logistics functions. The figure also depicts the interrelationships among those personnel services that sustain soldiers and their systems.
The postal operations management system operates a network to process mail and provide postal services within the AO. Processing mail involves receiving, separating, sorting, dispatching, and redirecting ordinary and accountable mail. Postal services involve selling stamps; cashing and selling money orders; providing registered, insured, and certified mail services; and handling casualty and contaminated mail. Priorities for processing mail on the battlefield are (in order): inbound official mail (accountable, then ordinary); inbound personal and "any soldier" mail (first class); outbound official mail (accountable, then ordinary), outbound first class mail, including first class casualty mail redirect; and other mail (inbound and outbound), including "any soldier" mail (other than first class).
The MWR and community support system enables commanders to provide soldiers and Army civilians with recreational activities and goods and services not available through appropriated funds. For contingency operations, the MWR network provides services to the theater of operations. These are in the form of unit recreation and sports programs, mobile rest areas for brigade/division-sized units, and fixed rest areas at theater/corps level. American Red Cross representatives are available at division and higher levels to handle family emergencies. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) will provide mobile field exchange service in forward corps and division areas whenever the tactical situation allows. AAFES also establishes warehousing and retail operations in secure areas within the theater and corps. Contracted vendors provide goods and services wherever and whenever feasible.
The essential personnel services are awards and decorations, noncommissioned officer (NCO) and officer evaluations, enlisted promotions and reductions, officer promotions, enlisted and officer transfers and discharges, identification ********s, leaves and passes, line-of-duty investigations, officer procurement, and band operations. Other personnel services include general services such as voting, safety, and heraldry.
Personnel information management provides essential personnel information to commanders, soldiers, and families. This system integrates and distributes the information products necessary to man and sustain soldiers and their systems on the battlefield.
The Army maintains personnel information in two forms: manual and electronic. The manual personnel record consists of the official military personnel file (OMPF) and the Military Personnel Records Jacket, US Army (MPRJ). Commanders maintain individual electronic personnel records in command data bases and the MPRJ in the field. USTA PERSCOM maintains the OMPF and a larger version of the individual record within the TAPDB for Active component soldiers. The US Army Personnel Center (USARPERCEN) maintains the OMPF and the personnel data base for US Army Reserve (USAR) soldiers. The Army National Guard (ARNG) Personnel Services Division maintains the OMPF and personnel data base for ARNG soldiers.
Resource management Future conflicts may vary greatly in size, intensity, and duration; therefore, resource management operations must be flexible in responding to support requirements. The resource management organization in a theater of operations should be tailored to meet rapidly changing requirements. The theater commander and HQDA will collectively tailor the resource management organization. The initial assumption in providing resource management support for an emergency operation or conflict should always be that maximum financial controls, accounting, and reporting will be required. Resource managers must prepare to deploy to the theater of operations and to provide support from the onset of hostilities.
The intensity of an operation or conflict may require that there be only minimal financial controls, accounting, or reporting. HQDA will notify MACOMs and field operating agencies when any changes occur. FM 14-6 summarizes budgeting and funding actions that may occur in emergency situations. Such actions will depend on the size, intensity, and duration of the emergency or conflict.
Two major scenarios are envisioned. The first involves committing US forces to a theater where the United States has no forward-deployed forces or a support base. This scenario requires resource managers and their staffs to deploy to the theater of operations. The second scenario involves a conflict occurring in an area where the United States maintains a forward presence and a large support base. FM 14-6 also outlines the actions involved in transferring finance and accounting functions from the theater of operations under this scenario.
Finance services The US Army may fight in a variety of places and situations ranging from developed countries where it may oppose highly mechanized forces to remote parts of the world where it may oppose light, irregular units. Regardless of the situation, the battlefield's fluid nature requires an equally flexible finance support capability. The Finance Corps mission on the battlefield is to sustain Army, joint, and combined operations by providing timely commercial vendor and contractual payments, various pay and disbursing services, and limited accounting on an area basis. Finance units also have the implied mission to protect and defend themselves, to continue to sustain the force, and to maintain battle freedom for combat units to engage the enemy.
Finance units will support logistic and intelligence operations, soldiers, families, Department of Defense (DOD) civilians, DOD-credentialed civilians [e.g., press, United Service Organizations (USO), Red Cross, contractors], and local national employees during transition to war and during war. Further, organizations and nations will receive finance services after battle ceases and during psychological operations (PSYOP) and civil affairs missions. Finance missions can be divided into two general areas: service provided to individuals and service provided to organizations. Individual support deals with soldiers' personal entitlements. Input to the finance systems will most often come from the soldiers' battalion S1 section via the Tactical Army CSS Computer System (TACCS) and the Standard Installation/Division Personnel System (SIDPERS) or through the medical system. The Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), MP, civil affairs, and logistic units provide organizational support. Organizational support encompasses locally procuring supplies and services, paying legal claims, and paying enemy prisoners of war (EPWs).
Finance units disburse currency (cash/money) to battlefield commanders. Currency is like another class of supply, a commodity required to execute the battle. This commodity can alleviate shortages and timing problems related to procuring various classes of supply and services within the AO. Because of this, finance units can be a significant force multiplier. Therefore, finance unit commanders must be prepared to meet the twin challenges of providing support and surviving on the battlefield. Finance units,
Provide support for the procurement process. The finance commander's most critical mission is to support the procurement process. While other areas (e.g., military pay, travel) often receive considerable attention, support to the logistic system is considered critical to success in battle. A large percentage of the finance units' wartime efforts may be directed toward satisfying this responsibility. This principle is divided into two areas: contract operations and commercial vendor services (CVS) operations (i.e., local purchases and imprest fund operations).
Finance groups (FGs) and finance commands (FCs) conduct contract accounting operations. This includes paying for goods and services such as laundry operations, bath operations, transportation, maintenance, supply parts, class I supplements, and construction materials that have been obtained through formal contracting procedures.
The finance battalion (FB) is primarily responsible for CVS operations. CVS operations are for the force's direct daily needs the standard logistic support systems cannot reasonably satisfy. CVS will be paid in cash by imprest fund cashiers, finance support teams (FSTs), and class A agents. Cash payments are usually for such items as pay for day laborers, solatium payments, class I supplements (not otherwise on contract), and purchasing construction materials not available through the contract or supply system. Such will be the case particularly for operations in immature theaters and at remote sites.
Provide banking and currency support. Currency support includes supplying US currency, foreign currencies, US Treasury checks, foreign military scrip, military payment certificates, and in some operations, precious ****ls (gold, silver) to US forces and allies in the theater. Because of the US and allied forces' operating requirements, limited banking support may be needed. Liaison with the HN banking industry is essential due to the dependence on foreign currency.
Control currency on the battlefield. Stringent controls are enforced on the amounts of US currency, military payment certificates, and foreign currencies available and used on the battlefield. This is necessary to reduce black market activities, to secure individual soldiers' money, and to help control problems related to either US or HN currency inflation.
Provide essential finance service support. As hostilities commence, some of the support structure deployed abroad to support field forces will begin to change dramatically. One of these changes will be the soldier's access to "banked" personal funds. With direct deposit, this responsibility becomes even more important to the command and the soldier. When the contractor-operated banking system leaves, finance units fulfill this responsibility. Additional mission responsibilities under this principle may include assisting the soldier in family support and providing noncombatant evacuation order (NEO) advance payments. While none of these responsibilities is critical to the battle's immediate success, any one may be critical to troop morale and esprit de corps.
Provide non-US pay support. Finance units provide pay support for HN employees, day labor, EPWs, and civilian internees. HN employee and day labor pay are provided through negotiated agreements with the host nation or by the FG's or FC's foreign national pay section. The local nation's civilians will receive payment in theater. Depending on the theater finance support available, accounting for this function may be transferred to a designated finance support activity (DFSA) located outside of the theater. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for (Financial Management and Comptroller) [ASA (FM&C)] must approve establishment of a DFSA.
Finance support during various levels of conflict may require task-organizing to meet requirements generated by a particular situation. Mature theaters normally consist of three echelons,theater, corps, and division. Figure 9-1 depicts typical finance units and operations within a theater. Each finance organization within the theater is explained in the following paragraphs.
The FC commander is the theater staff finance officer. He advises the theater commander and his staff on all financial matters, commands the FC, and provides a technical communications channel for all finance and accounting activities in the theater of operations. The FC provides financial policies and procedures for the theater and will ensure quality finance support throughout the theater. The FC does not command and control FGs but does command and control assigned FBs and separate finance detachments (FDs).
The FG is the center of finance support operations in a corps. It provides funding, commercial accounting, travel settlement, disbursing, and non-US pay services. The corps FG commander is also the corps staff finance officer. The FG commander maintains command and operational control of all finance organizations in the corps. Each FG has a number of subordinate FBs and separate FDs that provide support in the corps area. The FG coordinates with supported commands to ensure soldiers receive essential finance support.
The FB is a corps unit under the FG's C2. The FB's primary mission is to provide finance support to the commands, units, and soldiers within a geographic area the FG commander determines. The FB is a modular TOE unit. Its size depends on the population supported. Two to six subordinate TOE units, called FDs, can be assigned to support populations from 12,000 to 36,000. A network of FBs provides finance support to all units in the corps area. FBs will typically support an area assigned to a division, separate brigade, COSCOM, or CSG. The FB may fall under C2 of the COSCOM during limited contingency operations. Once the FG deploys to the contingency theater, the FB reverts to the FG's C2.
The FD is the basic TOE finance unit and is a C2 unit within an FB. It provides military support, CVS, disbursing/funding support, and finance database maintenance for units and personnel in the specific geographic AOR the FB commander designates. The FD can support up to 6,000 soldiers.
FSTs are organic to an FD. FSTs provide onsite support for small populations at a distant location from the FB. To perform this onsite support, an FST will use the transportation and communication assets organic to its parent FB whenever possible. FSTs can move on the battlefield to provide finance support to units within the FB's AOR. An FST normally consists of two to five finance soldiers led by a deputy finance officer [officer or NCO, sergeant first class (SFC) or above]. An FST can perform any of the FD functions for short durations.
The battalion S1 section and the unit clerk, in those organizations not serviced by a battalion S1 section, are the focal points where soldiers interact with the military pay system. Battalion S1 sections are the primary originators of information about soldier status and support. They are the key links among soldiers, commanders, and finance organizations. Soldier pay problems the battalion S1 section cannot solve will be handled by deploy-ing FSTs to the battalion S1 section or through communications with the FD/FB.
As a result of hostilities, some finance and accounting functions may be retrograded to a higher echelon or performed at a DFSA. The DFSA is the primary financial support organization for the theater of operations. The DFSA's location will depend on the tactical situation and requirements in the geographic area. The TA, FC, and FG commanders will recommend where and which finance and accounting functions to transfer within a theater. The ASA(FM&C), in conjunction with the TA commander, will decide which finance functions to transfer out of the theater. There are three alternatives in locating DFSAs. They may be located,
In the theater of operations.
At a designated location outside of the theater AO.
At the Defense Finance and Accounting Service,Indianapolis (DFAS-IN).
The DFAS-IN may perform retrograde finance and accounting functions in the same manner as a DFSA for a theater of operations located OCONUS when the theater's noncombatant work force is evacuated.
Chaplaincy activities (doctrinal reference: FM 16-5, Chaplain and Chaplain Assistant in Combat Operations). The chaplaincy's general mission is religious support that focuses on nurturing the living, caring for casualties, and honoring the dead.
The chaplain. The chaplain is dual-hatted as a staff officer and a clergyman. The chaplain represents the Army as an officer and is a representative of a religious body outside of the military structure. The chaplain is a noncombatant and will not bear arms on the battlefield. One of the chaplain's main functions is to protect each soldier's right to freely exercise his religious beliefs. The chaplain advises the commander on issues of morale, morals, and ethics.
The chaplain assistant. The chaplain assistant is a combatant who assists the chaplain in conducting his mission on the battlefield.
The unit ministry team (UMT). The chaplain and chaplain's assistant comprise the UMT. The UMT advises the commander on soldier and unit problem areas, religious support (battle fatigue ministry, pastoral counseling, spiritual support), and key information on indigenous religious concerns in the AO. The UMT must know and understand the commander's intent (who, what, when, where) and the various phases of the operation, and have the survivability skills to support the soldiers on the battlefield.
The UMT has a general and direct religious support coverage mission. General religious support (GRS) is the religious support the UMT provides to soldiers, their families, and other authorized personnel belonging to units other than the one to which the UMT is assigned or attached. GRS is provided laterally (brigade to brigade) or from higher- to lower-echelon (division to brigade) UMTs. GRS includes denominational support for specific faith groups. Additionally, GRS UMTs can perform direct religious support missions. Direct religious support is the comprehensive religious support a UMT provides to the soldiers, their families, and other authorized personnel in its unit of assignment.
The UMT's religious support priorities vary during hostilities. The UMT must assess priority of support and the best time to perform its services without hindering the overall mission. The UMT must consider its mission before, during, and after the engagement:
Before engagement, the UMT nurtures the living through site or unit visitation, pastoral counseling, and individual and group worship.
During engagement, the UMT cares for casualties by collocating with the combat trains (unit aid station). During this phase, the UMT shifts its priorities to rites, sacraments, ordinances, and pastoral care for wounded soldiers.
After engagement, the UMT honors those soldiers who lost their lives during battle. It conducts memorial services, denominational or patriotic, upon the commander's/soldier's request. Finally, the UMT must assist battle-weary survivors in dealing with their remorse, guilt, and grief.
Command information (CI) services (doctrinal reference: FM 46-1, Public Affairs). Public affairs' three principal functions are to provide CI, public information, and community relations. FM 100-5 and this ST will only discuss the CI program.
CI is the commander's responsibility. It is communication about, between, and for a commander and the members of his command. It is also acquiring, analyzing, producing, and disseminating information to soldiers, their family members, and Army civilian personnel.
The CI program's primary purpose is to motivate soldiers by helping them understand the Army, their own organization, the country in which they are assigned (if overseas), and their role. An effective CI program pays additional dividends because well-informed soldiers frequently become ambassadors of goodwill for the Army. Well-planned CI programs can be extremely effective, strengthening soldier morale and public confidence in the Army.
Legal services support The SJA provides legal services. Its mission on the battlefield includes,
Providing legal assistance to commanders, staffs, and soldiers.
Proactively assisting, guiding, and advising the leaders drafting the rules of engagement.
Reviewing OPLANs, policies, and directives to ensure compliance with the DOD Law of War Program.
Conducting law of war training.
Advising commanders on control and regulation of war trophies, requisitioning property, combat contracting, and claims issues.
Advising commanders on military justice issues, jurisdictional arrangements with the country in which US forces are being deployed, adverse administrative actions, and requests for conscientious objector status.