The latest release of the Global Combat Support System (GCSS), version 4.2, integrates the functions of the Logistics Common Relevant Operational Picture (Log CROP) so that the user now has a “watchboard” application in the GCSS environment. [A watchboard is a digital dashboard that facilitates the display and review of information.] This application allows the joint task force commander to define thresholds for critical supply items and alerts him when there are changes to the threshold. The watchboard does not mirror Log CROP, but its capabilities are in accordance with the watchboard functional requirements document approved by the combatant commands and Joint Staff and, in fact, include more functionalities than Log CROP.

Log CROP was a prototype watchboard capability developed by the J–9/Logistics Transformation, U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), to provide the commander with the ability to monitor critical assets. The watchboard also was a requirement of the Joint Theater Logistics advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD), for which JFCOM was the functional proponent. ACTDs deemed to have military utility normally are targeted to be integrated into an operational environment or system.
The watchboard application is the result of an agreement between JFCOM and the GCSS Combatant Commanders/Joint Task Force (GCSS CC/JTF) Program Management Office. GCSS (CC/JTF) is a Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) Web-browser capability currently accessible by all combatant commands, their ser-vice components, and the Joint Staff J–4. Access to GCSS (CC/JTF) requires a SIPRNet public key infrastructure (PKI) and a GCSS account. A user may request access to the GCSS portal from the J–4 at each combatant command.

ARMY FIELD SUPPORT COMMAND UNITS ESTABLISHED IN EUROPE AND IRAQ

The Army Materiel Command (AMC) has redesignated five Europe-based combat equipment units as field support units and established a new field support brigade and subordinate battalion
in Iraq.

In a 1 June ceremony, two field support units in Iraq were named. The former AMC Logistics Support Element-Iraq was replaced by the Army Field Support Brigade-Iraq, and the former Equipment Support Activity-Iraq Zone became the Army Field Support Battalion-Iraq. General Benjamin S. Griffin, AMC commander, referred to the new brigade and battalion as the Army’s 911 capability—able to respond immediately and deliver logistics power wherever and whenever joint forces require.

In a separate ceremony on 24 May at Hammonds Barracks in Seckenheim, Germany, combat equipment battalions in Livorno, Italy; Bettembourg, Luxembourg; Eygelshoven, The Netherlands; and Hythe, England, were named as field support battalions under the Army Field Support Brigade-Europe (AFSB–E). At the same time, a combat equipment base at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany, became a field support company. The new units, the first of their kind, were reshaped to enable them to provide more effective support to expeditionary fighting forces.

General Griffin told the gathered troops and guests that “You are leading the effort in AMC and setting the standard.” He added that AFSB–E and its subordinate units are on the “tip of the transformation spear,” harnessing acquisition, logistics, and technology in a way that will improve support to combat forces.

WARGAME TESTS JOINT LOGISTICS
(DISTRIBUTION) CONCEPT

A wargame to support development of the Joint Logistics (Distribution) Joint Integrating Concept (JIC) was successfully conducted from 16 to 19 May. [For more information on the Joint Logistics (Distribution) JIC, see the article “Developing a Concept for Joint Distribution” in the July–August 2005 issue of Army Logistician.]

The wargame’s objectives were to provide a venue for joint, service, and Department of Defense (DOD) input; review and modify (where appropriate) supporting tasks, conditions, and standards to support a capabilities-based assessment; test and evaluate the concept against the illustrative scenario and concept of operations; and analyze the consistency of the concept’s “fit” within a major combat operation focused on the seize-the-initiative phase and setting the conditions for follow-on decisive operations. Approximately 70 to 80 representatives from the DOD, joint, service, and functional and regional combatant command communities participated. Also attending were representatives from working groups supporting development of other JICs.

The game was structured to accommodate white, blue, and red cells, as well as capabilities working groups of 8 to 10 participants each to address deployment and redeployment, reconstitution, sustainment, and repositioning requirements during the four phases of the campaign. The bottom line for the wargame was that the concept, including the supporting illustrative scenario and concept of operations, was determined to be fundamentally sound. However, some revisions and modifications were recommended to ensure that the final product is compelling and will enable capabilities-based assessments.

Following the wargame and further updating of the concept, the next steps planned were gaining further insights and guidance from the JIC’s general officer sponsors, followed by general officer and field officer staffing.

 

Protecting Army vehicles and their personnel from attack by improvised explosive devices, rocket propelled grenades, and heavy-caliber machineguns has become a priority mission in Iraq. Providing help has been the M1117 Guardian armored security vehicle, which the Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support is fielding through the Army Field Support Battalion-Iraq directly to troops in combat. The Guardian is designed to meet the security needs of military police Soldiers on patrol. It carries a three-person crew and is equipped with a modular, expandable armor system of ceramic composite material on the outside and a spall liner on the inside. (The spall liner protects the crew against flakes of material that can chip off the inside of armor plating when an armored fighting vehicle is attacked.) The Guardian also has an offensive capability since it is armed with a .50-caliber machinegun and a Mark 19 grenade launcher. The vehicle can travel at speeds up to 63 miles per hour. In the photo above, a Soldier from the 59th Military Police Company from Fort Carson, Colorado, inspects his newly issued Guardian.

HUMVEE DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE
MOBILE COMMAND AND CONTROL

The Joint Systems Integration Command (JSIC) has developed a truck that can serve as a mobile command post for the joint task force commander. The command and control on-the-move (C2OTM) vehicle is actually a high-mobility, multipurpose, wheeled vehicle (“humvee”) equipped with a satellite dish and spread spectrum technology that provides the commander with access to a variety of communications, including secure telephone, two-way video teleconferencing, the Global Command and Control System, and three Internet protocols. The commander can use these systems simultaneously and while the vehicle is traveling at speeds up to 50 miles an hour. He also can leave the humvee and still use its communications systems up to a quarter mile away with a secure wireless system.

The C2OTM vehicle was developed by JSIC (a subordinate command of the U.S. Joint Forces Command) to meet requirements identified by V Corps during its experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to Lieutenant Colonel Tony Krogh of V Corps, “We see C2OTM as a primary platform for our commander that gives him the ability to maneuver around the battlefield and maintain situational awareness without being tethered to the standard command post or having to stop and erect some type of a satellite dish. He can arrive on scene with full situational awareness.”

JSIC built and tested a C2OTM conceptual prototype last year. An operational prototype was scheduled for a V Corps mission rehearsal exercise in July.

ACCOUNTABILITY SOFTWARE
TRACKS TROOPS IN COMBAT ZONE

The new Deployed Theater Accountability Software (DTAS) System, developed by the Army Human Resources Command (HRC), provides U.S. commanders with up-to-the-minute headcount information on the 170,000 Soldiers, Marines, Government civilians, and contractors serving in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq. DTAS allows users to retrieve information generated days, hours, or minutes earlier by tactical units on the battlefield. Fielding of the system began in October 2004. Partnering with the Army, the Marine Corps’ 2d Expeditionary Force in Iraq is also using DTAS; Navy and Air Force units in the area of operations may follow suit soon.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Terri Campbell, head of the Design and Development Branch of the Adjutant General Directorate’s Field Services Division of HRC, DTAS was designed with “the absolute bottom line that accountability is the foundation for any support or service that the deployed commander needs to succeed operationally. If you don’t know who you’ve got, where they are, and what skills they have, then you’re on shifting sand.”

DTAS interacts with other data systems so that information used for pay, personnel, and other command activities is kept current. Accountability data are entered into the system daily at the battalion S–1 level and synchronized with the theater personnel database in Kuwait as well as with the Enterprise Datastore at the Pentagon. Information is passed through the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET), which is used by the military to communicate classified data. When a tracked ser-vice member returns from a deployment, the Enterprise Datastore has a complete record of every place he has been and every duty position he has held. The system has also proven invaluable in tracking personnel requiring Red Cross message notifications.

HIGH-ALTITUDE PRECISION
AERIAL RESUPPLY BEING TESTED

A new aerial delivery system that incorporates global positioning system (GPS) technology could lead to the use of high-altitude airdrops to supply Army forces. The system, the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS), is the subject of an advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) conducted by the Army, Air Force, U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), and industry.

JPADS combines a guided parachute system with GPS. With its GPS-based aerial guidance unit (AGU) and high-altitude airdrop capability, JPADS can deliver supplies within 50 to 100 meters of the target while protecting crews against enemy fire that can endanger low-altitude runs.

JPADS is a product of Army and Air Force collaboration. The Army designed the AGU and the parachute decelerators, while the Air Force created the JPADS mission planner (JPADS–MP). The JPADS–MP is a laptop computer that fits into the cockpits of both the C–130 and C–17 transports. It can transmit weather and geographic data to the system’s AGU just before the JPADS is released. The AGU then can correct for any errors and guide the payload to its intended landing target.

Two JPADS models have been developed so far: the 2,000-pound load and 10,000-pound load. Under JFCOM’s limited acquisition authority, the 2,000-pound version probably will be fielded to warfighters first. The Army Soldier Systems Center is working on a 30,000-pound load version.

JPADS will be demonstrated at the Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in October. The first military utility assessment under the ACTD is scheduled for December.

E-NEWSLETTER PROVIDES DPO
INFORMATION

Information on initiatives of the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) Distribution Process Owner (DPO) is available through a biweekly electronic publication. The DPO Update provides information on activities and developments within the DPO community and facilitates information sharing through various Web links. The U.S. Transportation Command was designated as the DPO by the Secretary of Defense in 2003 to serve as the single command in charge of distribution and supply chain management in DOD.

Subscribers must request that The DPO Update be sent to their inboxes. To do so, send a blank email to join-dpoupdate@mercury.afnews.af.mil. No subject or message is necessary.

CAPSTONE MANUAL PUBLISHED
ON ARMY’S BIRTHDAY

The Army released Field Manual (FM) 1, The Army, in June to coincide with the Army’s 230th birthday.

FM 1 is one of the Army’s two capstone doctrinal manuals. (The other is FM 3–0, Operations.) It establishes the Army’s operational concept and other fundamental principles for employing landpower in support of national security, national defense, and national military strategies.

FM 1 converts the joint, expeditionary mindset into written doctrine, emphasizes military transformation, and incorporates the Soldier’s Creed and Warrior Ethos.

The 2005 edition of FM 1 is written in an easy-to-read style that avoids jargon and acronyms. Its publication is the first step in a comprehensive revision of all Army doctrine. FM 1 is available on line at www.army.mil/fm1.

NDTA ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MEETING

The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) will hold its 59th annual Transportation and Logistics Forum and Exposition 10 to 14 September at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California. Under the theme, “Partnering for Solutions,” speakers and breakout sessions will examine current issues and the latest industry trends in transportation and logistics. For more information, visit the forum Web site at www.ndtahq.com/forum.htm or phone NDTA at (703) 751–5011.

NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTERS TO MEET

The 53d Defense Working Group on Nondestructive Testing (DWGNDT) will meet at the Radisson Hotel City Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, from
31 October to 3 November.
Engineers, scientists, technicians, and managers from all commands and U.S. Government activities who are responsible for developing or applying NDT methods in research, engineering, maintenance, and quality assurance are invited to attend. The meeting is hosted alternately by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This year it is hosted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana.
For more information, visit the DWGNDT Web site at http://members.aol.com/dodndt.

One of the major missions of U.S. forces in Iraq is to train Iraqi forces to defend their country against insurgents and ensure domestic stability for their new government. Soldiers of the 122d Corps Support Group, 1st Corps Support Command, train soldiers of the 2d Motorized Transportation Regiment, Iraqi National Guard, at An Numaniyah in southern Iraq. The U.S. Soldiers work with Iraqi soldiers who develop the training on how to operate and maintain vehicles. The training culminates in a convoy live-fire exercise. In the photo above, an Iraqi trainee drives a Russian Y–7A truck through the basic training course.

MULTINATIONAL COMMAND CIF
EQUIPS IRAQI SECURITY FORCES

The central issue facility (CIF) at Kirkush Military Training Base (KMTB) in Iraq is tasked with equipping two divisions of the Iraqi Army with weapons, vehicles, communications equipment, and individual gear such as uniforms, boots, body armor, and hygiene kits.

The KMTB CIF, located 56 miles northeast of Baghdad, is one of four such facilities that are operated by the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC–I) J–4 (Logistics). The other CIFs are at Al Kisik, An Numaniyah, and Taji.

In a recent 1-month period, the six-man team at the KMTB CIF issued over 25,000 uniforms, 12,586 pairs of boots and 4,997 sets of body armor. In the same period, Iraqi soldiers also received 1,039 AK–47 assault rifles, 364 pistols, 5 fuel tankers, 53 other vehicles, 24 general-purpose medium tents, 80 Russian-made UAZ utility trailers, and nearly 660,000 rounds of ammunition. The team credits the 26 Iraqi civilians that work with them for helping them keep the pace, especially with distribution of weapons and vehicles.

Two Soldiers from the 536th Maintenance Company, 17th Corps Support Battalion (CSB), 917th Corps Support Group, 1st Corps Support Command, repair a high-mobility, multipurpose, wheeled vehicle that was recovered after it was damaged by an improvised explosive device during a combat logistics patrol in Iraq. The 17th CSB, an Active Army unit from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, is responsible for recovery of vehicles for corps units, multinational forces, and contractors in the Multinational Brigade Northwest area of operations. Recovery teams determine the severity of a vehicle’s damage and then haul the vehicle to a place where further assessments can be made. If they cannot make repairs at that site, they move the vehicle to a maintenance site for repair. If the vehicle cannot be repaired, functioning parts are removed for use on other vehicles.

“The hope is that once we reach 85 percent of authorized strength equipped with shoot, move, and communicate items, we can start moving into a sustainment mode,” said Captain Susan Kane, J–4’s officer in charge of distribution. As the Iraqis take control of their own logistics, the plan is for each Iraqi Army division to have its own CIF. They’ll be Iraqi run, with Iraqi purchased equipment.”

British Lieutenant Colonel William Mead, the deputy J–4, is encouraged by the successes he has seen in the 6 months he has served with MNSTC–I, especially by how the Iraqi staff officers have integrated into the command’s J–4 and the Taji CIF.

“That really is the first step in transitioning,” Mead said. “Integration at all levels is vitally important. More and more, they want to take on the responsibility for their own logistics. We just have to make sure they’re set up for success for the future, not just in the short term.”