Download - KMI Media Group

The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community
Logistics
Optimizer
Lt. Gen.
Frank A.
Panter Jr.
Deputy
Commandant,
Installations
and Logistics
U.S. Marine Corps
PrSrt Std
U.S. PoStAGe
PAid
merrifield, VA
Permit # 620
Interview with:
Lt. Gen.
James m. KowaLsKi
Commander
Air Force Global Strike Command
Shelters O Rugged Computers O Red River Depot O Materiel Handling
Trucks for Every Day O Life Cycle Planning
Air Force
GlobAl Strike commAnd
Special pull-out
Supplement
www.MLF-kmi.com
August 2011
Volume 5, Issue 7

When the mission requires your troops to
go where it’s just not safe for anyone to go,
Modern Day Marine Booth 2404
oshkoshdefense.com
INNOVATION is personal.
Your mission is clear. You know the realities. And sometimes you’d
rather not have to send anyone. That’s why Oshkosh Defense is
blazing trails with TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle technology,
an advancement designed to accomplish the mission and protect lives.
Yes, innovation is personal. It’s very personal.
©2011 OSHKOSH CORPORATION Oshkosh and the Oshkosh logo are registered trademarks and TerraMax is a trademark of Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh, WI, USA
INN_003_2011-US-1

Military logistics ForuM
16
Red River Army Depot
supporting the soldier since 1941.
By Red River army Depot Public affairs
august 2011
VoluMe 5 • issue 7
Features coVer / Q&a
7
10
25
28
32
Gimme Shelter
serving multiple purposes for the servicemember, portable shelters
have become an essential part of expeditionary warfare. Military
Logistics Forum spoke to leading shelter manufacturers about the
state-of-the-art in shelter technology, asking what innovations they are
using to evolve their shelter design.
Tough by Design
Rugged laptops and tablets have continued to expedite military logistics
operations as they absorb the latest technology and meet the toughest
military standards.
By Cheryl Gerber
aiR FoRCe GLoBaL stRiKe CommanD
sPeCiaL PULL-oUt sUPPLement
exclusive interview with
Lieutenant General James M. Kowalski
Commander
air Force Global strike Command
Handling Choices
the U.s. military’s requirements for lifting, pushing, pulling, loading,
unloading and generally moving around a lot of heavy material are
similar to civilian needs, but operating in very difficult and dangerous
environments.
By Henry Canaday
Not Your Everyday Trucks
the necessity of running supplies is constant and critical to operations.
the modern versions of the deuce-and-a-half are getting the job done
more efficiently and offering protection to the crews as well.
By Peter Buxbaum
Life Cycle Planning
there is no substitute for choosing new programs wisely, which means
including the total life cycle costs of all military assets, both current
assets whose lives must be extended and new platforms, systems and
components.
By Henry Canaday
www.MlF-kMi.coM
21
Lieutenant General
Frank A. Panter Jr.
Deputy Commandant, installations
and Logistics
U.s. marine Corps
DepartMents
2
4
6
15
18
35
Editor’s Perspective
Log Ops
People
Log Leadership Lessons
Supply Chain
Calendar, Directory
inDustry interView
36
Diane Giuliani
senior Vice President
and General manager
aai Logistics & technical services

Military logistics
ForuM
VoluMe 5, issue 7 august 2011
Publication of Record for the
Military Logistics Community
eDitorial
Editor
Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com
Managing Editor
Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com
Online Editorial Manager
Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com
Copy Editor
John Marth johnm@kmimediagroup.com
Correspondents
Peter Buxbaum • Henry Canaday • Cheryl Gerber
Steve Goodman • Kelly Fodel • Kenya McCullum
art & Design
Art Director
Jennifer Owers jennifero@kmimediagroup.com
Senior Designer
Jittima Saiwongnuan jittimas@kmimediagroup.com
Graphic Designers
Scott Morris scottm@kmimediagroup.com
Eden Papineau edenp@kmimediagroup.com
Kailey Waring kaileyw@kmimediagroup.com
aDVertising
Associate Publisher
Jane Engel jane@kmimediagroup.com
kMi MeDia group
Publisher
Kirk Brown kirkb@kmimediagroup.com
Chief Executive Officer
Jack Kerrigan jack@kmimediagroup.com
Chief Financial Officer
Constance Kerrigan connik@kmimediagroup.com
Executive Vice President
David Leaf davidl@kmimediagroup.com
Editor-In-Chief
Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com
Controller
Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com
Trade Show Coordinator
Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com
Office Coordinator
Diamond Matthews diamondm@kmimediagroup.com
operations, circulation & proDuction
Manager - Circulation & Operations
Toye McLean toyem@kmimediagroup.com
Distribution Coordinator
Duane Ebanks duanee@kmimediagroup.com
Data Specialists
Tuesday Johnson tuesdayj@kmimediagroup.com
Sasha Scott sashas@kmimediagroup.com
Summer Walker summerw@kmimediagroup.com
a prouD
MeMber oF:
subscription inForMation
Military Logistics Forum
ISSN 1937-9315
is published 10 times a year by KMI Media Group.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission is
strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2011.
Military Logistics Forum is free to qualified members of the
U.S. military, employees of the U.S. government and
non-U.S. foreign service based in the U.S.
All others: $65 per year.
Foreign: $149 per year.
Corporate Offices
KMI Media Group
15800 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20855-2604 USA
Telephone: (301) 670-5700
Fax: (301) 670-5701
Web: www.MLF-kmi.com
How appropriate it is that the same month we feature a great
interview with the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant, installations
and logistics, Lieutenant General Frank Panter Jr., the Government
Accountability Office issues a report critical of the service’s reset plans,
while acknowledging the progress they have made in addressing the
reset of aviation equipment; in fact crediting the Marines with a comprehensive,
results-oriented strategic planning framework.
With the hand that giveth, the GAO also taketh away. They fault the
service for not developing a similar strategy for their ground equipment.
The Marines are working the steps to develop an integrated strategy but
have not publicly said when they will have the plan in place.
Jeffrey D. McKaughan
Editor-iN-CHiEF
The point is to develop a plan that looks at the reset requirements in terms of near-term strategy
but also as part of the Marine Corps ground equipment modernization plan. That being said, without
a single guiding definition for reset that all services are using and interpreting in the same way, trying
to measure progress or metrics common to all will be difficult if not impossible. While the report is
focused on the Marine Corps, the most important recommendation that can be gleaned from the
report is the indictment of the DoD that needs to develop and publish a DoD definition of reset for use
in the DoD overseas contingency operations budgeting process. Once this is accomplished, then, with a
common point of reference, the services can be measured against standards and know where the bar
of expectation is.
DoD and the services cannot take their eye off the warfighter. The need for strategic plan is not so
that someone can fill in the right boxes on a form and hit the right metrics, but to have a plan that
keeps the maneuver force operationally ready. All the services’ reset plans need to work within the
budgets that are today’s reality—they need to wring the last drop of out
of the budget for just one reason—the warfighter. Nothing else matters.
As always, please feel free to
drop me a line with any suggestions
and comments for Military Logistics
Forum.
Geospatial
Intelligence
Forum
www.GIF-kmi.com
Ground
Combat
Technology
kMi MeDia group Magazines anD websites
Military
Advanced
Education
www.MAE-kmi.com
Military
Training
Technology
Military
Information
Technology
www.MIT-kmi.com
Special
Operations
Technology
Military
Logistics
Forum
www.MLF-kmi.com
Tactical ISR
Technology
Military
Medical/CBRN
Technology
www.MMT-kmi.com
U.S. Coast
Guard Forum
www.GCT-kmi.com www.MT2-kmi.com www.SOTECH-kmi.com www.TISR-kmi.com www.USCGF-kmi.com

I need
‘‘engineering services
acquisition support
ROI analysis
auditing services
inventory management
...and to save money.
We’re GSA. We’ve got you covered with the
Organizational Support Services you need,
when you need them.
• Financial & Business Solutions
• Management & Operational Consulting
• Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution Services
• Engineering Services
• And more …
To learn more about how GSA offers convenient acquisition solutions to meet the everyday
needs of your government agency, visit gsa.gov/orgsupportcmp.
We Accept GSA SmartPay ® 2
To read this code,
download a free QR
reader app on your
smartphone and scan.
‘‘survey support

2011 Maintenance
Awards
The DoD has announced the 2011 winners
of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards
for depot and field-level units. These awards are
presented annually to recognize outstanding
achievements in weapon system and military
equipment maintenance.
The 2011 Robert T. Mason Depot
Maintenance Excellence Award recipient is the
Air Force’s KC-135 programmed depot maintenance
(PDM) team at Oklahoma City Air
Logistics Center. During 2010, the KC-135 PDM
team made significant achievements in every
segment of the production line, including
numerous kitting programs that improved material
availability and technician efficiency and
continuous process improvements that affected
several maintenance procedures. Their accomplishment
of superior maintenance produced a
record 55 aircraft and performed extraordinary
maintenance feats to keep the over-50-yearold
jets flying nearly 50,000 annual sorties in
support of Operations Enduring Freedom and
Iraqi Freedom and Horn of Africa missions.
The depot-level award is named in recognition
of Robert T. Mason, a former assistant
deputy under secretary of defense for maintenance
policy, programs, and resources. Mason
served as the champion of organic depot maintenance
for three decades and was instrumental
in transforming DoD organic depot-level operations.
A total of six field-level awards presented
in three categories—large, medium and small.
The recipients of this year’s Secretary of Defense
Field-level Maintenance Awards in the large
category are the Marine Corps’ 1st Maintenance
Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and the Air
Force’s 31st Maintenance Group, Aviano Air
Base, Italy. Winners in the medium category are
the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest,
Naval Base Coronado, San Diego, Calif., and
the Army’s D Company, 6-10 Aviation Regiment,
101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Campbell,
Ky. Small category winners are the Marine
Corps’ Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1,
Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C., and
the Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 143, Naval
Air Station Oceana, Va.
4 | MLF 5.7
Situational Awareness Contract
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop
Grumman a $65 million contract to provide
tactical situational awareness to airlift aircrews,
fulfilling an urgent operational need for
enhanced communications and an operational
picture of the battlespace displayed in
the cockpit.
Northrop Grumman will provide Air
Mobility Command with 58 mobility air forces
(MAF) dynamic re-tasking capability (DRC)
urgent operational need systems, including
spares, before June 30, 2012. The systems will
be installed in 28 C-130J and 24 C-17 aircraft.
The contract also includes two years of
training and payload support at four integration
sites in the United States and three overseas
locations.
Truck Recapitalization
The MAF DRC system includes a secure
line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight datalink,
display systems for the pilot and co-pilot, a
processor/server for command and control of
the radios and displays, and presentation and
recording of the existing host aircraft navigational
system data.
The contract was awarded by the Air Force
Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force
Base, Mass.
This Northrop Grumman effort for the Air
Mobility Command is closely related to its work
on the Real Time Information in the Cockpit
(RTIC) program. Under a contract awarded in
September 2010, the company is providing a
RTIC capability for Air National Guard and Air
Force Reserve Command C-130H aircraft.
Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation will recapitalize 160 trucks from the
U.S. Army’s family of heavy tactical vehicles (FHTV) fleet, including heavy expanded mobility
tactical truck (HEMTT) A4s and palletized load system (PLS) A1s, following an order from the
U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC). Through its recapitalization
program, Oshkosh will restore these vehicles to the latest configuration in zero-miles/zerohours
condition at significantly less than the cost of a new vehicle.
“Oshkosh is helping the U.S. military maximize its investments by extending vehicles’ life
spans, restoring and modernizing them with the latest technologies and armor packages,”
said Mike Ivy, vice president and general manager of Army Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “As
trucks have become more advanced—with better protection and improved power trains and
suspensions—our recapitalization program has continued providing our customer exceptional
value.”
Since 1970, Oshkosh has remanufactured more than 11,000 military vehicles. In addition
to recapitalizing its own vehicles, Oshkosh also upgrades vehicles originally built by other
manufacturers. Oshkosh has refurbished more than 2,000 heavy-payload vehicles for the
Army’s Theater Provided Equipment Refurbishment program.
To recapitalize HEMTT A4s, the suspension is improved and a fully air-conditioned and
armor-ready cab is installed, in addition to a more powerful drivetrain. The vehicles are fitted
with new components, new technology and a new zero hours/zero miles bumper-to-bumper
warranty. The HEMTT A4 is the backbone of the Army’s logistics and resupply fleet. It has a
13-ton payload capacity and is available in multiple variants for a wide range of operations.
The PLS is the backbone of the Army’s distribution and resupply system. Built to transport
ammunition and other critical supplies needed in battle, the vehicle has been used in frontline
resupply missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. The latest PLS configuration
features an armor-ready cab that is common with the HEMTT A4, as well as a 600-horsepower
engine, electrical upgrades and incorporation of an Oshkosh TAK-4 independent front suspension
for improved off-road mobility.
Recapitalization of the HEMTT and PLS vehicles is expected to begin in March 2012 and is
scheduled to be completed in September 2012. The order has a value of more than $50 million.
www.MLF-kmi.com

The U.S. Air Force and Rockwell Collins
commemorated the 419th avionics delivery for
the C/KC-135 Global Air Traffic Management
program at a ceremony at Kelly Field in San
Antonio. The delivery marks the conclusion
of a 100 percent on time, on budget program
providing the Air Force C/KC-135 fleet with
unhindered access to global air routes, enabling
the tanker fleet with enhanced mission effectiveness
while saving fuel.
“This program set a new performance
Renewable Energy Impact Projects
Impact on Military Missions
The Department of Defense announced
recently that a comprehensive review of 249 renewable
energy projects proposed in 35 states and
Puerto Rico found that 229 have little or no impact
on military missions, thus clearing the way for the
future production of more than 10 gigawatts of
renewable energy generation capacity.
This review involved approximately 6,500 wind
turbines and 30 solar projects. The complete list of
the projects can be viewed at http://go.usa.gov/bce.
These new energy projects will increase the
nation’s energy security while ensuring that
our military services have the test capabilities,
training venues, and equipment to help keep
America safe.
The DoD will undertake further studies and
negotiations with developers, in consultation with
the appropriate federal agencies and state and
local governments of the 20 projects that may pose
adverse impacts on military readiness and operations.
The department’s goal in those negotiations
will be to mitigate any potential adverse effects and
allow the projects to move forward that are found
to have little or no impact on military missions.
STG Receives Logistics Contract
STG Inc. has been awarded a $3.25 million
prime contract to support the National Warheads
and Energetics/Defense Ordnance Technology
Consortium Logistics Research and Engineering
Directorate (LRED). Under the terms of the
contract, STG will provide support in improving
the reliability, maintainability and availability
of government-specified munitions and armament
systems while minimizing the life cycle
cost and logistics footprint.
“Using the latest technologies, STG will help
detect and predict potential issues early in the
design and development stages to mitigate their
impact on the field,” said Jim Felter, STG senior
vice president, defense sector.
The logistics engineering services
performed under this initiative will enable
419th C/KC-135 and Counting
standard for Air Force procurements with 100
percent of the upgraded aircraft delivered on
time and within budget,” said Dave Nieuwsma,
vice president and general manager of mobility
and rotary wing solutions for Rockwell Collins.
As the prime contractor and flight deck
systems integrator, Rockwell Collins provided
technology through an open systems approach
that upgrades the aircraft with a variety of
communications, navigation, surveillance/air
traffic management products.
the constant measurement and improvement
of logistics solutions for governmentspecified
armaments and munitions systems.
The Enterprise Systems Integration Center,
LRED, Life Cycle Supportability Division has a
commitment to developing and rapidly delivering
superior armament logistics technology,
products and services to the warfighter.
“STG has supported LRED for many years
in other areas of logistics and engineering
analyses and has a well-earned reputation for
providing unsurpassed support services,” said
Simon Lee, STG president and CEO. “Time and
again, we have shown that our analyses are
accurate and concise and offer proven, repeatable
results designed to evolve throughout
their life cycles.”
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Rockwell Collins continues to support the
Air Force in upgrading the C/KC-135 with new
capabilities. In 2009, the Air Force selected
Rockwell Collins for the engineering, manufacturing
and development phase of the C/KC-135
Block 45 cockpit upgrade program. Under
this contract, Rockwell Collins will further
modernize the C/KC-135 refueling tanker’s
flight deck with the latest generation autopilot,
flight director, radar altimeter and electronic
engine instrument display.
Military Sealift
Command Support
Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) has
been awarded a multi-year contract for
the operation and maintenance of five
container and roll-on/roll-off ships in
support of the Military Sealift Command’s
(MSC) Prepositioning Program.
“We are extremely honored and proud
of this award. Winning this contract once
again after our resubmission is a true
testament of MSC’s trust in our capability
and performance. We feel confident in our
ability to support our customer’s requirements
by drawing from our extensive
operational and technical experience,”
said Scott Cimring, MLL’s senior director
of government ship management.
These Bobo-class vessels, essential
in the U.S. military’s readiness strategy,
will be crewed by civilian mariners and
deployed worldwide to preposition equipment
and supplies at sea. MSC strategically
places military equipment and
supplies aboard these ships in key ocean
areas to ensure rapid availability during
military operation and humanitarian
relief.
This contract will begin in September
2011, and consists of a base period of 30
days with four one-year options. If all
options are exercised, the total contract
value will reach approximately $126
million, excluding reimbursable expenses
and performance incentives.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 5

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
people
Gen. William M. Fraser III
General William
M. Fraser III has
been nominated for
reappointment to the
rank of general and for
assignment as commander,
U.S. Transportation
Command, Scott Air Force
Base, Ill. Fraser is currently
serving as commander,
Air Combat Command,
Langley Air Force Base, Va.
Brett B. Lambert has
been assigned as deputy
assistant secretary of
defense (manufacturing
and industrial base
policy), Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense
(Acquisition, Technology
and Logistics), Washington,
D.C. Lambert previously
served as deputy assistant
secretary of defense
(industrial policy), Office
of the Under Secretary
of Defense (Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics),
Washington, D.C.
Captain Matthew J.
Carter, who has been
selected for promotion
to rear admiral (lower
half), will be assigned
as commander, Patrol
and Reconnaissance
Fifth/Seventh Fleet,
Atsugi, Japan. Carter
is currently serving as
6 | MLF 5.7
executive assistant to
the commander, U.S.
Transportation Command,
Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Captain Lawrence E.
Creevy, who has been
selected for promotion
to rear admiral (lower
half), will be assigned
as fleet maintenance
officer, U.S. Fleet Forces
Command, Norfolk, Va.
Creevy is currently serving
as executive assistant to
the commander, Naval
Sea System Command,
Washington, D.C.
Captain John G. King,
who has been selected for
promotion to rear admiral
(lower half), will be
assigned as commander,
Naval Inventory Control
Point, Philadelphia/
Mechanicsburg,
Philadelphia, Pa. King
is currently serving as
deputy commander for
fleet logistics operations,
N4, Naval Supply
Systems Command,
Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Captain John C. Scorby,
who has been selected
for promotion to rear
admiral (lower half),
will be assigned as
commander, Navy Region
Southeast, Jacksonville,
Fla. Scorby is currently
serving as executive
assistant to the assistant
secretary of the Navy
for energy, installations,
and environment,
Washington, D.C.
Maj. Gen. Janet C.
Wolfenbarger
Air Force Major
General Janet C.
Wolfenbarger has
been nominated for
appointment to the rank
of lieutenant general
and for assignment
as military deputy,
Office of the Assistant
Secretary of the Air
Force for Acquisition,
Pentagon, Washington,
D.C. Wolfenbarger is
currently serving as vice
commander, Air Force
Materiel Command,
Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio.
Air Force Major
General Clyde
D. Moore II has
been nominated for
appointment to the rank
of lieutenant general
and for assignment
as vice commander,
Air Force Materiel
Command, Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base,
Ohio. Moore is currently
serving as the deputy
director, Joint Strike
Fighter Program Office,
Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense
(Acquisition, Technology
and Logistics),
Arlington, Va.
Rear Admiral (lower
half) Mark J. Belton,
who has been selected
for promotion to
rear admiral, will be
assigned as commander,
Navy Expeditionary
Logistics Support Group,
Williamsburg, Va. Belton
is currently serving as
reserve director, supply,
Ordnance and Logistics
Operations Division,
N41, Office of the Chief
of Naval Operations,
Washington, D.C.
Captain Scott A.
Stearney, who has been
selected for promotion
to rear admiral (lower
half), will be assigned
as commander, Joint
Enabling Capabilities
Command, U.S.
Transportation
Command, Suffolk, Va.
Stearney is currently
serving as chief of staff,
Strike Force Training
Atlantic, Norfolk, Va.
Army Brigadier General
John R. O’Connor
has been nominated
for appointment to the
rank of major general.
O’Connor is currently
serving as deputy chief
of staff, G-4, U.S. Army
Forces Command, Fort
Bragg, N.C.
Army Brigadier General
Lynn A. Collyar has
been nominated for
appointment to the rank
of major general. Collyar
is currently serving
as director, logistics
operations, Defense
Logistics Agency, Fort
Belvoir, Va.
Army Brigadier General
Gustave F. Perna has
been nominated for
appointment to the rank
of major general. Perna
is currently serving as
commanding general,
joint munitions lethality,
Life Cycle Management
Command/Joint
Munitions Command,
Rock Island, Ill.
Army Reserve
Brigadier General
Margaret W. Boor has
been nominated for
appointment to the rank
of major general and for
assignment as deputy
director for logistics
operations, J-4, The Joint
Staff, Washington, D.C.
Boor is currently serving
as the chief of staff,
Defense Logistics Agency,
Operation Enduring
Freedom, Afghanistan.
AAR Corp. has announced
that Andrew J. Schmidt
has joined the company
as senior vice president,
supply chain, AAR Allen
Asset Management. In
this capacity, Schmidt
will be responsible
for providing strategy,
business planning and
operational leadership
for the division and
will drive initiatives to
enhance the performance
of all AAR’s aftermarket
business.
www.MLF-kmi.com

Gimme Shelter
Keeping Mother nature on the outside.
Providing comfort to weary warriors,
a conducive environment for a
command post or clean atmosphere for
a medical treatment center, portable
shelters have been a staple of expeditionary
warfare.
Alaska Structures Inc.
Don Diesel
President, BLU-MED Division
ddiesel@alaskastructures.com
Alaska Structures Inc. (AKS) recently intro-
duced a Solar Fly that can be installed over any Alaska small
shelter or Alaska medical shelter. The AK Solar Fly utilizes an
advanced netting fabric and a high strength lightweight aerospace
aluminum alloy frame system. Eliminating 85 percent of the visible
solar radiation, testing of the Solar Fly has proven its ability
to reduce environmental control unit (ECU) power consumption
by up to 17 percent during peak solar conditions. The Solar Fly kit
only takes 10 minutes to install with two people. The proprietary
material is lightweight, flame-resistant and resistant to degradation
by UV light and mildew.
AKS has also introduced a second energy-saving technology,
the EnerLayer insulation system. Testing at White Sands Missile
Range Climatic Test Facility has shown that EnerLayer installed in
an Alaska small shelter or Alaska medical shelter will reduce the
air conditioning required to maintain a 70 F interior temperature
at 125 F ambient temperature by 22 percent. At cold temperatures
of -25 F, the amount of heat required to maintain an interior temperature
of 70 F is reduced by 35 percent. The insulation material
Military Logistics Forum recently
had the opportunity to talk to a few
shelter manufacturers and gather the
quick points about what they thought
the state-of-the-art was for shelter
technology and where they could go
from here. Each company was asked
to address what technologies and
design innovations that they are basing
the evolution of their shelters on to
meet the needs of the next generation
warfighter.
is non-toxic, fire-resistant and reusable. EnerLayer is available as
a retrofit kit or with new shelters, and installation time is less than
30 minutes with two people.
The combination of EnerLayer and the AK Solar Fly provide
a synergistic energy saving capability that, through realistic milstandard
environmental testing, has been shown to reduce by 33
percent the air conditioning required to maintain a 70 F interior
temperature at 125 F. It is estimated that the “payback time” for
the EnerLayer and the AK Solar Fly is less than six months, and it
can save up to 2,650 gallons of fuel per year for a single shelter
with 5-ton ECU. More importantly, these energy saving products
will reduce the amount of fuel convoys in the field, thereby reducing
the chances of our soldiers and support contractors being
attacked.
Alaska Structures is the world’s leader in fabric shelter systems.
Since 1999, AKS has delivered over 30,000 military shelters
to DoD, the British MoD, NATO forces and the Australian Defence
Force. AKS has a robust research and development division, and
has recently focused efforts toward energy savings technologies.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 7

HDT Global
Mike Stolarz
Vice President, Business Development
HDT Global is widely recognized for its industry-leading pro-
duction of state-of-the-art, fully integrated deployable solutions.
The U.S. and allied military units stationed worldwide are currently
using our systems, including shelter systems, generators, heaters
and air filtration devices.
In line with current U.S. government and Department of
Defense initiatives to reduce power consumption, HDT has
recently placed a major focus on energy efficiency. With an insulation
factor inherent in the design of the Base-X and AirBeam
shelter lines, many of HDT’s new products leverage that efficiency
through power management and alternative resources. Several
power-saving add-on products also contribute to HDT’s current
mission toward energy efficiency, including the HDT Shade Fly and
Radiant Barrier, which dramatically decrease shelter heating and
cooling loads, lowering fuel consumption associated with environmental
control technology.
In addition to add-on shelter components that increase inherent
efficiency, HDT Micro-Grid technology is at the center of
the expeditionary system power management system. The HDT
Micro-Grid is designed to greatly reduce or eliminate the need
for generators and associated fuel. The focus of this effort is to
develop advanced capabilities in power generation and power
management with an emphasis on maximizing the benefits of
alternative power sources, thereby reducing the reliance on fossil
fuel-burning generators.
The old saying, “nothing stays the same,” rings
true when it comes to modern warfare. At AAR
Mobility Systems, our shelters have evolved with the changing terrain
to provide durable and secure environments for our soldiers
on any battlefield.
AAR has been in a continuous stage of evolution since we
began manufacturing aluminum cargo pallets for the United States
Air Force in 1963. We designed our first intermodal AAR ISU containers
to maximize cargo per pallet position and protect it from
the elements. Certified to DoD standards, our containers simplify
loading and off-loading cargo from aircraft, and they are Helo-lift
certified for delivery of loads to remote areas. In the early 1990s,
our containers started serving as living quarters and command
posts, as troops were deployed to the desert and better working
conditions became a necessity. We modified our base products
into a new line of Air Mobile Shelters (AMS) that include insulation,
electrical systems and ECUs, while maintaining the functional loading
and lifting characteristics of our pallets and containers.
To minimize the footprint required to transport our shelters, we
offer them as one- and two-pallet position shelters with optional
soft- and hard-sided wing walls that can triple the usable footprint
when deployed. Aluminum construction keeps the gross weight
8 | MLF 5.7
AAR Mobility Systems
Phillip Adams
Director of Sales
HDT Micro-Grid features:
• Independent single-phase and three-phase micro-grids that
will leverage the use of individual man-portable solar power
systems for distribution to two and up to twelve shelters.
• Incorporated expeditionary functional modularity. The
system operates using man-portable or HMMWV towable
components to increase mission flexibility.
• Intelligent generator controls including methods for
integrating the Tactically Quiet Generator family into the
intelligent network as backup power and auxiliary power
during periods of peak demand.
HDT’s Expeditionary Shelter Systems, which encompass the
Base-X and AirBeam lines, are turn-key, mobile facilities for command
posts, hospitals, military living quarters, emergency medical
treatment units, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
decontamination facilities, and operations centers requiring command
and control functionality. Not only do the new shelter solutions
save resources and money, they ultimately protect the lives
of men and women in uniform, deploying 30 to 50 percent faster
than other shelters on the market and reducing logistics requirements.
HDT’s products are built for tough people performing tough
jobs.
low so warfighters can maximize their payload, while promoting
lower fuel consumption—all key challenges for transporting rigid
wall shelters to theater.
The warfighter can also benefit from our lightweight aluminum
ISO shelters, which have been proven durable through 20 years of
simulated usage at U.S. Army proving grounds, and have passed
the MIL-SPEC-901D ship shock test. The use of aluminum versus
steel typically translates into a weight savings of 2,000 pounds
(non-expandable) to 2,500 pounds (expandable) per shelter. Once
fielded, one user can be operational in less than 20 minutes in an
environment that offers EMI 60dB shielding effectiveness to ASTM-
E-1925 (an option available in each of our ISO variants), making
them ideal for secure command and control and situational awareness
ground stations.
AAR’s newest offering for vehicle mounted shelters includes
the Lightweight Multipurpose Shelter, which utilizes friction stir
welding to promote superior EMI shielding and a new level of
modularity. Panels can easily be shortened or lengthened to meet
mission requirements.
The most unique thing we offer our troops is a variety of products
that go virtually anywhere, by land, sea or air. Wherever you
are going, you can count on AAR Mobility Systems to get you there.
www.MLF-kmi.com

Better ideas. Better innovations. And better implementation to suit the needs
of those in the fi eld. At HDT, world-class engineering leads to world-renowned
products through a process that pairs the brightest minds in the business
In the battle of brains vs. brawn,
we opted to take both sides.
with experts who’ve earned their stripes in the fi eld. In the end, that means
expeditionary systems and components that are as smart as they are strong.
Just like the forces that rely on them to work fl awlessly day after day.
SHELTER SYSTEMS GENERATORS HEATERS/AIR CONDITIONERS NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PARACHUTES ROBOTICS
hdtglobal.com

Whether they are surrounded by sand and dust in extreme temperatures
or accommodating atmospheric pressure changes from
sea level upward, rugged laptops and tablets have continued to expedite
military logistics operations as they absorb the latest technology
and meet the toughest military standards.
While rugged laptop providers have focused on specific military
branches and areas of functionality, some processes, such as flight
line maintenance, break across all branches, from Air Force aircraft
and Army helicopters to Navy aircraft carriers. The environmental
conditions differ and logistics functions range from simple to complex,
but all the forces use rugged laptops for logistics in one way
or another.
MIL-STD-810G is one of several military standards that qualify
notebooks and tablets as rugged. As the latest iteration of the 810
test series, it tests for a broader number of environmental conditions
than ever before to certify the most rugged laptops. Achieving 810G
means a rugged laptop can perform the checking, testing, tracking
and repair in a variety of logistics operations and situations, including
the most crucial, active missions.
“Requirements for rugged laptops have become much tougher
throughout the years, as lessons learned from the previous generation
of product lines are built into specifications for the next generation
technology and operational need,” said Julie Briggs, CEO of VT Miltope,
Hope Hull, Ala. “We meet the 810G and 461F military standards,
10 | MLF 5.7
the concept of rugged coMputers is not new, but innovative technology has led to innovations.
Image courtesy of Panasonic
by cheryl gerber
Mlf correspondent
we offer a standard five-year warranty on our laptop products and we
own and manufacture our own designs in the U.S.,” she said.
The Army Maintenance Support Device (MSD) uses two VT
Miltope rugged laptops, the RCLC-1 (Rugged Convertible Laptop
Computer) with a 10.6-inch display and the RCLC-2 with a 14.1inch
display. MSD Version 3 is a rugged automatic tester that
performs quick diagnoses and fault isolation on the Army’s aircraft
and vehicles while functioning as an interactive electronic technical
manual on electronic technical manual reader.
MIL-STD 810 and MIL-STD-461 are commonly used in the
specification of requirements for the qualification of rugged computers.
Among many tests, MIL-STD 810G, Methods 501.5 and
502.5, Procedure II, are used to test operating temperature while
Procedure I of those methods is used for storage temperature
testing.
MIL-STD 461F is the testing specification and standard for
military electronics suppliers, which covers inter-service operability
issues. It involves conducted and radiated emissions and
susceptibility.
The Army MSD V3 uploads and verifies software to restore
or provide new technology to weapons systems. It supports the
testing requirements of the Army, current to future force weapons
systems and operates at temperature ranges up to 160 degrees
Fahrenheit in the rain, sand and dust.
www.MLF-kmi.com

Joint-capable
in combat with
25,101 SyStemS
DelivereD.
When the U.S. Army needed a joint-ready, ultra-rugged computer for their Movement
Tracking System (MTS), they turned to a proven winner. The DRS Joint Platform Tablet
(JPT). Already fielded within other programs, the JPT’s innovative technology operates
across multiple branches. Key among its features is the ability to be dismountable as
well as provide in-transit visibility. And because it’s future-proof, it’s as battle-ready
tomorrow as it is today.
Chosen For The U.S. Army’s Movement Tracking System.
That’s Go To.
DRS.com
Photo: U.S. Army

The MSD falls under the Army’s Integrated Family of Test Equipment,
At-Platform Automatic Test Systems. MSD-V3 (Version 3). It
is designed and tested specifically to withstand the harshest tactical
environments. “VT Miltope worked with Army maintainers and logisticians
to establish the requirements for RCLC-1 that is the basis of
the MSD-V3,” Briggs noted.
The Army uses DRS military rugged tablets (MRT) for its movement
tracking system (MTS), mortar fire control station and intelligent
munitions systems. The DRS MRT maintains communications
and location visibility of Army vehicles in theater.
“The MRT is a logisticians program, as it provides in-transit
visibility to identify cargo with RFID tags which are on vehicles in
transit,” said Bill Guyan, vice president, programs
and strategy, DRS Tactical Systems Inc. “On a map
interface they can click on a vehicle to determine what
type of cargo is on that vehicle and where it is located
in transit,” he said.
“These systems are meant to deliver three critical
pieces of information to the soldier: Where am I?
Where is my buddy? Where is the enemy?” said Guyan.
“MTS identifies position, tracks progress, maintains
in-transit visibility of critical logistics assets and
Dell has a line of rugged solutions designed specifically for military
customers. Their current fully-rugged E6420 XFR notebook has
replaced the E6400 XFR—and each have met Mil Standard 810G
specs and are built around our Latitude business notebooks. Additionally,
they also have the semi-rugged E6420 ATG system used by
military customers, though it is not fully rugged, offers top-of-the-line
performance and help to increase the capabilities of an increasingly
mobile military.
“The Army has been one of our major customers as Dell has
developed and refined our rugged portfolio, but as we have refined our
solutions, we’ve begun to span all of the armed forces,” said Trickey.
The Navy and Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard also use Dell’s rugged
products.
The Army is now leveraging commonality between
its MTS and Blue Force Tracking (BFT) systems,
sharing network management and operations while
upgrading technology. Responsibility for the two systems
shifted in April to the Program Executive Office
for Command Control and Communications-Tactical
(PEO C3T), Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and
Below (FBCB2) program office.
As part of the FBCB2 program, ViaSat Inc. is work-
communicates with the operators of MTS-enabled
ing on the next generation of Blue Force Tracking for
tactical wheeled vehicles through the use of position-
bill Guyan the Army and Marine Corps. The BFT-2 will bring realing
and commercial communications satellites,” said
time networking for logisticians and warfighters with
Ralston Mims, deputy product director for the Army
ViaSat’s next-generation transceivers, which provide
product office for MTS.
high throughput and position location information
“It incorporates global positioning system (GPS),
refresh rates.
radio frequency identification (RFID) and non-line-
“Part of the Army’s convergence strategy is comof-sight
communications and mapping technologies
monality in hardware and satellite transceiver as the
into a package that provides vehicle and cargo visibility
Army migrates to the Joint Battle Command Platform
throughout the world,” Mims said.
(JBC-P). There will be a common look and feel to
The DRS MRT meets MIL-STD 810F and 461E. In
the user interface, interoperability between systems
addition to PCMCIA slots, the rugged tablet supports
hardware and common communications hardware to
standard communication devices such as a TacLink
reduce support costs,” said Guyan. “The Army will be
and PCIDM modems. The MRT can accommodate a
Julie briggs
able to reduce costs by buying more satellite time with
GPS or additional radio system. The 10.4-inch XGA or
volume discounts,” he said.
SVGA displays use 5-wire touch screens and are NVIS (night vision The BFT-2 will give network users real-time position accuracy
imaging system)-capable. An anti-spoofing module is an option. and situational awareness by using a ground vehicular transceiver
Impact and shock are the main threats to notebooks in the field. or aviation transceiver to communicate with one of up to 10 satellite
Dell, which recently launched its 3rd generation of rugged products, channels back to a satellite ground station.
has gained expertise through close customer relationships and years The BFT-2 will provide small satellite terminals for ground
of building and designing enterprise-class notebooks and computers vehicles and small aircraft and hub equipment for high-speed two-way
have gone into the design of their rugged solutions as well.
access to ground and airborne terminals. FIPS 140-2 Level 2 data link
“Design points we at Dell have implemented such as solid state security will protect it from adversarial traffic analysis and data prob-
HHDs, bumpers placed at the corners, as well as additional materials ing, while network operations center (NOC) equipment will provide
are designed to better resist impacts,” said Joe Trickey, Dell’s rugged network monitoring and a backbone network will connect the NOCs
and digital forensics marketing brand manager. “To further protect into an interoperable network. The BFT-2 will be integrated with
against shock or impact damage, we also use a composition polymer FBCB2 software and will provide engineering services in support of
over a mag alloy shell to ruggedize its notebooks which stands over the BFT-2 network.
and above the mag shell used by our competitors. We have also hard- The FBCB2 program office and the logistics community are workened
another potentially vulnerable spot through our fully enclosed ing on a new software version, the Joint Capabilities Release–Logistics
fan design that allows the system to support the full range of processor (JCR-Log) which uses the software and functionality of the combined
and computer power while keeping the system cool and also allowing MTS and BFT. The new software will provide two-way situational
for liquids to drain from the system. The bezel protection around the awareness with maneuver force operations, embedded equipment
display protects the display glass against impacts and scratches.” diagnostic and prognostic integration, as well as interfaces with
Dust and water protection is another area of potential vulner- Global Combat Service Support-Army, Battle Command Sustainment
ability that is protected against at the access points on Dell’s rugged and Support System and Transportation Coordinators’ Automated
solutions.
Information for Movements System servers.
12 | MLF 5.7
www.MLF-kmi.com

Computers · Disk Drives · Mass Storage · Printers · Network Communication Devices · Product Support for Military & Commercial Applications
MISSION READY. SET. GO.
A Case for Rugged… As a mobile clamshell or tablet, VT Miltope’s new RCLC-1 rugged convertible laptop is mission-ready
in any form. The RCLC-1 is an integral part of the MSD-V3 program developed for the U.S. Army’s At-Platform Automatic Test
Systems (APATS) Integrated Family of Test Equipment (IFTE). Our family of HARD WEAR sets the standard for rugged military
computing. Built rugged down to their core processors, our products improve warfighter’s ability to perform maintenance
missions in extreme environments and challenging tactical conditions. The VT Miltope Family… mission-ready in the hangar,
on the flightline, or on the move. MILTOPE.COM

When it is released in 2012, the new system for logistics tracking
will be the principal command and control system for the Army and
Marine Corps. As a vehicle-based tracking and messaging system,
MTS incorporates the use of positioning and commercial satellites,
two-way text messaging, digital maps, encryption, and military GPS
and RFID technologies. The new system will enhance the ability to
track vehicle locations while maintaining visibility of logistics assets
and critical communications links between vehicle operators and
systems control stations.
“The Navy Seals used the fully rugged Toughbook CF-19s in the
Osama bin Laden mission,” noted Tim Collins, director, defense and
intelligence, Panasonic Solutions Co. “The CF-19 and the Toughbook
31 are 810G and IP-65 tested for dust and water incursion,” he said.
A system with an IP-65 certification will withstand exposure to dust
and water better than an IP-54 certification. The “6” in the Ingress
Protection (IP)-65 rating indicates degree of resistance to dust, while
the “5” refers to level of protection from liquids.
The Air Force uses the Panasonic Toughbook 19 and 31 products
for flight line maintenance and diagnostics. “They plug into
the aircraft to download diagnostics information, interpret data for
maintenance and analyze performance,” Collins said.
The Army Maintenance Support Device (MSD) uses two VT
Miltope rugged laptops, the RCLC-1 (Rugged Convertible Laptop
Computer) with a 10.6-inch display and the RCLC-2 with a 14.1-inch
display. MSD Version 3 is a rugged automatic tester that performs
quick diagnoses and fault isolation on the Army’s aircraft and vehicles
while functioning as an interactive electronic technical manual
on electronic technical manual reader.
In recent years, the Air Force has also been using Getac B300 and
V100 rugged notebooks for logistics aircraft maintenance. The Getac
V100 or V200 convertible notebooks can be used as tablets for diagram
or schematic lookup with parts ordering via the touch screen,
while the B300 is a laptop configuration.
“Utilizing Getac’s high-powered 100mA Wi-Fi, the Air Force has a
signal on the tarmac while working inside the fuselage of the aircraft.
This allows for maintenance on the aircraft while ordering parts
using the laptop in real time. The live connection also allows for full
lookup of mechanical maintenance reference files,” said John Lamb,
Getac marketing manager.
The Getac B300 and V100 meet MIL-STD 810-G and 461F standards.
“The V100 gives logiticians the ability to read mechanical
maintenance reference files online while in planes or out on the Tarmac,”
said Lamb. The GetacV100 notebook/tablet includes an Intel
Core i7 processor running at 1.2GHz with Turbo Boost technology
up to 2.26 GHz. The B300 rugged notebook contains a 2.0 GHz Intel
Core i7 processor with Turbo Boast up to 2.8 GHz.
Getac screens are based on an enhanced QuadraClear display.
“The sunlight-readable display assists in viewing at high noon outside
of an aircraft while the Wi-Fi is useful inside the aircraft,” he
said.
In May, Panasonic Solutions Co. pumped out the Toughbook 31
fully rugged laptop upgrade, with Intel Core i5 and i3 processors,
increased RAM, speed and hard drive capacity, more than 20 hours
of battery life, and a brighter, sunlight-viewable screen. The 31 also
delivers the improvements in 3-D graphics needed for geographic
information systems (GIS) and other graphics-rich applications.
One month later, in June, PSC produced the latest version of its
Toughbook 19 fully rugged convertible tablet with a standard voltage
processor and Intel HD 3000 graphics. The device still does not
14 | MLF 5.7
require a fan and comes with 4GB RAM expandable to 8GB, running
32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 Professional.
The 10.1-inch XGA touch screen on the latest Toughbook 19 has
a Transflective Plus display with adjustable LED backlight. The LED
backlight is useful in dimly lit areas or for concealed nighttime use.
Anti-reflective, anti-glare screen treatments and a polarizing filter
improve outdoor viewing.
One of the latest technologies to enter the rugged mobile world
of military logistics is the Android operating system, which is based
on Linux. When Android mobile tablets first seized a portion of the
consumer market, they did not provide the functionality needed for
mission-critical military logistics environments, such as flight line
maintenance. One issue was readability of the screens outdoors. Others
were security and durability.
However, the Android mobile tablet will go rugged and address
those issues this year. One example, to be released in Q4 2011, is the
enterprise-grade, Android-based Panasonic Toughbook H2 tablet. The
daylight viewable screen will address outdoor readability issue by providing
high brightness to allow mobile logisticians to see critical data
and operate the device despite the lighting conditions. The rugged
Android tablet will include an active stylus to capture signatures on
the multi-touch display, a satellite-based GPS and full-shift battery life.
“The Air Force is looking at the H2, has tested it and is now beginning
to buy the H2 for flight line maintenance applications,” said
Collins.
However, while smaller handheld, rugged mobile devices will be
useful for certain functionality, they will not likely be used for mission
critical mapping or GIS, for example, where large screens showing
both detail and context at once are needed.
“Although there is a trend toward smaller and lighter mobile
devices, like rugged handhelds and tablets, the devices are also
becoming more application specific,” said Briggs. “The technology
has enabled us to respond to many different requirements, including
larger or smaller displays depending on the detail or resolution
required,” she said.
“The Army was standardizing on the 10.6-inch display but some
users wanted a larger 14.1-inch display, so now they will buy both,” she
said “We will see the 10.6-inch used for the at platform maintenance of
Army systems such as helicopters trucks, heavy vehicles and missiles
and the 14.1-inch display used for more detailed schematics in the
back shop,” she said.
As to what lies ahead in ruggedized technology advancements,
Dell’s Trickey added, “I think that there are a lot of different technologies
that are coming together that will impact the notebook and, by
extension, the rugged market. Developments such as 4G,broadband,
GPS, Wi-Fi that provide better connections, easier transitions between
system global communications, faster productivity and data transfer
will better allow those in remote areas to have the same work capabilities
as those in protected environments. Combining this with improvements
in graphical devices and the reduction in chip sizes that will
allow rugged notebooks to have greatly increased capability similar to
what you might find in high-end workstations, this will help to allow
for powerful operations in rugged environments, maximizing what
warfighters can do in forward environments.” O
For more information, contact MLF Editor Jeff McKaughan at
jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at
www.MLF-kmi.com.
www.MLF-kmi.com

By William J. Begert
William J. Begert
In any successful mission, proper logistics is paramount.
I witnessed this firsthand when I served as director of Operations
and Logistics for the U.S. Transportation Command. During that time, I
learned whether you are planning and carrying out the movement and
maintenance of forces or the delivery of products and services, logistics
is a critical part of that work.
I discovered that, in the most comprehensive sense, most aspects of
operations—which deals with design, development, acquisition, storage,
movement, distribution, maintenance and disposition of materiel—are
based on good logistics and planning. In today’s environment, logistics
also means increasing efficiency, reducing cost, exploring markets and
serving customers.
In my current role with Pratt & Whitney, I see logistics covering
a broad portion of our value chain. To manage the complex ballet of
logistics, Pratt & Whitney has long been on the leading edge of material
resource planning and then enterprise resource planning. Over the past
15 years, we have implemented the most comprehensive logistics in the
aerospace industry. Using an advanced suite of systems, Pratt & Whitney
has the ability to embrace the entire engine value stream from design
and manufacturing to maintenance and overhaul. All the supporting
functions, including purchasing, finance, transportation and even
contracts, are managed in a seamless and integrated environment. This
allows for further optimization of cost and time to bring value to our
customers.
At Pratt & Whitney, we believe the support we provide to our military
customers is the most important product we deliver. In addition to our
broad range of military propulsion systems, we offer customers a range
of tailored fleet management programs for operating their fleets with
the optimum mix of organic capability, world-class expertise and the
efficiency of economy of scale. Our management products range from
basic order fulfillment to complete fleet management systems.
With fleet management programs, Pratt & Whitney also offers
comprehensive management of all aspects of engine operation and
overhaul. We provide quality maintenance service and state-of-the-art
material management and supply chain management systems, which
General William J. Begert (Ret.) is the vice president for Business Development and
Aftermarket Services for Pratt & Whitney Military Engines in East Hartford, Conn. As vice
president, he is responsible for domestic and international military sales, assessing U.S.
military requirements and developing business strategies for Pratt & Whitney’s military
engine services. He is also responsible for the maintenance, repair and overhaul operations
of Pratt & Whitney’s Military Aftermarket Services.
Lesson in Logistics: A New Era is Dawning
offer complete contractor-furnished material supply capability. By using
contractor-furnished material, our customers take advantage of our
strength in vendor and distributor relationships to minimize delays
in parts delivery and reduce overall cost. Using these tools, we have
achieved high customer satisfaction ratings while providing an affordable
solution for maintaining the readiness of their fleets.
Good logistics requires concerted efforts from our employees, our
suppliers and customers. Our strength comes from combining lessons
learned from our proven fielded programs with new technologies, materials
and manufacturing processes to design, produce and deliver quality
propulsion systems to our customers.
As proud as we are of our logistics, we know it is possible to further
bolster the visibility, control and capacity of our supply chain and
distribution pipeline. We continue to streamline and optimize our global
supply chain by reaching out to many of our suppliers and giving them
the tools and systems to provide parts and services on time and at the
highest levels of quality.
We are not resting on our laurels. We continually seek out best
practices and lessons learned by benchmarking companies from across
many industries and enterprises. We know budgetary pressures continue
to intensify and logistics is likely to become more of a differentiator. Our
company therefore has to achieve even greater efficiencies and lower
cost to maximize our operational advantage and provide the best value
to our customers.
A new era of logistics is dawning. Logistics now requires more precise
accounting of consumption and replenishment for maximum efficiency
and minimum burden on the supply system. In the future, I believe we
will see more products delivered as needed and see better planning of
the supply chain. Today’s information technology capabilities have made
this vision possible, and tomorrow’s demand for efficiency has made
the need urgent. With fiscal challenges looming in the future, Pratt &
Whitney will be prepared to deliver across a wide variety of contingencies.
We are paying attention to the long-term consequences of our decisions
to make sure we have the right products, services and logistics in
place to support our men and women in uniform. O
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 15

Though the mission and capabilities of Red River Army Depot have
changed over the past 70 years, the resounding focus to provide the
soldier with quality products and service has not altered. RRAD has
risen to the challenge of every United States military conflict since
1941. The depot was originally established as an ammunition storage
facility; however, due to the demands of World War II, the mission was
expanded to include general supply storage and tank repair. Today, a
dedicated workforce of more than 4,000 people are engaged in work
ranging from producing timber to remanufacturing the mine resistant
ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle. The depot occupies 18,703 acres,
making it one of the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s (AMC) largest
supply and maintenance installations. RRAD is carved from 116 East
Texas farms and ranches, and once even belonged to the mighty Caddo
Indian Nation. More than 1,186 buildings/structures can accommodate
repair/overhaul of electronic systems, heavy combat and wheeled
vehicles. The depot is the largest employer in the greater Texarkana
and surrounding areas. “The support from the community continues
to help push Red River Army Depot forward,” said RRAD commander
Colonel Doyle Lassitter. “The strong bond between the depot, the community
and its leaders is a driving force in the mission that we carry
out for the soldier.”
we build it as if our lives
depend on it—theirs do!
RRAD is recognized as the TACOM Life Cycle Management
Command Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for tactical
wheeled vehicles, the Bradley fighting vehicle and multiple launch
rocket system. The depot has the only Department of Defense capability
for the remanufacture of road wheels and tracked vehicle systems.
Using state-of-the-art, environmentally safe equipment, RRAD’s rubber
product operation removes worn rubber and replaces it.
RRAD leads the way in support of the MRAP program as the depot
source of repair as well as the fabrication of the rollover egress system,
the MRAP Egress Trainer or MET. The depot also continues to support
soldiers in the field with deployments to Southwest Asia to maintain
MRAPs and other vehicle systems. “While in Iraq, we had a MRAP
RG-33 come in the yard that had sustained a substantial blast,” said
Stephanie Jackson, a RRAD welder. “It totally destroyed the vehicle,
but we were told that every soldier walked away from it. It’s a good
feeling knowing that the work I do helps to save soldiers’ lives.”
16 | MLF 5.7
Red River Army Depot
supporting the soldier since 1941.
In addition to being the depot source of repair for the MRAP, RRAD
is also the host installation for the joint services’ MRAP University.
MRAP-U is a one-stop shop providing a unique cross-training platform
to prepare instructors and maintenance personnel with the knowledge
to conduct field-level support on the MRAP family of vehicles. Over 350
students attend the university each day and are afforded the opportunity
to gain knowledge and become familiar with any MRAP model no
matter the manufacturer.
The high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV) production
facility has achieved many milestones since its introduction
at the depot. In 2004, the HMMWV production line only produced
three vehicles per week. After adopting Lean Six Sigma processes,
the production line achieved 32 vehicles per day in February 2006.
In May 2007, the depot celebrated the production of the 10,000th
HMMWV. The depot also remanufactures and rebuilds the armored
security vehicle, family of medium tactical vehicles, high mobility
artillery rocket system, multiple configurations of trailers and many
other major components. Workload will increase in the next year as
the depot is postured to overhaul and reset approximately 60 percent
of the equipment returning from Southwest Asia.
ready, willing and deployable
For the last 10 years, America has been in a constant state of
conflict. RRAD is proud to play a very significant role in supporting
the soldier, not only providing the highest quality of equipment, but
also with extremely capable deployed employees. What once consisted
of a dedicated workforce located only in Northeast Texas is now an
extended workforce located around the globe. RRAD is responsible for
over 5,000 civilian deployments to Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq in
direct support of the soldiers in the field.
Approximately half of all AMC civilian deployments have come
from RRAD. With the success of several fielding sites already in
place, Red River was tasked to spearhead Stored Theater Provided
Equipment-Iraq (STPE-I) at ‘Camp Armordillo’ in 2010. The mission
of STPE-I is to maintain 169 combat-tracked vehicles that are fully
mission-capable. Team members accomplishing this mission are
highly skilled technicians specifically selected for their expertise and
extensive knowledge of the systems to be serviced.
All are volunteers and many have agreed to stay with the mission
for multiple six-month tours. “Overall, the mission is very rewarding,”
www.MLF-kmi.com

said John Moore, former RRAD STPE-I site manager. “As depots, we
are able to go to the soldier, use our skills and assist the soldier in carrying
out their mission. As Department of the Army civilians, that is
our ultimate goal.” Currently, there are nearly 500 RRAD employees
supporting the soldier in theater.
beyond the production floor
RRAD was the first depot within AMC to achieve ISO 9001:2000
certification throughout all administrative and production processes.
The 9001:2000 certification gives emphasis to RRAD’s quality management
systems. In 2008, RRAD achieved ISO 14001:2004 registration
for Environmental Management Systems. This registration emphasizes
Red River’s commitment to the local community as the depot
maintains positive environmental conditions for the future. Intertwined
in the production of quality vehicles is safety.
The depot has shifted from the risk-based view to the behavior
approach and is in return better able to identify potential hazards and
mitigate them before an accident occurs. In October 2011, RRAD will
enter the last steps to achieve OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program
(VPP) star status. VPP recognizes employers in private industry and
federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health
management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below
national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries.
Implementation of the Red River Operating System is just another
way RRAD continues to move business forward. The RROS is the
common order-to-delivery process to achieve health, safety, environmental,
quality and productivity goals of the depot. It is a system that
encompasses the way RRAD conducts business on a daily basis, from
operations on the production floor to meetings with the commander.
By using RROS, Red River is able to communicate the mission of the
depot using a unified language.
coMMitted to excellence
RRAD is a first-class, award-winning organization. The depot was
named runner-up for the 2010 and 2011 Army Chief of Staff Maintenance
Excellence Award for depot maintenance. In 2009, RRAD
became the first Army installation to be the two-time recipient of the
Secretary of Defense Robert T. Mason Award for Depot Maintenance
Excellence.
The depot received the prestigious Mason award in 2006 for the
HMMWV program and in 2009 for support of the MRAP program. In
2006, RRAD began its journey submitting Shingo Prize Award packages—an
award that recognizes excellence in manufacturing—the
Shingo Award is given annually in four levels of recognition (Shingo
Prize, Gold, Silver and Bronze) throughout public and private business
sectors. RRAD is the eight time recipient of the Shingo Award in the
following production areas:
• 2009: Bronze Shingo Medallion for the 1113/1114
Armored HMMWV/HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT)
• 2008: Silver Shingo Medallion for the Heavy Expanded
Medium Tactical Truck (HEMTT)
• 2008: Bronze Shingo Medallion for the Patriot Missile
• 2008: Bronze Shingo Medallion Recipient for the Trailers
• 2007: Gold Shingo Medallion for the HMMWV
• 2007: Silver Shingo Medallion for the HEMTT
• 2007: Silver Shingo Medallion for the Bradley Power Train
• 2006: Silver Shingo Medallion for the HMMWV
In addition to these awards, RRAD also received the 2011 IHS
Spectrum Excellence Award for outstanding achievements in the use
of advanced information systems and best practices to achieve environmental,
health and safety and enterprise sustainability business goals.
RRAD Safety Office chief, Bonnie Lewis, was also the recipient of the
2010 Army Individual Award for Excellence in Safety. The award is
given for exemplary achievements in Safety and Occupational Health
by AMC to the individual who makes the most significant contribution
to accident prevention. The depot is the two-time recipient of the
Department of the Army Best Antiterrorism Program-Fixed Installation
Award in 2008 and 2009. In 2006, the depot received the Defense
Logistics Agency Department of Defense Customer of the Year Award
as well as the Army Superior Unit Award.
partnering for the soldier
Red River is teaming with over 20 defense contractors and engaged
in over 100 partnering contracts. RRAD is the host to 10 tenant organizations,
the largest being the Defense Logistics Agency-Distribution-
Red River that stores secondary items valued at over $6 billion. In
May 2011, Texarkana College and TexAmericas Center, both located
in the greater Texarkana area, joined forces to open a training facility
for RRAD employees. The training center, which is located near the
depot, specializes in heavy equipment operations including training
for Caterpillar engines, Allison transmissions and dynamometers.
Courses are also available for mechanics, welding, machinery, CPR,
first aid, hazardous waste operations and emergency response. “The
training center partnership permits the depot to provide our workforce
with superior training opportunities,” said RRAD Deputy Commander
Patton Tidwell. “We want to remain progressive and proactive in our
training methods and continue to strive forward in today’s technologydriven
world.”
on the horizon
Meeting all challenges and defeating all obstacles is the underlying
characteristic of the RRAD workforce. Throughout the years, Red
River has experienced great success providing a unique workforce of
trained, certified, diversified, deployable and skilled employees dedicated
to our nation’s defense. As always, RRAD holds fast to its ongoing
commitment to its customers that we will continue our process
improvement quest to provide the highest quality products available.
“Just as in the past, we are prepared to adapt our ever-evolving
processes to meet the requirements of our nation and the soldiers
that depend on us to reset and rebuild the vitally important equipment
used to conduct combat operations and to support the training
of units preparing for combat,” said Lassitter. “Our job is to continue
to strengthen our team with our community, our employees, our
contractors and our business partners. We must continue to build
quality products that meet the timelines supporting our soldiers and
the needs of our military and our nation.” O
For more information, contact MLF Editor Jeff McKaughan at
jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at
www.MLF-kmi.com.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 17

Crestron recently announced that the V24-C
24-inch HD touch-screen display, the latest addition
to its family of high-definition V-Panel
touch screens, is now available. The V24-C blends
full touch-screen navigation, high performance
graphics and HD video with DigitalMedia 8G+
connectivity and a 24-inch high-definition widescreen
display. Bringing media and control functions
together, V24-C combines separate touch
screens, TV displays and computer monitors into
one HD touch-screen display. While simultane-
Above Ground Wash Rack
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
U.S. Marines are using wash racks not only to wash equipment
and vehicles that require maintenance but also to apply corrosion
control inhibitors; thus the name, VCI (volatile corrosion inhibitor)
wash racks.
To build a concrete equipment wash rack requires architectural
design, PE stamps, building permits and bids from contractors to
build the wash rack. Once the construction of the concrete wash rack
is completed, it becomes a permanent fixture.
Hydro Engineering has developed and patented the Hydropad
above ground equipment wash racks, which do not require an architectural
design, permitting or construction of any kind. Hydropad
instant wash racks are equipment and not a capital construction
project. According to the company, another advantage is that an
above ground wash rack can be moved when required.
The systems, as installed at multiple Marine sites, included:
Hydrosite, equipment enclosures; these act as portable or permanent
equipment rooms and also provide for factory installed and tested
equipment, HVAC, backup heating and lighting. The complete system
is UL and CE certified; Hydroblaster pressure washing equipment; VCI
application system; Hydrokleen water filtration and recycling equipment
that will treat all collected water; Hydropad above ground wash
pads with splash control walls; and generators to (when no local
power is available).
As far as owner-supplied utilities, only a water supply connection
is required. Hydro Engineering Inc. provides portable power and
because these wash systems are not connected to a sewer, no sewer
connection is required—100 percent of all collected water is continuously
filtered and recycled back to the Hydroblaster wash equipment.
The Hydropad steel equipment wash rack meets the first requirement
of a storm water pollution prevention plan for a wash rack.
From here, wash water can be filtered via Hydro Engineering Inc.
waste water filtration equipment and recycled for continued use.
18 | MLF 5.7
High-Def Touch Screens
ously controlling the home or other facility,
V24-C, connected to a Crestron DGE-2 digital
graphics engine, provides everything needed
to access digital media content, enjoy online
videos and music, surf the Web, perform realtime
onscreen annotation, and more without
requiring a separate computer. Full HDCP
support makes V-Panel the only touch screen
that enables reliable viewing of content-protected
DVD, Blu-ray disc, digital HDTV, streaming video
and multimedia computer sources.
Engineered to work with Crestron
DigitalMedia 8G+ systems, the DGE-2 graphics
engine (and related AV source wiring) is hidden
up to 330 feet away at the main equipment
rack. All uncompressed HD audio/video, control,
Ethernet and USB HID signals are transported
directly to the V24-C through a single CAT5e
wire or DM 8G cable without the need for a
separate receiver. The single-wire connectivity,
together with V24-C’s slim design, produces clean
installations.
Camp Arifjan Asset Visibility
Cubic Global Tracking
Solutions, the asset visibility solutions
provider of Cubic Corporation,
is providing new wireless mesh
network technology to the U.S.
Army for tracking military vehicles
and equipment at the Armys Camp
Arifjan wash rack, located near
Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Cubic GTS and prime contractor
ARINC Engineering Services LLC
successfully demonstrated their
mesh network tracking solution in
early 2011 under the Army Logistics
Innovation Agency’s asset visibility
program known as Next Generation
Wireless Communications for
Logistics Applications (NGWC). In
June, Cubic delivered 2,000 new
mesh network asset tags at Camp
Arifjan.
The Logistics Innovation
Agency, in concert with Army
Sustainment Command and Army
Central Command, is implementing
the Army Mobility Asset
Tracking System (AMATS), which
integrates cutting-edge wireless
communications with sensors to
provide a secure, wireless, automatic
identification network.
Cubic GTS technology is at
the heart of the AMATS system. Its
small, battery-powered mesh asset
tags with GPS receivers are attached
to vehicles at Camp Arifjan and
automatically connect wirelessly
with one another to form a mesh
network. The precise location of
any tag can be determined by
searching for its serial number in
the Cubic GTS device management
center, a central database of all tags
in operation.
The ARINC/Cubic NGWC asset
tracking solution is now helping
to track and organize thousands
of U.S. military vehicles at Camp
Arifjan, including tanks, MRAPS,
HMMWVs, trucks and other vehicles
and equipment being redeployed
from Iraq as the U.S. draws down
its forces. At Camp Arifjan, the
tracking operations are run by
the 2-401st Army Field Support
Brigade.
“This implementation of Cubic
GTS mesh networking is part of an
end-to-end asset-tracking concept
being developed with the U.S. Army’s
Logistics Innovation Agency,” said
Mary Ann Wagner, president of
Cubic Global Tracking Solutions.
“The goal is to provide enhanced
logistics situational awareness
and global, near-real-time asset
visibility across the Department of
Defense distribution networks.”
www.MLF-kmi.com

Mainstream Engineering Corp. has been
awarded a sole-source contract to provide
both the U.S. Army and Air Force with the
next-generation, multi-functional Tricon
Refrigerated Container System (TRCS).
With a potential value of $40 million,
the five-year contract calls for the delivery
of insulated Tricon containers (both Army
and Air Force versions) equipped with
Mainstream’s new high-performance/energyefficient
modular refrigeration unit. The TRCS
is designed to support the standard Force
Provider 550-man base camp. Tricons are
much-relied-on transportable storage units
Project Workhorse UGV Off to Afghanistan
The U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force, through the Robotics Technology
Consortium, selected the Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System
(SMSS) to deploy to Afghanistan for a first-of-its-kind military assessment.
SMSS will deploy as the winner of the Project Workhorse Unmanned Ground
Vehicle (UGV) competition sponsored by the Army.
The largest autonomous vehicle ever to be deployed with infantry, the
11-foot-long SMSS can carry more than a half-ton of a squad’s equipment on
rugged terrain, easing the individual soldier’s burden, which can often exceed
100 pounds.
“SMSS is the result of more than a decade of robotic technology development,
and we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate this
capability in theater, where it can have an immediate impact
at the squad level,” said Scott Greene, vice president of ground
vehicles in Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business.
“The Army has tested the system’s capabilities in three
domestic user assessments, and SMSS has been deemed ready
to deploy.”
As part of the three-month military utility assessment
(MUA), four vehicles and a field service representative will
support light infantry in theater as the service evaluates how
autonomous vehicles can support or ease the equipment
burden for deployed troops. A fifth vehicle and an engineering
team will remain in the U.S. for analysis and additional
support. The Army plans to begin the Afghanistan assessment
late this year, after a period of evaluations and training.
A fully-loaded SMSS is internally transportable on board
CH-47 and CH-53 helicopters, providing new logistics capability
to light and early-entry forces. The SMSS Block I
variant, which will be deployed, has a range of 125 miles
and features three control options: supervised autonomy,
Refrigerated Container System
that offer a wide range of options for medical,
field kitchen, electronics and equipment
applications. These highly versatile shipping
containers can be configured so that three
units secured together occupy the identical
footprint as a standard 20-foot ISO intermodal
container. TRCS units are also ideal for
disaster relief and third-world humanitarian
operations.
“The contract award represents the
culmination of the many advancements
that we have achieved in the development of
thermal control technologies with compact
form factors,” said Robert P. Scaringe, Ph.D.,
tele-operation or manually driven. The SMSS sensor suite allows it to lock on
and follow any person by recognizing their digital 3-D profile (captured by the
onboard sensors), and it can also navigate terrain on its own following a trail
of GPS waypoints.
In addition to a month-long MUA at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2009, SMSS
has been selected for further evaluation as part of the Army’s Expeditionary
Warrior Experiment (AEWE) Spiral G in November this year. While SMSS has
already demonstrated its ability to reduce soldier loads and provide portable
power, the November experiment will evaluate its ability to field a reconnaissance,
surveillance and target acquisition mission equipment package.
president of Mainstream Engineering.
This contract, along with an earlier
award for the development and manufacture
of improved environmental controls units,
represents more than $100 million in new
production contracts awarded to Mainstream
in the last nine months. These commercial
off-the-shelf products are a result of
Mainstream’s successful commercialization
of an earlier Army small business innovation
research (SBIR) grant. Mainstream leads the
Department of Defense in SBIR commercialization
with a 100 percent rating on the
Commercialization Index.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 19

EXTENDING ALIFELINETO THE
FRONTLINE
THIS IS HOW
Ensuring our troops have what they need. Where and when they need it. Maintaining, repairing and tracking essential equipment.
With a record of superior performance in operations, maintenance, and supply chain management, Lockheed Martin provides
the logistics support that is the foundation for the fi ght. Mission readiness and sustainment is all a question of how. And it is the
how that Lockheed Martin delivers.
lockheedmartin.com/how
ADVANCED LOGISTICS AND SUSTAINMENT
© 2011 Lockheed Martin Corporation

Q&A
Optimizing and Aligning Equipment Reset Strategies to Meet Requirements
Logistics Optimizer
Lieutenant General Frank A. Panter Jr.
Deputy Commandant, Installations
and Logistics
U.S. Marine Corps
Lieutenant General Panter is presently serving as the Deputy
Commandant, Installations and Logistics, Washington, D.C.
Enlisting in the Marine Corps in August 1968, he served until
1972. This included a tour in the Republic of Vietnam with the 1st
Marine Division. After graduating in 1975 from the University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, he
entered Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a second
lieutenant in the Marine Corps in July 1975.
Following Basic School in 1976, now-second lieutenant Panter
attended the Basic Combat Engineer Course. He then served as
a combat engineer and shore party platoon commander, Alpha
Company, 3d Combat Engineer Battalion, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii,
participating in several deployments throughout the Western Pacific.
Transferred in July 1979 to the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany,
Ga., Panter, now a captain, served as the commanding general’s aidede-camp
until 1982. Panter then served as inspector-instructor for
headquarters and service company and assistant battalion inspectorinstructor,
6th Engineer Support Battalion, Portland, Ore., until
1986. He was later assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington,
D.C., as an acquisition project officer for engineer equipment.
In 1990 Major Panter was transferred to Okinawa, Japan and
served as the operations officer and later as the executive officer for
3d Combat Engineer Battalion, 3d Marine Division. After being promoted
to lieutenant colonel, he assumed command of the 3d Combat
Engineer Battalion. While at 3d Combat Engineer Battalion he participated
in Operation Fiery Vigil, providing disaster relief assistance
in the Philippines after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
In 1993 Panter was transferred to United States Central Command,
Tampa, Fla., and served as the branch chief, Exercise Branch,
Logistics and Security Assistance Directorate (J4) and also as the
humanitarian assessment survey team (HAST) chief.
During 1997 he was transferred to Naples, Italy, where he served
as the military assistant and senior special assistant to the Commander-in-Chief,
United States Naval Forces Europe/Commander,
Allied Forces Southern Europe.
In July 1998, Colonel Panter was transferred to United States
Atlantic Command, Norfolk, Va., where he served as the deputy
chief and later chief of the Current Operations Division, Operations
Directorate [J3]. During August 1999 Panter was transferred to the
2d Marine Aircraft Wing and served as the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing
inspector until assuming command of Marine Wing Support Group
27, which he commanded for two years.
From July 2002 until August 2003, Brigadier General Panter
served as the commanding general, Marine Corps War Fighting Lab
in Quantico, Va., and the vice chief, Office of Naval Research.
In September 2003 he assumed command of the 3d Marine
Logistics Group. During this tour he commanded the Combined
Support Group-Sri Lanka, Operation Unified Assistance, which was
responsible for U.S. military tsunami disaster relief assistance in
Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Also during this tour, Panter deployed
forces to Pakistan for earthquake disaster relief efforts as well as
commanding the U.S. forces in Indonesia for earthquake disaster
relief operations.
During August 2006 Panter was transferred to Headquarters,
Marine Corps where he assumed duties as the assistant deputy commandant
for Installations and Logistics (Plans, Policy and Strategic
Mobility).
From 2007 to 2009, Major General Panter served as the commander,
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea and assistant chief of staff
for Strategy and Plans, U/C/J-5, United Nations Command, Combined
Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea.
Panter is a graduate of the United States Army’s Advance
Engineer Officer’s Course, the Marine Corps’ Command & Staff
College, the Naval War College and the Air Force’s Air War College
(non-resident). He has a Master of Education degree in secondary
mathematics and a Master of Arts degree in national security and
strategic studies.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 21

Q: In a time of tighter budgets, what are some of
your more significant efforts to increase efficiencies
and reduce costs?
A: In this period of tighter budgets and diminishing
resources, we have been analyzing many areas
in which savings could potentially be achieved or
business could potentially be done more efficiently.
One of our most significant recent efforts was
an assistant commandant of the Marine Corpsdirected
ground equipment deep dive, which
revealed opportunities to improve our investments.
In the deep dive, we reviewed the top 10 cost drivers
on the planned master work schedule across the
Future Years Defense Program [FYDP]. Using the
commandant of the Marine Corps’ Planning Guidance
and input from across the Marine air-ground
task force [MAGTF], we made adjustments to our
procurement plans and depot maintenance workload,
more closely aligning it with the equipment
requirements of the operating forces, and avoiding
over $300 million in future costs.
Q: Can you detail the Marine Corps reset plan, which I believe has
a budget of about $10.6 billion?
A: To speed up the reset, we will use a mix of organic, commercial
capabilities, and joint capabilities to spread the work. This will
allow us to reset our equipment more efficiently, thereby allowing
us to reconstitute our operating forces at a faster rate.
Also, we are refreshing equipment as far forward as possible to
ensure we take full advantage of joint capabilities established in
country. Equipment returning from theater will be reset in accordance
with developed strategies and the commandant’s priorities.
It is difficult to assign a reset timeline for equipment deployed
to Afghanistan—but the key point is that the longer the Marine
Corps is engaged in combat, the longer it will take to reset its
ground equipment.
The current reset liability is estimated as $5.6 billion for FY11
and FY12, with another $5 billion at the termination of the conflict.
Q: Staying with a related budget issue, how are you addressing
the reconstitution shortfall? What will it take from a funding and
effort perspective to get the job done?
A: We are addressing our reconstitution shortfalls by optimizing
and aligning our equipment reset strategies to meet the requirements
of a post-OEF Marine Corps.
Our efforts are being informed and guided by actions such
as the force structure review and table of equipment reviews. As
the nation’s expeditionary force in readiness, the Marine Corps is
developing capabilities of a middleweight force in the post-OEF
era.
This development will shape important decisions, such as how
to best reconstitute the force to respond across a broad range of
military operations. It will involve complex decisions on which
equipment to keep in the inventory and which to divest to ensure
we are not spending resources unnecessarily. Currently, the projected
amount to meet our reconstitution shortfall is $5 billion.
22 | MLF 5.7
GCSS-MC will enhance the logistical capabilities of Marines across the globe by providing all logistics personnel a more
efficient, consolidated data system for supply and maintenance support requests. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps]
Q: Based on current projections, do you expect to see any shift in the
prepositioning plan in place?
A: We are constantly looking how to make the prepositioning plan
more responsive and flexible in support of the combatant commander’s
needs. A recent Department of the Navy efficiency decision moved
one MPSRON [maritime prepositioning ship squadron] into a reduced
operating status.
We believe this efficiency has an impact on responsiveness, but
does not change the Marine Corps prepositioning plan—since we
would still employ this squadron in the same manner as our other two
fully-activated MPSRONs. The objective remains the same: to deploy
the most capable MEB [Marine expeditionary brigade] in a timely and
efficient manner.
Q: Can you share some important lessons learned from OIF drawdown?
A: We conducted a logistics lessons learned symposium in March 2010
to examine the responsible drawdown in Iraq. While the drawdown
was a huge operational and logistical success, we realized we could
do some things better to prepare us for both the transition to and exit
from Afghanistan.
Some of the key takeaways we will apply to OEF/OND drawdown
include: thin out equipment at forward operating bases early; leverage
optimal repair locations; triage in theater; and establish a forward reset
executive agent to control flow [LogCom].
Q: Does the Marine Corps utilize any type of inventory management/
reorder point decision tools to help ensure an inline supply chain
with not too much or too little inventory on hand?
A: As we implement enterprise resource planning with Global Combat
Support System-Marine Corps [GCSS-MC], a common approach to
inventory planning and management will be instituted. GCSS-MC
uses Oracle’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling [APS] suite of applications
to forecast demands for the Marine Corps.
www.MLF-kmi.com

Are you delivering REAL parts?
Diminishing sources, counterfeits,
obsolescence….
There is no subsTiTuTe for early awareness of
aT-risk componenTs or suppliers.
ihs Dmsms solutions provide information resources and tools
to reduce supply chain disruption, quickly analyze component
and supplier risks, and locate alternate parts to effectively resolve
sustainability issues.
reduce sustainability risk with ihs Dmsms solutions
Assure Mission Readiness
Forecast Obsolescence
Analyze and Resolve Risks
email us for more information at mission-ready@ihs.com.
Enter and win an Apple iPad, stop by the IHS booth #204
or come directly to the IHS Presentation Suite #212 at the
DMSMS & Standardization 2011 Conference for more details.

The forecast uses statistical analysis to provide a forward look
at what the force will need. This information will be processed at
the Marine Corps Logistics Command and shared with suppliers to
ensure the right materiel is available when needed. The analytical
products can then be used to build individual plans for each of the
MEFs.
Q: Some base camps in deployed environments offer degrees of
creature comforts—others not so much. What are some things
you are doing to make living conditions for Marines in some of
the more basic camps more bearable, especially considering some
of the climatic conditions?
A: Our main focus is making our Marines as combat effective as possible.
Ensuring that they are equipped to operate effectively in austere
and often extreme environments is what drives our approach
to sustainment.
One of the big challenges in supporting our Marines and
managing our battlefield footprint is our demand for energy. We
have several new energy initiatives underway in Afghanistan that
are increasing the quality of life for our Marines and reducing our
demand for energy at the same time.
We are deploying thermal tent liners to better hold the conditioned
air. That makes a big difference when the outside temperature
can be over 110 degrees. Feedback from the Marines at the
24 | MLF 5.7
forward operating posts has been positive. We also harnessed the
liners with low power LED lights that emit less heat and use less
power than standard fluorescent lights. By end of the year we expect
to field thermal tent liners and LED lights to 10 battalions.
Next month, we are sending out solar-powered water coolers for
evaluation. These units use solar energy to cool water to 40 degrees
in just a few hours. Using renewable energy sources reduces generator
power, and in turn reduces the requirement for Marines to
protect and haul fuel.
Q: Last year the Marines conducted a comprehensive force structure
review. As far as what affected your command, what were
some of the biggest takeaways?
A: The post-OEF Marine Corps will be smaller and re-structured to
support the commandant’s vision of a middleweight force. Specific
to the logistics combat elements [LCE], we modified the tables of
organization and equipment and shifted from functional to multifunctional
battalions. Within the MAGTF, this means that the LCE
will be leaner and better organized to support crisis response and
contingency missions.
The revised operational construct focuses on supporting Marine
expeditionary unit [MEU] and Marine expeditionary battalion level
operations, yet retains the capability to aggregate forces for largerscale
operations. We are accepting some risk at the high end of the
range of military operations to focus on a readily-deployable middleweight
MEB-level capability that fills a niche between lighter special
operations forces and heavier Army brigades and allows for tailoring
in either direction to meet any requirement.
Significant changes to the LCE include:
• We are moving the engineer line companies from the
engineer support battalions to fill engineer services company
structure requirements within the direct support combat
logistics battalion [DS CLB].
• The DS CLBs will include a transportation services company,
augmented by a landing support platoon and a multifunctional
engineer services company.
• Multi-functional MEU CLBs will be manned and equipped as
permanent organizations.
• Maintenance and supply battalions will be right sized and
separated to form multi-functional CLBs.
• To the extent possible, we are creating mirrored commands.
Extending the transition through FY15 will provide clear transition
points for assignments and trade-space for equipment redistribution,
and aligns our LCE effort with Ground Combat Element and
Command Element structure initiatives.
Q: Any final thoughts about Marine Corps logistics?
A: The challenging business of logistics is being met head on at
every level of command. To prevent the requirement to pay later,
we are continually leaning forward to ensure we are doing what
is necessary to support the warfighter while preparing for future
demands.
Lastly, and significant as well, we are revamping our logistics
training and education systems to ensure we are producing Marines
not only to survive but excel on today and tomorrow’s battlefield. O
www.MLF-kmi.com

¤ Handling
Choices¤
The U.S. military’s requirements for lifting, pushing,
pulling, loading, unloading and generally moving
around a lot of heavy material are in some ways
similar to the needs of many civilian companies. But
war and war-makers have some very unique needs
too, not least of which is operating in very difficult
and dangerous environments. Unsurprisingly, some
of the Defense Department’s handling equipment is
very similar to that used by civilian firms, while other
equipment is extensively adapted from commercial
equipment to meet much more demanding requirements.
“JCB’s big strength is that we are vertically integrated,”
summarized Chris Saucedo, vice president of
Military Products and a 22-year veteran of U.S. Marine
Corps engineering. “We make all our engines, transmissions
and axles.”
Saucedo divides material handling equipment into
three basic types: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS),
military off-the-shelf, and unique military equipment.
by henry canaday
Mlf correspondent
For the military, JCB makes small telescopic-handling
platforms of less than 6,000 pounds load capacity,
large platforms of greater capacity and high-mobility
platforms that can move at convoy speeds of 45 to 50
miles per hour.
JCB also makes backhoe loaders that can use
either shovels or forks. “These can move dust and
dirt around, but also do material handling and move
cargo,” Saucedo emphasized. “They are a force multiplier.
They can be used by armor or artillery to move
ammunition, or to move fuel pods or water tanks.”
JCB has a backhoe loader that travels at convoy speed
and the same technology enables the company’s highmobility,
rough terrain forklifts.
One unique feature of JCB’s flexible equipment is
that it can both move equipment and dirt. For example,
a HESCO defensive barrier can be put in place and
then filled with dirt by the same vehicle. Or an auger
can be fixed to the vehicle to dig a hole for fence posts.
Flexibility is key in many situations. JCB’s telescopic
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 25

handlers can unload cargo from ships for
disaster relief and then be transferred to
shore help move the fuel, food and water
wherever they are needed.
Saucedo said there is a trend toward
telemetry in handling equipment to provide
the diagnostics and prognostics necessary
to keep equipment available and
reduce maintenance costs. “Once you have
telemetry, you can control the machines
remotely in hostile areas.” Cargo trucks
are now being developed that can move
cargo by remote control. Now the cargo
can be unloaded by remote control as well,
reducing or eliminating the need for force
protection at unloading sites.
Another trend is toward better armor
and countermeasures for military handling
equipment. One challenge here is to
provide effective armor while remaining
within the weight limits that allow the
equipment to do its job. JCB has demonstrated
for Australian forces a composite
armor solution that meets this challenge.
Saucedo said military customers can
now buy commercial handlers and easily
replace their cabs with armored cabs that
also have defensive countermeasures.
JCB has been working hard to improve
the fuel efficiency of its material handlers.
A new line of Echo engines has been put
on many JCB vehicles.
John Deere makes a full line of commercial
construction equipment. For
material handling, Deere has several
product lines.
Deere’s K Series utility loaders can
shuttle sand, place pallets or unload
trucks. “Each comes loaded with production-boosting
advantages, such as a
state-of-art multifunction monitor with
advanced diagnostics, a convenient
sealed-switch module and our innovative
Quad-Cool system that keeps everything
running cool,” explained John Chesterman,
product marketing manager for
Loaders.
Deere’s K Series production loaders
are highly stable, drive very smoothly
and have impressive loading performance.
“K Series loaders deliver everything a contractor would want in
a production-class loader,” Chesterman said. “Productivity and
uptime-boosting advantages include PowerShift transmission, a
high-torque PowerTech diesel engine, the Quad-Cool system and
multifunction monitors.” Several of the K loaders are available
with special engines for work in EPA nonattainment areas.
Deere landscape loaders have a unitized mainframe. These
construction-grade loaders have uncommon stamina and
strength. For smaller jobs, Deere offers a 110 Tractor loader.
26 | MLF 5.7
Similar to their civilian counterparts, mobile cranes do the heavy lifting around the depot or in the field. [Photo courtesy of Terex]
Rough terrain container handlers have eased the problems associated with the local movement of bulky containers and units. [Photo
courtesy of Caterpillar]
In each Deere material handler, buckets can be replaced with
forks when needed.
Finally, Deere skid steers are loaded with customer-inspired
enhancements, such as roomy operator stations and quiet,
pressurized cabs. Productivity-boosting options include joysticks
with selectable control patterns and variable booms and
bucket-speed rate limits. “Deere continually looks to customers
and contractors to offer input into the design of our equipment,”
Chesterman stressed. “Anyone that needs best-in-class
www.MLF-kmi.com

material-handling equipment can easily jump into a cab and
work with any of the Deere products. Most important, the Deere
lines of material-handling products can be used for military
logistics and work.”
Terex Corporation manufactures an extensive range of equipment
for the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, recycling,
mining, shipping, transportation, refining, utility and maintenance
industries. “We are market leaders in the manufacture of
both commercial and militarized material-handling equipment,
including all-terrain cranes, rough-terrain cranes, truck cranes,
container-reach stackers, tele-handlers, working lifts, boom
trucks, scrap handlers, heavy-port forklifts, straddle carriers and
port cranes,” said Thomas Manley, vice president of government
programs. Under the brand names of Terex or Genie, the company’s
handling equipment is on most military bases in the U.S.
and worldwide.
Terex Government Programs (TGP) is located in Fredericksburg,
Va., close to key Department of Defense customers. TGP
develops COTS solutions or militarizes Terex equipment to meet
specific operational needs. “Our TGP team works closely with
Terex business segments to anticipate U.S. military requirements,”
Manley stressed.
Terex developed its tractor, rubber-tired, articulated steering,
materiel (TRAM) handler during the Vietnam era. These 10,000pound
wheel-loaders were purchased and used by the thousands
from the 1960s through the 1990s and some are still operated at
U.S. bases and by other militaries.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, Terex’s telescopic-container tophandlers,
called reach stackers, are widely used. Terex stackers
are used primarily for moving containers, but have proved useful
in a myriad of equipment- and vehicle-lifting operations using
top-handler four-point slings. Terex reach stackers are capable of
lifting over 90,000 pounds and stacking 20- or 40-foot containers
up to five high. “Our Terex stackers are called upon to lift the
heaviest of container loads, such as fuel, water and ammunition,
and used where cycle time and quick through-put of containers
are essential,” Manley explained.
Terex recently completed fielding a significant fleet of 50-ton
military all-terrain cranes (MAC 50s) to the U.S. Marine Corps.
Manley says these are the most capable and versatile all-terrain
cranes used by the Department of Defense. MAC 50s have highway
travel speed and cross-country mobility capability, can ford
over 60 inches of water and are transportable by C-17 Globemasters.
They are used in vertical construction, bridging operations,
barrier emplacement and container movement, and they can be
used for recovery of heavy armored vehicles or downed aircraft.
Both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps operate the MAC 50
in material-handling missions throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
Terex is now supporting naval aviation with its heavy maintenance
crane (HMC), a 25-ton, cab-down, rough-terrain crane.
The HMC was adapted from Terex’s commercial CD 200 series
of rough-terrain cranes to meet the rigorous support requirements
for ground support of Navy and Marine aircraft. It is
air-transportable and capable of pick-and-carry operations. The
HMC’s extended boom reach saves time in heavy-maintenance
tasks such as pulling engines and rotors on fixed and rotary wing
aircraft. “We are confident that NAVAIR will be able to meet and
improve all their aircraft maintenance support activities with
fielding of the HMC,” Manley predicted.
In 2000, Terex was awarded a Marine Corps contract for
a 5,000-pound light rough terrain forklift (LRTF). Terex’s TX
51-19 M/MD has been a workhorse LRTF ever since. Hundreds of
these tele-handler forklifts have proved their flexibility and capability
in wartime conditions around the globe for more than 10
years. The TX 51-19 M/MD performs beach loading, pallet handling,
vehicle loading, vertical-construction support and ammunition
handling, and does container stuffing and un-stuffing
operations. Its success has led to Army adoption of the Marine
Corps requirement and additional procurements by the Marines.
Recently Terex militarized a commercial extended-boom
4,000-pound tele-handler for use by the U.S. Air Force in extreme
arctic cold weather as well as in the high heat and blowing sand
and dust of desert environments. This TX 4013 Air Force model
was rigorously tested by design engineers to meet or exceed all
Air Force specifications. It has an extended boom reach for unstuffing
20-foot containers and can work in close proximity to
aircraft for support of maintenance and loading operations.
As a hybrid design based on a commercial tele-handler,
the TX 4013 AF can interface with a wide range of commercial
attachments, including work baskets, de-icing kits, variable fork
sizes and options, towing packages, buckets and crane attachments.
“The TX 4013 AF is an exceptionally robust, flexible,
and capable machine that will support a wide range of materialhandling
missions for the U.S. Air Force long into the future,”
Manley said.
Caterpillar has delivered over a thousand of their 10,000pound
all terrain fork lifts (10K ATFL), mostly to the U.S. Air
Force, but also to the Army and Special Operations Command.
These are specially built derivatives of Caterpillar’s 928 wheel
loaders. This ATFL has military modifications to accommodate
the Department of Defense’s needs in theaters of operation.
The 10K ATFL has a roller system that attaches to its fork and
matches up with the 463L pallet system on the C-130 Hercules.
And the ATFL can remove its own cab, so it can be carried in a
C-130 as well. This allows the Air Force to roll the ATFL off a
C-130 and immediately begin off-loading pallets. The Air Force
uses the Caterpillar machine all over the world, including Iraq,
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Qatar and other bases.
Caterpillar’s Machine Marketing and Contracts Manager Rick
Sharp indicated that ATFL was selected by the Air Force partly
because of Caterpillar’s extensive presence and support network
around the world. A 12,000-pound variant of the ATFL is also
available with the same features.
Caterpillar also makes a rough terrain container handler
(RTCH), a variant of its 988B and 980G wheel loaders, that handles
20- and 40-foot containers. It can stack containers two high.
The Army bought a few hundred RTCHs in the late 1980s and
some are still in use today. A 25,000-pound RTCH was procured
by the Navy to move 20-foot containers around storage yards.
Caterpillar also makes a full line of tele-handlers, wheel loaders
with fork lifts, and skid steers, which have less lifting capacity
but can fit into tight places. O
For more information, contact MLF Editor Jeff McKaughan at
jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at
www.MLF-kmi.com.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 27

28 | MLF 5.7
www.MLF-kmi.com

protection levels have increased even on lighter
support trucKs.
by peter buxbauM
Mlf correspondent
Mine resistant ambush protected
(MRAP) vehicles are most often thought
of as instruments of force protection.
The United States military started to
acquire them during the second half of
2003, when the fast-paced, mechanized,
expeditionary Iraq campaign turned into
a slogging counterinsurgency operation,
often staged on complex urban terrain.
The MRAP’s height and weight shield the
troops sequestered inside and its V-shaped
undercarriage deflects the force of improvised
explosive devices blast away from
the underbody of the vehicle.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 29

But MRAPs play important roles in logistics as well. The
vehicle morphed into several different variants, each configured
for specialized missions such as the movement of weapons and
general cargo as well as the removal of casualties from the
battlefield. “Many mission types require MRAP
survivability protection, and that includes warfighters
running vehicle recovery and support missions,”
said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar
Defense.
The RG33 variant of the MRAP, built by BAE
Systems, in fact was developed to specifications of
the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
to include blast protection from nose to tail,
shielding the cargo areas as well, a feature not to
be found on all MRAPs. The U.S. military has also
recently placed orders for recovery and ambulance
MRAPs with Navistar, and has begun to take delivery
of upgraded heavy-duty tactical trucks. With
the anticipated drawdown of U.S. troops from
Afghanistan, MRAPs have begun to be reallocated
and repurposed.
BAE Systems last year was awarded a $170
million contract to deliver 32 SOCOM armored
utility vehicles (AUV) to the U.S. Marine Corps
Systems Command. The U.S. SOCOM AUV is
one of several MRAP variants based on the RG33
family of vehicles. The contract also included
providing upgrades, including the installation of
independent suspensions, to 250 existing vehicles.
“We turned that delivery order ahead of schedule,
in 10 months, with zero defects,” said Beach Day, MPV
program director at BAE Systems. “The first batch is already
sitting in theater in Afghanistan.”
The RG33 USSOCOM AUV MRAP is a modified commercial
off-the-shelf vehicle designed to reduce casualties and increase
survivability for personnel subjected to mine explosions, IED
detonations, and small arms fire. The vehicle provides 12,000pound
cargo payload and 36,000-pound towing capability. It
features an Automatic Fire Suppression System and a V-shaped
hull that provides blast protection against a variety of explosive
hazards.
“This allows the vehicle to be driven away after being subject
to threats that would completely destroy normal vehicles
and disable other mine protected vehicles,” said Michael Bate,
the RG33 program director at BAE Systems.
The RG33 is equipped with a 600 horsepower engine which
gives the vehicle a high horsepower per ton ratio, according to
Day. “It’s also got mine protection all the way to the cargo bed,”
he said, “so that it protects the cargo as well as the crew.”
“The blast protection requirements for the SOCOM vehicle
is different,” added Bate, “because special operations teams use
this for just about everything, from towing boats to hauling
their own 4-by-4 vehicles in the back. They were developed and
are utilized for special missions including early reconnaissance
missions. They can haul pretty much anything on the back
of this truck from one forward operating base to the next to
ensure mission success.”
To date, BAE Systems has produced around 350 SOCOM
MRAP vehicles, 2,200 RG33 MRAP vehicles, and 6,400 total
30 | MLF 5.7
MRAP vehicles through $5 billion in contract awards. The BAE
MRAPs incorporate eight different variants, all of which have
been fielded in combat zones. BAE Systems also provides troop
carrier, route clearance and ambulance variant
of the RG33 to the U.S. military.
“The route clearance variant carries robots
that do the actual route clearance,” said Bate.
“All of these vehicles have essentially the same
body types and heavy armor and all have been
deployed to theater.”
Upgrades will be performed on nearly 250
SOCOM vehicles to incorporate new independent
suspension systems and other design
improvements to ensure superior mobility and
performance. The 32 latest U.S. SOCOM AUV
beach day
MRAP vehicles were all built with the improvements
already built-in.
MRAPs might normally thought of as fighting
vehicles, but Navistar’s MaxxPro MRAP
includes variants that are put to work for
logistical purposes. “The MaxxPro is becoming
a family of vehicles that include wreckers and
flatbeds,” said Archie Massicotte, president of
Navistar Defense. “We can modify the platform
to what the customer is looking for.”
Navistar Defense recently announced that
it received a $357 million delivery order for
mike ivy
an additional 471 International MaxxPro Dash
vehicles. A month earlier Navistar received a
$183 million order from the U.S. Marine Corps
Systems Command for 250 MaxxPro Dash MRAP ambulances.
Most recently, in July 2011, Navistar received a delivery order
for 140 International MaxxPro Recovery vehicles with rocketpropelled
grenade nets from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems
Command. Navistar has grown its fleet of MaxxPro vehicles to
more than 8,700 units, encompassing nine variants.
MaxxPro MRAPs are being used for a number of missions
outside the wire, according to Massicotte. “The MaxxPro Dash
was the first MRAP to be modified specifically for the Afghan
terrain and we have continued to enhance its capabilities all
along the way,” he said. “The addition of independent suspension
on our vehicles helps combine mobility and survivability.
They are also used for troop transport in convoys.”
The MaxxPro Dash ambulance is the company’s latest MRAP
variant. “All our MaxxPro units share commonality and this
allows us to respond rapidly to changing mission needs with
vehicle enhancements and fleet support,” said Massicotte.
The $142 million order for MaxxPro Recovery vehicles also
includes parts and support for MRAPs. Navistar received its first
MaxxPro Recovery vehicle order in November 2010.
“To meet urgent needs, we completed delivery of the last
MaxxPro Recovery vehicle order two months ahead of schedule,”
said Massicotte. “We are proud that these vehicles are
performing well and we will work swiftly again to deliver these
additional trucks.”
The MaxxPro Recovery vehicle is based on the same Work-
Star, or International 7000-MV, platform that Navistar uses for
other of its growing family of vehicles. The vehicle’s ballistic,
mine and IED protection aids two- to three-man crews as they
www.MLF-kmi.com

etrieve damaged or disabled
vehicles and carry out other
support missions. The recovery
vehicles will be delivered
in October and November
2011.
Within the last year, Oshkosh
Defense began delivering
upgraded versions of
the Palletized Load System
(PLS) and the Heavy Equipment
Transporter (HET), two
of the vehicles within the
U.S. Army’s family of heavy
tactical vehicles (FHTV),
under a contract awarded in
2008. The company anticipates
delivering 6,000 new
vehicles under the contract.
Oshkosh also upgrades some
of the older FHTV vehicles to
make them compatible with
the latest requirements. The
Heavy Expanded Mobility
Tactical Truck (HEMTT) is
also a component of FHTV.
The PLS, used for Army
distribution and resupply, is
built to transport ammunition
and other battle supplies. The HET is designed to rapidly
transport battle tanks, fighting and recovery vehicles, armored
vehicles and construction equipment, as well as their crews.
The HEMTT A4 is available in several variants for a wide range
of operations including equipment transport.
“We are now in production with the PLS A1,” said Mike Ivy,
vice president and general manager for Army programs at Oshkosh
Defense. “We have made significant improvements to the
platform. A transportation unit out of the Los Alamitos Joint
Forces Training Base was the first to receive the truck earlier
this year and they were delighted with it. The trucks are now
coming off the assembly line.”
The PLS A1 has an improved power train with a 600-horsepower
Caterpillar C13 engine, an independent front suspension
for improved off-road mobility, and electrical upgrades. Its new
cab is common with the HEMTT C4 and is armor ready.
“The HET A1 is in low rate initial production while testing
continues,” said Ivy. “We are making the final configuration
changes and plan to ramp up to full-rate production in the first
quarter of fiscal year 2012.” Ivy expects the delivery order for
1,000 vehicles, valued at $440 million, to be completed by June
2012.
The new HET A1 will all have armored cabs, including
armored floors. That additional weight has necessitated an
upgrade to the 700-horsepower Caterpillar C18 engine. The
latest Oshkosh HET A1 also includes higher capacity front
suspension, electrical upgrades and standard air conditioning.
Oshkosh has also been active in recapitalizing military
vehicles, including the PLS and HEMTT, recently reaching
the 10,000-vehicle milestone. To meet the latest HEMTT A4
Based on the foundation of an MRAP, this armored utility vehicle both protects soldiers and delivers supplies. [Photo courtesy of BAE Systems]
configuration, the suspension in the recapitalized vehicle is
improved and a fully air-conditioned and armor-ready cab is
installed, in addition to a more powerful drive train.
Oshkosh also has a contract for the Army’s family of
medium tactical vehicles (FMTV), deliveries of which began
around a year ago. The FMTV consists of 17 models, including
cargo, tractor, van, wrecker, tanker and dump truck variants.
The FMTV transports troops and hauls equipment in support
of a wide range of tactical operations. Ivy expects Oshkosh to
deliver 13,000 of these vehicles, which were not upgraded as
part of the new contract award.
For all the important work performed by MRAPs in Afghanistan
and Iraq, the drawdown of U.S. forces from those areas
of operations spell an end to the demand for the vehicles, at
least for now. “Right now, there is no future demand for these
vehicles,” said Day. “As MRAPs are being drawn down they are
being redistributed within the battle command setup. Some are
being tailored for different missions.”
Day predicts some MRAPs will be converted to trainers or
repurposed for other mission types. This will provide more
work for contractors, as the trucks will need to be reconfigured
with different equipment, from radios to gun turrets. O
For more information, contact MLF Editor Jeff McKaughan at
jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at
www.MLF-kmi.com.
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 31

Cutting cost while maintaining capability will be critical in the
new budget environment. Along with choosing new programs wisely,
that means minimizing the total life cycle costs of all military assets,
both current assets whose lives must be extended and new platforms,
systems and components.
Private firms are involved, as manufacturers, in much of this
economizing effort. They are also helping at critical stages of life cycle
planning, especially in logistics and obsolescence management.
Honeywell has devoted substantial efforts to thinking through how
components, especially avionics components, on older aircraft can
be sustained through long lives. Steve Pitts, vice president for Honeywell’s
U.S. Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) business
segments, said the challenge exists “across the board.”
“The biggest driver of higher costs is often obsolescence,” Pitts
noted. Honeywell wants to offer a proactive solution to this problem
and partner with military customers in implementing it. Obsolescence
is most intense in components depending on electronics or information
technology because rapid advances in consumer markets for these
products mean technologies go out of date constantly.
A firm that made a particular part may go out of business. More
often, a part once made in high volumes now generates only a few
orders annually, insufficient to maintain infrastructure to produce it.
Identifying these problems well in advance yields several options. A
substitute part, with the same form, fit and function, may be designed
and sourced. Or the larger system in which the part is required may be
redesigned to use a different part. Pitts noted that redesign presents an
opportunity to enhance performance while dealing with obsolescence.
Initially, Honeywell offered obsolescence solutions only for Honeywell
products, but that could be very helpful as Honeywell products
are on virtually every military aircraft. Pitts said the approach could
eventually be applied more broadly across other manufacturers’
equipment.
32 | MLF 5.7
there is no substitute for efficient planning for the long-terM
operational sustainMent of Military equipMent and systeMs.
by henry canaday
Mlf correspondent
SRA does not work on particular platforms or components, but
with the logistics and supply-chain systems that sustain many platforms
and components. George Batsakis, vice president for SRA’s
Defense Strategic Business Unit in the National Security Sector,
divides this work into three traditional elements, asset visibility,
enterprise resource planning systems, and supply chain optimization.
SRA has recently added a fourth area of expertise: fuel management.
“Ultimately, when you improve the supply chain, part logistics
or repairs, you reduce the life cycle cost of many platforms,” Batsakis
stressed. SRA won an award in 2009 for helping the Army
reduce supply chain costs of command, control, communication
and computing equipment by $150 to $200 million.
SRA has been working on many of these problems for three
decades with U.S. Transportation Command. Its work for DLA is
“smaller but strategic,” Batsakis said.
SRA recently partnered with the Surface Deployment and Distribution
Command to create a common operating picture tool that
provides logistics visibility on Defense Transportation System shipments
to every organization at every level. Its Integrated Surface
Distribution Data Cleansing Capability (ISDDC) provides a single
web-based interface for in-transit visibility of over 30 million shipment
records, refreshed daily, over the last six fiscal years.
SRA has also partnered with manufacturers of military equipment
to reduce life cycle costs of their equipment. This business
is still small, however. “We could do more on this,” Batsakis noted.
Defense procurement offices often rely on OEMs to keep sustainment
costs lean, either in initial bids or in long-term support
contracts.
Economizing on fuel requirements is now mandated in the
design of new systems, land, air and sea. But physics sets limits on
the fuel efficiency of military vehicles, which often measure usage
www.MLF-kmi.com

in gallons per mile rather than miles per gallon. SRA has acquired
a firm with fuel expertise and combined it with SRA’s expertise in
information technology. The aim is to track and protect all fuel
shipments en route to usage points and then to economize where
possible in the field. Even small proportional improvements could
save hundreds of millions, Batsakis estimated.
The SRA exec is confident he is in the right business. “Everyone
I see in the military, from three stars to five stripers, wants to get
more performance at lower cost.”
BAE Systems’ Advanced Component Obsolescence Management
(AVCOM) offers several levels of service for dealing with obsolescence
challenges, according to Business Development Manager
Randy Shropshire. In the initial acquisition stage, engineers can
load in a bill of materials and AVCOM will run ‘what-if’ scenarios
to ensure that the parts selected meet long-term goals of avoiding
obsolescence.
During program life, AVCOM checks part availability, flagging
parts as single-source, multiple source, or likely to go obsolete.
Where problems are likely, alerts are sent to clients and BAE’s own
research group searches for alternative parts of the same form, fit
and function. “You need to be proactive, to give them time to rectify
the situation,” Shropshire said. BAE has both the software and
subject matter experts with 20 years of obsolescence-management
experience to make AVCOM proactive.
AVCOM has been used by the U.S. Air Force since 2000—for
example, for all the avionics on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and by
the Marines and Special Operations Command on mine resistant
ambush protected vehicles. It is also used by major defense suppliers
such as Boeing, Hawker Beechcraft, EADS, Northrop Grumman and
Raytheon. AVCOM does obsolescence management nose-to-tail on
Hawker’s T-6 Texan trainer. It has provided similar support for Hill
Air Force Base’s C3I ground-based satellites.
Real dollars are at stake here. Shropshire estimates that AVCOM
helped Hill avoid $412 million in costs since 2002, avoided almost
$200 million on the V-22 Osprey since 2004 and avoided $4.4 million
on the T-6 in two-and-a-half years. “It has avoided over a half
billion dollars in total.”
Sustainment just got easier...
BAE recently launched a new website for AVCOM. It enables
users to exploit a database of more than 100 million parts and other
AVCOM capabilities flexibly, choosing the exact level of service they
need.
Logistics Systems Incorporated has primarily focused on the U.S.
Army logistics market. “We have been successfully engaged at the
logistics wholesale, retail and headquarters levels, both in the continental
United States and outside it,” summarized Henry Jennings,
senior vice president of Business Development. In addition, LSI
has provided logistics and life cycle planning support to the Missile
Defense Agency, where it helped reduce total ownership costs of sensors
through such techniques as depot-level business case analysis,
standardization and interoperability analysis, sparing analysis, costbenefit
analysis and assistance to MDA’s support strategy.
Jennings attributes LSI’s success with Department of Defense
logistics customers to several factors. The firm has a broad and
deep understanding of defense logistics policies, procedures, and
operational requirements. It has the technical expertise to deliver
valuable solutions while working within defense parameters. Most
important, LSI understands the objectives and challenges faced by
defense customers.
“As defense budgets draw down, we know that our customers,
current and prospective, will continue to have program requirements
and objectives but will have fewer resources to support them,”
Jennings noted. “Our response to this challenge is to provide nolearning-curve
solutions. Our logistics technical experts apply their
skills with technology-based tools to deliver tailored, cost-effective
solutions.” Jennings said LSI has been most successful when it has
combined subject matter experts with proven technologies that customers
can use to meet their own mission objectives. O
For more information, contact MLF Editor Jeff McKaughan at
jeffm@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at
www.MLF-kmi.com.
Locate hard-to-find parts from qualified government suppliers
Search by part number or current/historical NSN
Keep MICAP rates LOW
ILS, over 30 years of supporting the warfighter
Inventory Locator Service, ® LLC
1-901-794-5000 (Worldwide) • 1-800-233-3414 (North America) • marketing@ILSmart.com • www.ILSmart.com
MLF_Aug2011.indd 1 8/5/2011 8:36:32 AM
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 33

NEXTISSUE
Cover and In-Depth
Interview with:
The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community
Gen. Raymond
E. Johns Jr.
U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command
sPecial section
The MRO Enterprise
the maintenance, repair and overhaul process is what
keeps the fleet flying, meeting operating requirements
and delivering to the war fight.
Features
Obsolescence Management
everything ages, but how gracefully is something that
can certainly be predicted, managed and sustained.
Asset Visibility
managing the asset footprint for new programs.
Condition-based Maintenance
Does the concept work in a deployed environment?
Future of Air Transport
a critical eye of the concepts that will be the
transports of the future. is it what we expect?
BONUS DISTRIBUTION
• NDTA
• LOA Conference
CECOM LCMC
September 2011
Vol. 5, Issue 8
sPecial Pull-out
suPPlement
a comprehensive special supplement
profiling U.s. army Communicationelectronics
Command. this who’s who
pull-out will include a cover and lead
Q&a with Lane D. Collie, director of the
Logistics Readiness Center, a profile of
critical contracts, plus a two-page pictorial
spread of CeCom’s senior leadership.
Insertion Order Deadline: August 25, 2011 • Ad Materials Deadline: September 1, 2011
To Advertise, Contact: Jane Engel, MLF Associate Publisher 301.670.5700 x 120 • jane@kmimediagroup.com

The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
MLF CALEND A R & DI RECTO RY
aDVertisers inDex
Ability One .............................................................. C4
www.abilityonedod.org
DRS Tactical Systems ............................................... 11
www.drs.com
GSA ..........................................................................3
www.gsa.gov/orgsupportcmp
HDT .........................................................................9
www.hdtglobal.com
IHS ........................................................................ 23
www.ihs.com
ILS ......................................................................... 33
www.ilsmart.com
JLG ......................................................................... C3
www.jlg.com
Lockheed Martin...................................................... 20
www.lockheedmartin.com/how
Oshkosh ................................................................. C2
www.oshkoshdefense.com
Trailer Transit ......................................................... 24
www.trailertransit.com
VT Miltope .............................................................. 13
www.miltope.com
aiR FoRCe GLoBaL stRiKe CommanD
sPeCiaL PULL-oUt sUPPLement
Northrop Grumman ................................................. C2
www.northropgrumman.com/logistics
Northrop Grumman ............................................ 2-3
www.ts.northropgrumman.com
calenDar
August 27-29, 2011
NGAUS 2011
Milwaukee, Wis.
www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=8207
September 7-9, 2011
International Society of Logistics
Dallas, Texas
www.sole.org/conference.asp
September 10-14, 2011
NDTA Forum & Expo
Phoeniz, Ariz.
www.ndtahq.com/events_forum_
expo.htm
September 27-29, 2011
Modern Day Marine
Quantico, Va.
www.marinecorpsexpos.com
October 10-12, 2011
AUSA
Washington, D.C.
www.ausa.org
October 10-13, 2011
Logistics Officers Association
Fort Worth, Texas
www.loanational.org/conference/
October 17-21, 2011
U.S. Army SDDC Traffic
Management Workshop
St. Louis, Mo.
www.sddc.army.mil/events/default.aspx
October 26-28, 2011
TACOM LCMC APBI
Dearborn, Mich.
www.ndia.org/meetings/2520
November 1-2, 2011
PEO/SYSCOM Conference
Fort Belvoir, Va.
http://live.usaasc.info/peosyscomconference/
November 1-3, 2011
Tanker Airlift Association
Nashville, Tenn.
www.atalink.org
November 14-17, 2011
DoD Maintenance Symposium
Fort Worth, Texas
www.sae.org/events/dod
February 28-March 2, 2012
Defense Maintenance &
Sustainment Summit
San Diego, Calif.
www.defensemaintenance.com
www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 5.7 | 35

inDustry interView Military logistics ForuM
Diane Giuliani is senior vice president and
general manager of AAI Logistics & Technical
Services (LTS) in Hunt Valley, Md. She
is responsible for ensuring program execution
and growth at this operating unit of
Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc.
company. Giuliani leads an organization of
nearly 1,000 employees that provides integrated
logistics support, operational services,
maintenance and depot support for aerospace
and defense customers in the U.S. and abroad.
Q: Could you provide some background on
AAI LTS and your work with the U.S. Department
of Defense?
A: DoD is by far our most important customer.
LTS has long provided logistics services in
support of AAI’s unmanned aircraft systems,
test equipment and training devices. With Textron’s
acquisition of AAI in 2007, we extended
that cost-effective business model to the larger
enterprise. We then leveraged that expertise
to provide similar support to other original
equipment manufacturers. AAI LTS operates
in three areas: unmanned system services,
platform logistics and mission equipment.
In the unmanned area, LTS provides field
service representatives, preset, reset, training,
maintenance, flight acceptance support and
turnkey operations through a fee-for-service
business model. Platform logistics include,
for example, aircraft component performance
based logistics and contractor logistics support
for aircrew and maintenance training systems.
Mission equipment includes support of
weather systems, chemical-biological defense
systems and C4ISR program support.
Q: What are the company’s main business
areas?
A: Textron Inc. is probably best known for
Bell Helicopter and Cessna Aircraft Company.
Within its Textron Systems business
unit are Textron Marine & Land Systems,
Textron Defense Systems, Lycoming Engines,
AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, AAI Test
& Training, as well as an advanced systems
unit, which includes Overwatch, a provider
of multi-source intelligence and geospatial
analysis.
Q: As a major player in military logistics, how
36 | MLF 5.7
Diane Giuliani
Senior Vice President and General Manager
AAI Logistics & Technical Services
is AAI LTS helping DoD meet its current
objectives?
A: Many of our programs include availability
incentives under PBL arrangements, and we
also help meet the DoD’s objectives through
public-private partnerships. We are proud that
many of our programs maintain 100 percent
mission availability.
The U.S. Army/AAI LTS Shadow tactical
unmanned aircraft system PBL team has
received three major awards recently for reducing
costs while improving readiness, including
the 2010 Office of the Secretary of Defense
[OSD] Gerald R. Beck System-Level Best PBL
Implementation Award. The OSD-level recognition
and delivery performance in partnership
with our government customers together
speak volumes about our drive for results in
helping DoD meet its readiness and business
objectives for affordable sustainment.
Q: What are some of the new programs that
AAI LTS is working on in partnership with
DoD agencies and the military services?
A: Three of our newer programs are fee-for-service
training services with the AAI Unmanned
Aircraft Systems’ Aerosonde platform at the
U.S. Air Force Academy, contractor logistics
support of the AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorological
Observing System, and an expanded
role in support of the C-17 training system
as part of a team led by L-3 Link. These three
happen to be Air Force programs, but we have
projects in work with Army, Navy and Marine
Corps customers as well.
Q: What challenges do you face in meeting the
needs of the 21st century warfighter?
A: The primary challenges are sustained readiness
and deployment agility, lowering sustainment
costs, and supporting the warfighter’s
needs for superior situational awareness.
Q: How is the larger enterprise, Textron Systems,
helping with the military’s situational
awareness needs?
A: Textron Systems provides unmanned systems,
from the vehicle itself to ground control
systems and data terminals. So one aspect is
supporting those systems. A second aspect is
pushing toward mixed-fleet sharing of ISR and
target assessment data.
A third aspect includes leading-edge
technologies like the FASTCOM system AAI
Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Overwatch
just demonstrated with ViaSat at the DoD’s
Empire Challenge 11. FASTCOM, which stands
for forward airborne secure transmissions and
communications, is a secure, mobile network
in a box that pushes voice, data and video to
the tactical edge. It’s a good example of how
Textron Systems operating units are capturing
the combined value of our collective strengths
in support of the military.
AAI LTS supports these systems with logistics,
training and field service to give our
men and women in uniform every possible
advantage.
Q: How is AAI LTS ready to meet the challenging
DoD budgetary times that are ahead?
A: AAI has a longstanding reputation for innovation.
We’re applying that mindset to technologies,
certainly, but also to business processes
and contracting models. In particular, there
are efficiencies to be gained by supporting
product families instead of individual products
on a program-by-program basis. We help our
customers gain those efficiencies.
Q: How has AAI LTS positioned itself and
prepared for 2012?
A: Our unrelenting focus is on enabling readiness
and improving affordability.
Q: What are your goals for 2012?
A: Simply stated, our goals are to execute effectively
for the warfighters; innovate to lower
the cost of sustainment; and be a great place
to work. If we continue to set a high standard
in these areas, everything else takes care of
itself. O
giuliani@aai.textron.com
www.MLF-kmi.com

www.jlg.com
877-JLG-LIFT
Performance. On the rise.
Product Inquiries: governmentsales@jlg.com Parts & Service: militarysupport@jlg.com
For effi ciency. For productivity. For an extensive line of aerial lifts, telehandlers and
specialty equipment, look to JLG to take you higher. JLG extends out all over the
globe, so wherever you are, we’ll lift you up – with far-reaching products, service and
support. Take your performance to all new heights. And experience the highest level of
confi dence in getting there. Rely on JLG.

Fight proud. Work proud.
Soldier photo courtesy of U.S. Army.
“I feel proud to be a part of the troop
deployments and all the other aircraft that
support our military operations.”
– AbilityOne employee Ira Huddleston
Ira works in Airfield Alert Support Services at Ft. Hood Army Base,
TX and is just one example of how AbilityOne supports the mission of
America’s warfighters.
With a presence on nearly every military installation in the U.S.,
AbilityOne has the experience, capability and workforce to keep our
fighting men and women fed, clothed, supplied, supported and protected.
In addition, AbilityOne enables people who are blind or have other
significant disabilities to be independent and productive citizens.
AbilityOneDoD.org