Theater Logistician Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Dowd - KMI Media Group

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conditions. In addition, it has run-flat tires, thereby reducing troop exposure and providing time for operators to reach safety. In addition, the speed of the HMEE provides battlefield commanders with logistics capabilities in front patrols. Most of JCB’s military customers look at the reliability factor as the most important buying decision, Saucedo said. The concept of life cycle management of the equipment is very important to military customers, he added. To illustrate how important, Saucedo said JCB’s commercial products have a three- to five-year life cycle depending on the product. While a commercial big-wheel loader might have a seven-year life cycle and skiff loaders a life of up to three years, military customers look for products that have a life cycle of 30 years, making life cycle management crucial, he said. The concern for a vehicle’s reliability and sustained performance has companies like JCB providing the government with cost projections for the use of those pieces of equipment, some as far as 15 years. In addition, some companies are forecasting when the product needs to be rebuilt, when equipment failures can be anticipated, as well as proactive maintenance schedules, Saucedo said. Monitoring those vehicles has JCB incorporating radio frequency identification (RFI) technology—which was initially used to track the movement of packages—so remote prognostic and diagnostic capabilities can be implemented, he said. The RFI diagnostic capabilities enable supervisors and mechanics to monitor maintenance needs of a vehicle—ranging from engine work to oil changes—on duty in Afghanistan from within the United States, half a world away, he said. While in many cases, the features and capabilities required for a military version of forklift, telescopic lift and forklift are unique to a combat environment, in other cases, the same piece of equipment durable enough for a construction site may do equally as well with the military. Several other companies manufacture material handling equipment suitable for military use including: Terex, <strong>Gen</strong>ie (a subsidiary of Terex), Manitou, Gehl (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manitou), Xtreme Mfg., Caterpillar, Case Construction, and Pettibone Traverse Lift. 14 | MLF 3.7 PROTECTING THE LOGISTICIAN Operator protection is credited with saving the life of Army Staff Sergeant Adam Smith. On May 29, 2009, Smith—whose unit is the 9th Engineer Battalion, 172nd Infantry Brigade— was operating a JCB HMEE near South Balad Ruz, Iraq, when an anti-tank mine exploded near the machine. Smith walked away from the explosion that destroyed a large section of the HMEE, and the machine’s armor is credited with saving the staff sergeant’s life. In addition, JGL has armor kits available for the ATLAS, and the armor is credited with saving another, unnamed A military forklift loads a truck with empty ammunition boxes at Forward Operating Base Now Zad, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Second platoon with Motor Transportation Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 3, successfully transported a piece of heavy equipment and more than 50,000 pounds of provisions to the FOB in support of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan. CLB-3 is the logistics combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Afghanistan, whose mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations, with a focus on training and mentoring the Afghan national police. [Photo courtesy of DoD] A Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 8 guides an extended-boom forklift, also known as a Sky Track, through shin-high, powder-like dirt in front of Marine living quarters here during a sandstorm Aug. 6. This is the third day in a row the camp has experienced heavy sandstorm activity. The storms have lasted up to eight or more hours. [Photo courtesy of DoD] soldier’s life, according to Verhoef. In that situation, a mortar shell exploded near an ATLAS that was in use, and a soldier was wounded, “but only slightly,” he said. “The machine’s armor protected the individual,” he added. However, military customers are not only concerned about protecting the operator; they also want to protect the machines, Saucedo adds. During the last several years, there has been a huge focus on protection, but it is not completely focused on the operator, but rather on the overall functionality of the machines, he said. Therefore, the machines are being designed to resist a mine strike, or being hit by a projectile, but in such a way so the machines survive, as well as the operator, he said. ✯ 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
Tactical Logistics Support A ROUNDTABLE ON THE STATUS OF THE GLOBAL COMBAT SUPPORT SYSTEM AND WHAT IT WILL DELIVER TO THE WARFIGHTER—AND WHEN! Supporting warfighters in operations around the globe is certainly not an easy task, and comprehensive solutions that allow transparency and visibility—and security—of the support tail from start to finish have been hard to come by. The Global Combat Support System has been developing for some time with the objective Q How will GCSS change the way the warfighter requests, tracks and receives supplies? COLONEL JEFFREY K. WILSON (ARMY) GCSS-Army is a Web-based tactical logistics system that automates processes and integrates functions. Retail supply functionality was first implemented in December 2007 and is successfully operating at the Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. Users enter customer supply requirements only once, and they are immediately visible to all parties involved, providing an accurate view and status. The system saves time by automatically batching and transmitting requirements so these functions no longer need to be manually performed at specific time intervals. GCSS-Army eliminates the need for www.MLF-kmi.com of provided an integrated real-time picture across the combat service support spectrum. The goal is to be in an informed position to make decisions affecting operational support needs throughout the deployment environment. Systems are now in place that have taken GCSS from the theoretical to the time-consuming processes such as closeouts, backups, restores, and separate input and output logs. GCSS-Army simplifies the customer reconciliation process, which previously required hundreds of man-hours to execute. A re-engineered process for tracking and adjudicating overdue shipments provides a more precise and timely method for closing and reordering. GCSS-Army managers at all levels have a better view of the supply chain and more tools to accurately and efficiently handle the process. LIEUTENANT COLONEL JIM STONE (MARINE CORPS) Global Combat System Marine Corps [GCSS-MC] is scheduled to begin deployment in fiscal year 2010. It will forever change the way logistics support is delivered to the Marine Corps by providing standardized business processes and cutting-edge practical. Military Logistics Forum recently had the opportunity to pose three questions to Army, Air Force and Marine Corps GCSS offices to see where they are and what common ground they have. We spoke with Colonel Jeffrey K. Wilson (Army), Phillip Waugh (Air Force) and Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone (Marine Corps). technology to Marines in both garrison and deployed environments. Unlike the Corps’ legacy logistics systems, GCSS-MC goes wherever warfighters go to provide Marine Air Ground Task Forces [MAGTFs] and the supporting establishment of an integrated, Web-based system designed to capture reliable, relevant and near realtime information. Requests for products and services are initiated at the lowest possible level, and the system provides a single point of data entry—a combination of functions that translates into improved speed and accuracy of logistics information and improved responsiveness of the logistics chain. In the past, when Marines have been deployed in austere environments, the lack of visible information has caused unfulfilled requests, redundant request and fulfillment, and dependency on forward-deployed materiel. In contrast, GCSS-MC will provide a clear picture of demand and inventory up and down the logistics chain so Marines will know the status of their requests, the availability of inventory and services, and the readiness of their equipment. They will have secure access to the critical information MLF 3.7 | 15
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Page 7 and 8: By Keith Lippert Vice Admiral Keith
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Page 23 and 24: Q&A Ensuring a Continuum of Logisti
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Page 38 and 39: INDUSTRY INTERVIEW MILITARY LOGISTI
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Theater Logistician Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Dowd - KMI Media Group

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