[This article was first published in Army Sustainment Professional Bulletin, which was then called Army Logistician, volume 2, number 4 (July–August 1970), pages 4–7, 26–27.
The text is reproduced as faithfully as possible. To view figures and charts, refer to the issue itself, available on DVIDS and the bulletin’s archives at asu.army.mil/alog/.]
A CONCEPT to keep fast-moving items of supply up where they are needed, shorten the supply pipeline to the oversea theaters, and save millions of dollars annually by reducing materiel inventories is soon to be tested. Envisioned by personnel of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, the concept is to move supplies directly from selected continental United States depots to direct support units in Europe, bypassing the current depot system in Europe.
To fully develop this concept into a workable system, the U.S. Army Material Command in coordination with the U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR), will conduct a "Direct Supply Support Test" beginning 1 July 1970.
The VII Corps Support Command, the 702d Maintenance Battalion (Direct Support) of the 3d Infantry Division, and the 126th Maintenance Battalion (Direct Support) of the 4th Armored Division have been selected to take part in the initial phase of the test. This phase will be limited to direct support unit replenishment requisitions for class IX (repair parts) materiel on the direct support units' authorized stockage lists and will last for 120 days. The test will be expanded incrementally to include all U.S. Army, Europe, divisional and nondivisional direct support units as well as additional classes of supply. If successful, the direct delivery concept will be extended worldwide.
The current practice is to ship supplies from depots throughout continental United States to depots in Europe, which, in turn, ship the items to using units. Under the test concept, supplies will move directly to the direct support units, bypassing the U.S. Army, Europe, depots. The idea behind shipping materiel past the theater break bulk points and the depot is to permit elimination of unnecessary handling and reducing depot stock levels from the pipeline. The new concept will speed up the flow of items—from requisition to fulfillment time—by as much as 45 days. A using unit will be able to request and receive replenishment requisitions from the continental United States depot within 35 days of the requisition date.
This test will evaluate the effectiveness of the direct delivery concept and determine the capability of communication, transportation, and the CONUS supply system to support oversea customers direct. The test is also intended to provide the foundation for a standard Army logistics system that will be responsive to either a peacetime or a wartime environment.
The overall direct supply support concept is designed to:
• Concentrate management and stockage on "high demand" items that will effectively support unit readiness.
• Reduce the amount of stocks required for the pipeline and those inventories "on hand" in the theater and maximize the return of excesses and unserviceable reparable components.
• Provide the item manager a greater degree of item visibility, intransit control, and management of inventories.
• Improve supply responsiveness through reduction of requisition-processing echelons by direct delivery of materiel to the direct support units from a theater-oriented depot complex (TODC) in the United States. See illustrations on pages 6 and 7.
• Maintain materiel readiness.
The concept was developed to eliminate or reduce existing problems in the supply system such as inflated inventories, long order-ship times, low demand satisfaction, and high zero balances—by more effective management and more rapid delivery of required supplies.
Over a period of years, stockage at all levels has been increasing. This is due to emphasis being placed on stocking new items required without concurrently eliminating items no longer in demand. Studies of past demands indicate stockage lists can be reduced substantially without impairing unit readiness.
As an example, in one study it was found that of the 131,000 lines on the theater authorized stockage list (TASL), only 34,000 lines accounted for 80 percent of the total repair parts supply requirements. This means that a major portion of U.S. Army Materiel Command business is concerned with a relatively small number of high-demand items. By improving the management and stockage of these hardcore items, resources can be conserved and supply effectiveness improved.
Slock Lists Reduced
In developing realistic stockage lists, commanders should reduce the variety of items (size, type, and grade) intended for the same use. The list will be further limited to authorized items appearing in the Army Master Data File that are demand supported. While reducing the stockage list to a hardcore item level, the Army commander must continue to maintain the capability of operating under varying conditions and rapidly changing tactical situations.
A prerequisite to the successful implementation of the test was to see that supply personnel in the U.S. Army, Europe, maintenance battalions taking part in the test reduced their ASL's in accordance with DA Circular 700-18, Logistics Improvements, and that they purified and updated all supply records. Authorized stockage at both the theater and direct support levels was reduced to the number of lines that would provide an 80 percent demand accommodation. Through the coordinated effort of U.S. Army Materiel Command and U.S. Army, Europe, a list of items to be supported for the test was developed.
The authorized stockage list will be the basis for replenishment requisitioning. The direct support units of U.S. Army, Europe, and the continental United States supply managers will screen non-authorized stockage list (fringe) items to insure that there is no stockage list substitute, that there is a valid need, that the level of maintenance is authorized at the direct support unit, and that the quantities requested are the minimum required to fulfill the immediate need.
The primary source of supply for items in the Army Master Data File coded as nonstocked will be through local purchase, fabrication, or controlled cannibalization. When items cannot be obtained from these sources, requisitions will be submitted to the continental United States supply source.
Theater-Oriented Depot Complex
The focal point from which supplies will be shipped is a theater-oriented depot complex. The theater-oriented depot complex is a group of depots geographically located near the continental United States ports of embarkation that ship materiel to Europe. The theater-oriented depot complex for purposes of this test is composed of the New Cumberland Army Depot, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania; Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; and the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania; and selected Defense Supply Agency depots.
As part of the direct supply support test, all items needed to support a theater of operations will be stocked in the theater-oriented depot complex by the national level item manager based on the theater authorized stockage list plus such additional items for which the item manager anticipates theater demands. The theater-oriented depot complex will receive, store, and issue all items required to support the theater.
The Defense Supply Agency and the General Services Administration have designated depots that will support the theater-oriented depot complex. Defense Supply Agency and General Services Administration stocks have been positioned to support the concept. Stockage of non-authorized stockage list items in the theater-oriented depot complex are based on repair part usage or mission support requirements for U.S. Army, Europe.
The inventory control points (ICP's) have placed non-authorized stockage list items in the theater-oriented depot complex that have had three or more demands within the preceding 12 months. These items were selected by an analysis of the records maintained by the direct support unit reflecting all demands received during the preceding 12-month period.
The theater-oriented depot complex will also be prepared to receive excess materiel from the theater as well as reparable materiel being retrograded under the direct delivery concept.
Requisitioning
All requisitions that are a part of the direct supply support test will be identified by project code to insure control through the system and for evaluation purposes.
Replenishment requisitions will be processed according to Military Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedures (MILSTRIP). The normal flow of replenishment requisitions will be from the direct support unit to the U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, where they will be edited for validity of supply data and funded.
During the test, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, will not attempt to fill the replenishment requisitions but will forward them to the continental United States supply source via the Defense Automatic Addressing System (DAAS). The Defense Automatic Addressing System will furnish document images of each requisition and supply and shipment status to the Logistics Control Office.
High priority requisitions (priority designators 1 through 8) will be filled from stocks available in U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe. If the item is not available, the requisition will be passed immediately to continental United States for action.
When the requisition is received in continental United States, the inventory control point item managers will issue a materiel release order (MRO) for the items to one of the depots in the complex. Based on the materiel release order, stocks will be packed for shipment at the specified depot. All items for delivery to the same direct support unit will be consolidated in a SEAVAN and shipped directly to the requisitioning direct support unit.
Requisitions for non-authorized stockage list items will flow from the direct support unit to U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, and will be passed to continental United States only after search of U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, depot stocks has been made. The non-authorized stockage list item requisitions received in continental United States will be processed and shipped the same as authorized stockage list items.
Reconciliation—Validation
Supply records will be reconciled at all echelons on a regular basis. U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, will reconcile and validate its records with the direct support units. The direct support unit will furnish its complete open requisition file to U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe. The direct support units will use the reconciliation/validation with U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, to update their records. After completion of reconciliation action with the direct support units, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, will reconcile and validate its records with the continental United States national inventory control points on a monthly basis. This reconciliation/validation is essential to insure that items no longer needed are immediately canceled and will materially reduce the number or followups and response transaction currently "flooding" the system.
Inventory Visibility
In addition, the direct supply support test will provide the national level item manager a greater degree of visibility and management control of repair parts, including high value recoverable components. Primarily, data will be obtained from the U.S. Army, Europe, logistics intelligence file maintained at the Logistics Control Office. The logistics intelligence file will contain all supply and transportation data needed to provide visibility of inventory intransit. Shipment manifests will be prepared for U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, using these data. The shipment manifest supplied to U.S. Army Materiel Command, Europe, will provide shipment status to the theater and assist in confirming receipt of shipment. Manifest information is then forwarded to the requisitioner. The customer, therefore, knows in advance which ship or aircraft is carrying his materiel, when it left, and when and where it will arrive.
The Logistics Control Office will be the single data bank in continental United States maintaining the complete records on supply transactions of all units participating in the test.
Containerization
Containerization will reduce the current time and dollar cost of freight-handling delays at ports, terminals, break-bulk points, and depots. The test will use the latest transportation and packaging capabilities to the maximum extent possible. Containers will be transported by ships or aircraft, depending upon the priority indicated to meet delivery requirements. The containers will be marked for a specific direct support unit and unit shipment integrity will be maintained. All items in a given container will be for a specific direct support unit. Less than container lots will be shipped to a consolidating/containerization point for consolidation into SEAVAN containers or Air Force 463-L air pallet size loads for direct delivery. Authorized stockage list replenishment materiel normally will be shipped in SEAVAN containers, while other materiel (high priority and fringe) will be shipped on the 463-L pallet. However, to avoid delay, materiel will sometimes be shipped in mixed priority loads. The containers will move by the fastest mode of transportation authorized for the highest issue priority group in the container. All shipments will move from the oversea terminal directly to the direct support unit within three days after arrival.
Retrograde
The containers used to ship the replenishment items from continental United States will be used to return retrograde materiel to continental United States. Serviceable repair parts declared excess to the theater requirements will be retrograded to continental United States. Direct support unit unserviceable recoverable components that cannot be repaired or that are not scheduled for maintenance in the theater will also be returned to continental United States.
Unserviceable reparable materiel being returned under the direct support concept will be monitored under closed loop procedures.
All materiel being retrograded will be shipped to the New Cumberland subdepot for storage or movement to another depot or repair facility as determined by the responsible national inventory control point. The national inventory control point will use pre-positioned materiel receipt cards to give the theater-oriented depot complex or other continental United States depots advance notification on retrograde materiel being returned to stock.
Test Evaluation
Evaluation will be accomplished by a Department of the Army evaluation team composed of representatives of all agencies that are affected by, or have proponency for the changes.
The U.S. Army Combat Developments Command will evaluate the doctrinal impact of the test, taking into consideration the transition from a peacetime to a wartime operation. The U.S. Army Combat Developments Command will review recommended combat service support actions concerning organization and structural alinement of U.S. Army, Europe, units, doctrinal publications, such as field manuals and tables of organization and equipment, and materiel requirements for units of the Army in the field.
The overall concept represents another U.S. Army Materiel Command innovation "to do more with less" and still improve logistics support to the soldier in the field. It will take advantage of the most modern means of transportation, communication, data processing, and management techniques.
Major General William N. Redling is Deputy Commanding General for Logistics Support, U.S. Army Materiel Command, and a former chief of transportation, U.S. Army. General Redling began his Army career as a National Guard officer in 1940. He holds degrees in both law and civil engineering and is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star Medal.
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2024 09:23 |
| Story ID: | 487912 |
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