A middleweight force ... rethinking global logistics.
Combatant Commanders' demand for forward postured naval forces - particularly amphibious readiness groups with embarked Marine expeditionary units (ARG/MEUs), has grown 86 percent since 2007.Maintaining the readiness of our ARG/MEUs and other adaptive force packages is paramount to meeting today's unprecedented demand. In response, the Navy-Marine Corps team of aviation and ground 'naval' logisticians are on tap to provide flexible, affordable, and innovative support whenever and wherever required. With the Marine Corps' recent design of a leaner, more effective 'middleweight' force structure optimized for rapid crisis response and forward-presence; it is high time for the Navy-Marine Corps team to rethink how we execute the business of forward-deployed global logistics.
Naval logistics leaders must think in terms of a completely integrated supply and logistics chain. An integrated chain would allow Marine Corps ground supply requirements to pass seamlessly to the closest source of supply for afloat units, just as effectively as the naval aviation supply system operates today. This fundamental concept illustrates a potential Naval Logistics Integration (NLI) initiative that could drastically improve future naval expeditionary force interoperability and readiness by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the current consumable supply chain.
Marine air-ground task forces (MAGTF) require readily available supplies to meet force readiness requirements in response to combatant commander tasks. Today, those requirements are met through Service channels by a combination of embarked accompanying supplies (prescribed loads, deployable class IX blocks, and landing force operational reserve material) and resupply via requisition reach-back to the supporting Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Supply Management Unit (SMU), or requisition referral to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Naval expeditionary forces should combine and co-manage common consumable item inventories, thus implementing an inventory strategy designed to optimize supply effectiveness and ground equipment readiness.
The amphibious ship supply department should be the first source of consumable item supply to an embarked MAGTF. Marines should requisition consumable items directly from Navy stocks for consumption or ground equipment maintenance applications.
The concept is simple; using existing Navy and Marine Corps logistics automated information systems and without changing either system; automated
requisition fulfillment, billing and status transactions pass from the embarked MAGTF to the amphibious ship supply department.
For items not in stock, or not stocked aboard the amphibious ship, requisitions are automatically referred to the nearest supply source or back to DLA for normal processing. Resupply and replenishment of naval consumable inventory afloat occurs as part of normal shipboard supply department operations.
Enabling a Common Requisitioning Process
The NLI common requisitioning initiative was first pursued as part of the NLI Annual Guidance for 2011. A cross-functional team (CFT) from Headquarters Marine Corps, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), U.S. Pacific Fleet, Naval Supply Systems Command, Marine Corps Logistics Command (MCLC), Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) and I MEF launched an end-to-end operational test to validate an ARG/MEU common requisitioning process. The initial test was successful, and the CFT approved the process for further evaluation during the deployment of USS Boxer (LHD 4) ARG/13th MEU.
The results validated an automated ARG/MEU requisitioning process, and the potential to increase supply readiness by reducing customer wait time from weeks to less than eight hours. Both Navy and Marine Corps senior logistics leaders agreed that naval expeditionary forces need an integrated common requisitioning process that would not only ensure increased fill rates and decreased wait times, but also gain the efficiencies, cost effectiveness, and readiness needed when expeditionary forces deploy.
Proof of Principal for Common Consumable Management
In 2011, and again in 2012, Boxer ARG/3th MEU and USS Makin Island (LHD 8) ARG/11th MEU employed the common requisitioning process during their six-month deployments to the Pacific Command and Central Command areas of responsibility.
The proof of principle (POP) enabled the embarked MEUs to requisition common consumable supplies (non-aviation peculiar) from Navy inventory aboard the amphibious ships. The POP established an integrated supply support process between the ships' supply departments and the MEU supply sections, and trained Navy and Marine logisticians to plan, source, receive, store, and issue supplies and material for ground expeditionary forces. Ultimately, all MAGTF ground supply elements should have gained visibility of the available material and had their demands met by material released and delivered from Navy inventories afloat.
Throughout the POP, the NAVSUP Enterprise collaborated with MCLC, USFF, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, HQMC, MARFORPAC, and I MEF in the functional areas of inventory management, information systems, allowance management, and sourcing and distribution to maximize consumable item availability and supply responsiveness for each ARG/MEU.
The goals of the initiative were to increase effectiveness and efficiency through right-sizing inventory afloat, decrease average customer wait times, improve fill rates, and improve supply support processes through documentation of lessons learned. Through collaboration, we compiled demand history and lessons learned to document a common consumable inventory strategy. NAVSUP then analyzed the demand history of the two consecutive MEU deployments. Initial results indicated supply effectiveness could improve considerably, with minimal investment, and fill rates could increase to levels in excess of 85 percent. These data points are proof positive that common consumable inventories can meet the ground supply demands of embarked MAGTFs, as well as Navy expeditionary requirements.
This proposed initiative would also preserve Marine Corps non-aviation peculiar accompanying supplies for use when MAGTFs are employed ashore. Shipboard consumable inventory allowances are guided by embarked Marine demandbased patterns. In addition to improved efficiency in inventory management and investments, improvements in effectiveness, such as decreased average customer wait time, and improved fill rates, would result from a common consumable inventory strategy.
Future Implications
Recent NLI senior leadership guidance directed accelerated momentum to expand existing or new initiatives to a strategic level. Timing is right for naval expeditionary forces to manage common consumable inventories together and employ a common requisitioning process. Operating in a post-Operation Enduring Freedom environment, the Navy-Marine Corps team will most likely see increased tempo in theater security cooperation engagements, rapid crisis response, and sustainable power projection activities. MAGTFs that are elements of Naval/Amphibious task groups should be able to draw supply support for common non-aviation items as well as aviation peculiar items from sea-based platforms.
Advance Global Logistics Support
The future budget environment will challenge naval expeditionary forces. Given this austere financial climate, a common inventory management strategy makes sense, because it will enable naval expeditionary forces to maximize the use of sea-based cargo capacities (amphibious ships, and Military Sealift Command Combat Logistics Force ships) and improve management of a totally integrated supply chain for both non-aviation and aviation material.
In summary, sea-basing and expeditionary support requirements are changing the way the Navy and Marine Corps team execute the business of forward deployed global logistics. Implementing a common consumable inventory strategy aligns with the Naval Operations Concept, and the most likely employment of forward deployed sea-based forces in the future maritime operating environment.
By Col. John Burt, USMC
Director, Naval Logistics Integration, NAVSUP
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| Title Annotation: | Coverstory |
|---|---|
| Author: | Burt, John |
| Publication: | Navy Supply Corps Newsletter |
| Date: | Sep 1, 2012 |
| Words: | 1150 |
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