Improving Company Trains

Improving Company Trains by CPT Timothy Russell and CPT Thomas Blaschke While serving at the National Training Center (NTC), we observed that many units have little to no standard operat ing procedures (SOPs) for the critical sustainment actions they do every day. Battalion and company SOPs should cover a few battle drills in detail: logis tics release point (LRP) operations, bat talion-level resupply point procedures, logistics status (LOGSTAT) and other re ports, and section/platoon sustain ment actions in a tactical assembly area (TAA). In this article, we provide some exam ples of battle drills, informed by observations at NTC, to incorporate into your SOP as you see fit. ‘35mm cycle’ battle drill The “35mm cycle” simply means rotat ing your sustainment assets and Sol diers through your sections/platoons to address critical sustainment needs in an orderly manner. The cycle ad dresses the need to refuel (Class III), rearm (Class V), see to Soldier medical issues and maintain combat platforms and equipment. In Figures 1 and 2, a company is estab lished in a TAA oriented on the direc tion of travel, and it maintains 360-de gree security. (See Army Technical Pub lication (ATP) 3-90.1, Armor and Mechanized Infantry Company Team, for more on “laagers” and general TAA organization.) This affords leaders the ability to retain 360-degree security or rapidly deploy to another location as needed. Depending on the amount of time available before the next opera tion, the commander can direct either a hasty, time-constrained or a deliber ate cycle of resupply, and he issues an order with focus areas for each part of the cycle. The “35mm cycle” model helps create efficiency and expedites actions in the TAA, ensuring everyone down to the Soldier level understands the priorities of work. At the first station, the com pany-level master gunner oversees Figure 1. 35mm cycle.

Spring-Summer 2019 boresight checks and weapons mainte nance, and checks the status of ammu nition of one of the platoons in the company. The master gunner will at tempt to fix any weapons issues that exceed Level 10 and will document these malfunctions for submission to the company executive officer on Form 5988E. If fuel is available, then two ve hicles, one section at a time, will move to the company trains for service-sta tion refuel while the rest of the pla toon is conducting weapon checks and ammo counts. Simultaneously, at the second station, the maintenance contact team as signed to the organization will work with a different platoon to assess equipment faults and provide quality control on preventative-maintenance checks and services (PMCS). This en sures that maintenance subject-matter experts get an opportunity to person ally assess equipment issues and faults. Once complete, the mainte nance-team chief provides updated 5988E equipment inspection reports to the company executive officer. The final station is led by the company first sergeant with the support of the company medics and the supply ser geant. They use the time allotted to validate load plans, resupply Class I and execute Soldier health checks. The company executive officer tracks the overall status of the resupply opera tion, controls the rotation of the three inspection teams and submits an up dated LOGSTAT to battalion when com plete. LRPs Efficient, rehearsed and organized LRPs are the cornerstone of battalion logistics. A well-executed LRP allows the battalion to resupply all its forma tions quickly and allows the trains to resupply themselves quickly to set con ditions for maximizing the battalion’s operational reach. Poorly executed LRPs cause delays to maneuver opera tions, expose vulnerable logistics as sets to enemy contact and can disrupt the entire brigade’s resupply efforts. An LRP is just a point on the ground where the battalion’s dispersed ele ments link up with its logistics package (LOGPAC), conduct sustainment ac tions, receive and escort its LOGPAC to its company trains/platoon bivouac and return to the LRP when complete. At NTC we observed that LRPs are of ten an afterthought to the battalion’s plan. It usually falls to the S-4/forward-support company (FSC) to figure out LRPs on the fly instead of as a Figure 2. Tank-company laager. (Adapted from ATP 3-90.1, Figure 5-4)

Spring-Summer 2019 rehearsed battalion-level operation that is informed and planned by a de liberate military decision-making pro cess. For example, some common problems we observed at NTC are:

• LRPs at NTC are often arrayed in a “motorpool” or “ducks in-a row” style instead of being tactically dispersed.

• Security is often minimal to nonexistent.

• LRP link-ups at NTC are often confused by a lack of planning or SOPs for communications between the distribution platoon and the first sergeant/executive officer/supply sergeant, who link up at the LRP.

• The LOGPACs at the LRP aren’t marked in any way that allows vehicles to quickly identify and link in with their intended unit.

• Battalions often fail to incorporate attachments and specialty platoons (scouts/mortars) into the LRP. The pre-LRP order is a critical step in synchronizing the battalion LRP opera tion. Ideally, the S-4 will receive LOG STAT reports, analyze them and the battalion’s operational common oper ating picture, and then send out the pre-LRP order four to six hours before the LRP link-up time. All subordinate units and command posts in the bat talion, to include any attachments, re ceive the order and provide acknowl edgement and confirmation or any cor rections as needed. Robust company trains Companies at NTC have been success ful using a technique we call the “ro bust company trains” concept. The ba sic concept is to simply attach logistics assets directly to the company trains. For a combined-arms battalion’s (CAB) FSC, this equates to each company’s field-maintenance team, an M978 fuel truck and an assault kitchen (AK) team. The company manages its own logistics timeline in accordance with its plan in stead of a resupply schedule dictated by battalion or brigade. This is especially helpful for the company when serving hot meals. Instead of rac ing the pickup and return of mermites (insulated meal containers prepared in the containerized kitchen by the FSC) at an LRP, with a four-hour window to consume, the company cooks prepare and allow Soldiers to eat in the com pany trains when convenient. The average LRP at the NTC takes about six hours to complete if the fuel trucks have to go from an LRP to the company trains and back. We observed two CABs cut this time to less than 30 minutes by attaching fuel trucks to the company and then simply swapping an empty fuel truck for a full one at LRPs. The companies then had a much larger window to refuel themselves, and the distribution platoon had more time to cross-level fuel and move to link up with the brigade-support battalion to resupply themselves. A common argument against attaching the logistics assets forward to the com panies is the fear of exposing the fuel Figure 3. LRP SOP. LRP is pre-planned and centrally located behind cover/concealment. It is detailed in the battalion concept of support. Company trains are located one terrain feature from forward-line-of-troops (FLoT).

Spring-Summer 2019 Figure 4. Stryker battalion LRP SOP and recommended LOGPAC vehicle configuration. trucks to enemy contact. In our expe rience at NTC, the fuel trucks were much safer at the company trains than at the combat-trains command post (CTCP) or brigade-support area (BSA). In the two rotations we observed where fuel trucks were attached, there were zero fuel trucks destroyed by the enemy, as opposed to locating them at the BSA or CTCP, which are much larg er and higher pay-off targets for enemy indirect fire and other threats. Battalion quick resupply When an entire battalion needs to re supply quickly, usually during a long movement or to transition from one operation to another, a refuel-on-the-move (ROM) or battalion supply point of some type is the fastest method. Like any other military operation, a ROM requires more planning and prep aration than pointing a finger at a map and saying “ROM here.” Disorganized ROMs can bottleneck a battalion and have the opposite of the desired ef fect. ROMs at NTC are usually:

• Poorly planned, with little information provided besides a grid and a trigger to activate it;

• Lack security, local or far side;

• Have no established order of march or prioritization;

• Lack guidance on fuel-nozzle time per vehicle (how long each vehicle gets at the pump);

• Have no pre- or post-resupply assembly areas established;

• Lack tactical dispersion (fuel trucks 10 meters apart or less); and

• Have no marked lanes. The included battalion ROM order for mat is a simple prompt to consider the key factors when planning a ROM and coordinating an entire battalion through it; ATP 4-43, Petroleum Resup ply Operations, has a good short chap ter on further planning considerations when executing a ROM. ‘Parking’ fuel truck There is one simple question we asked units before they got to NTC that told us a lot about how well its logistics op erations would likely run: “When you executed your last battalion gunnery, where did you park the fuel truck?” If the answer we got was that it was parked right next to the range, where there was a company/battalion motor pool, we knew the battalion had prob ably not practiced LRPs and decisive-action logistics as well as it could have. With that assessment in mind, we rec ommend that units take every training opportunity to practice LRPs and deci sive-action logistics. These systems and procedures should be included as part of your training. Establish the CTCP and field-trains command post at every training event. Execute LRPs and ROMs, even if it is only for one compa ny. Allow the sustainers to train their tactical tasks while also reinforcing the habitual support relationships with the field-maintenance teams, assault kitch ens and fuel trucks with their support ed companies. A few simple,

Spring-Summer 2019 well-rehearsed SOPs and battle drills for logistics will buy your formation back hours of precious planning and execution time during decisive-action operations. CPT Timothy Russell is a small-group leader and instructor at the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Fort Benning, GA. Previous assignments include ob server/coach/trainer, Scorpion Team, NTC, Fort Irwin, CA; commander, Com pany A, 4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Reg iment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, TX; assistant brigade S-3, Headquar ters and Headquarters Company, 1st SBCT, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss; personnel staff officer, Office of the Chief of Armor, Maneuver Center of Ex cellence, Fort Benning, GA; and aide-de-camp to the deputy commanding general for maneuver, 3rd Infantry Divi sion, Fort Stewart, GA. His military schools include the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Cavalry Lead er’s Course, Armor Basic Officer Leader Course and Pathfinder and Air-Assault schools. CPT Russell has a bachelor’s of arts degree in criminal justice from Co lumbia College. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with oak-leaf cluster and the Bronze Star Medal with oak-leaf cluster. CPT Thomas Blaschke is an instructor with the Logistics Basic Officer Leader Course, Fort Lee, VA. Previous assign ments include observer/coach/trainer, Scorpion Team, NTC, Fort Irwin, CA; commander, FSC, 2nd Battalion, 23rd In fantry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO; S-4, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Sustainment Bri gade, Fort Hood, TX; executive officer, 96th Transportation Company, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan; and mainte nance-platoon leader, 96th Transporta tion Company, Fort Hood, TX. His mili tary schools include the Logistics Captain’s Career Course and Transpor tation Basic Officer Leader Course. CPT Blaschke holds a bachelor’s of science degree in public administration from George Mason University and a mas ter’s of science degree in public admin istration from George Mason Universi ty. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal with oak-leaf cluster. Figure 5. CAB LRP SOP and recommended LOGPAC vehicle configuration. Acronym Quick-Scan A&L – administrative and logistics AK – assault kitchen ATP – Army technical publication BSA – brigade-support area CAB – combined-arms battalion CTCP – combat-trains command post ESR – Equipment Status Report continued on Page 73

Spring-Summer 2019 Figure 6. Battalion LRP order. Figure 7. The ‘robust’ CAB company trains concept.

Spring-Summer 2019 Figure 8. Battalion ROM. (Adapted from Figure 4-5 in ATP 4-43, Petroleum Resupply Operations) Table 1. Battalion ROM/supply point order.

Spring-Summer 2019 Figure 9. Three tactical methods of resupply. The method of resupply is chosen by the unit being resupplied based on the tactical situation. Shown on the left, the service-station method. Vehicles move individually or in small groups to a centrally located resupply point. Depending on the tactical situation, one vehicle or section – or even an entire platoon – moves out of its position, conducts resupply operations and then moves back into position. This process continues until the entire company has been resupplied. In using this method, platoons, sections or individual vehicles enter the resupply point following a one-way traffic flow. Advantages: it is faster and poses less risk for LOGPAC vehicles. Disad vantage: this method removes combat power from the line. Right, tailgate method. This method of resupply is normally used only in assembly areas. Vehicles remain in their vehicle positions or back out a short distance to allow trucks car rying supplies to reach them. Squads, fire teams, machinegun teams or individual vehicle crews rotate through the feeding area, pick up mail and sundries, and fill or exchange water cans. Advantages: it keeps combat power on the line. Disadvantages: it is slower and poses more risk to LOGPAC vehicles. Not shown, the modified-tailgate method. This is a combination of the service station and tailgate methods. For example, the fueler performs tailgate, and an ammo truck brings ammo to a central company issue point. FLoT – forward-line-of-troops FM – frequency modulation FRS – forward repair system FSC – forward-support company HE – high explosive HEMTT – Heavy Expanded-Mobility Tactical Truck HIPPO – nickname for the M105 Load Handling System-compatible water-tank rack IR – infrared JCR – Joint Capabilities Release LHS – M1120 Load Handling System LMTV – Light Medium Tactical Vehicle LOGPAC – logistics package LOGSTAT – logistics status LRP – logistics release point MRE – Meal-Ready-to-Eat MTV – Medium Tactical Vehicle NTC – National Training Center PACE – primary, alternate, contingency, emergency PAX – personnel PLT LDR – platoon leader PLT SGT – platoon sergeant Acronym Quick-Scan (continued) PLS – Palletized Loading System PMCS – preventive-maintenance checks and services POL – petroleum, oil and lubricants QAQC – quality assurance/quality control ROM – refuel-on-the-move SBCT – Stryker brigade combat team SOP – standard operating procedures TAA – tactical assembly area UGR – unitized group rations