REACHING FOR READINESS


DEFINING THE PROBLEM Identifying the primary issues is the first essential step. Trough a methodical and deliberate review of the ANA end-to-end sustainment process, the following major systemic problems become quite clear:


1. Ineffective life-cycle management: Little to no requirements validation, analysis, prioritization, accounting, demand planning, forecasting, etc.


2. Oversized, aging fleets: Vehicle fleets have reached end-of-life dates, and life-cycle replacements have not been planned, programmed and pur- chased with the requisite lead time.


3. Vehicle-to-maintainer ratio is out of balance: Te numbers of Afghan regional maintainers and armorers at the corps level are insufficient.


Over time, these factors have resulted in a steady decline in equipment readiness rates and an erosion of ANA combat power. Arresting the decline to get back on a path to improvement requires imme- diate action. Te following solution set of programs and process changes are neces- sary to develop a sustainable, affordable and feasible means to improve the opera- tional readiness of ANA’s combat power.


A SYSTEM-OF-SYSTEMS APPROACH First is the need to firmly establish a sustainable Afghan life-cycle manage- ment program. As many people with experience in Afghanistan will attest, the concept of time—specifically projecting into the future, at least from a Western- er’s perspective—can be quite difficult to relay to our Afghan partners. We rou- tinely plan out activities into the future, at least five years at a time. Our entire Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution system is based on this, with


BUILDING A CULTURE


First Deputy Minister of Defense Gen. Abdul Khaliq addresses ANA logisticians on the need for life-cycle management during a two-day materiel readiness seminar in February, which Resolute Support and CSTC-A personnel supported in an advisory capacity. Ineffective life-cycle management is one of the pressing issues getting in the way of sustainable, affordable opera- tional readiness for the ANA’s combat assets. (U.S. military photo by LT Charity A. Edgar, CSTC-A Public Affairs)


HIGH-LEVEL SUPPORT The author, center left, and MG Gordon B. “Skip” Davis Jr., CSTC-A commanding general, listen as Afghan First Deputy Minister of Defense Gen. Abdul Khaliq talks to ANA logisticians on sustain- ment goals in advance of the spring and summer campaigns, at a two-day materiel readiness seminar in February. (U.S. military photo by LT Charity A. Edgar, CSTC-A Public Affairs)


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Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016


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