SETTING THE TABLE FOR 2013
Logisticians are held to a particularly high moral standard as the primary stewards for the Navy of U.S. taxpayers’ money. Teir “currency” is their decision- making capability to choose the right course of action every time. Logisticians will foster respect up and down the chain of command by making honest recommendations to their seniors and peers,
as well as seeking honest
recommendations from junior personnel. Tey should always encourage new ideas and deliver bad news forthrightly.
As military and civilian logisticians, they will be the standard by which juniors measure
themselves. Even when they
think no one is watching, when they think it doesn’t matter, that is probably when their integrity matters most. Maintain dignity and do what’s right.
It is ingenuity, skill, and determination that will make our future logisticians true leaders that contemporaries will emulate and admire. Press on!
“GET COMFORTABLE WITH A THIN AND STRETCHED SUPPLY CHAIN, ONE IN WHICH SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT ARE LIMITED TO OPERATIONAL NECESSITIES ONLY.”
networks. Our forces will be dispersed over large areas and separated by vast distances of open ocean, and logisticians must approach this challenge from an expeditionary perspective.
Tomorrow’s logistician must reexamine how we integrate air, ground, and naval logistics capacities to our advantage in the distributed battlespace. Te climate at the tip of the expeditionary spear is uncertain,
chaotic, Expeditionary and supply chains
the supply chain of the future evolves. Expeditionary is a mindset. Get comfortable with a thin and stretched supply chain, one in which supplies and equipment are limited to operational necessities only. Be prepared to deploy on a moment’s notice into an austere operating environment, and redeploy from there to another.
unforgiving. are
complex and challenging endeavors, particularly since the distant destination is a tactical one, constantly on the move and frequently under attack. As we reemphasize the maritime nature of the global battlespace, logisticians must be keenly aware of the naval component of the supply chain.
MAJGEN CHARLES L. HUDSON Commander U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Command
After over a decade of
sustained ground combat operations, the operating environment is shifting. As we maintain vigilance in the USCENT- COM theater and rebalance our posture in the Pacific, crisis response and expe- ditionary operations will require a new logistics perspective. Supply chains will not run through heavy, fixed, and secure installations inside an area of operations. Austerity, leanness, and speed will be the defining characteristics of logistics
76 Army AL&T Magazine January–March 2013
Te next-generation logistician must take a fresh look at how we structure and employ our prepositioning capabilities. Changing
the location of inventory
within the expeditionary supply chain can alleviate both inventory and distribution stress, thereby allowing combat
forces
Flexibility in planning and execution is vital. Logistics opens and preserves the commander’s tactical options, extending his reach across the expeditionary battlespace and enabling him to exploit fleeting opportunities. Understand your commander’s intent and translate it into actionable logistics options.
Initiative and innovation are critical characteristics of the expeditionary logistician. Ensure that your part of the supply chain moves with the rhythm of battle. Don’t wait for the perfect solution. Take
initiative, figure things out as
you go, and keep your commander on the move.
Study your craft. To keep pace, to remain operationally
mobile yet tactically lethal. Instead of being burdened with the cost—cube and weight—of heavier equipment necessary in some combat environments, expeditionary
forces can draw that
equipment from prepositioned supplies just prior to employing it.
I also think there are enduring principles that should continue to guide your actions in any tactical situation, regardless of how
Lastly, and most importantly, leadership always counts. Tere is no substitute, never a stand-in for leadership. No technological advance or supply chain innovation can ever replace the need for leaders on the battlefield, setting the
it is
paramount that tomorrow’s logistician be a constant and diligent
student of
all aspects of warfare, fluent in both tactics and logistics across the range of military operations.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212
