Practical Sustainment Concepts for the Non-Linear Battlespace

Figure 11: The functional and integrated chains of command
Logistics Operations in COIN
Contrary to the linear service battalion in the BSA, Log Ops in the COIN
environment coordinates much more than only second line support. The cell becomes
responsible for the constant shift of resources between functional and integrated roles,
across all lines of support in the area of responsibility (AOR). When manoeuvre
elements deploy, Log Ops must have the flexibility to develop a sustainment plan that
sees the attribution of appropriate IST in an IS role. When the unit returns to the nodes
for reconstitution, then Log Ops reassigns the resources back along the functional chain
of command, back to a more general support role. The role of the functional subunit
commanders is nonetheless the key throughout the process in advising the overall
commander on the capabilities resident in their organizations, in order that the most
appropriate teams are deployed. In a sense, Log Ops coordinates the constant
reattribution of resources between functional subunits as sustainment generators, and a
separate integrated chain of command as the sustainment employer in support of
deployed operations.
The task of Log Ops has also increased with respect to the conduct of link
operations, which must be thoroughly integrated in the manoeuvre plan. CLPs are
elements that provide not only the Sustain combat function, but also Sense and even
Act. Sustainment operations have taken on a moreover operational flavour, and
consequently have to be coordinated by the Ops (J3) staff, as opposed to the Log (J4)
staff. Because CLPs are working in exactly the same areas as the manoeuvre elements
are conducting Act operations, Log Ops now has to synchronize with all other
manoeuvre elements through the higher headquarters. Log Ops also requires an
intelligence cell (S2) to provide the most up to date and appropriate intelligence picture
to the outgoing CLPs. The S2 is required to process and synchronize the significant
“red” (enemy), “white” (civilian), “brown” (environmental) and “green” (obstacle)
intelligence that is being produced by the patrols for the protection of all deployed
elements. CLPs have to be synchronized with the Intelligence Surveillance Target
Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) plan in order to coordinate requests for
information (RFIs) from the higher headquarters and process the information being
collected. In short, the NSE requires an operations centre similar to any other
58 Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.2 Summer 2008