FM 100-5 Operations - Survival Ebooks Military Manuals Survival ...

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMFM 100-5IMPROVISATIONImprovisation is the talent to make, invent, arrange,or fabricate what is needed out of what is at hand. Successfullogistics operations adapt to changing situations.The American soldier is a master at this. Improvisedmethods and supply sources can maintainlogistics continuity when standard procedures fail.Commanders and planners continually reviewplanning factors and consumption rates, maintain intransitasset visibility, and revise logistics planning estimates.Creative commanders and smart logisticianslearn to anticipate the unexpected and adjust accordingly.Enemy action, interruption of sealift or airlift,and natural disasters can disrupt plans and requireimprovisation. Logistical improvisation will oftenspell the difference between success and failure ofcombat operations.The need to improvise is even necessary in bestcasescenarios. As ground operations enjoyed greatsuccess in Operation Desert Storm, Army units had todeal with an unexpectedly large number of enemy prisonersof war (EPW). Coalition forces collected 60,000EPWs during the 100 hours of combat and thousandsmore following the cease-fire. Since the engineer unitsthat would normally construct new EPW facilities werestill committed to other operations, the 800th MP Brigade(EPW) constructed the additional EPW campsthey were to operate to accomplish their mission.In fast-breaking situations, commanders are preparedto press tactical or civilian vehicles into serviceas supply transporters, to conduct battle damage assessment(BDA), to cannibalize equipment for parts,or to establish emergency supply points. Less dramaticcircumstances¡such as unexpected maintenancefailures in a particular type of equipment, loss of supportequipment, destruction of vital infrastructure,shortage of a particular blood type, or unanticipatedpeaks in work load¡may also require improvised solutions.While improvisation is not a substitute for anticipation,it is a necessary complement.LOGISTICSPLANNING CONSIDERATIONSPlanning for logistics at all levels involves severalcritical decisions concerning the interface of combat,CS, and CSS activities. Support of major operations,battles, and engagements requires organizationof capabilities and resources into an overall logisticsconcept. Logistics planning and operations must beversatile; they must complement combat plans andoperations and enhance the ability of the supportedunit to accomplish its mission. Balanced logisticsmeans enough support to do the mission but not somuch that it overwhelms the system. Although logisticsfactors constrain combat operations, the supportedcommander’s concept of operations, priorities, andallocations dictate the actions of the supporting logistician.Logistics planners seek innovative ways to minimizestrategic-lift requirements. Strategic lift is ascarce resource. Some of the ways that help reducethe demands on strategic-lift requirements includeecheloning capabilities and CSS units, establishingsplit-based operations, precon-figuring the packagingof material, and using civilian contractor, allied, andhost nation capabilities.LOGISTICS PREPARATIONOF THE THEATERLogistics preparation of the theater combinespeacetime planning actions taken by logisticians at allechelons to maximize means (force structure, resources,and strategic lift) of logistically supportingthe commander’s plan. These planning actions includeidentifying and preparing the bases of operations; selectingand improving LOCs; projecting and preparingforward logistics bases; and forecasting and buildingoperational stock assets forward and afloat. Theseactions focus on identifying the resources currentlyavailable in the theater of war or operations for use byfriendly forces and ensuring access to them.As time and resources allow, the Army will programactions to improve the infrastructure of the theater,assisting the move toward greater stability andmilitary capability. Logistics preparation of the theateris a tool to optimize the volume of deploying resourcesand personnel, as well as the number of logisticsunits that compete for strategic lift.FORCE COMPOSITIONThe active and reserve components’ force composition,as well as the ratio of combat, CS, and CSStroops, influences the time needed to create a logisticsbase in the theater and prepare it for operations. Forexample, force-projection operations may begin ascontingency operations, consisting primarily of activecomponent combat forces. Reserve component forcesmay assist in the deployment, providing CS and CSS.Planners also consider that assured availability of12-5