On Point: the United States Army in Operation Iraqi ... - Boekje Pienter

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The physics of combat theaters complicate all operations, and perhaps logistics most of all.Requisitions for supplies had to make their way from the requesting unit back to the source; insome cases this meant all the way to the overseas depots. Inadequate communications and thechaos of the battlefield conspired against even getting requests through the system. Assumingall went well, critical parts, supplies, and equipment moved by air into the aerial port at KuwaitCity and then to the Theater Distribution Center (TDC). Ideally the part or supply item wasthen placed on a truck to bring it forward. However, because attacking units continued tomove away from Kuwait throughout the process, supplies did not catch up to the units thatrequested them. Requirements for fuel, ammunition, food, and water are easier to predict thanrequirements for parts, but moving the large quantities required remained difficult.This physical problem grew worse due to cybernetic disconnects across the logistics system.Investments in “in-transit visibility” during the 1990s failed to pay off. Visibility of supplieswas particularly problematic at transload points, including the TDC. Repair parts and othersupply items simply disappeared from view. The automated management system lost track ofwhole units, as the codes designating each individual company or battalion changed as unitsdeployed into the theater. Frustrated unit commanders compounded the problem by sendingforaging parties to camps in Kuwait to try and find items they had requested. Automatedsystems designed to pass requisitions and track status of requests simply failed to work underthe extreme stress imposed in this large and difficult theater of operations. Finally, there werenot enough trucks to move supplies forward. In-transit visibility and the other initiatives of thepast decade have promise, but they had not matured adequately by March of 2003 to deliver ontheir perceived potential.Perhaps the most important issue contributing to the myriad problems that confoundeddelivering parts and supplies, from paper clips to tank engines, stems from the lack of ameans to assign responsibility clearly. In the current logistics system, there is no single cargodistribution manager. Quite apart from the confusion generated by the separate managementof classes of supply, there is currently no one person or unit that is directly responsible fordelivery of all things large and small. Just as the Military Traffic Management Command had toorganize units to provide a single port manager capability to TRANSCOM, so must the Armyat least consider developing functional cargo distribution capability with the means to track andassure that supplies are distributed.There is still another distribution issue that should be examined. Brigadier General Stultz,who worked literally around the clock attempting to get supplies forward, complained withsome bitterness that hauling water consumed an inordinate amount of line haul because unitspreferred bottled water to water they produced in their own reverse osmosis water purificationunits. That is partly true—soldiers will swear that water produced from purifying river water hasa chemical taste. But the truth is, even if purified river water tasted as good as boutique bottledwater, there is currently no effective means to distribute water at the tactical level. Water isdelivered to tactical units by 450-gallon water trailers, generally apportioned one to a companywhether the company has fewer than 100 soldiers or as many as 200 soldiers. Every tankcompany, infantry company, and artillery battery is authorized a single water trailer. There aresimply too few means to haul bulk water to the fighting troops. Bottled water, on the other hand,while bulky to the point of waste, can be hauled by everything that moves. That is why units inthe field want bottled water. Water distribution is emblematic of the overall distribution problem.410
Logistics SuccessesThere are some good news logistics stories. Under incredibly difficult conditions, logisticstroops made sure that food, fuel, and ammunition got forward. Logistics troops and their leadersliterally fought their way forward to get the vital supplies in the hands of the combat soldiers.The scope and scale of their effort are hard to grasp, but it was truly monumental. Joint logisticsfunctioned across 8,000 miles and met the theater’s needs without a long buildup of stocks. Asone logistician put it, there were still some “iron hills,” but there were no “iron mountains.”The Army Theater Support Vessel moved supplies or units from one end of the PersianGulf to the other. The TSV and the Navy equivalent, the HSV, were responsive and capable,achieving great success in their combat debut. Army watercraft performed brilliantly,supporting everything from clearing debris from the channel into Um Qasr to supportingSOF operations. Army logistics over the shore (LOTS) capabilities also proved particularlyeffective, supporting Army, Marine, and UK forces and relieving pressure on the few, crowdedKuwaiti ports. 28The “air bridge” supporting the 173rd JSOTF-North demonstrated the tremendousutility of both strategic and tactical airlift and the enormous flexibility they provide the jointcommander. Although the Turkish government ultimately allowed fuel to be supplied fromTurkey, airlift met all of the 173rd’s requirements initially. Other supplies, parts in particular,were requisitioned electronically through the brigade’s home station in Vicenza, Italy, and itsservicing logistics centers in Germany. The Army brought the required supply items and repairparts to Ramstein Air Base, where Air Force transport troops assembled and packaged them fordaily delivery by air.Setting the Conditions for Early Deployment of Logistics UnitsFinally, sufficient Army logistics capabilities must be deployed early enough to meet theaterrequirements for joint, coalition, and Army units. Some of the tension in deciding when todeploy CSS units stemmed from a shortage of theater-opening units in the Active Component.Accordingly, the Army may need to examine whether a theater-opening organization equivalentto the 7th Transportation Group’s port-opening capability is required in the Active Component.In fact, the Army has guidance that will take it in this direction. On 9 July 2003, the secretaryof defense sent a memorandum to the secretaries of the military departments, the chairmanof the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the undersecretaries of defense. In this document, SecretaryDonald Rumsfeld observed, “the balance of capabilities in the Active and Reserve componentstoday is not the best for the future.” He further ordered the services to “eliminate the need forinvoluntary mobilization during the first 15 days of a rapid response operation (or for any alertsto mobilize prior to the operation).” 29 Secretary Rumsfeld’s guidance is clear and cuts to theheart of the matter where theater logistics are concerned.Learning From the 507th Maintenance Company Experience: Implications of theNoncontiguous BattlefieldThe home at 301 Sherman Avenue on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is the quarters designatedby the Army for the director of the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). This 3story, red brick Federal, built in 1888, is situated on a historic site on the bluff overlooking theMissouri River. From the front door, one sees the very spot where ferries carried settlers and411
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The United States Army inOperation
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-
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PrefaceOn Point is a study of Opera
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AcknowledgementsHistorians prefer t
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called him unkind names and questio
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Table of ContentsForeword..........
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Figure 78. 101st Airborne Division
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Table of Call Out BoxesThe SIPRNET
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The 8 April Counterattack .........
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Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athists
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Army special operations soldiers, a
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• Information and Knowledge. The
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successful battles and engagements
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timelines at the beginning of each
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Chapter 1Operation DESERT STORM to
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combat. The US Army’s AirLand Bat
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The domestic political landscape in
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was to experiment to anticipate cha
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The authors also attempted to accou
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The SIPRNET RevolutionIn addition t
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efore World War I. 16 The extended
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commanders to consider the battlesp
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presence is not possible. Moreover,
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• The Air Force’s C-17 Globemas
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GAO Report. Military Transformation
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On 20 September 2001, President Geo
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All of these efforts led to a sweep
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NOTES1. General Frederick M. Franks
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Chapter 2Prepare, Mobilize, and Dep
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joint organizations played central
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Figure 10. Key coalition camps and
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CLCC LOG and Title 10 PowerPoint pr
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Figure 17. Tern delivers Army water
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Pre-positioned EquipmentIn Europe d
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allies in the region in providing s
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organization to leverage joint inte
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surprise but allowed a gradual buil
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Figure 24. V Corps objectivesin any
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that supported them, while denying
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Webster and Spider Marks. Marine Br
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V Corps Command Brief, 15 July 2003
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V Corps Command Brief, 15 July 2003
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completing its work in February. BC
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Figure 32. Soldiers posing with a D
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Figure 33. V Corps assault command
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ight thing to do. More than 6,200 s
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defense coordinator (TAAMCOORD), an
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attalion leadership, with the USARE
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The 18th MP Brigade, stationed in M
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and environment of Iraq. They condu
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proper mix of combat, CS, and CSS u
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Given all that can go wrong, the pe
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Jeremiah Johnson, Combat CameraFigu
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opportunities such as a sudden coll
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27. Major General Robert Blackman,
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80. Lieutenant Colonel John Huey, p
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Summary of EventsSaddam Hussein and
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• Breaching the berm at the borde
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humanitarian assistance supplies, w
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Intelligence Supporting Operational
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Moving the start of the ground camp
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Figure 42. PSYOP leaflets distribut
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Igor Paustovski, Combat CameraFigur
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Figure 45. Comparison of Iraqi grou
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to secure the first two primary obj
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Crossing The BermThey are coming to
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Figure 50. 3rd ID border breach sch
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covering forces rapidly and simulta
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After the aborted mission, morale s
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act of passing the change of route
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Figure 54. RRP EXXON and FARP SHELL
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Air Base (An Nasiriyah), seize the
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Figure 58. The 3rd BCT scheme of ma
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also captured more than 200 EPWs, i
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Figure 61. Division Central Collect
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Figure 63. Distance from Objective
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Figure 67. Routes of march north to
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Staff Sergeant Dillard Johnson, 1st
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did not see me and began to fire on
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At 1430 on 23 March, 3rd BCT took c
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During the fighting at As Samawah,
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24. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jay Deh
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FLOYD, Johnson’s platoon fought y
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Army Spec. Joshua Earl,a military p
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April 1, 2003, black smoke rises fr
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US Army photoSgt. 1st Class Anothon
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Chapter 4The March Up-CountryI don
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Figure 74. March up-country sequenc
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working in the LSA and units moving
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Colonel Melvin Frazier, who command
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101st Abn Div AARFigure 78. 101st A
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Courtesy of V CorpsFigure 80. 3rd I
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All of the estimates accurately ass
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decided to break his convoy into tw
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Figure 86. The 507th route of movem
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Figure 87. The 507th Maintenance Co
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With 3rd BCT, 3rd ID securing the l
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However, employing LRS is not a Lon
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the attack on Baghdad. Practically
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Marcone and Grimsley justifiably ex
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Figure 92. Ambush Alley—officiall
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advantage in fighting in the dark.
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Robert Woodward, US ArmyFigure 93.
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Figure 95. Chemical soldiers from t
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all of them. From a broader perspec
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While never perfect, the Army and e
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Figure 96. 11th AHR attack scheme f
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Still, the regiment planned routes
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Moreover, with less than half of th
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Figure 99. Apache attack helicopter
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her husband had been shot and was i
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AdaptationsFollowing the attack, Ar
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PlanningThe planned 101st attack ag
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The 2-101st intended to attack the
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Figure 107. 3rd ID’s scheme to en
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followed. The third tank, Lieutenan
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the division elected to block the e
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3-73-7CAVCAVFightingFightingininAnA
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Figure 112. Relief in place of 3-7
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enemy as they had at As Samawah. Ar
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Figure 114. Lieutenant General Wall
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airborne assault, the units had beg
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From 29-30 March, the 82nd conducte
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Company at Checkpoint Charlie, subo
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towns during the five simultaneous
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Figure 124. PSYOP leaflets to minim
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The 173rd’s combat capability als
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moment. The ground had been plowed
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The brigade also jumped with a high
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Figure 129. TF 1-63 AR Abrams tank
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NOTES1. Captain Michael Matthews, O
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59. Colonel Rodney Mallette, MTMC,
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133. Oliver.134. Marcone.135. Ibid.
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202. Colonel Blair Ross, A Transfor
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to Baghdad in the east, and the I M
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Figure 133. Objectives in the vicin
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crossed a river or entered the maze
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three brigade combat teams, 1st BCT
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paid off in spades. ThroughoutI’v
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Figure 135. Enemy disposition in th
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ack toward Baghdad, and began condu
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Figure 140. Sample district council
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virtually every type of mission pos
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Lieutenant General Wallace on theFi
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Figure 144. Objective MURRAYabout I
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Figure 145. Enemy and friendly disp
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The Approach: Isolating An NajafAft
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130th Engineer BrigadeFigure 149. E
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When his battalion attacked into to
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The FeintAt 0600, the Thunderbolts
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on the way to Al Hillah. Accordingl
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that the adversary seldom behaves a
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learned from the 3rd ID, SOF troops
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The protracted fighting in As Samaw
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Figure 156. The scheme for the isol
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Launching the AttackHaving rearmed
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IN and the tactical command post—
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Electronic attacks against enemy co
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Figure 164. TF 3-69 AR attacks to s
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The Smoke Mission at Objective PEAC
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Figure 166. 2nd BCT attacks to Obje
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Figure 168. Iraqi tank burning in t
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Accelerating the AttackDuring this
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The ApproachTrue to his word, Grims
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V CorpsFigure 171. Civilian aircraf
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First Lieutenant Mark Schenck, writ
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Essayons: Sergeant First Class Paul
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to one of the road craters at appro
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Figure 177. Platoon leaders of Apac
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Figure 179. The 3rd BCT Objectives
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TF 2-69 Armor, the brigade’s main
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Sanderson led from the front near t
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caught fire and ammunition began to
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NOTES1. Anthony H. Cordesman, The I
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61. Ibid. 2-70 AR; and Lieutenant C
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131. 2nd BCT, 3rd ID, 3. See also L
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Chapter 6Regime Collapse“There ar
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Figure 184. Attack to BaghdadBaghda
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Actions ElsewhereAs the corps’ an
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While some soldiers worked to help
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[of Saddam Hussein] were located. T
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These soldiers collect and process
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As the situation developed during t
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Despite the relative ease of their
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Mason Lowery, US ArmyFigure 190. TF
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Thunder Run of 7 AprilTask: Attack
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warrant. 40 If conditions wereGoing
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they came upon them, passing them o
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Figure 195. TF 1-64 AR movement int
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Figure 197. The 2nd BCT disposition
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dazed. The explosion and fires prod
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Page 417 and 418: Task OrganizationOn the evening bef
Page 419 and 420: LARRY, and Gator would secure the n
Page 421 and 422: The Pros from Dover—Special Force
Page 423 and 424: About the same time as Johnson move
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Page 427 and 428: Firing on all Cylinders— —Engin
Page 429 and 430: Figure 206. The Iraqi counterattack
Page 431 and 432: Figure 207. The Iraqi counterattack
Page 433 and 434: Silver Star RecommendationSpecialis
Page 435 and 436: NOTES1. Anthony H. Cordesman, The I
Page 437 and 438: Post). This information comes from
Page 439 and 440: Chapter 7ImplicationsSoldiers, sail
Page 441 and 442: OIF demonstrated that the COE is no
Page 443 and 444: from the War in Iraq.” The Russia
Page 445 and 446: Bank and Gaza provided grist for Ar
Page 447 and 448: Although urban operations in OIF pr
Page 449 and 450: Fort Irwin “replicated” the ene
Page 451 and 452: level did have satellite communicat
Page 453 and 454: The evidence of OIF does not compel
Page 455 and 456: Of course, building a doctrine and
Page 457 and 458: also find ways to achieve interdepe
Page 459 and 460: Special Forces in ActionOn 20 20 Ap
Page 461 and 462: Liaison between Army special forces
Page 463 and 464: Simply stated, operational maneuver
Page 465: petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL
Page 469 and 470: Following the incident, the Army la
Page 471 and 472: Grouping so many capabilities in th
Page 473 and 474: The efficacy of net-enabled means t
Page 475 and 476: Information OperationsOperation OIF
Page 477 and 478: There are some obvious OIF implicat
Page 479 and 480: Most tactical unit commanders claim
Page 481 and 482: NOTES1. JFCOM and TRADOC are moving
Page 483 and 484: Chapter 8TransitionPeace enforcemen
Page 485 and 486: On Point has not been able to deliv
Page 487 and 488: I Guess I Made an ImpressionThis fi
Page 489 and 490: him the opportunity to honor his cl
Page 491: NOTES1. General Peter J. Schoomaker
Page 494 and 495: DESERT STORM as commander of VII Co
Page 497 and 498: Combined Forces Land Component Comm
Page 499 and 500: Facilities Engineer Team410th Milit
Page 501 and 502: 244th Theater Aviation Brigade (OPC
Page 503 and 504: Facilities Engineer Detachment BFor
Page 505 and 506: Detachment/Marine Light Attack Heli
Page 507 and 508: Detachment/Marine Aerial Refueler/T
Page 509 and 510: 4th Light Armored Recon Battalion (
Page 511 and 512: 10th Logistics Planning Augmentatio
Page 513 and 514: 315th Tactical PSYOP CoTactical PSY
Page 515 and 516: Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Veh
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1st Brigade, 4th Infantry DivisionH
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Tactical PSYOP Team 221/362nd Tacti
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Control Ground Station Team 5/5/D/3
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Ground Surveillance Systems Platoon
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Eagle-Intel/Analysis and Control El
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A/326th Engineer BattalionTeam 1/27
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Elements/4th Air Support Operations
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864th Engineer Battalion (-) (Comba
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HHC (-)/22nd Signal Bde17th Signal
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51st Movement Control Detachment (D
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HHC/418th Quartermaster Bn59th Quar
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507th Medical Co (Air Ambulance) (A
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AMC Logistics Support Element FWD -
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381st Military Police Detachment (E
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513th Transportation Co (Medium Tru
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249th Quartermaster Co (Repair Part
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946th Transportation Co (Medium Tru
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Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 2
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Glossary A2C2AAAAAMDCAASLTABC-BLABC
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C1C2C2C2XC2PCC3C4C4ISRC5C6CACACOMCA
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EUCOMEXORDF/AFAFAIOFARPFBCB2FIFFIST
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JLOTSJOEJOPESJRACJRTCJSOTFJSOTF-NOR
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OBJODAODSOEFOHOIFOIF-SGO/OOOTWOPCON
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SOCCESOCCENTSOCOMSOFSOPSPSPACECOMSP
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BibliographyInterviews, Discussions
Page 567 and 568:
Group InterviewsInterview with CFLC
Page 569 and 570:
Dilanian, Ken. “Airborne Jumps In
Page 571 and 572:
Joint Publication 4-01.8. Joint Tac
Page 573 and 574:
• 335th Theater Signal Command•
Page 575:
Lieutenant Colonel David Kolleda.
Page 578 and 579:
103 Military Intelligence Battalion
Page 580 and 581:
603rd Aviation Support Battalion ·
Page 582 and 583:
General, USMC, Chief of Staff, CFLC
Page 584 and 585:
Davis, Wilbur, Staff Sergeant, USA,
Page 586 and 587:
Operations Officer, National Ground
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219, 223, 243, 278, 296, 314, 331,
Page 590 and 591:
198, 284, 315Objective RAMS · 102,
Page 592 and 593:
427, 430, 518Schwartz, Eric ‘Rick
Page 594 and 595:
USS Higgins, Aegis Destroyer · 65,
Page 598:
The United Strates Army in Opera
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