Washington Army National Guard Soldiers, assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, pull security while transporting supplies to the forward operating base in The Boxa massive training area within the National Training Centeron Fort Irwin, California, March 13. Only one proactive vehicle commander had an updated map and could describe the general time line of the operation. Army Doctrine Publication 5-0, The Operations Process, tells us that TLPs are an Army planning methodology used to help leaders at the company and below levels begin the operations process. This is because of the pressure to support the battalion's primary training priorities (such as the mortar training and evaluation program, platoon live fires, and company combined arms live fires). Those FSCs that do simply go through the motions without a firm understanding of why they are doing so or what the outcome should be. What is a forward support company? - TeachersCollegesj Continuity requires standards, discipline, and respect for each other principle of sustainment. If, however, they were defeated or not present, sustainment units would be continuously vulnerable to enemy air threats. The FSC headquarters section, monitoring radios that had not been updated with the new communications security fill, sits listening to radio silence as the FTCP's entry control point attempts to report enemy movement to the front. The proponent of ATP 4-42 is the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command. On 16 February 2006 the 19th Engineer Battalion reactivated at Fort Knox, KY and within it, the Forward Support Company. Soldiers are not given enough time to prepare their equipment for the mission. According to ADP 4-0, continuity is the uninterrupted provision of sustainment across all levels of war. In simple terms, this means getting the right stuff to the right people at the right time consistently. company, brigade support medical company, and forward support companies. Every training exercise should be thoroughly planned, and company leaders at every level should become accustomed to issuing OPORD briefings and conducting rehearsals. The link between logistics and operations allows commanders to make informed decisions and opens the possibilities of decision-making. As an example, a company-level after action review (AAR) during a recent JMRC rotation revealed that an FSC failed to make good use of its time. Forward Support Company Trends in Decisive Action Lt. Col. Sarah Gilbert graduated from the University of Missouri and was commissioned in 2004 in the Quartermaster Corps. In split-second moments on the battlefield, when battalion- or brigade-level sensors cannot communicate the presence of enemy threats to vulnerable units in time, sustainers have to execute disciplined initiative to prevent disruption to sustainment capabilities. Record Details for FM 3-96. Of note, no one in the convoy had received even a rudimentary mission briefing before crossing the line of departure. Unit leaders want Soldiers to know mental health and their welfare, regardless of duty status,, Your official source for Army Reserve news First, logistics leaders simply have not been exposed to the same intense, small-unit-focused schools and exercises as their combat arms peers. The TTP of each unit varies in the location and timing of link-up and needs to be clearly understood, expressed, and followed to be successful. During 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 1st Armored Division's recent National Training Center (NTC) rotation in November 2020, sustainment leaders learned that there is a significant. The reason most FSCs struggle with the company planning process is failure within all three domains of leader development. Capt. The FSC commander would immediately assemble this group upon the receipt of mission and issue a WARNORD. The maintenance platoon leader was in charge of MCP operation and the perimeter defense plan. Surviving enemy contact is not enough for a logistics unit; they must also minimize disruptions to sustainment to continue the fight. Army Publishing Directorate Even if a dedicated company-level training event is not possible, a typical FSC will be busy conducting multiple support missions in any given week. The easiest way to avoid these issues is to train on map reading, land navigation during limited visibility operations at home station. The headquarters section doesn't have a representative in attendance. The battalion S-4 remained in charge of the mission command node while the FSC commander maintained overall command of the CTCP. Frequently the inability to sync with the operational planning results in ad hoc resupply missions, missing timelines, unnecessary movements, and completely missing the supported unit or even venturing beyond the FLOT. If an FSC commander feels confident in his unit's ability to rapidly produce mission orders, it is highly recommended that he request an external evaluation by either the battalion operations officer or brigade support battalion executive officer. Other supply classes, such as Class V and VIII, require accurate and timely expenditure reports to assist the forward support company (FSC) and S-4 in calculating resupply times and quantities. How will the unit recover that vehicle? The battalion was unable to issue a warning order (WARNORD) because of the time constraints of the upcoming mission. Regular sustainment forces of both armies who were not accustomed to the North American frontier tactics were unprepared and defenseless against raids and ambushes along rocky and foliaged terrain. In July 2008, FSC went to the field and supported the BN FTX through serving hot chow two times a day, fuel and water distribution, ammo support and distribution, wrecker, and onsite maintenance support. Army Capt. Unit Of Issue (s) BK. This will effectively give the FSC the ability to protect its LOGPACs and command post elements simultaneously from potential enemy armor and air threats, thus achieving the sixth principle of sustainment, survivability. Who makes contact during rearming, refuel, and resupply point processes, and how? It provides transportation, maintenance and logistical support to the battalion operations. Forward support company operations in separate units Soldiers need to be constantly aware that the enemy is lurking and waiting for them to become relaxed in their guard and security for the time to strike. This adds more stress to an already challenging environment. The logisticians goal should be to move everything a unit needs at one time and arrive just in time for the mission. How will the unit move the vehicle and the assets it is carrying if they are not damaged? To train as we fight, adding a little chaos to the mix of training scenarios, missions, and tasks enhances training and knowledge. The FSC provides field feeding, bulk fuel, general supply, ammunition, and field maintenance. The first sergeant quietly nods and heads out the door. Allowing for improvisation in planning but restricting it at the point of sustainment (i.e., at the LRP or supply point) paralyzes a unit from effective action. He has bachelor's degrees in international studies and political science from the Virginia Military Institute. Leaders determined that all assets were needed to be as expeditionary as possible because mission command nodes tend to stay in one place for too long. (See Army Technical Publication (ATP) 3-90.1, Armor and Mechanized Infantry Company Team, for more on "laagers" and general TAA organization.) This gave the battalion greater freedom of movement and maneuver and provided contingency supplies in case there was a break in the chain of support. Contributing to the FTCP's ability to operate nonstop was the additional duty tasking of the maintenance control sergeant, the battalion S-4 noncommissioned officer-in-charge, two Global Combat Support System-Army clerks, an S-1 clerk, and two additional Soldiers. Silence. This article was published in the March-April 2018 issue of Army Sustainment magazine. To establish and maintain continuity of sustainment, a unit must use: Avoiding the Pitfall. Unfortunately, many units and their leaders find pitfalls before and during training, preparation, and execution of tactical logistics. According to Army Technical Publication (ATP) 4-90, Brigade Support Battalion, when planning for sustainment, the maneuver battalion command team, the BSB command team, and the FSC commander must collaborate to determine the best method of employment commensurate with the brigade concept of support. In spring of 2009 the organization again deployed. The Forward Support Company (FSC) or Field Trains Command Post (FTCP) personnel pick them up at the Supply Support Activity (SSA) in the Brigade Support Area (BSA). The battalion is a subordinate unit of the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and I Corps. Wingit thinks to himself. However, the reports must be timely, accurate, and complete to be useful. While additional attachments to the BSA can provide a wider selection of security assets, this topic merits further exploration into how to organically equip an ABCT BSB to secure the BSA from enemy armor and air threats. By failing to execute TLPs, FSC commanders are risking a lot more than simply mission accomplishment. Never assume any Soldier or leader has thought through every possible uniform scenario for a training event; it takes a collective effort to ensure packing lists are thorough and completed with enough time for Soldiers to secure items they may not have. The return on investment will reveal itself during the battle when line companies will not need to request emergency resupplies because their regularly scheduled and dedicated echelon trains have been cut off. The distribution platoon leader quickly jots down the commander's comments but doesn't notice that the graphics hanging on the map haven't been updated to reflect the new mission. "Any questions?" Only the most irresponsible leaders would willingly allow this to happen to their formations. This includes physically loading every piece of equipment, aligning towed equipment to prime movers, and aligning drivers, truck commanders (TCs), and gunners to equipment. Building mutual trust, another principle of mission command, is required for this to occur. Units will often forego the simplistic for the complicated because of uncertainty in their processes. Most notable was the British and French armies use of irregular or guerrilla warfare to disrupt each others supply trains moving between forts deep in the wilderness during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). A clearly defined commanders intent coupled with the dissemination and understanding of the mission throughout the organization will speak volumes toward a units capabilities and cohesion and encompass three mission command principles. Insist and enforce checks on Soldiers and leaders throughout the organization to display all equipment needed for any operation. Most units in the Army, especially in the sustainment realm, have an enormous amount of practice with improvisation. Any sustainment element, including the FSC, must be intimately aware of the plans of supported units and prepare to support the next phase of the operation. The best way to ensure a common standard in the planning process is to create and use standard operating procedures (SOP). The following is the current organization of the Armor Company of the U.S. Army as of roughly the late 2000s or early 2012s. After the FSC regained control of the situation, no further TLPs were conducted at the company, platoon, squad, or section levels for the duration of the time available. FSC continued its support of the 19th EN BN in September of 2008 during PLT STX and convoy live fire exercise enabling the BN to conduct realist training exercises.
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