Air University Review, July-August 1969
The Air Force Logistics Command recognizes that the continued superiority of the United States Air Force depends upon the technological, logistical, and operational capability of its personnel and materiel. The AFLC must continuously assume a posture of performance capable of satisfying the demands for logistic superiority inherent in the aerospace forces in-being, the next generation of forces, and the forces of the future. AFLC must be responsive to the critical and urgent logistic demands necessary to maintain the operational superiority of the forces in-being serving the national interests both in Southeast Asia and elsewhere throughout the world. It must also be responsive to the logistic impact of the technologically superior advanced weapon systems and materiel currently in the conceptual or acquisition phase. These demands define the context of the AFLC mission of today.
The AFLC Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, has implemented significant innovations within the command to insure the logistic superiority of the current and future aerospace forces.
system manager program
One of the most significant developments in the area of logistics management was the implementation in November 1967 of the AFLC system manager program. The continuing shortage of research, development, and acquisition dollars made it mandatory that increased emphasis be placed upon the reliability and logistic supportability of current Air Force systems and associated subsystems. To achieve this objective, action was taken to develop a program that would improve the management of all logistic aspects of major Air Force systems, subsystems, projects, and end items throughout their life cycle. The individual designated to perform this function is the system manager, popularly known as “crew chief.”
At the time Air Force Systems Command designates a system program director, the AFLC commander makes a provisional system management assignment for that system to one of the five air materiel area commanders. The AMA commander, in turn, designates the system manager. Concurrent with these assignments, the Directorate of Weapon System Program Management, Headquarters AFLC, assumes program management for support of the system and prepares a program management directive to provide guidance and direction to the system manager. The program management directive is designed to implement preacquisition logistic actions and establish the plan for support of the system during its operational life.
The system manager has total logistics responsibility for the system he manages. In the early part of the system’s life cycle, he influences system design by providing logistic intelligence and constraints to the developing agency. During the contract definition phase he ensures that the logistic requirements are built into the acquisition contract. During the acquisition phase he ensures the satisfaction of all logistic requirements. As the system enters the operational phase, he maintains constant surveillance over the system to improve the basic design and ensure that the way the using activity operates and maintains the system is consistent with the capabilities of the equipment.
The system manager must essentially be a highly experienced and extremely competent organizer, manager, and integrator, fitting all the complex parts of the logistics picture together on a timely basis in a concerted effort toward meeting the requirements and maximizing the operational readiness of the customer.
He is not bound by arbitrary limitations on the scope of his activities; instead he is expected to move out aggressively into any area affecting his system. In dealing with other Air Force activities, other government agencies, and contractors, he speaks with the authority of the AFLC commander. The responsibility of the system manager ceases only when the Air Force is relieved of its logistic responsibility for the system.
The early assignment of system management responsibilities has become a policy of AFLC and has been incorporated into applicable directives and regulations.
weapon system liaison officers
A weapon system liaison officer serves as an on-the-spot representative of the system manager. He is familiar with the logistics procedures essential in obtaining rapid responsiveness, in obtaining a critical part for repair of the aircraft or other system, in obtaining emergency technical assistance, in anticipating logistic problems, and in initiating remedial action. Individual weapon system liaison officer requirements are reviewed once a year to determine the need for their continuance. When it has been determined jointly by the using command and AFLC that the specialized support is no longer needed at a particular base, the weapon system liaison officer is returned to his parent air materiel area.
special logistics assistance to Southeast Asia
In the autumn of 1965, a group of logistics specialists was assembled from within the AFLC staff to form an organization under the DCS/Operations called the Logistics Activation Task Force. This group was charged with development of a Southeast Asia (SEA) buildup programming plan and for management of the aggregation of “packages” of supplies and equipment required to establish and operate complete air bases.
Teams of supply, maintenance, and transportation specialists were assembled to provide on-base assistance and training at the SEA bases. They provided escort for the base packages and supervision of the unloading, storage, installation, and checkout of the supplies and equipment. So important were these teams to the overall support of the SEA operations that logistic teams have been expanded to provide continuing depot-level support and assistance as requested.
The supply specialists, known as rapid area supply support teams, are engaged in inventory and rewarehousing to eliminate excesses, consolidate locations, and provide more efficient use of limited storage space. The transportation specialists, known as rapid area transportation support teams, frequently work in conjunction with the rapid area supply support teams to pack and crate excesses, inspect storage containers, arrange shipping schedules, and eliminate receiving backlog. Crash and battle damage in Southeast Asia constitutes a major part of AFLC maintenance support work, accomplished by the rapid area maintenance teams. Work in this area includes assessment of damages determination of repair source and accomplishment of depot-level repair. Team assignments are usually from 60 to 120 days and normally two or more teams are programmed for arrival at the same time.
To maintain a close working relationship with the using commands in Southeast Asia and provide the best possible support, liaison officers have been assigned to the Thirteenth Air Force at Clark Air Base, Philippines, and the Seventh Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. The duties of these officers are to provide on-the-spot support assistance to the weapon system liaison officers and AFLC assistance teams keep AFLC informed of support deficiencies, and plan ways to facilitate rapid reaction to changing requirements.
The AFLC commander has assigned a special assistant to provide on-site direction of the AFLC response to SEA logistics requirements. Located at Seventh Air Force headquarters, he provides overall supervision of AFLC rapid area maintenance, rapid area supply support, and rapid area transportation support teams and liaison personnel to ensure that timely support is provided. He advises and assists the commanders and directors of materiel at the Thirteenth and Seventh Air Forces. He keeps the AFLC and AMA commanders advised of support deficiencies and follows through to ensure response and corrective action. With the unique operational relationship between the Seventh and Thirteenth Air Forces, the creation of this position has been highly beneficial in providing a single point of contact in Southeast Asia for all AFLC logistic problems.
management of C-E-M
Management of the installation engineering, equipment procurement and installation, and logistic support of communications-electronics-meteorological programs directed to AFLC for implementation is accomplished by utilizing various techniques and management tools.
Upon receipt of a communications-electronics implementation directive from the Air Staff, AFLC publishes a program directive. This directive places specific responsibilities upon the AFLC activities involved, including the Ground Electronics Engineering Installation Agency (GEEIA) and the appropriate AMA’s. The directive also establishes target dates for each of the milestones that must be attained by the forecast support date. These milestones are entered in the AFLC Communications-Electronics-Meteorological Program Milestones Status Report, commonly referred to as the H-17 report.
C-E-M Program Milestones Status Report
The H -17 report serves as the basic internal AFLC management tool for displaying the current status of all communications-electronics-meteorological programs directed to AFLC for implementation. One of the significant features of the H-17 requires the responsible activity to submit a summary for each milestone that cannot be met, describing the problem, the pacing item creating the problem, and the estimated get-well date. The H-17 system serves as a valuable management tool not only to ascertain current program status but also to provide information relative to the difficulties being encountered, the resolution techniques, and the new completion dates.
Project Pacer Pick
Prior to the conflict in Southeast Asia, communications-electronics requirements were programmed in accordance with AF Manual 100-18, USAF Ground Communications-Electronics Program Management. Briefly, this manual requires the operating commands to prepare and obtain approval of a communications-electronics implementation plan from Hq USAF before any action is taken to satisfy the requirement. The process is time-consuming and not responsive to wartime conditions.
To combat this situation, a “streamlined communications-electronics- meteorological programming procedure for Southeast Asia” was developed. The resultant Project Pacer Pick is divided into two parts:
a. Pacer Pick I requirements are reviewed, approved, and funded and immediate procurement action is started during requirement meetings called semiannually or at the discretion of Hq Pacific Air Forces. This on-the-spot approval enables AFLC to release available items for immediate shipment.
b. Pacer Pick II handles emergency requirements generated by Hq Pacific Air Forces or Seventh Air Force between scheduled meetings.
Under the streamlined procedure of Pacer Pick I and II, requirements are documented and submitted directly to Hq AFLC, without Hq USAF approval. The requirement document confirms the action taken and is annotated to reflect either a Pacer Pick I or Pacer Pick II requirement. All items are controlled by the appropriate item manager and are issued when called out by Ground Electronics Engineering Installation Agency for installation.
The results have contributed immeasurably to the AFLC support mission in Southeast Asia.
initial provisioning
One of the most basic responsibilities of the Air Force Logistics Command is to provide adequate initial product support for all new weapon systems and equipment entering the operational inventory. This is accomplished through the initial provisioning process. Initial provisioning is simply the process of determining the range and quantity of spare and repair parts required to support and maintain new systems and equipment during their initial period of operation. The military value of new systems is in direct proportion to the effectiveness of this initial support.
resident provisioning teams
The resident provisioning team concept was developed, and is still being refined, to compensate for the problems created by compression of the development and acquisition phases. It is being applied to all major weapon systems. Under this concept a team of logisticians from the air materiel area assigned management of the system is permanently stationed at the contractor’s plant. The team is given the procurement authority of a contracting officer, so that it can place orders for spares and repair parts direct to the contractor. The resident provisioning team is under the jurisdiction of the system manager and is, in effect, an extension of that office.
accelerated provisioning concept
An accelerated provisioning concept has been developed for use by the air materiel areas in accomplishing initial provisioning on short-life contracts (for less than major systems) and emergency modification procurements that do not warrant assignment of a resident provisioning team.
The concept enables the air materiel areas to release initial spares orders some 90 days earlier than conventional provisioning and provides initial support on a more timely basis to meet Southeast Asia operational requirements. It has also been particularly appropriate for use on “short fuze” communications - electronics - meteorological equipment contracts.
contract language and provisioning planning
Continuing effort is being made to improve provisioning contractual language. A provisioning planning chart, listing the provisioning events involved, will be a part of the request for proposal. Each contractor’s plan will be considered during the source selection board review and inc1uded in the contract when awarded. The provisioning planning chart should provide the basic data necessary to insure at the outset of a weapon system program that it will be logistically supportable at the operational need date.
In addition to the provisioning planning chart, steps are being taken to develop meaningful incentive/penalty clauses applicable to contractor performance in providing initial support.
logistics concepts for
Air Force mobility program
National defense policy demands that conventional forces have the ability to respond rapidly to conflicts at any point on the globe. The importance of this policy, known as strategic mobility, is inherent in two of the major USAF long-range objectives: rapid deployment and austere basing of Air Force units. Mobility concepts have been formulated which stress standardization of like units, the capability to deploy full wings or any of their elements rapidly, the capability to deploy these wings to any geographical area in the world, and the ability to begin operations within a few hours after arrival.
The task of introducing and establishing these new mobility concepts is assigned to the Directorate of Air Force Mobility Support, DCS/Operations, Hq AFLC. As a major part of its mission, the directorate determines, develops, and relates new logistic concepts to operational requirements to obtain an integrated mobility support posture throughout the USAF.
bare-base program
The Directorate of Air Force Mobility Support is the focal point for the bare-base program with AFLC. As part of this program, new air-transportable equipment and facilities are being developed and procured. This enhanced capability will afford tactical forces the flexibility of deploying to and operating from any given environment provided a bare base can be secured. A bare base is defined as one having minimum facilities of a runway, taxiway, and parking ramps and a source of potable water.
Under the program, new hardware emphasizing utility, serviceability, austerity, and air-transportability will be provided to support wing-sized operations at bare-base sites. Development tasks in support of this program are presently in various stages of completion, including a standardized vehicle that can easily be converted for multiple use, lightweight hangars, and expandable shelters.
After considerable research and development effort by Air Force Systems Command, an expandable shelter/container was designed. The basic expandable shelter/container is being engineered and modified by AFLC to serve a variety of functions ranging from administration to maintenance at a bare base. Now known as an “engineered logistic shelter, air-transportable,” the reusable structure will be prewired and will store all equipment internally in its air-transportable container mode. Once deployed, the operational shelter will be expanded to approximately three times its container size. Well ventilated and insulated, the shelter will be resistant to weather, fire, fungus, and mildew. In addition, it will be palletized for ease of onload and offload.
Warner Robins and Ogden Air Materiel Areas are the lead AMA’s for engineering the logistic shelter. Warner Robins concentrates on prototypes of shelter facilities in the combat support area. Ogden directs its efforts toward shelter for an aircraft maintenance complex; for example, designing physical layouts of shelter facilities for organizational and field-level maintenance areas and providing for equipment location in both the expanded and contracted configurations.
At the present time, all developmental and engineering efforts are being directed toward the enhancement of one tactical fighter wing’s mobility structure, to be demonstrated in an actual field exercise late in 1969. The future of mobility in the Air Force will be greatly influenced by the results of this demonstration.
USAF mobility planning
A major portion of the USAF mobility plan, currently being prepared, is concerned with achieving an effective logistic support posture commensurate with approved operational concepts and objectives. To attain the planned objectives, many traditional policies, procedures, and operations will have to be revised. One possible development is to combine common maintenance facilities for aircraft, vehicles, and civil engineering. Another aim is the development of an automatic supply system to eliminate requisitioning by mobility-committed units. A need also exists to determine individual and collective mobility deployment requirements and apply worldwide asset information thereto.
Of major importance in this plan is the purchase of recoverable, air-transportable, mobile shelter facilities for employment at overseas locations. These shelters will be used to enable rapid base activation and to minimize time-consuming, expensive construction of fixed facilities that cannot be redeployed or recovered once hostilities end. The cost effectiveness of such a program is readily apparent.
Enhanced mobility for the Air Force of the future is a must. The logistics mobility goal is to enable related materiel and support systems to be as deployable as the aircraft of operational units. Once this goal is achieved, the Air Force will truly possess the desired mobility posture.
international logistics program management
In support of United States foreign aid and the Military Assistance Program, at Hq AFLC the Directorate of International Logistics centrally controls policies, procedures, and concepts of operation governing the AFLC implementation of international logistics programs. The directorate serves as the focal point for receipt of approved programs from Hq USAF and direction of these programs to the appropriate air materiel area for implementation. The directorate provides specialized control of several types of programs, including management of weapon systems to be delivered to recipient countries.
A close relationship is maintained with representatives of foreign countries, both Military Air Attaché Group/Mission personnel and foreign nationals, on matters pertaining to international logistics. AFLC personnel make assistance visits to customer Countries, and Military Air Attaché Group/Mission personnel and members of the foreign armed services are encouraged to visit AFLC activities. Accredited foreign liaison officers are on duty at both Hq AFLC and at the air materiel areas to assist in implementing projects and programs of mutual interest.
Each of the air materiel areas accomplishes technical control, implementation, and administration of assigned programs. They provide technical assistance to recipient countries in the same manner as that provided to USAF organizations; e.g., Sacramento AMA provides assistance to countries in the Pacific, San Antonio AMA to Latin American countries, and Warner Robins AMA to European and Middle East countries.
Grant Aid/Military Assistance
Service Funded programs
Two basic types of international logistics programs are directed to Hq AFLC: Grant Aid/Military Assistance Service Funded and Foreign Military Sales. Grant Aid programs for materiel and logistic services are developed by Military Air Attaché Groups or U.5. Missions located within the recipient country and forwarded through the appropriate unified command to the Department of Defense for approval. Approved programs are implemented in coordination with USAF/Military Air Attaché Group/Mission personnel of the recipient country. Hq AFLC controls the programs by assignment to appropriate single-point managers at the AMA’S and Hq AFLC. Managers at the AMA’S assume responsibilities paralleling those performed for USAF programs. Once the program is directed into the AFLC system, supply, procurement, and maintenance actions follow essentially the same lines as for U.S. Air Force units. Military Assistance Service Funded programs for Southeast Asia countries follow the same developmental channels as Grant Aid programs except that they are financed under USAF-funded arrangements. Military Assistance Service Funded programs have increased with the addition of Southeast Asia countries. Over 2800 aircraft, involving more than 70 model designations, are supported through the above programs.
Foreign Military Sales program
The AFLC role in development of Foreign Military Sales cases (contracts) is to provide price and availability data for AFLC items and logistic services requested by the country. As in Grant Aid, the Foreign Military Sales cases are initially received at Hq AFLC, which assigns the cases to the appropriate AFLC activity for implementation. The air materiel areas provide the continuing management of a Foreign Military Sales case until all materiel/services have been furnished and all costs to the U.S. government are recovered from the customer country.
The Cooperative Logistics program is a part of the regular Foreign Military Sales program. However, Cooperative Logistics cases provide for the recipient country to share in the USAF logistics system for the continuing supply support of specified aircraft or other major items.
Foreign Military Sales programs now provide for support of approximately 2500 aircraft, ranging from the C-47 to the F-4 and F -111. One significant trend has been the continuing growth of Cooperative Logistics. As of November 1968, 11 countries had invested $32 million in AFLC spare parts inventories. Deliveries under the program are averaging approximately 2.4 million items monthly.
Centralized Military Assistance Program
Accounting and Reporting System
The automated Centralized Military Assistance Program Accounting and Reporting System (H051) is continuously being improved to meet the needs of management within the Air Force and customer countries and to meet the increasing demands of all agencies concerned with the management of international logistics programs. In January 1969, the H051 system computer was programmed to automatically follow up on supply and shipment status, to permit early detection and prevention of potential logistic support problems.
Thus, the Air Force Logistics Command must continuously assume a posture of performance responsive to the dynamics of change, the parameters of which are expressed in the methodological difficulty and technological complexity inherent in the urgent demands for logistic superiority of the United States Air Force.
It is the continuing function of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, to develop and implement the managerial and operational innovations necessary for effective performance of the AFLC mission.
Hq Air Force Logistics Command
Major General Fred J. Ascani (USMA) is Deputy chief of Staff, Programs, Hq Air Force Logistics Command. He completed flying training in 1942 and served stateside and in the North African Theater. Postwar assignments have been with Flight Test Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and with Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California; as student, Air War College 1953-54; as a group and wing commander in Europe, Except for duty in Japan as Vice commander, Fifth Air Force, 1965-67, he has been at Wright-Patterson since 1957: with Wright Air Development Center as DCS/P&O, Director of Laboratories, and Director of Systems Engineering; with Air Force System Command as Deputy Commander and B-70 Systems Program Director, Aeronautical Systems Division, and as Commander, Systems Engineering Group, with additional duty as Deputy Commander, Research and Technology Division; and with AFLC since 1967.
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
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