Military

Timely and proper planning of support requirements by the unit determines the adequacy of the support provided. Because the nature of contingency operations vary, units must study and evaluate higher headquarters plans and staff estimates, and identify their support requirements during the military decision making process, for a particular contingency operation. At this point, planners concern themselves with what they need, not who will provide it. Once identified, these requirements are included in support plans, and the appropriate sources to satisfy requirements are determined.

Determining whether or not to use contracting support starts during the planning process, when support requirements are identified for a particular operation. As planners match up requirements with capabilities, they determine if the normal supply system or organic support can provide the support requested. If it can, then the requirement is passed to the appropriate support unit; if not, the review continues to determine if other sources of support, such as contingency contracting, HNS or LOGCAP, are available and can meet the requirement. The review process selects the source that best meets the requirement. When other sources are not available or cannot meet the requirement within the timeframe required, and funding is available, contracting support may be selected. Figure 4-1 describes the decision process involved in determining if contracting support should be used. This decision cycle need not be lengthy or bureaucratic. The appropriate MMC maintains asset visibility through such automated means as Standard Army Retail Supply System - Objective (SARSS-O), or the emerging Global Combat Support System - Army (GCSS-A), allowing it to quickly identify whether a requirement needs to be resourced from sources other than the military supply system. CCOs anticipate mission requirements, identify potential vendor sources, and advise commanders and logisticians of commercially available support to augment the supply system.

Requests for support follow established procedures and processing guidelines. For supply requirements, requests are submitted on the appropriate supply request forms, or with an automated system, through normal supply channels, and are filled at the first level of support having the capability. If a lower level is unable to fill the requirement, it is passed on to the next level, and continues until it can be satisfied. When a request cannot be satisfied through the normal supply system, it may be satisfied through contracting support.

Service requirements are requested through the appropriate functional staff proponent as indicated below--

• G1 approves requests for civilian labor (US and non-US) and morale support activities.
• G2 approves requests for intelligence support.
• G3 approves requests for the lease of real estate by the USACE. Public law reserves authority to purchase or lease real estate and real property to the USACE.
• G4 approves requests for the purchase of all supplies and services not the responsibility of another staff proponent. The appropriate MMC maintains supply visibility throughout the force and the wholesale supply system, and advises the G4 when shortfalls exist that require resourcing by other means, such as HNS, LOGCAP or contingency contracting.
• G5, in conjunction with the functional staff proponents, facilitates the coordination of HNS. Requirements that can be satisfied through a HNS agreement are not considered further for contracting support.
• G6 approves requests for the purchase or lease of automation equipment, tactical radios, pagers, photocopiers, cellular phones and airtime, and tactical facsimiles.
• The staff engineer coordinates the purchase or lease of facilities for Army forces in theater.

As with supply requests, a request for services is satisfied at the first level having the capability. If it cannot be satisfied at one level it is passed on to the next, and continues on until it can be satisfied. When a request cannot be satisfied through organic support, contingency contracting, HNS, or LOGCAP may be able to do so. Figure 4-2 describes the typical flow of a request for services.

For the purposes of this manual, requests for support generally are processed as described below, although some processing steps and requirements may be adapted to the operational environment.

The unit or requiring activity is the initiation point for any request. Either through operational planning when initial requirements are identified, or during an operation when a new requirement arises, the unit must initiate the action. Commodity managers in the MMC often identify mission requirements that can't be met by the organic CSS structure or the military supply system. Under the concept of anticipatory logistics, these commodity managers often prepare purchase requests to initiate local procurements to meet those requirements exceeding the capability of the military support infrastructure. Experienced contingency contracting personnel advise commanders, during the planning process, of goods and services they habitually provide deploying forces, such as bottled water, Class IV supplies, or trash and field sanitation services, and inform those commanders what they require from other staff sections for that support to be effective. For example, the staff engineer plans field sanitation and trash disposal, and the Provost Marshal plans base access for contractor personnel.

Once a request is initiated, it flows either through the unit's support battalion (supply request) or brigade level staff (service request), to the division materiel management center (DMMC) or the functional staff proponent for action. The key action at division level is to determine if the request can be supported with division assets. If the request cannot be supported at division level, it is forwarded to corps level for further processing. If the division is the highest level ground force, the DMMC or functional staff proponent determines if local purchase is needed to fulfill the requirement.

Processing a support request at the corps level is similar to that at division. The corps is responsible for processing requests from all divisions and non-divisional units within the corps area. Once the corps materiel management center (CMMC) or the responsible staff proponent takes action, the request is forwarded to the appropriate corps support unit for action. If corps assets cannot honor the request, it is passed to the next higher echelon for further processing. When a corps acts as an ARFOR, the CMMC determines whether contingency contracting should fill a requirement for support.

At EAC/COMMZ, the TSC processes requests for all units in or passing through the COMMZ, and those forwarded from the corps. After processing by the TSC MMC or the appropriate staff proponent, the request is either sent to the appropriate support unit for action, or to the supporting contracting element if the requirement is to be contracted.

The CINC or senior commander at the highest level in the theater establishes an acquisition review board to review and approve support requests that are being considered for contracting. The ARB reviews contracting requests that exceed the dollar amount directed in the contracting appendix of the OPLAN or OPORD that fall within specified categories. The theater contracting support plan provides specific criteria for which requests must be submitted to the board. The board's purpose is to determine which requests should be approved and the priority in which they should be acted upon. Once approved, requests are forwarded to the supporting contracting element for action.

In some contingency operations the contracting support plan directs that purchase requests for certain supplies or services be contracted for by another Service or an allied country participating in the operation. When this is the case, the purchase request is forwarded to the designated Service or country-contracting element for action. In most cases this action is transparent to the requesting unit because of the consolidation of contracting functions in a joint or multinational environment.

The contracting support plan for the particular contingency operation will specify the contracting support structure and support relationships for the theater. It will also establish priorities for support as directed by the J3/G3/S3, and at what level controlled supplies or services will be managed. Although the objective for obtaining support is to exhaust all normal supply system and organic support sources in the theater before considering contracting support, the operational environment may dictate that a complete search of the theater is not possible. Exceptions to processing flow described above can be established when expediency and responsiveness are essential. When the contracting support plan provides, certain support requests may be considered for contracting support without running the entire length of the theater system. In these cases, the responsible MMC or functional staff proponent forwards requests to the supporting contracting element.

Because each operation's support requirements are different, it is difficult to identify those requirements that will normally be supported through contracting. Typical support obtained from commercial sources includes--

• Construction materials such as sand, gravel, sandbags, cement, pipes, valves, fittings, lumber, plywood, electrical parts, and plumbing supplies.
• Administrative items.
• Replacement parts for heavy construction equipment, vehicles, and common equipment (e.g., fans, ovens, heaters or air conditioners).
• Medical supplies such as bandages, gauze, splints, medicines, and medical equipment.
• Subsistence like water, potable ice, fresh fruits and vegetables, and bread. Subsistence items must have prior approval by the appropriate G4 and veterinarian staff before being purchased.

• Services typically include: billeting, facility rentals, nontactical vehicle rental and maintenance, commercial communications services, civilian labor, utilities, refuse collection, latrines, laundry, stevedore, shower/bath, and material handling equipment lease and repair.
• Construction requirements may include: paving, revetments, fences/barriers, temporary structures, and maintenance and repair of existing structures

Support requirements that are to be satisfied through contracting are initiated by the responsible activity through the use of a purchase request (DA Form 3953, Purchase Request and Commitment, or other valid purchase request form). The responsible activity may be the supply activity or functional staff proponent at the level where the decision to use contracting was made, or the requesting unit or activity. The purchase request contains--

• A detailed description of the supplies or services to be purchased.
• Certification that sufficient funds are available and the approval to use them.
• Approval by commanders, appropriate staff proponents, and supply personnel.
• A document number from the PBO.

Figure 4-3 describes the basic information needed in a purchase request.

Command operating procedures and the Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement No. 2, Contingency Contracting, contain detailed procedures on how to complete the purchase request.

Funding for purchase requests is provided through the appropriate command resource management/comptroller office. As part of the purchase request process, the activity responsible for preparing the purchase request coordinates with its resource management or comptroller office to determine if funds are available. That office provides the necessary certification on the purchase request.

Although contracting elements arrange for and acquire the supplies and services requested, the requiring activity identifies and describes, as specifically as possible, what is needed and when; and obtains the approvals and funding before the contracting element can perform its function.

The requiring activity, whether it is a TSC MMC, a corps G4, or the requesting unit, bears the initial burden of responsibility in obtaining needed supplies and services through contracting support. It is responsible for--

• Preparing the purchase request.
• Preparing an estimate of costs. This independent government estimate is based on realistic cost or price factors (goods, services or construction) or price factors (supplies) to support contract funding requirements.
• Preparing a performance work statement (PWS). The PWS describes the material, services, or construction requirements. The PWS also includes a quality surveillance plan, which specifies how the requesting unit will verify that it is getting what was requested.
• Obtaining needed approvals and funds certification.
• Providing a COR for services or minor construction projects. The USACE often provides COR personnel for major construction projects.

The governing contracting support plan specifies who is responsible for receiving supplies and services obtained through contracting support. When supplies are contracted for, either a designated central receiving point or the requesting unit/activity verifies that it receives what was requested. For services, the designated COR normally verifies that the service performed complies with the statement of work. Upon delivery of the supplies, or completion of the services or construction being performed, the verifying activity performs the following:

• Verifies that supplies fit the description and quantity requested.
• Verifies that services or construction meets the requirements of the statement of work.
• Signs and completes the receiving report so that the contractor can get paid.
• Informs the PBO when purchased or leased nonexpendable supplies or equipment have been received so that property accountability can be established. The PBO establishes and maintains property accountability for nonexpendable supplies and equipment bought or leased by contingency contracting personnel.
• Maintains property accountability for purchased and leased supplies, equipment and facilities.
• Performs required operator and unit maintenance and provides physical security for leased equipment and facilities.