Military

One of the most challenging tasks encountered by units deployed to the National Training Center is to build and employ an automation network that supports the timely transmission of supply and maintenance data across the width and depth of the battlefield. Automation connectivity is the critical link that permits information exchanges between supply and maintenance activities. Automation challenges fall into three categories: command and control, hardware familiarity, and synchronization. Having an action plan that addresses these issues will enhance a unit’s capability to transmit supply and maintenance information in a tactical environment.

Command and Control

Most units fail to assign the responsibility of automation connectivity to an individual or section. This individual should have a basic understanding of automation infrastructure, communications equipment, and the mobile subscriber equipment (MSE) architecture supporting them. He should be directly responsible for the planning, establishment, and operation of the automation pipeline and report systems’ status to the commander, managers, and affected customers. He should have the authority to direct people and resources as necessary and to coordinate, synchronize, and report on all of the automated logistical efforts.

Hardware Familiarity

Quite often, even experienced maintenance and supply managers cannot articulate exactly how the system is supposed to work. This causes commanders to construct and employ inferior infrastructures that are constrained due to equipment and personnel shortfalls. The illustration below depicts the only methods of directly interfacing with standard Army retail supply subsystem (SARSS) and is followed by a short discussion on each method.

File transfer protocol (FTP) uses a local area network to transmit data and is by far the most preferred method of communicating between SARSS1 and SARSS2A/D. To utilize FTP on a tactical network, the network encryption system (NES) at each end of the tactical network acts as a bridge to allow data into and out of the tactical network. Static IP addresses and FTP aliases are also required.

Point-to-point (PTP) requires a modem or tactical terminal adapter (TTA) and is the most common and most successful way of communicating with supported units. In a tactical environment, users transmit data using a TTA over the (MSE) network. This capability allows customers that are operating near a small extension node (SEN) or forced entry system (FES) to communicate directly with the SARSS1 and satellite automatic monitoring system (SAMS1) sites. In addition to being the primary means of communicating with customers, the modem should be the first alternative to transmitting data to SARSS2A/D if the local area network (LAN) becomes unavailable.

Diskettes are the least preferred method of transmitting data. However, not everyone will have access to the MSE network. For units that are located within the brigade support area (BSA) and units that do not have MSE network access, it will be advantageous to use diskettes.

There are three methods of directly interfacing with SARSS. The figure below provides a brief look at a few of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Sometimes none of these are acceptable for units in remote locations. To solve this problem, some units are using single channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS) radios to transmit data via FM radio. Although FM radio does not directly interface with SARSS, it can be used to send data that has been downloaded to diskette.

FM data transmissions require a SINGARS radio at the sending site and the receiving site. Additionally, a computer (typically a laptop) is required to be physically connected to each of the radio's data ports. Although commanders typically call this FM BLAST, it is important to note that this process does not directly interact with SARSS1 or SAMS1. Users must download their data to diskette, which is the least preferred method of communications described above and then physically transport the data to a FM data transmission site. They send the data to a clerk at the opposite end. That clerk creates a diskette and physically transports the data to the designated activity. The process is reversed to send status back to the customer. This process works, but is plagued with problems.

Synchronization

The synchronization of data plays a critical role in the development of a maintenance program. Although there are many events that have to be synchronized, by far the most commonly misunderstood process is the one executed to develop the SAMS 026 print. There are three steps to creating an accurate print with up-to-date supply status.

1. The customer should order high-priority parts immediately as the need arises. Create the requisitions and transmit them to the supply support activity (SSA) using one of the methods described in the previous section. Follow up to ensure the requisitions were received and to see if the parts were on-hand or the requisitions were passed to another supply activity.

2. The SSA will execute the <TRANSIN>, <PROCESS>, and <CUSTOUT> processes to produce status. If the customer is using diskettes, they must take the supply status disk to their unit level logistics system (ULLS) box and process it. If the customer is using a modem to transmit data, they must log onto the SARSS1 system after the <CUSTOUT> process has been performed to download status. SARSS1 will prepare status for each of the requisitions that were received.

3. After the ULLS clerk processes the supply status in the ULLS computer, they must produce and transmit the maintenance data to SAMS1.

Following these steps will ensure SAMS1 is always up to date with the latest supply status. Although it sounds easy, units struggle with this concept for two reasons. One, leaders do not understand that the supply status must be processed before producing the maintenance data. Two, ULLS clerks skip step two and make both the supply disk and the maintenance disk at the same time. Avoid these two common mistakes and the SAMS 026 report will have accurate supply status.

Summary

There are many things to consider in the automation environment. The three subjects discussed in this article cause units the most distress. Planning for these issues will improve your maintenance posture in any tactical environment.