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Supporting the Offense: CSS elements must take advantage of lulls between battles. This is the best window of opportunity for restoring the maneuver commander s combat power. Maintenance, supply and normal services occur whenever the opportunity exists. Initial logistics support should emphasize refueling and rearming operational systems. This should be followed by resupply of essential major end items of equipment, basic loads of classes III and V, critical repair parts, water and rations. Recovery and evacuation of combat-damaged, but not expeditiously repairable, equipment should begin as soon as practical.

Air Item Recovery: CSS elements must formally train in the methods and techniques of air item recovery. Units must order the necessary equipment to get resupply chutes out of trees.

Manning, Fixing, and Casualty Evacuation: These three items must be considered during the after phase of an operation. But they should only be addressed in an OPLAN/OPORD if they are different than during the before and during phases. Manning, fixing, and casualty evacuation are all means of maintaining combat strength and instilling the warrior spirit. CSS planners must realize that their jobs are to support the war fighters, and, therefore, they must be able to execute and react to one plan while they plan and prepare to execute another.

CSS elements conduct sustainment operations on a continuous basis; when maneuver elements are not fighting, CSS elements take advantage of the lull to prepare for the next operation. Maintenance, resupply, and normal services are done whenever the opportunity exists. Repairing damaged equipment and returning it to the fight requires early diagnosis and identification of faults. This should be accomplished as far forward as possible.

Emergency resupply is conducted when needed, but routine resupply is usually conducted at night. Logistical packages (LOGPACs) are used extensively to move supplies, personnel, and equipment forward. Vulnerability and limited cross-country mobility of CSS vehicles dictate that LOGPACs use existing roads at night.

Combat-configured loads is the preferred method of distribution from forward-deployed sites. This method shortens the time spent on site for the customer and eases the workload of the forward support element.

LESSON(S):

• CSS elements conduct sustainment operations on a continuous basis.

• When maneuver elements are not fighting, CSS elements take advantage of the lull in the battle to prepare for the next operation.

• Use the combat configured loads to distribute supplies to forward units.

Experience from the CTCs shows that all units need to improve their air item recovery skills. Rotational units often have not trained in the skills necessary in recovering air items. Soldiers are not trained in parachute recovery and proper methods of rolling and storing high and low velocity parachutes. Units routinely do not have the necessary equipment to recover air items from trees (hooks, chain saws, and ropes). Units also do not consider the importance of evacuation of air items. Limited quantities of air items which are available for exercises and operations dictate that all available means to transport these items back to the rear must be used. This is especially true for units that rely on aerial resupply.

LESSON(S): Units must add proper air item recovery to their air resupply training plans.

Once a battle has ended, execution of the plan to man the force must be considered. There are three methods of bringing a unit back to the necessary personnel and equipment strength. All three depend on the factors of METT-T and how much a unit has been depleted. These three methods are reorganization, regeneration, and reconstitution. Regeneration and reconstitution are normally planned and executed by units at division level and above for units that are brigade size and below. For the purpose of this newsletter, discussion will focus on reorganization.

During reorganization, primary emphasis is on the use of unit personnel for cross-leveling, for redistribution, or for the forming of a composite unit. External assets may be used, provided they are available within the relatively short time periods allowed for reorganization and the unit can assimilate them.

Even though reorganization normally occurs after the battle is completed or as lulls between battles occur, it must be planned for throughout the before and during phases of an operation. To efficiently execute a reorganization, CSS members of the brigade and battalion staffs and the FSB must understand the context of the commander's intent, what future operations the unit will participate in, and ensure that logistics assets are planned for and available.

LESSON(S): Commanders should maintain as much unit integrity (e.g., squad, crew, or team) as possible under the circumstances. This contributes to retention of cohesion and guidance provides a base for rebuilding units if regeneration is to be accomplished in the future.

Restoring combat capability of unit equipment is of utmost importance. Restoration of combat power is important because it allows the unit to consolidate on the objective, sutain current operations, and prepare for future operations. How a unit goes about restoring combat capability effectively and efficiently will dictate how soon it is ready for the next mission. Unit- and intermediate-level maintenance personnel often use battle damage assessments as a basis for immediate battlefield repairs (including battlefield cross-leveling and use of expedient repairs that restore capability). They should concentrate on repair of major end items critical to the unit's effectiveness and within the commander's priorities. All maintenance efforts may be restricted to mission-essential maintenance only (MEMO) as authorized in appropriate operations or admin/log orders. LESSON(S): Restoring combat capability after operations is dependent on thorough planning and preparation throughout the before and during phases of an operation. Maintainers will prioritize their efforts based on provided guidance.

Analysis of trends from the CTCs show that while significant progress has been made in this area, many units still suffer problems in evacuating casualties. It is not unusual for 21 percent of the casualties to die of wounds because of a faulty evacuation plan. Lack of transportation is often the primary cause of untimely evacuation.

Another problem that causes casualties to die of wounds at the CTCs is emergency medical treatment. The combat lifesaver concept has improved the chances of casualty survival. But swift medical treatment by qualified medical personnel greatly enhances survival. Emergency medical treatment that returns soldiers to duty decreases the requirement for replacements and enhances the total reorganization process. Emergency treatment starts as far forward as possible and continues as a casualty is evacuated to the rear. Injuries categorized as minimal during the triage process are treated as soon after injury as possible to rapidly return the soldier to duty.

Casualty evacuation should be planned and rehearsed before an operation to ensure that the system will work correctly.

LESSON(S): Casualty evacuation is a task that must be planned for by commanders at all levels. Emergency medical treatment of soldiers far forward increases a soldier's chances of survival. Swift and proper evacuation of casualties returns soldiers to the unit more quickly and, therefore, maintains unit readiness at a higher level.

Chapter II: Supporting the Offense - During

Chapter IV: Supporting the Offense - Safety