HOW TO SYNCHRONIZE THE BRIGADE S4 AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN THE BSA:

HOW TO SYNCHRONIZE THE BRIGADE S4 AND
SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN THE BSA

by CPT Matthew T. Higginbotham, and CPT Adrian H. Haynes Jr., CMTC

From high intensity conflict (HIC) to stability operations (peace enforcement), the brigade S4 and forward support battalion (FSB)'s support operations officer (SPO) must synchronize all brigade logistics operations. Doctrine provides a general basis for identifying responsibilities between the two, but how do we integrate them? The success of the brigade S4 and FSB SPO in combining logistical efforts directly impacts on the brigade's ability to successfully accomplish its mission.

This article provides a framework for integration by highlighting important factors in planning and preparing for brigade logistics operations. This framework is based on CMTC observer/controller (O/C)-documented observations during HIC and stability operations training environments.

Prior to synchronizing brigade S4 and support operations in the BSA, doctrinal responsibilities must be understood. Examples from FM 63-20, Forward Support Battalions, andALM 69-0026-LB(C), Support Operations Course Book, define these relationships:

BRIGADE S4

SUPPORT OPERATIONS OFFICER

Provides logistical information to the commander.
Functions as brigade's logistical planner.
Coordinates with battalion XO and S3.
Battletracks status on equipment and supplies.
Develops logistics estimates in conjunction with respective staff elements (S1, S2, SPO etc.)
Supervises all organic and nonorganic logistical elements supporting the task force.
Responsible for the arrangement, security, and movement of the combat trains.

Coordinates and provides technical supervision for the FSB combat service support mission (DS supply and maintenance, combat health suport, coordination of transportation, and field services).
Advises the commander on requirements versus available assets.
Determines logistical requirements in coordination with brigade S4, FSB S2/S3, and other tenants in the lodgement areas.
Provides logistics input to the BRIGADE S4 for logistics estimates.
Develops the services support annex.

These relationships identify the brigade S4 as the brigade commander's logistician/planner, while the SPO is the logistics technical expert/administrator.

BOTTOM LINE: To maximize efforts, both must work together to establish techniques to synchronize their separate responsibilities.

PLANNING

STEP 1: Pre-Mission Coordination (Home Station).

Pre-mission coordination begins at Home Station. The brigade S4 and SPO should meet and exchange the following information:

1. Identify responsibilities from doctrine.

2. Exchange information on expectations from commanders (brigade and FSB). Some commanders expect S4s to attend all orders drills with the assistant S4 running operations in the BSA. However, an important question is, "Shouldn't the SPO also be included at the orders drill?"

3. Exchange field standing operating procedure (FSOP) information such as:

a. Base Cluster Operations Center (BCOC) responsibilities.

b. Reporting of differences (personnel, equipment, requirements, forecasting).

c. Internal and external (DS) support responsibilities.

d. Tenant meetings (identify attendees, responsibilities of attendees).

e. Capabilities of tenants in BSA.

4. Orders process (identify responsibilities in developing logistics mission analysis).

5. Orders (identify who does logistics estimate, service support annex, and CSS FRAGOs, etc.).

6. CSS briefings (who briefs logistics estimates, and service support annex).

STEP 2: Constructing the Combat Service Support (CSS) Annex to the Brigade Order.

1. With pre-mission coordination complete, a brigade warning order is issued. Immediately, the brigade S4 receives planning information, extracting key logistics information from the following:

a. Higher headquarters plans and orders.

b. Commander's planning guidance.

c. Commander's intent (or concept).

d. Operations and intelligence briefings and overlays.

e. MTOEs of task force units.

f. Logistics status reports.

g. Task force scouts.

h. Engineer route reconnaissance and obstacle overlays.

i. Traffic circulation and highway regulating plans.

2. The Brigade S4 and FSB commander with SPO meet to exchange information. According to ARTEP 63-005-MTP:

"The FSB commander has analyzed the mission and provided his planning guidance. The XO has issued preparation guidance. The TSOP has been updated. The DISCOM Admin/Log order is available. The Operations Estimate is required. This estimate is not a part of the FSB internal OPORD process, but required for informational input to supported brigade."

Summarized below are critical tasks executed by each section:

SPO SECTION TASK	BRIGADE S4 SECTION (TASK)
Develop support operations estimate (63-1-0005) Plan CSS in the brigade area of operations (63-1-0014)	Conduct logistical planning (71-3-4001)

3. The SPO provides all logistics data to the brigade S4 in the form of a CSS Annex. The S4 refines the Annex by combining all data from his section and support operations. Together, working through mission analysis process, the sections develop a concept of support for the mission. Once approved by the brigade and FSB commander, the S4 and SPO package CSS information into the CSS Annex. (Sample CSS Annex for a deliberate attack mission is shown below. A blank form is provided at Appendix B.)

CSS ANNEX_____TO OPORD____________.

BEFORE ATTACK NLT-DTG	DURING-PHASE I ATK IN ZONE, PL TX-DTG	DURING PHASE II ATK & SEC OBJ DOG-DTG	AFTER CONSOLIDATE
MORT AFF: PV 935578 PRI REPL: CAV, 1ST BN, 2D BN CAS PROJ: SCT, CAV, 1ST BN AXP: CPS& W/2EA M997, 1EA M923 AXP5 CONSOLIDATE AT CP5 AT DTG 3D BN EVACS TO FSMC AIR EVAC AT FSMC LZ IN BSA REQ MEDEVAC BY BDE A/L OR MSE	MORT AFF: PV 935578 PRI REPL: CAV, B/1ST BN, C/2D BN CAS PROJ: SCT, CAV, 1ST BN AXP: CP5 W/4EA M997, 2EA M923 3D BN EVACS TO FSMC AIR EVAC AT FSMC LZ IN BSA REQ MEDEVAC BY BDE A/L OR MSE KIA EVAC BY UNIT TO MORT AFF	MORT AFF: PV 935578 PRI REPL: 3D BN, 1ST BN, 2D BN CAS PROJ: SCT, CAV, 1ST BN AXP: CP W/4EA M997, 2EA M923 3D BN EVACS TO FSMC AIR EVAC AT FSMC LZ IN BSA REQ MEDEVAC BY BDE A/L OR MSE KIA EVAC BY UNIT TO MORT AFF	MORT AFF: PV 935578 PRI REPL: CAV, 3D BN, 1ST BN, 2D BN AXP: CP5, O/O CP5 & CP48 TO SPT 2D BDE AIR EVAC AT FSMC LZ IN BSA REQ MEDEVAC BY BDE A/L OR MSE KIA EVAC BY UNIT TO MORT AFF B/P RFCONSTITUTION OF 3D BN
PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 2D BN ATP: 050900NOV FOR 1ST BN ATP: 050800 FOR HHC EFSP: PV988596 PRI ARMING: M1, M2, ARTY PRESTOCKS COMPLETE	PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 2D BN RESUPPLY FROM PRESTOCKS: CMBT TRAINS, FIELD TRAINS EFSP: PV988596 PRI ARMING: 120MM, 25MM, TOW	PRI EFF: FA, CAV, 3D BN RESUPPLY FROM PRESTOCKS: CMBT TRAINS, FIELD TRAINS EFSP: PV988596 PRI ARMING: 120MM, 25MM, TOW	PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 3D BN EFSP: O/O-2D BN VIC PL CONDOR RESUPPLY FROM PRESTOCKS, THEN CMBT TRAINS, FIELD TRAINS ATP: 1ST BN AT 070400NOV CLOSED 0600 (LIFT LOAD RESUPPLY)
B/P 4X5K TANKERS FOR FWD RESUPPLY PRI EF: LRP Z(CP40) 2D BN 052000NOV, 10K LRP Z(CP40) HHC 052140NOV, 1.5K	B/P 4X5K TANKERS FOR FWD RESUPPLY PRI EF: FUEL PRI TO ARRIVING WSRO ITEMS IN THE BSA RESUPPLY THRU COMBAT TRAINS	B/P 4X5K TANKERS FOR FWD RESUPPLY PRI EF: FUEL PRI TO ARRIVING WSRO ITEMS IN THE BSA RESUPPLY THRU COMBAT TRAINS	PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 3D BN RESUPPLY THRU COMBAT TRAINS LRP Z(CP40) 1ST BN 070000NOV 15K D, 600 GAL MOGAS, O/O HHC LRP Z(CP40) HHC 052140NOV, 1.5K
PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 2D BN PRI MAINT: M1, M2, M109 UMCP 1ST BN: QV004604 UMPC 2D BN: PV932543 UMPC 3D BN: TAA DUKE CL IX PUSH PRI M1, M2, M109	PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 2D BN PRI MAINT: M1, M2, M109 UMCP 1ST BN: QV004604 UMPC 2D BN: PV932543 UMPC 3D BN: TAA DUKE CL IX PUSH PRI M1, M2, M109	PRI EFF: RECOVERY PRI MAINT: M1, M2, M109 UMCP 1ST BN: QV004604 UMPC 2D BN: PV932543 UMPC 3D BN: O/O PL HAWK, O/O PL CONDOR O/O 2D BN PROVIDES RECOVERY TO UMCPs ALONG RTEs	PRI EFF: CAV, 1ST BN, 3D BN PRI MAINT: M1, M2, M109 UMCP 1ST BN: QV004604 UMPC 2D BN: PV932543 UMPC 3D BN: PL CONDOR
PRI FWD: III, V, IX PRI REAR: MED CTCP 1ST BN: QV004614 CTCP 2D BN: PV937547 CTCP 3D BN: TAA DUKE O/O AIR CORR GREEN OPEN MSR: VERMONT, ASR: OREGON DIRTY ROUTE YELLOW	PRI FWD: III, V, IX PRI REAR: MAINT, MED, LOG PRI MVMT: FORWARD OPEN AIR CORR GREEN MSR: VERMONT, ASR: OREGON DIRTY ROUTE YELLOW MPs: 1 SQD AREA SECURITY O/O 1 SQD ROUTE SECURITY	PRI FWD: III, V, MED PRI REAR: MED, MAINT, EMPTY TRNS PRI MVMT: FORWARD AIR CORR GREEN OPEN MSR: VERMONT, ASR: OREGON DIRTY ROUTE YELLOW MPs: 1 SQD ROUTE SECURITY	PRI FWD: WSRO, III, V, MED IX PRI REAR: MED, MAINT, EMPTY TRNS PRI MVMT: REAR CTCP 1ST BN: QV004614 CTCP 2D BN: PV937547 CTCP 3D BN: PL CONDOR MSR: VERMONT, ASR: OREGON DIRTY ROUTE YELLOW
SUPPLY PT DIST PV801540 WATER PT PV799539 EPW UNIT EVAC TO PV801540	SUPPLY PT DIST PV801540 WATER PT PV799539 EPW UNIT EVAC TO PV801540 O/O 1.5K WATER TO DECON SITE FRED	SUPPLY PT DIST PV801540 WATER PT PV799539 EPW UNIT EVAC TO PV801540 O/O 3K WATER TO DECON SITE BARNEY O/O AUGMENT AXP W/2EA M923	SUPPLY PT DIST PV801540 WATER PT PV799539 EPW UNIT EVAC TO PV801540 EFSP O/O VIC PL CONDOR

STEP 3: Synchronizing Logistics.

1. This step involves synchronizing all logistics from the completed CSS Annex. The following tasks, concurrently worked, provide a structure for synchronizing the finished CSS Annex:

SPO SECTION TASK	BRIGADE S4 SECTION (TASK)
Coordinate CSS operations	Monitor brigade operations (71-3-4002) Maintain information on status of maint and supplies (71-3-4003)

2. During STEP 1, either the brigade S4 or SPO receives all unit requirements. Doctrinally, the S4 should collect this information. Regardless of who receives the requirements, good communications flow between both sections is essential. The brigade commander will expect both the S4 and support operations section to track the information.

PREPARATION

STEP 4: Coordinating CSS in the Brigade Area of Operations.

1. Prior to the combined arms (CA) rehearsal, a meeting of all tenants is conducted to ensure CSS operations are fully understood and synchronized. The SPO compiles all CSS requirements in the form of a CSS matrix. During the meeting, the SPO synchronizes all classes of supply and maintenance by unit. At the conclusion of the meeting, all logistics requirements (current, next 24 and 48 hours) are confirmed and shortfalls corrected. At the completion of the meeting, the SPO coordinates with each FSB company (supply, maintenance, and medical) to task missions according to the CSS matrix.

2. The Brigade S4 and SPO plan, prepare and execute rehearsals based on mission requirements. On-going tasks during Step 4 include:

SPO SECTION TASK	BRIGADE S4 SECTION (TASK)
Coordinate CSS operations	Monitor brigade operations (71-3-4002) Maintain information on status of maint and supplies (71-3-4003)

Synchronizing the brigade S4 and the FSB support operations officer not only requires an understanding of doctrinal responsibilities, but also delineates responsibilities regarding the brigades logistics system. Trends identified by observer/controllers at the CMTC reveal that on many occasions, the brigade S4 and SPO work at cross-purposes. Following the steps presented in this article would simplify these working relationships.

The Brigade XO as the Combat Service Support (CSS) Integrator

Battlefield Maintenance Concept: "Job Aid"

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