Military

The force is prepositioned on five "roll-on roll-off" (RO-RO) ships, three of them Cape H class and two Cape D class.

The brigade is also supported by:

This support is currently prepositioned on three RO-RO ships, two of which are Cape W class. The equipment is accompanied by a 15-day supply of most required classes. These ships are currently sited at two locations, ready to sail in contingency operations.

Doctrine:

Prepositioned-afloat doctrine is described in Field Manual 100-17-1, Army Prepositioned Afloat (Draft). The purpose of the prepositioned heavy force is to allow for the introduction of a heavy combat brigade in several roles. These roles range from rapid peacetime response in support of operations other than war, to reinforcing an ally with credible force, to reinforcing an initial lodgement in a forced-entry situation.

Doctrinally, the first task force is prepared to conduct combat operations 15 days after notification . Ideally, port opening forces arrive first, along with the support ships to establish port operations and the port support activity, followed by the brigade's combat forces. The combat forces receive the equipment, finalize its configuration, conduct precombat checks and services, and prepare for onward movement. In an unconstrained environment, the doctrine calls for the brigade (plus) to be prepared for combat operations 22 days after notification.

Several major commands are involved in these operations:

The Air Mobility Command provides strategic airlift support to move the operational forces with the "to-accompany-troops" (TAT) equipment to the sea port of debarkation (SPOD). The Military Traffic Management Command manages the port and coordinates the onward movement of the configured heavy brigade. The successful execution of these operations requires the coordinated effort of all the major commands involved.

Several Army elements participate in prepositioned-afloat operations to produce the required combat power. The Army Service Component assumes operational control of the equipment and determines the type of forces required as well as the size of the force that is to be landed and configured. The detailed coordination of the primary elements that fall under the Service Component is the task of the Army service component headquarters:

The prepositioned-afloat program is further described in the battlebooks produced for each ship. Each battlebook provides a wealth of critical information. Each gives a generic overview of the entire AWR-3 fleet, followed by detailed information for the specific ship.

The battlebook lists the units whose equipment is stored on the ship, the equipment authorized for those units, and what equipment, if any, is not on board at the time of publication. The modified tables of organization and equipment (MTO&E) for the units also provide information that is critical for determining TAT requirements. Additionally, each battlebook contains a detailed, foldout stowage plan for the ship (deck-by-deck) that describes where all of the equipment and containers are stowed. The container list identifies the container by serial number and describes what is in each. The task force (TF) ships carry 1.5 basic loads of ammunition, which the battlebook describes by Department of Defense Identification Code (DODIC), quantity, and container number.

AWR-3 is a heavy force projection tool that is available worldwide for major regional contingencies. It provides the flexibility today's Army needs to meet diverse requirements. Because of its basic design, any heavy brigade unit can use it.

Below is a list of current battlebooks as of 1 April 1996 of the AWR-3 APA Fleet.

A battlebook is published for each ship in the AWR-3 APA fleet following the ship's initial upload. Battlebooks are updated after a ship is either discharged and reloaded for a contingency or a maintenance cycle.

A new edition of a ship's battlebook is meant to replace the old edition in its entirety. Superseded battlebooks should be destroyed to prevent reference to outdated information. LMSRs, when fielded, will replace the present RO/RO fleet.

ARMY WAR RESERVE -5 (Prepositioned Equipment "Kuwait")

ARCENT-Kuwait's base of operation is located at Camp Doha. All unit equipment and supplies (less Class V) are stored on Camp Doha in three issue lots: Lots 2, 3, and 5 (see Appendix B, North Doha Layout). Equipment and unit basic loads (UBLs) are permanently organized into complete unit sets. All items, whether stored in a motor park or in a warehouse, are configured into unit sets. This configuration allows for rapid issue of all equipment to deploying units.

Army War Reserve-5 (AWR-5) is the prepositioned set that will deter and defeat aggression in Southwest Asia. AWR-5 consists of a divisional armor brigade task force. It is organized into two armor/infantry balanced battalion task forces and one pure armor battalion. Combat support and combat service support units include:

AWR-5 includes 30 days of supplies (DOS). Five days of supplies are configured in UBLs, and the remainder is configured in a sustainment base. The UBLs are configured to sustain all units in five days of operations without resupply. The sustainment base will either serve as a replenishment source issued on Camp Doha by ARCENT-K, displace with ARCENT-K to another support base, or will be turned over to the FSB (depending on the tactical situation).

Upon arrival in Kuwait, units should anticipate rapid movement from their airplanes, directly onto waiting buses, with a short trip to Camp Doha. Upon arrival in Camp Doha, leaders will move to the post theater for a situation briefing (approximately one hour). Simultaneously, troops will move to the draw yard. While the leaders are in the briefing, unit NCOs and XOs will conduct sensitive-item inventories, establish personnel accountability, recover baggage, and organize TAP/NAP items into unit sets. Immediately after the leaders' briefing, leaders will move to the draw yard to link up with their soldiers and commence draw operations. ARCENT-K maintains all equipment and UBLs in units sets to facilitate rapid issue.

Units can expect to receive all necessary equipment and UBL for their type unit in the draw yard. The only items which are maintained in a separate location are weapons and sets, kits and outfits (SKOs). ARCENT-K ensures that transportation is available for unit supply sergeants and armorers to draw this equipment and transport it to the draw yard. Upon issue and upload of all equipment and UBLs, units will move under their own power to a marshalling area approximately 5 Km from Camp Doha. There, ARCENT-K will have an ammunition transfer point (ATP) established. Units will draw their CCLs and upload ammunition into turrets. ARCENT-K will track and direct this process. Units can expect ARCENT-K guides to direct them every step of the way.

Initial unit inventories are limited to identification of major end items, weapons, and COMSEC. Detailed accountability will not be established until deployment to the Tactical Assembly Area (TAA). At the time units receive their equipment, all necessary BII, AAI, and OCEI will be included. Documentation will include detailed, company-level hand receipts and all required shortage annexes. Units are not required to sign for equipment until 10 days after issue. (The only exceptions to this are weapons and COMSEC; formal accountability is maintained for these.)

Once arriving in the TAA (and as the tactical situation permits), units complete an inventory of all property, identify shortages, and sign hand receipts. The completed hand receipts are then returned to the ARCENT-K property book office. Units receive a detailed listing of all UBLs at the time of issue. They are not required to sign for them.

Ammunition is issued in Combat Configured Loads (CCLs). Pre-printed DA Forms 581 are at the ATP for issue to units, and units will sign for ammunition.

Onward movement to the Tactical Assembly Area; depending on the tactical situation, units may road-march or be moved by Heavy Equipment Transporters (HETs).

The ARCENT-K commander is the operational commander until relieved by the Commander, ARCENT, or a CENTCOM-directed commander. In all cases during force generation, deploying units fall under the control of ARCENT-K. Once ammunition upload is complete, units are integrated into the parent higher unit or the CENTCOM-directed operational command.

In addition to the Army War Reserve-5 Battlebook, ARCENT-Kuwait has standardized commander's information packages for each company set in AWR-5. These packages include current maintenance readiness postures and other current critical items of command interest. Upon notification of deployment, units can contact the ARCENT-K S-3 at DSN 318-791-5026 and request a facsimile copy of current status of company sets.

AWR-3 AND -5 LESSONS:

1. Verify equipment availability in the battlebook and plan accordingly for additional training in advance for special equipment on board AWR-3 fleets.

2. Prepositioned afloat equipment will require installation of new batteries or maintenance of existing batteries. This increases the discharge and deprocessing time at the port. Until maintenance-free batteries are utilized, units/offload teams must plan for extra time for battery maintenance.

3. To ensure the Class IX package matches unit sets for AWR-3 equipment draw, AMC and the using unit should coordinate what the Class IX package must consist of.

4. AMC must ensure that sufficient 10-/20-level manuals are available to be issued with the equipment, particularly with prepositioned afloat equipment. The right type and number should be assembled based on the equipment list prior to deployment.

LESSONS FROM KUWAIT "EXERCISE INTRINSIC ACTION":

1. Units should verify equipment on hand at the AWR-5 site and compare types and densities with on-hand balance at Home Station. This will assist in planning TAT/NAT equipment that will be deployed to the theater of operations. Do this early in the DRB cycle.

2. Allocating limited AWR-5 assets should not be based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Limited assets should be prioritized by unit for issue. This concept is the same as the prioritization of logistics by unit during different phases of a combat operation.

3. Ask up-front what the logistical automation capabilities are in the AWR fleet for the Unit-Level Logistics System (ULLS) and direct support Standard Army Retail Supply System (SARSS), as well as the current system change packages (SCPs) loaded into the systems.

4. Research AWR fleet for supporting automation software, such as Army logistical and federal logistics CD-ROM disks. Without a means to identify specific maintenance code via the Army logistics CD-ROM, unit clerks in the battalion task forces do not have the means to conduct logistical research. This severely degrades repair parts research across the entire spectrum of the brigade combat team.

5. ADPE items requested in theater may be contracted from the host nation, if available. ADPE items are in high demand and need maintenance service contracts to sustain them. Preplanning ADPE requirements in advance enhances the unit's probability of receiving support, reduces the high cost of expedited orders, and provides the necessary maintenance.

6. Units can be quickly overwhelmed by the volume of service ammunition drawn during contingencies. Most units have never seen or handled the volume of service ammunition issued in the marshalling area. The volume of an UBL and its storage requirements can be oppressive. Units must train both combat system operators and support transporters on proper transport and storage of service ammunition. Compute the actual weight, cubic foot, and load/storage conflict requirements and develop load plans to accommodate it.

7. During the staging phase, all classes of supply are loaded into the vehicles except Class V. Having validated the unit and vehicle load plans at Home Station, units can minimize their time in the draw yard and ammunition upload site while allowing leaders to focus on other critical tasks. Soldiers need to know what unit equipment they are carrying. Additionally, standardized load plans enable the unit to quickly draw its Class V and not have to shift or reconfigure load plans in the marshalling area. The time saved in both these operations significantly reduces the amount of time required for the unit to become combat ready. Validation and rehearsal of load plan SOPs are critical to quickly moving through the staging phase. This must occur prior to the unit's deployment from Home Station. Attempting to understand where all items are placed once a unit is in the draw yard is too late.

Chapter 3: National Training Center (NTC)

Chapter 5: Tracking Combat Power