COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT BOS
Positive Performance
TREND 1: Aircraft maintenance and operational readiness. The aircraft readiness rate is being maintained well above 90 percent during rotations at the Joint Readiness Training Center. Soldiers display exceptional knowledge in military occupational speciality (MOS) skills and are extremely proficient in aircraft repairs. Aviation unit-level maintenance (AVUM) aircraft maintenance practices and procedures are doctrinally sound. AVUM production controllers are proactive in their attempts to report aircraft status to the task force commander.
(TA 7.3.2 Fix/Maintain Equipment)
TREND 2: Casualty evacuation at company level. CASEVAC at the company level continues to be a strength and shows the impact of home station training. Platoons and companies normally do an excellent job treating and evacuating casualties as far as the company casualty collection points (CCP). They are also well versed in requesting aerial MEDEVAC aircraft and establishing HLZs for extraction.
(TA 7.4.4.2 Evacuate Casualties)
TREND 3: Casualty collection and evacuation. Units generally arrive at the JRTC with well established and rehearsed casualty collection plans. Casualties are usually collected at the company level very quickly after injury, with the majority of soldiers receiving initial treatment within the first hour. Most units have established radio procedures that streamline the evacuation request, and many units have an established "C-in-C casevac" who manages casualty evacuation assets. Additional successful techniques include the aggressive use of non-standard casualty evacuation vehicles and the forward positioning of medical personnel. The overall effect has been a general decrease in the number of soldiers who die of their wounds.
(TA 7.4.4.2 Evacuate Casualties)
TREND 4: Aerial resupply. Units that were successful conducted aerial resupply planning early and then continually made adjustments as the situation or tactical plan changed. Specific planning considerations were made to drop zone (DZ) locations and management of sling assets. Units have improved at conducting pre-combat inspections (PCIs) which has resulted in drop zones being set up with the proper equipment and sling load equipment being at the right location on the battlefield.
(TA 7.5.1.2.2 Move by Air)
TREND 5: Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) control. Brigades have effectively employed MP units in the role of EPW control. The use of these assets in this role has enhanced the ability of brigades to reduce the threat of terrorist actions against units and facilitated force protection.
(TA 7.7 Provide Military Police Support)
Needs Emphasis
TREND 1: Medical Staff checking on supplies.
PROBLEM: Medical supplies often reach critical stockage levels because clinical staff and medical supply personnel fail to coordinate efforts.
RESULT: Medical supplies are used up and a several day lag time results for operational input which is often impossible to make up.
Techniques:
1. Medical staff personnel need to circulate through wards to check on supply levels, and clinical personnel need to gain a better understanding of the time necessary to obtain supplies through the normal requisitioning system.
2. Commanders need to educate both clinical and administrative personnel regarding the impact of their operations on the entire hospital system.
(TA 7.3.1 Distribute)
TREND 2: LOGPAC (logistical package) operations.
PROBLEM: Units are still experiencing difficulties with LOGPAC operations.
RESULT: Infantry battalion logistical planners are not planning 24, 48, and 72 hours out. For success, they must synchronize their LOGPACS with the battalion's tactical operations.
Techniques:
1. Battle track in the field and combat trains to stay abreast of friendly and enemy unit locations and ongoing operations being conducted by their battalions.
2. Support platoon leaders must utilize the Forward Support Battalion S-2 and their own battalion S-2 to track the enemy threat, specifically minefield locations.
(TA 7.3.1 Distribute)
TREND 3: Casualty evacuation in Combat Service Support (CSS) units.
PROBLEMS:
1. Many CSS units do not have a plan to evacuate casualties.
2. The large majority view casualty evacuation as a simple process that can be developed and executed while casualties are happening.
3. Even when units do have a plan, it has not been rehearsed and during execution proves to be ineffective. When the plan works, it usually cannot accommodate the continuous influx of casualties.
4. This is attributed to the dangerously low number of Combat Life Savers and medics available to help.
5. What units need to understand is that casualty evacuation is an event that will use resources normally used for other purposes.
RESULTS:
1. There are a high number of Died of Wounds (DOW) in these units.
2. Most do not analyze and fail to realize what it takes to properly render assistance and effectively remove their casualties from the battlefield.
3. Even the best evac plans cannot account for massive number of casualties.
4. Qualified medical help can maintain soldiers alive while the evac plan gets to them.
5. Transportation is one of the most critical commodities for CSS units and, as such, has to be managed. The use of those assets has to be factored into the overall plan so when the time comes those resources will be available.
Techniques:
1. Commanders need to emphasize casualty evacuation.
2. Casualty evacuation has to be part of the plan and rehearsed in order to be successful.
3. Proper resource allocation and enough first aid qualified personnel translates into higher readiness level.
(TA 7.4.4.2 Evacuate Casualties)
TREND 4: Patient evacuation. Expeditious loading and evacuation of casualties is the single most important element in reducing the number of DOW on the battlefield today.
PROBLEMS:
1. Units fail to recognize that medical personnel alone cannot accomplish this mission.
2. Units are failing to augment teams with non-medical personnel and/or failing to adequately train team members so that evacuation platforms can be rapidly loaded and/or unloaded.
RESULT: Use of non-standard means of evacuation is increasingly being employed. Litter teams are still slowing the process of evacuation.
Techniques:
1. Commanders need to emphasize that patient evacuation is not a medical mission but rather a unit mission.
2. Medical personnel should be used to supervise litter teams, but their expertise is better put to use in treatment of casualties than in the actual carrying of litters.
3. All unit personnel should be trained in litter team techniques and rotating rosters established to have personnel on call for litter team duty.
(TA 7.4.4.2 Evacuate Casualties)
TREND 5: Preventive medicine. Field sanitation measures is still one of the most critical elements of combat operations.
PROBLEM: Units routinely fail to leave proper distances between latrines and food service facilities and fail to establish hand-washing facilities in an expeditious manner.
RESULT: Historically, battlefield losses to Disease Non-Battle Injuries (DNBI) significantly exceed those of injuries incurred in battle.
Technique: Field sanitation measures need to be enforced from day one of any operation.
(TA 7.4.4.3 Provide Preventive Medicine)
TREND 6: Health service logistics.
PROBLEMS:
1. In order for units to have accountability for tracking and requisitioning of supplies, use of the TAMMIS system is required for field operations.
2. Units lack the ability to use the TAMMIS system mainly because of a lack of use at home station.
RESULT: Medical supplies are short, resulting in a several day lag time for operational input which is often impossible to make up.
Techniques:
1. Commanders need to educate both clinical and administrative personnel regarding the impact of their operations on the entire hospital system.
2. A system whereby clinical nomenclature can be cross-referenced with logistical NSNs can help to integrate these elements and simplify the requisitioning process.
(TA 7.5.2 Supply the Force)
TREND 7: Water production operations. Units need to focus on the integration of preventive medicine, security, and maintenance for their reverse osmosis purification unit (ROWPU) operations, thus providing the task force with safe, continuous water support.
PROBLEM: Pre-combat inspections (PCI), maintenance of equipment, or identification of potential sites for these activities are not properly conducted prior to units deploying.
Techniques:
1. Leaders must conduct inspections prior to deployment to ensure all equipment is in operating order and all basic issue items (BII), chemicals, and test equipment is on hand.
2. The FSB S-2 needs to conduct thorough IPB to identify raw water sites in the brigade sector. Obtain overhead imagery of the AO and conduct thorough reconnaissance.
(TA 7.5.2 Supply the Force)
TREND 8: Civilians on the battlefield. Most units are unfamiliar/untrained in dealing with civilians on the battlefield.
PROBLEMS:
1. Too often units allow civilians free access to the position area.
2. Subordinate elements frequently call battalion for guidance whenever civilians show up at the perimeter. Battalions usually take an inordinate amount of time to decide what it wants the unit to do with the civilians.
RESULTS:
1. Disruption of unit activities.
2. Friendly or neutral civilians are too often unnecessarily angered by procedures and the treatment they receive as a result of units trying to figure out the proper disposition.
3. Too free an access, however, allows neutral or anti-U.S. civilians a significant opportunity to collect valuable intelligence (where the C2 nodes are, possible targets for terrorist activities, etc.).
4. Frequently terrorists will gain unobstructed access to a battery and will destroy the BOC/FDC or howitzer section through the detonation of a ruck sack or car bomb.
Techniques:
1. Develop and disseminate to the lowest level a "white/gray/black" list of all pro/neutral/anti-civilians.
2. Develop clear, concise guidance on what actions are to be taken with each type of civilian as well as those civilians who do not appear on any list.
3. Establish clear procedures on what soldiers are to do upon contact with civilians; train and rehearse all soldiers on how to deal with civilians on the battlefield at home station.
(TA 7.9 Evacuate Noncombatants from Area)
TA.6
Mobility and Survivability BOS & Nuclear/Biological/Chemical (NBC) Narrative
TA.4
Command and Control BOS Narrative
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