UNITED24 - Make a charitable donation in support of Ukraine!

Military

SECTION II

NT - NEEDS EMPHASIS TECHNIQUES, PART 6

TA.7 COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT

TA.7 Negative Trend 3: Materiel Readiness

  1. Units must not lose accuracy of the materiel readiness of equipment and status of open repair parts requisitions while transitioning from garrison to field environment.
    - Unit leadership should require the use of automated CSS systems in both Home Station garrison and field use. Future CSS automated management software must be more user friendly and provide real-time information management products.
    - Units should request or keep track of historical usage of supplies in the theater to which they are deploying. It is possible to develop a "factor" to use automated forecasting tools, e.g., OPLOG planner, at battalion or brigade S-4 sections.
    - Units should develop a manual system (DA Form 2404 daily turn-ins and daily maintenance meetings) to track readiness before STAMIS are fully operational after arrival into Theater.
  2. The brigade combat team (BCT) must have sufficient time to put into motion actions to accept and install high priority deadlining parts prior to line of departure (LD).
    - CSS units should develop tracking systems for high priority parts. This system should be used on a daily basis at Home Station.
    - The automated BLAST system must continue to be trained and utilized at Home Station in order to build familiarity with MSE interface by all components of the system: Signal Company, Brigade Signal Officer, and Battalion Commo/SARRS operator.
  3. DA Forms 2404 and 5988 must be properly completed and submitted.
    - Many Home Station daily motor pool operations can be applied to field maintenance operations. Those that are not may be refocused to equate administrative operations to tactical/field requirements to eliminate a dual-system of operations.
    - Technical SOPs can be updated/revised/written to include maintenance operations.
    - Unit LOGPACs are often the collection point for DA Forms 2404 and 5988s and delivery of non-deadlining parts to platoon sergeants.
    - Maintenance contact teams can accompany the LOGPAC supplies with the platoon sergeant and work on vehicle faults during LOGPAC operations or at a consolidated site.
  4. DA Form 2406 reporting must be accurate. Report vehicles as not mission capable (NMC) until all deadlining faults are repaired. Maintain tight control and continuous reporting on circle X vehicles.
  5. To prevent the Unit Maintenance Collection Point (UMCP) from becoming a collection point for disabled vehicles, the battalion maintenance officer (BMO) should conduct a maintenance estimate to determine which vehicles could be better repaired in the more stable confines of the Brigade Support Area (BSA). This would preclude the 4-6 hour time to displace from UMCPs.

TA.7 Negative Trend 4: Casualty evacuation (CASEVAC)

  1. CASEVAC planning is primarily a brigade issue, because that is where the assets exist to adequately treat the casualties a task force is likely to sustain. The battalion/task force staff must, through the estimate process, articulate the necessity to push brigade medical assets forward.
  2. CASEVAC must be considered as part of the Tactical Decision Making Process (TDMP) by the integrated battle staff. The responsibility for casualty evacuation lies with the S-1 and operations officer for planning, and unit 1SGs and the medical platoon for execution. The S-1 must do a casualty estimate, including where the casualties will occur and in what numbers. The medical officer should then link medical assets available with the units projected to suffer casualties. [Usually, the medical assets available fall short of the requirements to adequately treat projected casualties. Two aid stations in a battalion/task force are almost always inadequate to support a task force's combat missions. Experience shows that 15 to 20 casualties in one hour overwhelms the treatment capabilities of an aid station, which doctrinally constitutes a MASCAL situation.]
  3. Full utilization of available air assets in CASEVAC would significantly reduce a unit's DOW rates. Air evacuation needs to be planned in detail. Areas that need to be addressed are:
    - a clear task and purpose
    - enemy ADA threat
    - priority to specific unit and type of casualty
    - pickup zone (PZ) location and set-up responsibilities
    - where the casualties should be evacuated To help ensure their proper utilization, the aviation LNO or the Pilot-In-Charge should be available during the planning process.
  4. Medical evacuation personnel, both ground and air, must be trained to stay aware of the tactical situation. This will assist in locating evacuation assets where they can best quickly respond for immediate support.
  5. Take the time at Home Station to qualify as many soldiers as possible as combat lifesavers.
  6. Leaders should check certified aid bags and/or multiple first aid kits as part of pre-combat inspection.
  7. Stinger team evacuation in offensive operations works best when the Stinger platoon sergeant travels with the main effort with a dedicated vehicle and personnel, and then moves where needed to assist in the evacuation effort.
  8. Signal unit remote teams need at least one combat lifesaver qualified soldier. PCIs for the teams should include a certified aid bag or multiple first aid kits. Leaders should wargame solutions for the most exposed systems and pre-position vehicles to support CASEVAC.
  9. The engineer battalion staff must provide FRAGOs to the companies on any changes to the brigade combat health support plan based on brigade FRAGOs and/or changes resulting from any CSS rehearsals.
  10. Scout platoon evacuation planning must be integral in the task force planning process for any combat operation. Assets must be available to conduct the evacuation as required.
  11. For chemical casualties, train medics and company personnel to minimize the spread of contamination of field litter ambulances (FLAs) and clean medical facilities. Train patient decon procedures IAW FM 3-5. Identify clean and dirty FAS/MAS in OPORD and reiterate at rehearsals.

TA.7 Negative Trend 5: Religious support / UMT deficiencies

  1. Regular participation in unit field training will go far in integrating chaplains into the warfighting aspect of unit life. Inclusion of chaplains as key staff members involved in unit training and preparation for deployment will help integrate chaplaincy functions, and result in the elimination of many or all problems.
  2. Supervisory chaplains need to be involved in the training of subordinate Unit Ministry Teams. Use the information given in the previous version of FM 16-1 (prior to the 1995 rewrite).
  3. Provide training for the chaplain assistant consistent with FM 16-1, which states "..The chaplain assistant is a combatant, carries a weapon, and is essential for the survival of the team on the battlefield."
  4. Chaplains need to involve themselves in the TDMP process in their role as a contributing staff officer. This will enhance their tactical and warfighting visibility within the command. The increased visibility and credibility should generate more, and adequate, support from the command. When division chaplains were actively involved in supporting the activities of subordinate chaplains, the entire unit ministry team (UMT) process functioned more efficiently and effectively.
  5. FM 16-1 should be expanded into three FMs:
    - FM 16-1-1, dealing with religious support at the battalion level
    - FM 16-1-2, dealing with religious support at brigade and regimental level
    - FM 16-1-3, religious support at the division, installation and above level

TA.7 Negative Trend 6: Medical support planning and execution

  1. Combat health planners must participate in the entire staff planning process.
  2. Incorporate medical planning into all Home Station training field exercises.
    - The FSB medical company must practice the set up of treatment facilities in a field environment to ensure a practical configuration based on projected treatment requirements. - Always incorporate the use and management of ground and air evacuation assets into field training exercises.
    - Pay particular attention to standardized blood management procedures.
  3. The wounded soldier's chain of command is responsible for collecting DA Form 1156 feeder cards and ensuring they are filled out completely and correctly. Conduct training at Home Station on what a properly filled-out form should look like.
  4. The task force should develop an SOP for submission of DA Form 1156 for return to duty (RTD) cases.
    - have the company team consolidate its RTD 1156s with the First Sergeant prior to his departure to the LRP meeting.
    - the First Sergeant submits the RTD 1156s to the S-1 or designated S-1 representative who checks them for correctness and accountability.
    - verified RTD 1156s are forwarded up the chain of command to the division G-1 section with all other 1156s collected that day at the FAS/MAS.
    RESULT: The PAC in the field trains would receive all RTD 1156s within 10 to 12 hours after the injury occurs, giving them at least 12 hours to process required paperwork and conduct necessary personnel transactions.
  5. PROFIS physicians must be identified at least six months prior to deployment, and train up with the unit at Home Station prior to deployment. This will allow him to become familiar with unit equipment and SOPs.
  6. Health Services Command should develop a standard Table of Organizations and Equipment (TOE) for Forward Support Battalion (FSB) medical company treatment sections.

Table of Contents
Section II: NT - Needs Emphasis Techniques, Part 5



NEWSLETTER
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list