The role of the Army's sustainment think tank in force modernization

By William "Bill" Moore and Dr. Reginald L. SnellOctober 29, 2015

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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Charles Brown, director of the Combined Arms Support Command's Sustainment Battle Lab, moderates the discussion at the Globally Responsive Sustainment Rehearsal of Concept Drill held April 28 to May 2, 2014, at Fort Lee, Virginia. The event focu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier takes the Global Combat Support System-Army final exam during advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Virginia, on April 24, 2014. The system is being taught during initial-entry training and professional military education to ensure unit... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) is a unique organization with a vast Army and joint mission to train, educate, and grow adaptive sustainment professionals. The command also develops and integrates the innovative Army and joint sustainment capabilities, concepts, and doctrine that enable unified land operations in a complex world.

CASCOM, as the Army's sustainment think tank and premier sustainment learning institution, plays a significant role in Army transformation and force modernization. Force modernization is the systematic process of improving the Army's force effectiveness and operational capabilities.

TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE

The most significant aspect driving transformation and change is the operational environment. In the old AirLand Battle concept, the operational environment was characterized by a linear battlefield in an established theater with secure lines of communication. The logistics infrastructure was generally robust, and sustainment forces operated under habitual working relationships.

The current concept of unified land operations is the result of the world becoming more complex. The operational environment is now characterized by expeditionary deployments in austere conditions, uncertain geopolitical access, and contested lines of communication. Additionally, Army forces are expected to set and rapidly expand a theater of operations in support of an increasingly joint force.

As the lead proponent for the sustainment warfighting function, CASCOM has always met the current needs of the joint force and will continue to set the conditions for meeting future requirements across the doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) domains. CASCOM has established six enduring priorities for organizing work and focusing efforts to accomplish operational objectives.

DEVELOP LEADERS

The first CASCOM enduring priority is "Develop Game-Changing Leaders" and consists of the actions conducted to develop competent, confident, and agile leaders who are capable of meeting the challenges of the future. CASCOM's leader development and education mission spans the operational, institutional, and self-development domains of the Army leader development model.

The command uses a systematic approach to integrate the training and education gained during operational assignments, formal training in schools, and individual self-development efforts to produce leaders who are capable of leading the sustainment community in support of the Army and the joint force.

The projects within this priority include the Logistics Leader Development Strategy revision, the initiative to create a common logistics curriculum for the Basic Officer Leader Course, and the Strategic Logistician Scholarship program. Each of these projects is designed to produce the game-changing leaders the force needs.

DESIGN THE FUTURES

The second CASCOM enduring priority is "Design Sustainment Warfighting Function Futures (Tactical to Strategic)." This priority focuses on the command's efforts to develop, evaluate, and integrate innovative Army sustainment doctrine, concepts, solutions, and capabilities that are synchronized from end to end and are integrated across the DOTMLPF-P domains and with the other centers of excellence as part of the Army Campaign of Learning.

CASCOM, in collaboration with the Army Capabilities Integration Center and other organizations, uses Army warfighting challenges (AWFCs) to focus force development efforts to ensure the organization achieves its desired end state of producing relevant capabilities.

AWFCs are enduring first-order questions that provide focus to capability development in the near, mid and far terms. Each AWFC consists of an integrated learning plan designed to answer the questions. The answers enable force modernization and ultimately improve combat effectiveness of the current and future forces. There are currently 20 AWFCs in the Training and Doctrine Command's planning framework for Force 2025 and Beyond and in the U.S. Army Operating Concept, Win in a Complex World.

Each AWFC is aligned with one of the seven warfighting functions (mission command, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment, engagement, and protection) and is assigned to a center of excellence that acts as the lead for the collaboration and analytic investigation of the assigned AWFC while simultaneously providing support for the 19 other AWFCs.

Through integration, collaboration, and synchronization, the results are shared across the Army Capabilities Integration Center community in order to answer all of the first-order questions related to the 20 AWFCs and their associated second- and third-order questions (currently more than 800 questions). CASCOM's Sustainment Center of Excellence is the lead for the sustainment warfighting function and AWFC #16, "Set the Theater, Sustain Operations, and Maintain Freedom of Movement."

AWFC #16 addresses the question of how the Army will set the theater, provide strategic agility to the joint force, and maintain freedom of movement and action during sustained and high-tempo operations at the end of extended lines of communication in austere environments.

The Design Sustainment Warfighting Function Futures (Tactical to Strategic) enduring priority also contributes to force modernization by developing, testing, and validating concepts used to identify sustainment capabilities needed by the future force. CASCOM uses a variety of methods, including seminars, rehearsal of concept drills, simulation exercises, and studies, to identify capability gaps. Once the gaps have been validated, CASCOM develops solution sets for the DOTMLPF-P domains that need solutions--both materiel and nonmateriel.

CASCOM also develops the authoritative sustainment doctrine that clearly defines the language of the sustainment profession. The shift from a linear, contiguous battlefield to a complex and uncertain operational environment forced numerous changes to sustainment doctrine recently and will continue to do so.

The most recent changes are noted in the capstone sustainment doctrine Army Doctrine Publication 4-0, Sustainment, which provides an overview of how Army sustainment forces extend the reach of, create freedom of action for, and provide prolonged endurance for the operational force as it operates in support of unified land operations.

In addition to changing the content of the sustainment doctrinal publications, CASCOM changed the way doctrine is developed. The doctrine revision strategy reduces the number of doctrinal publications and completely converts the CASCOM doctrine library to a new hierarchy of sustainment manuals (Army doctrine publications, Army doctrine reference publications, field manuals, and Army techniques publications) that are designed to provide the reader with a more user-friendly repository of doctrinal best practices.

The doctrine development process remains cyclic but incorporates a more collaborative approach to integrating lessons learned, and the doctrine revision time line is reduced. CASCOM is responsible for 87 manuals and contributes to 130 publications maintained by other proponents.

DESIGN SYSTEMS

The third CASCOM enduring priority is "Design Sustainment Mission Command and Enterprise Information Systems." This enduring priority focuses on the developing mission command systems that enable both tactical mission command and the integration of the sustainment warfighting function across the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war.

CASCOM is the lead integrator for numerous enterprise information systems (both mission command and business automation systems) that include the Global Combat Support System-Army, General Funds Enterprise Business System, and Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army. It is through the Design Sustainment Mission Command and Enterprise Information Systems enduring priority that CASCOM will enable force modernization and increase efficiency.

Through this priority, CASCOM will design, test, and validate critical information systems that will provide a single equipment data file to facilitate operational decision-making at all echelons. CASCOM uses this enduring priority to ensure logistics networks are fully integrated with the LandWarNet to leverage and enable an interdependent network.

CONDUCT TRAINING

The fourth CASCOM enduring priority is "Conduct Institutional Training." This priority facilitates the command's role in force modernization by focusing on the institutional domain of the Army leader development model and covers everything from the initial-entry training that all Soldiers and civilians receive to the higher level professional military education that is required for advancement.

CASCOM's training mission consists of 28 training locations in 17 states and Germany. The command has an average daily load of 15,170 students and the largest noncommissioned officer academy in the Army. It accounts for the training of 36 percent of the Army's enlisted military occupational specialties and 40 percent of Army warrant officer specialties.

CASCOM uses a learner-centric approach for designing collaborative core and functional courses to ensure Soldiers and leaders possess the skills and knowledge required to win in a complex world. The command uses lessons gained from structured feedback initiatives like lessons learned programs, after-action reviews, studies, experiments, science and technology, and the reverse collection and analysis team program to develop curriculum for training and education.

CASCOM then uses a blended delivery technique for institutional training. Delivery methods developed in CASCOM include the face-to-face classroom technique, distributed learning, virtual environments, online gaming, and mobile learning. These methods and the training support products developed in CASCOM engage Soldiers and allow them to learn faster.

OPTIMIZE HUMAN POTENTIAL

The fifth CASCOM enduring priority is "Optimize Human Potential in a Climate of Dignity and Respect." This priority focuses on organizing the workforce and providing an environment conducive to accomplishing CASCOM's operational objectives for force modernization. The command recognizes the value of human capital and that the most important resource is the people in the workforce.

CASCOM is committed to the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage and continuously strives to provide a quality environment in which team members feel valued and respected.

One way CASCOM optimizes human potential is through proactive engagement in programs designed to integrate and synchronize multiple efforts and initiatives that improve the mental, physical, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual resilience of Soldiers, Army civilians, and families.

The Ready and Resilient Campaign covers multiple focus areas and enables an evolutionary culture change in the Army by establishing a direct link between personal resilience and readiness. The campaign uses a whole-person concept and recognizes that an individual's ability to handle adversity is a key component to individual performance and unit readiness.

Focus areas under the Ready and Resilient Campaign include sexual harassment and rape prevention, safety, resiliency, and risk reduction. The campaign and its various programs facilitate optimizing human potential because they free the force to focus on its core missions in a climate of dignity and respect.

ENGAGE THE PUBLIC

The sixth CASCOM enduring priority is "Engage the American Public." CASCOM is accountable to the U.S. government and its people. Effectively interacting with and engaging the public requires a comprehensive communication strategy that promotes national interests.

CASCOM's communication strategy strives to keep the public informed and to build trust among the community, CASCOM, and the armed forces as a whole. CASCOM's communication efforts include participation in state and local events and other community engagements.

CASCOM formally communicates in print media through the "Fort Lee Traveller." By keeping the command connected with the public, CASCOM's staff, public affairs office, and centers and schools enable it to accomplish its operational objectives.

CASCOM develops and implements innovative institutional training techniques in order to develop adaptable world-class leaders, Soldiers, and civilians who are capable of providing the support that the current and future Army and joint forces need. The command continues to drive force modernization by advancing the sustainment warfighting function and ensuring the sustainment community is represented across the DOTMLPF-P domains.

The command continues to develop and integrate sustainment capabilities that enable unified land operations in an increasingly complex world and accomplishes this by providing a work environment that maximizes human potential and by engaging stakeholders.

CASCOM's contributions to Army transformation and force modernization ensure that in the face of austerity the nation has the operational reach, freedom of action, and prolonged endurance required to win our nation's wars.

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William "Bill" Moore was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2006 and is the Deputy Chief of Staff G-1/4 (Personnel and Logistics) at the Training and Doctrine Command. He was previously the deputy to the commander of the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM). He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech, a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a master's degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University's Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Defense Leadership and Management Program, the Defense Systems Management College Program Manager's Course, and the Army Management Staff College.

Dr. Reginald L. Snell is the senior doctrine developer at CASCOM. He previously served in the Joint and Army Concept Division, Army Capabilities Integration Center, at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and as the experimentation team chief in the Sustainment Battle Laboratory at CASCOM. He is a retired Army officer and has a doctorate in education from Capella University.

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This article was published in the November-December 2015 issue of Army Sustainment magazine.

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