Army Sustainment Command's ALSE-D and Extending the Division's Operational Reach

How does U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) impact the tactical fight? The ability to leverage the entirety of the U.S. supply chain, from the commercial and organic industrial base all the way to the forward edge of battle in large-scale combat operations (LSCO) is essential. So, if the integration of the strategic sustainment enterprise capabilities at the tactical level is of critical importance in LSCO, how can that be accomplished? This question resonates with maneuver and sustainment leaders alike. To answer this, AMC already has an element that executes this mission: the logistics support element-division or LSE-D.

To truly integrate sustainment from the strategic through the tactical level, the LSE-D must be integrated with the division at the division sustainment brigade (DSB), division G-4, and deputy commanding general-support (DCG-S) levels. Integration goes beyond the historical Class IX (consumable repair) parts-searching as in the days of the brigade logistics support team, which was the norm during the war on terrorism. To be relevant, the LSE-D must apply a more holistic support construct across warfighting functions. This goes beyond simply pulling data and fulfilling support requests, because that is insufficient to meet the maneuver commander’s requirements in LSCO. It necessitates the LSE-D to be proximal to tactical conversations to identify sustainment options at the operational, theater strategic, and the national strategic levels to influence the pace of battle. To do this effectively, LSE-D members must be uniquely familiar with the theater and capabilities available and apply that knowledge creatively. The LSE-D must find solutions that the supported unit did not even know they needed, and did not necessarily know to request. This is no small task, and if done correctly, the LSE-D can be a true force multiplier to the supported division. To lay out this concept out effectively, it is necessary to explain the genesis of the operational framework, highlight the validation effort so far, and identify a pathway to full implementation.

The Genesis of this Concept

The current doctrinal framework for the LSE-D is described in Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 4-98, Army Sustainment Command Operations, and ATP 4-70, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Forward Support Team Operations. The baseline mission states that the LSE-D must deploy with the supported division to provide sustainment support. This gives neither a framework for support nor expectation management for the supported division in a LSCO environment. It is necessary to define roles and responsibilities in combat. To get closer to this, here is a proposed alternate mission statement that supports an LSE-D construct:

Mission Statement: On order, the Army field support battalion logistics support element-division (LSE-D) is a scalable command node that integrates planning though all operational phases; provides Classes of supply II, III, V, VII, VIII, Medical Materiel, IX, and X sourcing solution support; visibility of operational, strategic stocks (theater and national); and mission command of all AMC capabilities in assigned area of responsibility to enable execution of the supported command’s mission worldwide.

The LSE-D LSCO Construct

From a practical application perspective, the necessary construct for LSE-D support in LSCO operations is not currently replicated at either combat training center (CTC) rotations or in Operation European Assure, Deter, and Reinforce (EADR). CTC rotations have a distinct focus on building combat power and sourcing Class IX from the enterprise level. Additionally, there is usually an overabundance of life cycle management command (LCMC) logistics assistance representatives (LARs) at CTC rotations that are not replicated in LSCO. While the LAR scarcity in Europe for Operation EADR gets closer to replicating LSCO, the mission does not replicate the operational stressors of combat. These gaps prepare neither the LSE-D members nor train the supported division for LSCO. This LSE-D construct sets out to address these shortfalls by developing a single concept that integrates all AMC capabilities in support of a division across the full range of military operations.

This LSE-D framework meets the AMC leadership’s intent to integrate strategic capabilities. Specifically, this concept provides relevant information to divisional leadership and provides expanded planning efforts through a strategic sustainment capabilities lens. The LSE-D construct is scoped to specific Class II (general supplies), III (fuel, visibility only), V (ammunition), VII (major end items), VIII (medical material), IX (repair parts), and X (humanitarian aid) items. This framework also includes providing visibility of theater Logistics Civil Augmentation Program capabilities (contracted food service options, mortuary affairs, internally displaced persons camps, etc.), materiel availability, and Army prepositioned stocks status, while simultaneously providing visibility of the supported divisions sustainment requirements to the enterprise. To accomplish this level of integration requires the LSE-D to have visibility from tactical, up through the operational, theater, and national strategic levels to understand the holistic scope of support possibilities in LSCO.

The LSE-D has a bifurcation in mission focus, both providing visibility and options to the supported division and providing the sustainment enterprise visibility of tactical requirements in LSCO. In a multi-division or a multi-corps fight, this becomes invaluable. LSE-D integration paired with access to the division’s running estimates provides essential data to the sustainment enterprise. LSE-Ds must also provide necessary options to help the division fight through in phase transitions (forward passage of lines, wet gap crossing, etc.). This also requires the LSE-D to not only provide in-phase support, but also to look two phases ahead of divisional operations. Needing to understand what is needed to support reconstitution/replacement operations and anticipating the transition to phase IV of operations requires the LSE-D to initiate and, if necessary, drive those conversations with the supported division.

This is no small task for an element that consists of only eight personnel (four military and four Department of the Army Civilians). LSE-D members bring a wide range of knowledge and expertise that is essential for translating enterprise sustainment options that could impact tactical decisions of the supported division. The key piece about the LSE-D is that it operates as the central point of information/knowledge for enterprise statement capabilities. Conceptually, the LSE-D is the Google Translate of the sustainment enterprise, designed to extend the division’s operational reach to meet the commanding general’s (CG’s) mission objectives.

If the LSE-D is to effectively support a divisional fight, it is necessary to have transparency in regard to readiness and sustainment requirements. The LSE-D works exclusively with the sustainment systems of record because it is the only way to maintain visibility across all members of the sustainment enterprise. This must be understood at the division level because if a requirement is not in the system of record, the enterprise cannot support the requirement, because in essence the requirement does not exist.

The LSE-D integrates at the division level to enable the division to see what the sustainment enterprise sees. The division must identify where there is a discrepancy between unit reporting and the system of record. Simply put, ego and readiness are not compatible. Units must be ruthless about entering faults into the system of record if they hope to maintain the tempo of the fight.

To provide this essential support relationship in LSCO, the LSEs must be integrated at echelon to provide requirement validation as the division submits their request up through the corps and theater levels. At the corps level, the LSE-Corps (LSE-C) provides integration under the same LSE construct, while the theater Army field support brigade (AFSB) provides strategic sustainment enterprise integration across the joint security area. This allows sustainment requirements to be simultaneously viewed and interpreted at the operational, theater strategic, and the national strategic levels, allowing the enterprise to action materiel solutions based on geographic combatant commander priorities more effectively. This, in turn, allows the LSE-D to relay strategic and operational capabilities, materiel, and priorities directly into the division CG’s decision cycle. The LSE-D is the strategic plug to provide enterprise solutions for the LSCO fight.

LSE-D Integration

LSE-D integration with the division sustainment; protection; fires; signal; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives; finance; and contracting functions is a necessity to be effective in LSCO. This integration occurs in the division’s rear command post in the proximity of the division sustainment leaders: DCG-S, assistant chief of staff sustainment (G-4), DSB support operations officer, and the DSB commander. This collaboration allows the LSE-D to be involved in proximal conversations to understand challenges and tactical changes to identify possible enterprise sustainment solutions. It requires more than co-location and integration to be effective. The LSE-D must have established relationships to anticipate requirements as a key partner in sustainment discussions. These relationships must be built and strengthened with the division staff and the DSB prior to conflict. The cultivation of these relationships and integration framework must be fostered at home station battle rhythm events and during the divisions’ training progressions during command post exercises (CPXs), warfighter exercises (WFXs), and divisional CTC rotations. The LSE-D applies the strategic lens to help the division see itself for LSCO only by understanding the plans, policies, and running estimates provided by the supported division by leveraging relationships effectively.

The Way Ahead for the LSE-D Concept

This LSE-D concept has been tested and validated during 1st Infantry Division’s (1ID’s) CPXs and a WFX in fiscal year 2024 by Army Field Support Battalion-Riley. To fully validate this concept, the LSE-D culminated this test with 1ID’s divisional rotation 25-03 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, in January 2025. The validation sought to operate with the 1ID headquarters in the dirt, providing mission command to replicate LSCO in a more practical way than CPXs or WFXs can simulate. This division CTC rotation was where lessons learned from two years of development, experimentation, and execution of this concept all came together. Additionally, this rotation furthered the 407th AFSB’s efforts to expand LSE-D’s data and analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities integration with a focus on Class IX descriptive analytics to help 1ID to more effectively see themselves and integrate the sustainment enterprise. This model will help address decisions such as Class VII reconstitution/replacement operations and how global materiel availability can impact decisions at the tactical level. All these efforts are geared toward changing the way we think about divisional readiness and strategic sustainment support to help prepare the wider force for LSCO regardless of when they occur in the future.

Requirements to Move this Concept to Full Implementation

There are several steps required to get this concept out of the realm of discussion and into employment beyond the limited example of a singular validation:

• Validate decisions that the LSE-D seeks for the supported division during LSCO.
• Codify the LSE-D tactical standard operating procedures.
• Codify in doctrine the LSE framework and responsibilities during LSCO.
• Expand this concept to the LSE-C level to create reinforcement at echelon.
• Expand the integration of data analytics and AI to create opportunities for the LSE-D.

This LSE-D concept allows AMC to better integrate sustainment enterprise capabilities and resources at echelon to directly impact LSCO. This concept does not just enable the supported division to see themselves, but highlights enterprise sustainment options to impact the battle. In the end, it is about relationships, integration, and a willingness to find options to support future combat operations across the full range of military operation to help the U.S. fight and win future conflicts.

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LTC James “Jim” Fager serves as the commander of Army Field Support Battalion-Riley at Fort Riley, Kansas. His most recent assignment was as the support operations officer for the 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Riley, while simultaneously serving as the rear G-4 for 1st Infantry Division. He previously served as secretary of general staff for U.S. Army Materiel Command, J-4 chief of logistics plans for U.S. Africa Command, and the Strategic Alignment Branch Chief for U.S. Africa Command. His military education includes the Support Operations Course, the Joint Logistics Course, LOGTECH, and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School. He has Master of Arts degrees in public policy and in strategic communication, both from Liberty University.

MAJ Benjamin Myhren serves as the executive officer for Army Field Support Battalion-Riley at Fort Riley, Kansas. His most recent assignment was as the support operations officer for Army Field Support Battalion-Riley where he served as a logistics support element-division officer in charge for multiple operations. He is a graduate of the Theater Sustainment Planners Course, Eisenhower Leadership Development Program, and the Command and General Staff College. He holds a Master of Science in project management from Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in organizational psychology and leadership from the Teacher’s College at Columbia University.

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This article was published in the summer 2025 issue of Army Sustainment.

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