The Indo-Pacific is pivotal to the U.S. national strategy, which requires multidomain operations within a joint theater. Human resource (HR) sustainment operations are critical to executing the U.S. Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) mission, using more than 100,000 Soldiers and civilians spanning 9,000 miles from the U.S. West Coast to India. The art and science necessary to execute HR sustainment within this unique joint theater requires special attention for implementing HR core competencies. Joint HR operations facilitate sustainment in a maritime-dominate environment by enabling standard requirements code (SRC) 12 organizations to integrate sustainment plans with reception, staging, onward movement, and integration operations, along with personnel accountability, casualty, and postal operations.
The HR operations center, the theater personnel operation center, HR operations branches, and HR companies provide the necessary capabilities to perform joint operational sustainment. These organizations support the projection and sustainment of Army forces across the archipelagic land bridge to Australia and the first, second, and third island chains in the Pacific that constitute the region known as Oceania. Pacific Pathway and Warfighter Exercises incorporate SRC 12 organizations in rehearsing HR operations, given the challenges of the maritime environment. The HR concept of support is coordinated between HR planners at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), USARPAC, the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, and the 25th Division Sustainment Brigade.
Operational rehearsals through Operation Pathways require the deployment of HR assets across multiple key locations in the Pacific theater. Sustainment theater distribution centers (TDCs) are meticulously placed in areas that empower force projection and freedom of movement of personnel and equipment.
To establish theater openings in the Pacific, USARPAC plays the lead role in forming forward-postured, ready-land forces. TDCs, aerial ports of debarkation (APODs), and seaports of debarkation (SPODs) are established across a multitude of time zones, creating staged land-based operations to allow inter- and intra-theater flow of personnel.
SRC 12 organizations within the Pacific overcome the challenge of executing their mission in remote, degraded, and contested environments across a vast span of open sea through detailed collaboration and meticulous planning with partner nations and Service components. To perform activities in the USINDOPACOM region, sustainers rely heavily on the established security cooperation agreements between the U.S. and partner nations. To minimize host nation restrictions, SRC 12 assets need country clearances and access to conduct personnel accountability at APODS and SPODS, joint postal operations, and accountability of casualties on land or sea.
To execute operations in the Indo-Pacific, HR enabling systems must align across all Services. The Deployed Theater Accountability System (DTAS) ensures accurate and timely personnel accountability for commanders to make informed decisions. DTAS permits commanders to generate, organize, and maintain operational endurance for the joint force. Across the first island chain, personnel accountability teams in the sustainment brigade use innovative tactics to perform the 24-hour operations necessary to maintain the daily requirements of the flow of forces.
The threats within the Pacific environment create the need to employ large-scale casualty operations. The Defense Casualty Information Processing System is another key HR system needed to combat the complexity of tracking and reporting casualties across the theater. The history of the Pacific teaches us that during large-scale combat operations, planning for mass casualties and evacuation is critical for all sustainers. Accountability of casualties at medical treatment facilities, whether on land or sea, is a vital task for HR sustainers. During wargames, planners simulate using naval assets to provide care and transportation and to embed casualty liaison teams for accountability and reporting.
Postal operations are essential sustainment tasks that require multiple transportation assets and multifaceted joint coordination across vast distances. The Indo-Pacific theater has three Army military mail terminals or equivalent organizations forward. Movement of mail across the island chains is another HR mission that requires host-nation support. Within a maritime-centric environment, SRC 12 organizations implement postal operations that capitalize on previously established postal networks, facilities, and routes by other Service components, allowing the freedom to operationally reach throughout the island chains.
HR sustainers are critical to enabling the Pacific campaign in a maritime-dominate environment. SRC 12 organizations plan and execute HR theater operations that allow U.S. forces freedom of maneuver and that maintain the defense of an open and free Indo-Pacific. The Pacific theater does not rely solely on air and sea domains because land is the adversaries’ ultimate goal. Without sustainment to shape the war fight, U.S. deterrence and dominance will not be achieved.
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Lt. Gen. Douglas F. Stitt serves as the U.S. Army G-1 Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS). He previously served as director, Military Personnel Management, Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) DCS G-1; director, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, U.S. Army Human Resources Command; and executive officer, HQDA DCS G-1. He has two master’s degrees, one in defense studies and one in strategic studies, from the Canadian Forces College, Ontario, Canada, and the Army War College, Pennsylvania.
Col. Barrcary J. (BJ) Lane serves as the U.S. Army Pacific G-1. He previously served as the director of the human resources operations center, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; commander, B Detachment, 502nd Personnel Services Battalion, Fort Cavazos, Texas; and commander, 16th Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade in Baumholder, Germany. He has a Master of Science from the Army War College, Pennsylvania. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and received his Senior Professional Human Resources Certification.
Lt. Col. Jason Behler currently serves as the future operations and concepts division chief of the human resources operations center, U.S. Army Pacific Command G-1 at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. His major military assignments include serving as a tank platoon leader, battalion S-1, company commander, and an Adjutant General Captains Career Course instructor/writer. His military education includes the Armor Officers’ Basic Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officers College, the Common Faculty Development Program Developer Course, and the Human Resources Plans and Operations Course. He has a Master of Business Administration: Marketing degree from Liberty University, Virginia.
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This article was published in the Summer 2024 issue of Army Sustainment.
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