ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Army Sustainment Command is best known for providing and maintaining vehicles, equipment, weapons and other essential items to service members around the globe. However, what about the day-to-day necessities in life such as food, shelter or mundane items such as laundry, or things we just expect to happen such as mail service?
This is where the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) comes in … a program literally unknown to most Americans, yet whose capabilities have provided, and continues to provide, both sustainment operations and life support comforts to the armed forces in austere environments to a level that has been unmatched since the inception of "Contractors on the Battlefield."
Although LOGCAP is headquartered here, its 34 Army Civilians and 46,000 contractors can be found around the globe embedded alongside the armed forces. These RIA-based Army civilians are deployable at a moment's notice, within 72 hours of a declared contingency or disaster.
LOGCAP is capable of projecting globally, which is attested to by several contingencies during the past few years including Iraq, Kuwait, Uganda, Afghanistan, and Haiti.
LOGCAP was established in 1985 as a contingency capability to provide sustainment support functions by leveraging civilian contractors who perform specific tasks to military standards.
LOGCAP capabilities were demonstrated during its employment in both Bosnia and Kosovo, however, the program's greatest impact would be confirmed by providing sustainment support to during forward deployed forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Who knew the Army's second largest service contract, at $55 billion, finds its home here at Rock Island Arsenal? The program has provided significant support to the armed forces during the last decade including:
• 32.6 billion gallons of water produced
• 8.9 billion gallons of fuel issued
• 1.2 billion meals prepared
• 471.7 million pounds of mail handled
• 104.3 million bags of laundry cleaned
• 268.5 million tons of ice produced
• 182.4 million miles driven in support of forces
• 287.2 million patrons visits Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities
LOGCAP continues to support operations in Southwest Asia and Africa. In Iraq, LOGCAP provides support to 16 sites for the Department of State and Office of Security Operations -- Iraq.
In Afghanistan, LOGCAP supports 93 forward operating bases, seven bases in Kuwait, seven bases in Bahrain, one in Oman and two sites in Central African Republic, one in Uganda, and one in South Sudan.
As the operations in Afghanistan begin to wind down, LOGCAP is gradually reverting to its original focus, planning for the next contingency. LOGCAP capabilities can be shaped and packaged to whatever contingencies or incidents may occur.
Thus, during these lulls between events, "We are always planning for the next event," said Matthew Sannito, deputy to the executive director, LOGCAP. "We have plans on the shelf to address scenarios around the world, whether we need to respond to a man-made disaster, war, or a natural disaster."
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