Armored Supply Sergeant?

Reference: FM-I 4-90.1. Paragraph 3-190. "The maneuver unit company supply sergeants and are generally most often located in the combat battalion’s support area. They assemble their logistics packages (LOGPACs) and then move forward via their combat logistics patrol to the company logistics release point (LRP)."
Issue: This IMHO is the weak link in the supplying of units unless equipment is changed. You have a unit supply NCO moving forward with an unarmored or lightly armored truck, to support armored units. In nonlinear combat zone, this will be what the enemy is most likely to go after - I know I would if I were them. I saw nothing in the FM-I that deals with this key weakness issue. Is there recognition of this at CASCOM? A long time ago we replaced lightly armored artillery resupply vehicles with the FAASV to deal with a similar issue in the artillery area. Ditto with APCs as ambulances for the medics.
Question: Are there plans to finally deploy an armored supply vehicle to heavy unit supply sections?

I’m not aware of plans to field these supply sections with armored vehicles. A quick MTOE review of company HQs from 3ID and 10th MTN reveal that they’re still allotted the M998 (LIN T61494). The vehicle pictured below is an M1114.

However, things are looking up. Plans are in the works to create convoy security platoons (CSPs), which are supposed to operate as an internal CSS convoy force protection capability embedded in CSS convoys. A CSP will provide the capability to provide an immediate response to defeat Level I and delay Level II threats while conducting convoy operations. The CSP supports CSS convoys with crew served weapons on Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (UAH) as internal convoy security. When assigned, a convoy security squad or convoy security team becomes part of the convoy organization under the command of the convoy commander during the duration of the convoy mission.

SPO in the HBCT?

Reference: FM-I 4-90.1.
Issue: I was a little surprised at the location of the SPO at the HBCT level and his/her role. I would have thought the SPO would have been in the BSB instead. As listed in the first few chapters of the FM-I the BSB S2/3 has no role other then internal in dealing with logistics support to other units in the HBCT. The SPO at HBCT level appears to be the coordinator of support to units with the HBCT.
Question: Could you clarify this a bit?
The SPO is in the BSB. The SPO conducts planning with the brigade S1, S4, and surgeon. But he is not assigned to the HBCT staff.

Distribution Company, BSB diagram: ATHP

Reference: FM-I 4-90.1, Figure 3-3
Issue: Stock Control and warehouse section is missing. ATHP section is identified as ATP section in the figure.
Question: Shouldn’t the sections be horizontal under the platoon instead of vertical as is shown now?

ATHP is the correct term. The ammunition transfer/holding point has two sub-elements: a stock control team and a store & issue squad. The stock control team performs all stock control functions associated with operating the SAAS. The storage and issue squad conducts ATP operations and conducts ASA operations using assigned CMHE as the operation dictates.

Yes, the sections should be arranged vertically in the diagram. Or I think it would also be okay to leave the units where they are and remove the lines, which imply a hierarchy.

Update: QSC & General Supply Flows.

Reference: White Paper, Chapter 11, F-36
Issue: The QSC is shown in the flows for (General Supplies, CL VII, IX) and a DS Supply Company is shown the flows for (Water, Sustainment).
Question: What is the mission of the QSC vs. the DS Supply Company? Typo or intentional?
References to the “QSC” were not meant to imply any specific type of company. In the context of the White Paper, this was just a placeholder meant to refer to any company with the corresponding QM capability. The following units could, for example, fit the description depending upon your frame of reference:

QM Petroleum Support Company (10420F100 & 10420F200)
QM Water Purification & Distribution Company (10460F000)
QM Support Company (42420F000)

The term QSC refers to the QM support company, which combines DS & GS capability. In the modular Army, DS supply companies go away.

Battle Staff

Reference: FM-I 4-90.1, pg. 3-2 to 3-3. Paragraphs 3-4 through 3-7 refer to the “battle staff.”
Issue: The term “battle staff” is periodically mentioned in FM-I 3-90.5 and FM-I 3-90.6, but it is not defined, not even in context. No reference to “battle staff” is made in FMs 1-02, 3-0, 4-0, or 5-0. [Paragraph 3-6 of FM-I 4-90.1 indicates that the duties and responsibilities of battle staff officers can be found in FM 5-0. This is not true.]
Question: What does the term “battle staff” mean?

CADD says: The consensus so far is that it's simply a more sexy term for "staff." It refers to the commander's core war-fighting staff, the core decision-makers. The author of FM 5-0, Army Planning and Orders Production, informs us that they are going to try to come up with a definition when the manual on TTP for CP operations is written.

Females in the FSC

Reference: FM 4-90.1, pg. 3-1 “Unlike the Force XXI (FXXI) and SBCT logistics unit assignment design with the FSCs assigned/organic to the support battalion, the combined arms, fires, reconnaissance commander commands and controls the forward support company (FSC) (i.e. the FSC is assigned/organic to the combined arms, fires battalion and the reconnaissance squadron).”
Issue 1: USAFMSA shows that the FSC falls under the BSB.
Issue 2: Title 10 and the Department of Defense (DoD) collocation rule exempts female soldiers from assignment to “…battalion size or small units which are assigned a primary mission to engage in direct ground combat or which collocate routinely with units assigned a direct ground combat mission.” (AR 600-13, para. 1-12)
Question: Doesn’t this mean that females cannot be assigned to FSCs?
Female soldiers can be assigned to forward support companies. Although aligned with a specific combat arms battalion, forward support companies are assigned to the BSB.

DS to Combat Units

Reference: FMI 3-90.6, pg. 10-19
Issue: Paragraphs 10-58 and 10-60 talk about direct support (DS) to maneuver units.
Question: Is DS the appropriate term?

Yes, however it is helpful to consider the context. In the AOE, there were essentially two ways of looking at direct support. One way was purely logistical and applied to TTPs that described how supplies and services were allocated. The other way of thinking about DS was in terms of command and control. DS in these paragraphs describe the C2 relationship within the movement technique. They do not to refer to a specific logistical technique.

Transportation Platoon Squads

Reference: FMI 4-90.1, pg. 3-27, figure 3-3
Issue: The wire diagram indicates the Trans PLT from the distro company has 3 x Truck Sections but has a squad icon (a single dot) above the unit symbol. WEBTAADS indicates 4 x Truck Squads are in a Trans PLT.
Question: Are there 3 x sections or 4 x squads?

There are four squads. Rule of thumb – unless there’s a pending force design update, USAFMSA is always right.

ETM-I

Reference: FMI 3-90.5, Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Page 10-12, Chapter 10-38
Issue: “An operator performs PMCS and the faults are transmitted using Electronic Technical Manual- Interface (ETM-I)…”
Question: What is an ETM-I and when is it getting fielded?
DCD-OD says: ETMI can be many things. A PDA is only one option. ETMI could be incorporated into the Maintenance Support Device (MSD). That is the most likely solution. But, ETMI is not a “thing”; it is a function. The “I” may be different for each ETM. Some may have more “I” than others. One of the jobs of the Common Logistics Operating Environment (CLOE) is to define the common standards by which all ETMs and ETMIs will operate. That effort is not complete yet. Also consider the term IETM: Interactive Electronic Tech Manual. Again, the level of the “I” in this case may differ for each system. Some may only have the part numbers and drawings available for call up. This might be appropriate for smaller systems like generators. Others may have a very active “I” that leads the operator down diagnostics paths and even interrogates the system itself.