Friday, April 22, 2005

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.

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