Developing a Repeatable Methodology to Calculate Retrograde Planning Factors

123 Pages·2015·3.18 MB·English

ARROYO CENTER
Developing a Repeatable
Methodology to Calculate
Retrograde Planning
Factors
Kristan Klinghoffer, Kenneth J. Girardini, Arthur Lackey, Cheryl Kravchuck,
Bonnie Magnuson
Prepared for the United States Army
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited
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Preface
To field a force capable of efficient and continuous two-way operations, the Army must have
a process for accurately planning the movement or return of serviceable and unserviceable
materiel back through the distribution system. Bottlenecks and stockpiles should be minimized,
in-demand unserviceable items should be rapidly repaired when economically appropriate, and
the support footprint should be optimized.
Accurate retrograde planning factors, based on actual contingency operations, enable
retrograde planning and thereby help ensure retrograde capabilities are considered in the force
flow. To derive these factors, first, data sources for measuring the retrograde flow of Army
materiel and supplies from forward operating units to intermediate bases, the theater support
base, and to the continental United States must be found. Second, retrograde requirements must
be identified and documented. Lastly, a reliable methodology for deriving retrograde planning
factors must be established and maintained.
An Arroyo project, “Retrograde Planning Factors Derived from Current Operations,” set out
to establish a repeatable methodology for developing and maintaining retrograde planning
factors to assist logistics planners in calculating retrograde estimates for multiphase operation
plans and operation orders.
This report describes the development of that methodology and presents updated retrograde
planning factors resulting from its application. The body of this report should be of interest and
utility to Army logisticians and leadership involved in retrograde or determining support force
structure requirements. A more-technical audience will be particularly interested in the
appendixes, which include data definitions, tables of organizational elements, and detailed
planning factors.
This research was sponsored by the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 Army, in close collaboration
with the Army’s Combined Arms Support Command. It was conducted within the RAND
Arroyo Center’s Military Logistics Program. RAND Arroyo Center, part of the RAND
Corporation, is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the United
States Army.
The Project Unique Identification Code (PUIC) for the project that produced this document is
HQD116037.

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Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................................................ iii
Figures............................................................................................................................................ ix

Tables ............................................................................................................................................. xi

Summary ...................................................................................................................................... xiii

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ xix

Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... xxi

Class of Supply Definitions ....................................................................................................... xxiv

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1
Organization of the Report and Its Intended Audience ............................................................................ 2

2. Definitions................................................................................................................................... 3

Defining Retrograde ................................................................................................................................. 3

Retrograde Functions ................................................................................................................................ 3

Classes of Supply and Equipment ............................................................................................................ 4

Retrograde Materiel According to Doctrine ......................................................................................... 4

Retrograde Materiel in Practice ............................................................................................................ 5

3. Army Theater Retrograde Structure in Southwest Asia and Associated Organizations ............. 9

Retrograde Organizations ......................................................................................................................... 9

Retrograde Structure for Sustainment (Class II, IIIP, IV, and IX) ......................................................... 10

Theater SSA ....................................................................................................................................... 10

Tactical SSA ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Regional Retention SSAs ................................................................................................................... 11

SSA Staffing ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Retrograde Sort Yards ........................................................................................................................ 15

Retrograde Structure for Ammunition (Class V) ................................................................................... 15

National .............................................................................................................................................. 15

Tactical ............................................................................................................................................... 16

4. Data and Standard Army Management Information Systems .................................................. 19

Standard Army Retail Supply System .................................................................................................... 19

Worldwide Ammunition Reporting System (Class V) ........................................................................... 23

LMP (National Class V) ..................................................................................................................... 23

SAAS-MOD (Tactical Class V) ......................................................................................................... 23

SAAS-MOD Transactions .................................................................................................................. 23

Property Book Unit Supply Enhanced Class V .................................................................................. 24

Property Book Unit Supply Enhanced (Class VII) ................................................................................. 24

Global Air Transportation System ..................................................................................................... 25

Transportation Coordinators’ Automated Information for Movement System II .............................. 25

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5. Development of Methodology .................................................................................................. 27
Determining Appropriate Unit of Measurement for Retrograde Planning Factors ................................ 27

Determination of Retrograde Weight ..................................................................................................... 27

CTASC ............................................................................................................................................... 28

WARS ................................................................................................................................................ 29

Analysis and Selection of Metric ............................................................................................................ 29

Testing Robustness ................................................................................................................................. 32

Selection of Phases ................................................................................................................................. 35

Notional Phases .................................................................................................................................. 35

Department of the Army OIF/OND Phases ........................................................................................ 36

Further Breakdown of Time Frames .................................................................................................. 36

Averaging Phases ............................................................................................................................... 37

6. Results ....................................................................................................................................... 39

Class IX .................................................................................................................................................. 39

Class II, IIIP, and IV ............................................................................................................................... 42

Class II ................................................................................................................................................ 43

Class IIIP ............................................................................................................................................ 44

Class IV .............................................................................................................................................. 44

Class V .................................................................................................................................................... 45

Sustainment Operations ...................................................................................................................... 45

Drawdown .......................................................................................................................................... 46

7. Discussion with Supply Officers .............................................................................................. 49

Workload ................................................................................................................................................ 49

Staffing ............................................................................................................................................... 49

Left-Behind Containers ...................................................................................................................... 50

Reporting Relationships ..................................................................................................................... 50

Contracting ......................................................................................................................................... 50

Resource Limitations .............................................................................................................................. 51

Classify, Prepare, and Pack ................................................................................................................ 52

Forklifts, Container Handlers, and Facilities ...................................................................................... 53

Missing Data ........................................................................................................................................... 53

Areas for Revisit and Revision ............................................................................................................... 54

Class VII ............................................................................................................................................. 54

Class V ............................................................................................................................................... 54

Factors That Could Drive Significant Changes in the Figures ............................................................... 54

GCSS-Army ....................................................................................................................................... 54

Controlled or Uncontrolled Drawdown in Afghanistan ..................................................................... 55

Appendixes
A. SARSS Transactions ................................................................................................................ 57
B. SAAS-MOD Transactions ........................................................................................................ 61

C. SSAs by Year ........................................................................................................................... 63

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D. Ammunition Supply Sites ........................................................................................................ 69
E. Planning Factors by Class for Notional Retrograde Phases ..................................................... 71

F. Planning Factors by Non–Class IX and Class IX for Notional Retrograde Phases .................. 75

G. Planning Factors by Class and Region for Notional Retrograde Phases ................................. 77

H. Planning Factors by Class and Region for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation

New Dawn Phases ................................................................................................................... 83
I. Class V Planning Factors ........................................................................................................... 89

J. Nondoctrinal Support Activities ................................................................................................ 91

K. Selected Quotes from Retrograde Doctrine ............................................................................. 93

References ..................................................................................................................................... 95

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Figures
2.1. Top Retrograded NIIN for Each Class in SWA ............................................................... 7
3.1. Class IX Forward Supply Diagram ................................................................................ 12

3.2. Class IX Flow Diagram ................................................................................................. 13

3.3. Iraq Supply Support Activities in 2010 ......................................................................... 14

3.4. Afghanistan Supply Support Activities in 2010 ............................................................ 14

3.5. Ammunition Supply Flow Diagram............................................................................... 16

4.2. Forward and Reverse Flow of Materiel ......................................................................... 21

4.3. SARSS Retrograde Transactions ................................................................................... 22

4.4. Key Ammunition Retrograde Transactions ................................................................... 24

5.1. OEF and OIF Troop Levels ........................................................................................... 30

5.2. Below Theater Retrograde by Class .............................................................................. 30

5.3. Single Deployment Return Volume ............................................................................... 31

5.4. Class IX Tactical Issues and Retrograde ....................................................................... 32

5.5. Percentage of Customer Issues for Selected Class IX Transaction Types .................... 33

5.6. Theater SSA Class IX Materiel Flows ........................................................................... 33

5.7. Theater Ammunition Materiel Flows ............................................................................. 34

6.1. Class IX Retrograde Map ............................................................................................... 40

6.2. Class II, IIIP, and IV Retrograde Map ........................................................................... 42

6.3. Class II Retrograde Map ................................................................................................ 43

6.4. Class IIIP Retrograde Map ............................................................................................. 44

6.5. Class IV Retrograde Map ............................................................................................... 45

6.6. Class V Retrograde Afghanistan .................................................................................... 46

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