Operational Sustainment: Means, Ways, and Ends Governing Joint and Combined Operations (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781288299638)

This monograph examines the impact operational sustainment has on mid-high intensity operations in a semi-austere theater of operations. The analysis begins with the theory of sustaining operations at the operational level of war and the principles of current sustainment doctrine. A paradigm is developed for examining sustainment as an essential and critical part of operational art. In the paradigm, operational sustainment is defined as taking the logistical means available and applying them in a particular way while minimizing risk to achieve desired ends. Logistics (personnel, material, transportation, facilities, and services) define the operational sustainment means used in this analysis. Logistics are applied using the sustainment activities of lines of support, staging, altering lines of communications, prioritizing, and force expansion as the sustainment ways. It is proposed that risk can be minimized by adhering to the sustainment imperatives of anticipation, integration, continuity, responsiveness, and improvisation. The Sixth Army campaign on Luzon during World War II is analyzed using the operational sustainment paradigm to evaluate the impact of sustainment at the operational level of war. The monograph concludes that operational sustainment is the predominant factor when planning and conducting joint and combined operations and that the operational sustainment paradigm is a useful model for examining campaigns and major operations from a sustainment point of view.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.