HAULING THE LINE

HAULING THE LINE



The U.S. Air Force Provides Airmen in Lieu of Soldiers to Assist U.S. Army Logistical Operations in Getting Needed Supplies To and From the Battlefield.

by Christian Sheehy, MLF Editor

As Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003, DoD tasked the U.S. Army to provide a trucking capability for moving unit tactical supplies from supply depots in Kuwait to U.S. forward operating bases in Iraq. DoD’s M915 class of supply trucks, an up-armored version of the typical commercial tractor trailer, was to spearhead this effort, with the M915A3 ultimately chosen as a primary convoy supply vehicle.

Initial security for these convoys was provided using legacy HMMWVs, with plate metal armor fabricated by the Army. In 2004, DoD introduced the M1114 and M1151 tactical “gun trucks” to replace the HMMWVs in convoy protection operations. Unlike the “addon” armored HMMWV, the M1114 and M1151 vehicles are up-armored protection platforms, pre- manufactured to handle the protection needs of the warfighter.

In 2004, DoD decided on a transition from the gun truck to a line haul mission using the M915 variant tractor. The line haul convoy M915A3 vehicle was determined to be the closest fit with the Army logistical needs and the skill sets of the Air Force personnel tasked to assist the Army in providing convoy security,” said Lieutenant. Colonel. Christopher Benoit, commander, Joint Tactical Logistics Force 28, Army 4th Sustainment Brigade.

In the 2004-5 timeframe, the Army began to tap previously-deployed truck units for ground logistical support in theater. That situation was relayed to Joint Forces Command and a decision was ultimately made to source Air Force availability to fill the Theater’s need. “White Trucks”, Army contracted vehicles driven by coalition forces were also tasked to join the M915A3s in line haul convoy operations. The trucks are essentially semi trucks typically found in the U.S. and are not up-armored. The drivers wear Kevlar and protective vests.

Unlike in the multitask gun truck operations where logistical and tactical duties were handled by each convoy vehicle, the introduction of the better-protected M915 up-armored trucks enabled the convoys to concentrate more on the logistical side of the mission, leaving defensive operations to missionassigned tactical vehicles.

In 2005, DoD tasked units of the Air Force’s 586th Emergency Readiness Logistics Squadron (ERLS) 70th and 424th Medium Truck Detachments (MTDs), under the auspices of the Army’s 1st Theater Support Command, 4th Sustainment Brigade, Joint Tactical Logistics Force (JLTF) 28, to take charge of convoy operations in Theater.

“DoD mandated the need for a convoy security ground force to provide security for multiple types of Army convoys tasked with delivering logistics supplies for the war effort,” said Lieutenant. Colonel. Derek Oliver, commander of the Air Force’s 586th ERLS’ 70th ‘Scorpions’ and 424th ‘Centurions’ MTDs. “Our operation is literally airmen in lieu of soldiers driving Army assets throughout the theater.”

“The theater represents a large joint force. You’ve got Marines, Navy, Air Force and Army as well, plus multinational coalition forces,” said Benoit. “The Army does not have enough truck capability built into it to handle the long-term sustained fighting required by the war effort.”

PREPARING THE MISSION

About four to five days prior to mission start, the convoy teams receive a set of orders. Convoy commanders will begin to contact customers, and upload and download forward operating base (FOB) locations key to the mission. Three days out from mission start, the team will conduct comprehensive maintenance and servicing on each M915A3 and trailer slated for use on that mission.

Two days out, a convoy briefing is conducted involving intelligence gathered, weather conditions expected, and the different tactics, techniques and procedures to be used on the mission. The briefing also includes the use of mission simulations shown by mock-up on “sand tables” to demonstrate potential scenarios or “rock drills” in case of attack and how the convoy should respond to said attack.

The final stage of the briefing is going over the actual route to be traveled, dropoff locations, and the return route. The actual morning of the mission is a safety briefing in which the convoy commander speaks to the mission team about threats and hazards on the road, speed, wearing protective gear and checking any last minute items before departure.

At the same time mission preparations are being made, a separate series of meetings covering potential situational contingencies is occurring. The assistant convoy commander goes over multiple scenarios that could potentially arise along the mission route and how the mission team should handle them. In the case of a tire blowout, the team is directed to orient the vehicles in a specific manner as to give maintenance personnel maximum protection from potential enemy attack. In situations involving a sustained enemy ground attack, accompanying M1114 and M115 tactical vehicles are tasked to neutralize the threat.

“What’s makes what our mission unique form any other LRS is that we’re out in the actual combat zones supporting DoD objectives,” said Oliver. “Typical ELRS deployments occur inside an FOB in support of the aircraft mission. The center of our universe is really the convoy team.”

PROTECTING THE MISSION

Protective systems have been added to upgrade the personnel protection attributes of the M915A3 vehicle used in supply convoy operations. In 2005, the Army began modifying its 2.5 ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) in response to a DoD initiative aimed at arming convoy cargo vehicles to provide better mission protection Currently, about 2,500 of the FMTVs have been fitted with ring mount, .50-caliber gun turrets. In 2007, DoD mandated that the FMTVs have power ring mounts with either manually operated .50 caliber capable turret system or a remotely-operated system. Lieutenant Colonel Stacy Townsend, comma g a threat to our convoys means engaging that threat in the defensive posture necessary to ensure that the mission continues to move the designated supplies from depot to warfighter.”

In June 2008, DoD awarded BAE Systems a contract for the supply of up to 10,000 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), worth up to $2.2 billion, with $1.65 billion of funding already agreed. The new contract includes a one year option for the procurement of 10,000 additional vehicles.

BAE Systems is addressing the threat to the “combat truckers” mission through the development of advancements in armor outfitting for medium trucks like the FMTV. Chris Chambers, vice president of medium/heavy vehicles, mobility and protection systems, BAE Systems, said, “Initially, they had to respond to an emerging threat by the best thing that they had: melding metal onto the vehicles. This quick fix left no recourse in terms of design or backfit.” In an effort to eliminate this “hillbilly armor” technique, DoD introduced the next phase of armor upgrades called “add-on” armor. From a medium truck perspective in tracking DoD’s armor evolution, BAE Systems accelerated the design of an integrated armored cab.

“We had two aims, both dealing with survivability,” said Chambers. “The primary goal was personnel protection and the second was vehicle sustainability. We didn’t want to degrade long-term vehicle operational performance with the addition of armoring.”

Since the BAE Systems has fielded 2500 medium trucks with “addon” armor capability. In light of the growing threat in theater, the Army has laid out its long-term strategy for future vehicle armoring. “They’re taking a systems design approach to up-armor by favoring a detachable type of armoring that can be removed and applied as needed,” said Chambers. “It was decided that by enabling the removal of armor in situations that did not dictate its use, vehicle wear and tear due to armor bulk could be greatly reduced.

On FMTV trucks, BAE added a new front axle to the vehicles to counter the weight added by additional armor. “A lot of the vehicle’s protective capability comes from the structural strength of the armor,” said Chambers. “The challenge for us in meeting the Army’s goals in their long-term armor strategy is in achieving that strength, but we have to do this using multiple armor pieces that can be removed and added as necessary.” BAE Systems is going to full production with its ”adaptable” armor program at the end of the year.

With added armor comes added weight to the vehicles which are often tasked to deliver logistical supplies on unmaintained roads or even off-road where road conditions dictate.

An increased strain on engine and mechanical component parts have led to decreases in fuel efficiency and overall shorter vehicle life. To address these concerns, BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems Division is focusing on ways to better integrate added weight with existing vehicle platforms in an effort to minimize wear and drag.

“The effect of up-armoring on a vehicle depends on how you integrate it within the whole system,” states Chambers. “For example, we have adopted a braking system that works much better under the stress of added vehicle weight. Other areas of improvement are in frame strength and armor distribution to lower the center of gravity.

Following an initial step which involved swapping out personnel compartments depending on tactical need, an intermediate step involved installing a more robust, angular variant. “We have effectively transitioned from a “swap-cab” solution to an adaptable “plug and play” type cab system where the armor is fitted or bolted into place on a base cab structure designed to accept its weight,” said Chambers. “This methodology allows crews to switch-out armor ‘on the fly’, according to need, without having to major mission delay for reasons of tactical overhaul and accepts future armor development readily, delaying obsolescence.”

Functional at the unit level, the newer cab designs can accept weapon stations as well. “Whether it be a gunner protection shield with a .50 caliber mount or a remote weapon station, the cab is designed to accept that kind of load mounted above it,” said Chambers.

Projects like armored cabs and MRAP have brought aspects of aviation design into the truck world. “In the truck world today, you’re trying to protect and save weight at the same time so as to maximize your payload carrying capability,” said Chambers. To this end, BAE Systems has concurrently developed armor technologies that both absorb and deflect potential explosive attacks using lighter, stronger materials.

According to Chambers, one of the largest challenges facing the future of logistics vehicles operating in combat situations is balancing protection, vehicle performance, payload and cost through materials development. We can already defeat fairly major threats like explosively- formed penetration devices with advances in armor technology. The trick will be in effectively balancing any extra weight that we don’t want with the lifesaving protection that we do.”

MAINTAINING THE MISSION

Combat Support Associates Ltd, based in Fort Worth, Texas, was selected in July 1999 to provide ground support maintenance, among other services, in support of Army Central Command logistics operations between Kuwait and the Iraq theater of operations.

Charged with performing maintenance on a variety of theater-bound ground equipment, CSA professionals assist Army maintenance personnel with regular preventative upkeep cycles as well as post-casualty repairs. James Harris, planning, production, and control manager for field maintenance support at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait said, “We’re here to conduct third and limited fourth depotlevel maintenance that our soldiers are either unable to do or don’t have the time to do. As a retired Army sergeant first class, I’m aware of the commitment these military logisticians and tacticians have to their mission. We’re here to free them from these maintenance issues so they can focus on mission readiness.”

CSA Ltd maintenance operations employ principles in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) set by government standard ISO 9001. Practices in parts inventory and acquisition have been transformed using these evolving LSS concepts. “We used to fill out requests for parts,” said Tyrone Leacock, department manager for field maintenance support, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. “Now we use file transfer protocol and have weekly meetings with DLA and Army TACOM to coordinate resources on the location and acquisition of the parts needed. We receive daily parts updates from the corresponding distributors so that we can begin chasing parts down immediately without the 30-day wait period characteristic of past parts acquisition operations. This strategy keeps us moving continually toward the replenishment of parts before they are actually needed for use.”

The majority of support work for the “combat trucker” mission is conducted in the tactical operations center (TOC). TOC personnel work with the Army to plan, map, and execute each mission. Keeping mission operations moving is primary to convoy safety and success. “Maintenance has a pretty important role, while on the road when a tire blows or a fan belt snaps, to preventing things from breaking on the road,” said Staff Sergeant Pecsuk, a special purpose vehicle maintainer with the 70th MTD deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C. The convoy is in continual communication with its vehicle dispatch center which accounts for all regular scheduled maintenance as well as on-the-spot repairs conducted with the aid of convoy maintenance trucks.

From repairing convoy trucks on the road to the maintenance personnel responsible for bringing the vehicles back to life in preparation for the next mission, each phase of vehicle readiness is crucial to operational continuity. “The goal is to minimize time between and during mission operations,” said Oliver. “We can only be effective if we continue to move toward the next objective.” ♦