Knowledge is Power
Written by Maura McCarthy
MLF 2011 Volume:5 Issue: 3 (April)
When Secretary Gates launched his efficiencies initiative last May, aiming to save $100 billion over the next five years, he selected Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Ashton Carter to spearhead the effort. In his September 2010 Memorandum for Acquisition Professionals, “Better Buying Power: Guidance for Obtaining Greater Efficiency and Productivity in Defense Spending,” Carter noted that “a capable, qualified, and appropriately sized acquisition workforce will be key to achieving efficiency.” The education and professional development of the military logistician becomes an even greater priority then, for it is they that must “do more without more” while effectively and efficiently supporting the warfighter. The following military education commands and civilian institutions offer programs to educate and develop the professional logistician.
Defense Acquisition University,
Logistics & Sustainment Center
The Logistics & Sustainment Center at Defense Acquisition University (DAU) provides the 17,000 members of DoD’s life cycle logistics workforce the training mandated by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) as amended, and implements DoD instructions and policy.
Director Bill Kroben explained, “Our logistics portfolio focuses on product support across the life cycle—the things it takes to develop, field, support, sustain and dispose of systems—combining both traditional ‘acquisition logistics’ as well as long-term product support and sustainment planning and execution … We also seek through a variety of means, such as a program we call Core Plus, to facilitate and encourage students from other functional disciplines to better understand logistics processes, practices and principles, as well as to encourage life cycle logisticians to broaden their understanding of other disciplines in the acquisition community such as systems engineering, cost estimating, program management and contracting, among many others.”
Additionally, DAU courses “infuse faculty members who are long-time practitioners in the art and science of logistics, as well as a dynamic mix of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, defense agency, and even some industry students … It’s a great opportunity to learn from each other, and to broaden their understanding of how other organizations and people of different backgrounds can solve the same problem” Kroben said.
Institute for Defense and Business
The Institute for Defense and Business (IDB), a nonprofit independent research and education institution created by UNC-Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina, provides participants a shoulder-to-shoulder learning experience, bringing together the joint military community, all services, government agencies and the private sector. IDB offers programs for logistic professionals at different career levels and programs designed to fill identified gaps in logistics education. The Center of Excellence in Logistics & Technology offers two executive education programs and an MBA, integrating military, private sector and academia; Log21 is tailored to early-career military and civilian logisticians; Depot and Arsenal Executive Leadership Program serves to enhance the business acumen of commanders assuming control of an industrial facility that usually has a predominantly civilian workforce.
Of IDB’s Seminar on Logistics Cooperation for Stabilization and Reconstruction (LCSR) IDB President Mark Cramer said, “LCSR addresses a real gap in preparing military logisticians to interact with logisticians from other parts of government or the private sector. Although a tremendous amount of practical knowledge was gained through efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as through major disaster relief efforts like in Haiti, there’s been very little institutionalization of knowledge gained or any real educational efforts to bring together all the communities and organizations that need to work together.”
IDB courses prepare the logistician to deal with a whole-of-government logistics environment. Cramer noted, “The days where an Army logistician needed to learn how to work with just Navy logistics people are over ... You need to know a much broader spectrum of engagement across the interagency, or the whole of government, but really much larger than the whole of government as it involves other assets of the nation such as the private sector and the NGO community.”
American Public University System/
American Military University
APUS offers a BA and MA in transportation and logistics management and a Graduate Certificate in logistics management, which are all conducted online, enabling its student body—comprised of more than 50,000 students from 100 countries and employed by every branch and specialty of the military, as well as other federal and state agencies—to earn their degree from any corner of the globe.
Highlighting the technological challenges military logisticians face, Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth, transportation and logistics management (TLM) program director and Robert Jaffin, professor and former TLM Department chair explained, “American Military University’s transportation and logistics management courses specifically address the technological issues and problems facing the military in RFID technology … In addition, our TLM program focuses on the convergence of commercial and military best practices, including cargo security management, military management and acquisition, port security and others.” As the logistics profession has evolved, a new emphasis has been placed on education. “Today, organizations demand more focused education for their logisticians. ‘On the job’ training is no longer sufficient … We blend educational theory and practical experiences to teach trends within the industry today and to develop new, innovative tactics and visions for the future,” Hedgepeth and Jaffin said.
The Center for Supply Chain Research
in the Smeal College of Business
at Pennsylvania State University
The Center for Supply Chain Research in the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University aims to “create a community of practitioners and scholars who are interested in furthering the field of supply chain management,” said Executive Director and Senior Research Associate Skip Grenoble. “A little over 10 years ago we were asked to facilitate a month-long program where the Marine Corps brought in 20 of their top logisticians and spent a month learning about the private sector and things that could help them in going through a very vigorous improvement cycle of the modernization and transportation effort … this eventually led to the creation of Marine Corps Logistics Education Program [MCLEP], which we’ve been doing for over 10 years,” explained Grenoble.
Twice a year the Marine Corps sends 55 logisticians to participate in the two-week long MCLEP, which focuses on integration of inventory management, transportation and distribution, order management, and maintenance and aims to enhance the effectiveness of logisticians operating in a joint environment. For students who have completed MCLEP or other tailored programs, Penn State offers multiple options to complete a certificate program in supply chain management and supply chain operational excellence.
Air Force Institute of Technology
The Air Force Institute of Technology School of Systems and Logistics offers more than 80 professional continuing education courses. Major Lisa Ulshoffer, acting head of the Logistics department, explained, “Our courses are designed to cover the entire spectrum of a logistician’s career. Starting with a live course teaching basic logistics, to our live course teaching combat logistics focusing on the joint environment, to our seminar at the FGO level bringing in guest speakers covering topics at the operational/strategic level, then you move to the senior courses, both of which are seminars with guest speakers covering distribution and strategic level issues concerning logistics.
In addition, we have a series of 11 Web-based courses covering the eLog21 transformation of Air Force logistics.” Working within a constricted defense budget, Ulshoffer acknowledged that “the fiscal reality of the DoD is going to be tough. Requirements for logistics education, especially theater centric, is growing but is always considered low hanging fruit. We are working with all leadership to help them appreciate that though education doesn’t provide the immediate visible skill that training can deliver, it is essential to the long-term development of our logisticians.”
Center for Joint Strategies and Logistics
The Center for Joint and Strategic Logistics at the National Defense University was established in October 2009 to shape the development of logisticians capable of meeting the complex challenges of the current and future operational environments. One of the key objectives of the center is to assist the Joint Professional Military Education institutions across the Department of Defense to develop their curriculum and work with the service staffs to enhance the teaching of joint logistics at the schools within the services.
The center’s director, retired Lieutenant General Claude “Chris” Christianson, emphasized the importance of these efforts in order to develop a professional force capable of finding and implementing creative and effective solutions to challenging and ill-defined problems. “Unlike the past, where we thought we be successful staying inside a box that we described, in the future the box could have no definition…we have to create a group of leaders who can deal with that type of uncertain environment. The uncertainty about the future demands that we focus our developmental efforts on those skills and attributes in leaders that will enhance their chances of success.”
Logistic Officer Association
A professional organization comprised of over 3,200 military and civilian logistic professionals, LOA’s mission, according to LOA president Colonel Doug Cato, “is to provide professional development to our members on the logistics spectrum. This professional development begins at the chapter level and continues through scholarly articles in the quarterly Exceptional Release journal, and the capstone event each year is our professional development conference.” Additionally, LOA supports those pursuing a career in logistics through their scholarship program, which was expanded in 2011 to include those pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as high school students. Heading into its 30th year, Cato envisions “LOA becoming more of a logistics think tank, providing a ‘brain trust’ to solve logistics problems, while educating our members on the best logistical practices. It’s important we embrace our industry partners as we move forward, as many of those are retired military logistics professionals with a wealth of knowledge.
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, a partner with Army Logistics Management College, offers a Master of Science in supply chain management designed to equip military logisticians with the skills needed to operate in a lean environment as well as experience interfacing with civilians. Modern logisticians face a constantly changing environment, said Shawn Alborz, director of operations management at UTD, and UTD’s curriculum provides logisticians a holistic and full education. “Education in Lean Six Sigma, project management and SAP gives leaders the tools to communicate with large civilian corporations for sourcing and the ability to make the military supply chain more cost-effective. Because of the new generalized nature of military logistics officers, they are expected to have a good understanding of the entire military supply chain, not just parts.” UTD addresses these challenges and “continues to put itself at the forefront of these changes by bringing in industry experts to instruct and develop curriculum, providing coursework that allows students to excel in a more sophisticated environment, and by providing an environment that promotes supply chain/logistics leaders to share knowledge, which ultimately make our graduates competitive leaders,” noted Alborz.
North Dakota State University
North Dakota University offers a master’s in managerial logistics (MML) that is a non-disquisition degree, addresses all 12 points of the National Logistics Curriculum outlined by Army Logistics Management College, and targets career military officers, DoD civilians and other logistic professionals. Director Denver Tolliver highlights the benefits of MML and said, “Most of the typical logistician’s service time prior to entering the MML program has been spent at the tactical level, where execution has been based more on art than science. By teaching the science of logistics, the MML program enables military logisticians to grow in their careers and operate at multiple levels and environments.”
North Dakota plans to expand its program to include officers from all branches, not just the Army, as well as contractors and private sector students. “In the future, the MML will emphasis joint and global collaborations … We intend to expand our global horizons through partnerships with universities in other nations, starting with a planned collaboration with El Jadida University in Morocco in 2011 to 2012. These international connections will enrich the learning experiences of military logisticians by broadening their perspectives and providing detailed case study information.” ♦