It’s difficult to admit, but field artillery (FA) battalions in brigade combat teams (BCT) are struggling to manage their ammo. As observers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), we witnessed units fight to supply their gunlines with rounds. While no operation ever goes perfectly, ammunition management is a fight BCTs cannot afford to lose.
Knowing Yourself
Prior to each rotation at JMRC, company observers usually reach out to their rotational units and request a “roll-out card.” The card tends to include a mission essential task list, training objectives, equipment statuses, and soldier rosters. This information helps observers plan and create training environments to meet training objectives. Considering roll-out cards are made by rotational units, it’s a constant surprise to find they don’t understand their equipment’s capabilities.
New observers quickly discover the source of the problem. There’s a disconnect between batteries, battalions, and brigades. Specifcally, inexperienced leaders in key positions don’t understand the connections that get artillery rounds from logistics nodes to gunlines. Below we’ll look at some of the issues with ammunition management at each echelon. The goal is to help leaders identify and fix their ammunition management systems to keep gunlines roaring.
People First
Leaders shouldn’t take ammunition management, accountability, and distribution lightly. Artillery rounds are the most important class of ammunition during large scale combat operations. Artillery shapes the deep fight for commanders, and without it maneuver would lack freedom of action. Lest the guns fall silent, effective artillery ammunition management is a top BCT priority. Successful ammunition management requires accurate ammunition reports, timely requests, an understanding organic hauling capacity, and an appreciation for critical actors that keep guns firing.
Leaders must, therefore, understand the duties and responsibilities of logisticians at the BCT and brigade support battalion (BSB). Two of the most important – but often forgotten – are the BCT’s ammunition NCO (89B40) and a warrant officer (890A). These logistic soldiers are the BCT’s ammunition replenishment operations experts. They also provide guidance for the storage and distribution of rounds. It is important that these soldiers understand the BCT’s ammunition requirements and maintain awareness of controlled supply rates that affect the BCT’s operations. These BSB ammunition leaders work diligently with the FA battalion S4 to guarantee successful ammunition management during operations.
The Role of the S4
Our experience has shown us that the most important logistician in an FA battalion is the S4, and if an FA battalion can train and develop its S4, it can reap significant rewards. Just like the other battalions in the BCT, the FA battalion is not authorized a logistics officer to serve as battalion S4. The position is instead filled by an artillery captain, but more often, a lieutenant. These logistically inexperienced officers require focused development to effectively sustain the battalion’s supply of “big bullets”. Below we’ll highlight some of the critical roles the S4 plays in an FA battalion.
The S4 in Plans
The FA battalion S4 is responsible for maintenance, transportation, and supply. They are the link between fires and sustainment. The S4 begins planning ammunition requirements during the military decision-making process. They then use their commander’s intent to derive round requirements. During target selection, the battalion fire direction officer (FDO) conducts battlefield calculus to plan firing orders. Firing orders allocate the number of rounds required and set unit initial basic combat loads. Together, the FDO and S4 then forecast the rounds needed beyond the current operation. Planning is a team effort that includes the S4, battalion ammunition officer, Battalion XO, and the FSC Commander.
The S4 is also responsible for helping the batteries plan and forecast their ammunition resupply. The S4 works with the Fire Direction Center (FDC)/FDO to allocate rounds for the batteries. They then develop the method of resupply during the military decision-making process. The batteries report on-hand and expended artillery ammunition status to the battalion FDC and the combat train command post (CTCP) for tracking and resupply.
The S4 in Current Operations
Batteries report ammunition consumption to the S4 on a logistics status report (LOGSTAT) by type and Department of Defense Identification Code (DODIC). The S4 also tracks any stockpiling above the unit basic load (UBL) for approval by the battalion commander. It’s critical that all echelons understand where stockpiles are located. The responsibility for supporting a stockpile falls to the unit storing the rounds. In order for this process to function, batteries need to constantly communicate the status of their stockpiles with the S4 from planning to execution.
The Rest of the Team
The battalion S4 isn’t doing it all single-handedly, they have some help. The battalion XO coordinates all logistics operations outside of the battalion. We observeded that the battalion XO can be especially helpful maintaining the communication between the CTCP and the BSB’s support operations officer (SPO). Together with the SPO, the XO generates a sustainment picture that informs senior leader decision-making.
The forward support company (FSC) commander is the most experienced logistician in the FA battalion. The FSC commander works closely with the S4 and XO. In our experience, FSC commanders have the best understanding of the unit’s hauling capabilities at any given time. The S4 and XO need to take advantage of that knowledge as they plan the battalion’s operations.
While often overlooked, the distribution platoon leader plays a critical role in ammunition management. First and foremost, they maintain an accurate count of on-hand ammunition. In addition, they track the amount of ammunition received and issued to the firing batteries. They also coordinate with S4, FSC XO at the field trains command post (FTCP), and the firing batteries to make a distribution plan. This doctrinal system is set to ensure successful ammunition management during operations (DA PAM 700-16 Chapter 12).
Command and Control
The CTCP is the closest sustainment node to the FA battalion’s forward line of troops. It serves as the focal point for all FA battalion logistics. Doctrinally, the CTCP operates four to twelve kilometers behind the field artillery’s front line of troops. It includes the S4, elements from the battalion S1, role I aid station, the maintenance collection point, the FSC commander, and the FSC distribution platoon. This team maintains clear communication and tracks ammunition hauling capacity and storage asset availability (FM 3-96 Chapter 9).
The FSC XO provides command and control at the FTCP and works in close proximity to the SPO in order to coordinate emerging ammunition requirements. They are responsible for receiving and directing all FSC convoys arriving and departing the Brigade Support Area (BSA) and serve as the direct liaison to the SPO. At the FTCP, the FSC XO works with the brigade ammunition officer to plan for the storage and transportation of ammunition from the BSA/FTCP to the firing batteries. Most importantly, the FSC XO should understand the BSA’s ammunition storage capacity, the battalion’s hauling capacity, and how to then create unit basic loads (UBLs) and combat configured loads (CCL). This is critical as it allows for timely and accurate transportation of ammunition from the FTCP to the CTCP and finally to the firing batteries.
Ammunition Accountability
Ammunition management and accountability are significant issues at JMRC. While they go hand-in-hand, it is important to understand each one. The accountable authority is responsible for the overall success of “all things ammunition” within the organization. Moreover, this means they are responsible for the movement of ammunition from the ammunition transfer holding point (ATHP) in the brigade support area to the end-user.
At the battalion level, the S4 is the accountable authority responsible for coordinating with all ammunition managers. The managers include, but are not limited to, the FSC Distribution Platoon Leader, FSC Commander, and the FDO. Each of the mangers has to understand their responsibilities within the system. The battalion’s ability to provide fires relies on each manager playing their part in an operation.
It’s imperative that the whole team understands ammunition accountability. The principle is simple – track rounds from the point of issue until they are fired by the batteries. Importantly, the accountable officer and ammunition managers rely on the entire team to track rounds in the organization. Tracking responsibilities extend down to the platoon level. Therefore, platoon leaders, platoon sergeants (smoke), gunny chiefs, and ammunition team chiefs have to track initial basic combat loads (BCL) and consumption rates.
Ammunition Management
Figure 1 is an example of an M777 stryker battalion’s ammunition hauling capacity. JMRC Vampire/Adlers Teams created this with the help of 23rd Modular Ammunition Ordnance Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. The numbers were derived by building pallets of dummy ammunition on flat racks. The chart represents a validated assessment of hauling capacity.
Ammunition management is all about available resources. The battalion and battery FDOs use resource availability to plan and forecast future ammunition requests via the battalion S4 based on hauling capacity. These plans are vital to ammunition management. Hauling capacity sets the amount of ammunition a unit can move across the battlefield. A battalion’s hauling capacity is composed of an assessment of fully mission capable (FMC) ammunition hauling assets by echelon. A failure to understand hauling capacity could lead to backlogs and mission failure; However, knowing the hauling capacity enables the S4 to request the right amount of rounds at the right time.
Unfortunately, FSCs often struggle tracking rounds down to the battery level. Units rely solely on Department of the Army (DA) form 5515 to track ammunition. A DA form 5515 is part of a broader system, not the only system. We have witnessed a trend of distribution platoon leaders manually tracking rounds on DA 5515s. This often leads to avoidable errors and the miscounting of round types and quantities. We recommend fixing the issue by setting up a centralized tracking system. A spreadsheet with built-in formulas negates human error and creates a common operating picture across all echelons.
Logisticians Need Development
The lack of experience in the FSCs and S4s is a large source of friction. The distribution platoon leader tends to be a young logistics lieutenant with limited understanding of artillery ammunition. The FA battalion S4 tends to be a field artillery officer with a lack of familiarity with sustainment. Moreover, while the S4 authorization is meant to be an artillery captain, it is often a young lieutenant. If not managed, the combination can lead to issues.
To address possible inexperience, we recommend using one leader’s strengths to develop the other’s weaknesses. The S4 tends to bring FA expertise to logistics planning. Additionally, the S4 contributes to ammunition management by nesting logistics within the commander’s intent. Similarly, units should use their distribution platoon leader’s understanding of logistics constraints to ensure plans are feasible. When planing field training exercises units should include training objectives that make the S4 and distribution platoon leader to work together to track rounds, hauling capacity, and reporting. The goal should be to get the S4 and distribution platoon to work together and refine ammunition management and distribution operations.
Ammunition Management Training
Initially, FSCs should not assume that the battalion understands what they can do. Therefore, FSCs should use field training exercises to familiarize the battalion with their capabilities and stress their own systems. Training should focus on tactical ammunition hauling and storage. The distribution platoon should understand palletized loading systems, load handling systems, and flat rack availability. In addition, they should test flat rack capacity and capability (figure 1). We recommend using rearm, refuel, resupply and survey point (R3SP) training as an opportunity for FSC to address these objectives.
FSCs should keep these training objectives in mind during battalion field exercises. They provide a great chance to communicate capabilities to the battalion XO, S4, FDO, and Battery commanders. Specifically, field training provides a great chance to test digital and analog products that help leaders understand logistics capability. In addition, field training exercises help establish working relationships with the BSB and BCT. With the right training, by the time a unit arrives at JMRC they should have these systems up and running.
Conclusion
BCTs can’t be successful without fires. FA Battalions can’t be successful without their ammunition. Ammunition management connects operations to logisitcs to keep the guns firing. Successful ammunition management requires an understanding of duties and responsibilites across the BCT. Importantly, leaders need to invest in developing junior soldiers in critical positions. Finally, training should test ammunition management systems, tracking, and hauling capacity. Moreover, it should strengthen ties from the BCT to the batteries. Lest the guns fall silent, units have no choice but to get this right.