View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2015-06 Expeditionary logistics: how the Marine Corps supports its expeditionary operations Strand, Joshua D. Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/45948 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS EXPEDITIONARY LOGISTICS: HOW THE MARINE CORPS SUPPORTS ITS EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS by Joshua D. Strand June 2015 Thesis Advisor: Uday Apte Co-Advisor: Keebom Kang Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704–0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202–4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704–0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 2015 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS EXPEDITIONARY LOGISTICS: HOW THE MARINE CORPS SUPPORTS ITS EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS 6. AUTHOR(S) Joshua D. Strand 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943–5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ____N/A____. Human subjects research activities supporting the completion of this thesis were not conducted in accordance with Federal, Department of Defense, and Navy Human Research Protection Regulations. NPS HRPP conducted an investigation and has taken appropriate steps to ensure the protection of participants and that data from these activities are not reported in this thesis. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This thesis reviews the state of expeditionary logistics within the U.S. Marine Corps. Expeditionary logistics is further defined within this thesis as the support given to an expeditionary operation. This study further categorizes expeditionary logistics according to the phase of the operation in which they occur. This insight gives greater understanding into when and where different assets and strategies are utilized in order to support Marines deployed abroad, and why the methods employed are used. A hypothetical yet realistic case study based on a Marine unit deployed in support of a humanitarian aid disaster relief mission was developed to assist with understanding the conduct of expeditionary logistics within the Marine Corps. This case study provides insight with regard to the methods employed to sustain a force abroad. The case study also provides scale and timing to aid in the general flow of supplying an expeditionary operation. This thesis provides recommendations where improvements can be made in the Marine Corps’ process of conducting expeditionary operations. Further study opportunities are identified to provide guidance for further research on the conduct of Marine Corps Expeditionary Logistics. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Marine Corps, Expeditionary, Logistics, Battalion, Expeditionary Logistics, 15. NUMBER OF Expeditionary Operations PAGES 85 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540–01–280–5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2–89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239–18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited EXPEDITIONARY LOGISTICS: HOW THE MARINE CORPS SUPPORTS ITS EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS Joshua D. Strand Major, United States Marine Corps B.B.A., University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, 1999 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 2015 Author: Joshua D. Strand Approved by: Dr. Uday Apte Thesis Advisor Dr. Keebom Kang Co-Advisor Dr. William Gates Dean, Graduate School of Business and Public Policy iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT This thesis reviews the state of expeditionary logistics within the U.S. Marine Corps. Expeditionary logistics is further defined within this thesis as the support given to an expeditionary operation. This study further categorizes expeditionary logistics according to the phase of the operation in which they occur. This insight gives greater understanding into when and where different assets and strategies are utilized in order to support Marines deployed abroad, and why the methods employed are used. A hypothetical yet realistic case study based on a Marine unit deployed in support of a humanitarian aid disaster relief mission was developed to assist with understanding the conduct of expeditionary logistics within the Marine Corps. This case study provides insight with regard to the methods employed to sustain a force abroad. The case study also provides scale and timing to aid in the general flow of supplying an expeditionary operation. This thesis provides recommendations where improvements can be made in the Marine Corps’ process of conducting expeditionary operations. Further study opportunities are identified to provide guidance for further research on the conduct of Marine Corps Expeditionary Logistics. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. OVERVIEW .....................................................................................................1 B. PURPOSE .........................................................................................................5 C. SCOPE ..............................................................................................................7 D. SUMMARY ......................................................................................................8 II. BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................9 A. HISTORY .........................................................................................................9 B. ORGANIZATION .........................................................................................10 C. EXPEDITIONARY LOGISTICS ................................................................15 D. LOGISTICAL COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS ......................21 E. TYPES OF EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS ........................................23 F. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................25 III. LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................27 IV. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................31 A. PLAN ...............................................................................................................33 B. DESIGN ..........................................................................................................33 C. PREPARE .......................................................................................................34 D. COLLECT ......................................................................................................35 E. ANALYZE ......................................................................................................35 F. SHARE ............................................................................................................35 G. CASE STUDY DESCRIPTION ...................................................................36 H. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................36 V. CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................37 A. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................37 B. WARNING ORDER ......................................................................................37 C. COURSE OF ACTION .................................................................................38 D. INITIAL PHASE ...........................................................................................38 F. RETROGRADE .............................................................................................46 H. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................48 VI. ANALYSIS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSIONS