This monograph addresses the viability of the current organization for logistics support to meet future battlefield demands. The pace of modern battle requires that American forces arrive on the future battlefield organized, trained and equipped to perform their missions. Past experience has shown that military organizations often do a better job of preparing for the last war than for the next. This critical examination of future needs provides a direction for logistics force development. A review of the historical development of American logistics organizations shows little progress towards preparing logistics forces for future battlefields during most of our history. The traditional pattern was to disband our logistics apparatus at the completion of hostilities. The result of this shortsightedness has been the failure of the logistics system to support the soldier on the battlefield at the outset of war. The first notable effort to prepare for the future came after the Vietnam War. This period, from the late 1970's into the 1990's provides an example of the benefits accrued from preparing to provide logistics on the future battlefield. The preparations made for the hypothetical future battlefield in Europe were readily adaptable to the actual battlefield in Iraq. This monograph examines the nature of the future battlefield to determine its unique impact on the needs for logistics support, the ability of logistics forces to operate on it, and the impact of future battle systems on the nature of logistics operations. By examining trends in the development of the battlefield and using studies on the military applications of new technologies the paper is able to provide a picture of what future warfare may be like. The needs on this battlefield are contrasted against the capabilities of our current logistics system to provide support. The fundamental conclusion of the paper is that it is time for a revolutionary change to battlefield logistics support. The current logistics system is adapted from the horse and buggy structure of the Civil War period and need to take advantage of current technologies to move into the Information Age. The future battlefield strips away the traditional protections that logistics forces have relied upon. Changes to equipment, organization, and doctrine are required for logistics to be effective in future operations. Distributed operations will require decentralized logistics structures that operate in matrix fashion over the battlefield to,provide tailored support to combat forces.

ADA 289072 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)