Acquisition and Contracting Strategies to Reduce Depot Maintenance and Repair Costs - An Integrated Approach

摘要

Military history is replete with examples of the impact of logistics planning and support upon the success or failure of military operations. These impacts have been felt across all branches of the military services. The most significant historical examples come from the war on the ground during World War II (WWII). Field Marshall Erwin Rommel observed that, 'The battle is fought and decided by the quartermaster before the shooting begins'.2 During the North African campaigns, the Axis forces spearheaded by Kommel's Afrika Corps, achieved at least two, massive ruptures of the British defenses. However, Rommel was unable to turn these tactical successes into strategic victories because of the inability of his logistics support forces to supply adequate spare and replacement parts for his combat and combat support commands. The result of the inability to exploit these tactical successes early in the war was the major factor that cost the Axis the North African Theater and its oil reserves. A similar occurrence manifested itself with the Allies during the invasion of Europe. General Patton's U.S. Third Army, after breaking out of the Normandy pocket and rolling up the eastern flank of the German army, was in the process of preventing the retreat of two complete German Armies in France. This maneuver was halted on September 2, 1944 because the Third Army had completely exhausted its logistics support. The inability to prevent the retreat of the Axis forces in France allowed the German High Command to extract and consolidate these forces for continued operations against the Allies. It is generally accepted that the halt of Patton's army extended the war in Europe an additional eight months.