Joint Implications for Contracted Logistics

摘要

Contractor operations are evolving to support battlefield and geostrategic realities. Understood in any future force mix involving U.S. military forces is the continuing criticality of contractor support to augment Joint and coalition forces. As the primary service providing support to landpower, the Army is challenged to balance evolving battlefield dynamics with military force efficiency and effectiveness. As such, the Army and U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) are analyzing Congressional and Department of Defense (DoD) policy to develop procedures and force structure to support contractor operations. JFCOM, as the proponent for joint doctrine, is initiating a new Joint Publication (JP) 4-10, titled 'Contracting and Contracting Management in Joint Operations' to expand the doctrine contained in the joint capstone document, JP 4-0, 'Doctrine for Logistic Support of Joint Operations.' Joint Publication 4-10 will expand the current contracting doctrine and support the JP 4-0 as 'it provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders and prescribes doctrine for joint operations and training.' This paper examines current policy, doctrine, and leadership concerns regarding the evolution of contractor operations since 2001. Contractor operations provide numerous force capabilities and services to U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and changing procedures support the requirement for new joint doctrine on contractor operations. Contractor support as part of DoD's transformation must incorporate joint processes and structures to support adaptation to future battlefields. With a focus on the combatant commanders' contracting requirements for their respective areas of responsibility, the author recommends better joint training, leader development, and joint enablers for contracting operations.