Military Logistics

Military Logistics

commentary
The Problem of Intra-Theater Lift: Moving Things Around in the Pacific Area of Responsibility
The U.S. joint force's ability to move materiel and people across oceans and continents is unique among militaries. But there are challenges all along the supply chain, addressed by different agencies and military commands in a complicated set of processes, and a collective reluctance to assume responsibility for the mission.
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Sep 6, 2022
Bradley Martin, Christopher G. Pernin

United States Marine Corps

q&a
A Tradition of Service: Q&A with Two Veterans
Before they became RAND researchers, Jonathan Wong and Joslyn Fleming served as U.S. Marines. In this interview, they discuss what made them want to join the service, what led them to research, and how their military experience guides the work they do at RAND.
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Nov 7, 2021
Supply Chain Management

commentary
Military and Defense-Related Supply Chains
After the Cold War, U.S. logistics planners moved away from a focus on effectiveness to a focus on efficiency in the sense that little is left idle for significant periods and that commodities are delivered at minimum cost. The ability of the system to support the joint force in the event of major conflict is at best untested and could be problematic.
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Jun 22, 2021
Bradley Martin
Security Cooperation

commentary
Japan and Dynamic Force Employment
In April, the United States ended a program that maintained a rotational bomber force to the U.S. territory of Guam. While the removal of a permanent bomber presence in the region has caused some in Japan to worry, U.S. commitment to Japan's defense shows no sign of changing nor does America's deterrent capability.
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Jun 23, 2020
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Philippines

commentary
If U.S. Forces Have to Leave the Philippines, Then What?
If the United States were to lose access to bases in the Philippines, the effects would ripple outward. Maintaining alliances in the Indo-Pacific in all their manifestations is critical—and the details matter.
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Feb 28, 2020
Caroline Baxter
commentary
Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?
Japan has not possessed an aircraft carrier in more than 70 years. But that may soon change as the Japanese government is debating retrofitting a class of destroyers to turn them into aircraft carriers. Considering both operational needs and resources limitations, does an aircraft carrier for Japan make sense?
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Oct 5, 2018
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Combat Support Operations

commentary
Lives on the Line: The A2AD Challenge to Combat Casualty Care
Countries such as Russia and China continue to develop and expand the ability to integrate long-range strike, anti-ship, anti-air, space and cyber abilities. Provision of medical support could be a worthy priority for NATO planners when considering deterrence of and defense against near-peer or peer adversaries.
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Jul 31, 2018
Marta Kepe @martakepe
Military Mobilization

commentary
Military Mobility Returns to the Forefront in Europe
The importance of military mobility has returned only recently to the international high-level agenda, specifically NATO and the European Union. The EU is expected to tackle the issue of military mobility during a European Council meeting in late June, and NATO will convene a summit in July.
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Jun 25, 2018
Marta Kepe @martakepe
Military Doctrine

commentary
Toward One Understanding of Multiple Domains
The U.S. defense community can and should do what it can to get the most benefit from operating across domains. It just needs to remember to proceed carefully to discern between actual benefits and falsehoods that may do more harm than good.
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May 2, 2018
Michael Spirtas
Military Mobilization

commentary
Preparing for the NATO Summit: Why Military Mobility Should Be on Top of the Agenda
Improving military mobility in Europe has recently gathered momentum. But due to the complexity of the issue, it remains to be seen what specific progress will be made by the NATO summit in July. The same goes for how new EU initiatives will complement NATO requirements.
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Feb 26, 2018
Marta Kepe @martakepe
Japan

commentary
Giving Japan a Military
After 70 years, Japan may finally be on the cusp of acquiring its own military. Legally, that is. Prime Minister Abe has proposed a change to Japan's constitution to give legal standing to the Self-Defense Forces, and it's long overdue.
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Jun 20, 2017
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Japan

commentary
Japan's Mistaken South Sudan Withdrawal
Being a proactive contributor to peace involves risk if a country is serious about gaining real-world experience. Pulling out of South Sudan deprives Japan's Self-Defense Force of crucial operational experience and sends a confusing message to the United States and the international community.
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Jun 8, 2017
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Military Personnel

commentary
The Most Enduring Lesson: People
Given the complex, technology-heavy, and conceptually-nuanced environment of today's military, the quality of military personnel is the dominant form of competitive advantage. All the services today place maintaining a high-quality force at the top of their list of priorities.
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Apr 10, 2015
James A. Blackwell, Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr, et al.
Operational Readiness

commentary
The U.S. Army Must Remain Prepared for Battle
Converting the Army into a force suited only for homeland defense or humanitarian missions abroad, without the ability to fight sophisticated foes as part of a joint force, would result in an unprepared Army.
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Apr 18, 2014
Gian Gentile
Defense Infrastructure

commentary
Should the U.S. Move the Marines to Guam?
The option to permanently base Marines on Guam should hinge on the benefits of the location and the costs. Guam scores poorly on both counts and better options exist. However, previous guidance provided to the Marine Corps constrains consideration of such options.
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Feb 28, 2014
Michael J. Lostumbo
Civilian Military Workforce

commentary
A Lesson from Iraq War: How to Outsource War to Private Contractors
Both to repeat the successes of private military contracting and to avoid the mistakes of contractors in the recent wars, the Department of Defense must consider several points specific to security contractors, writes Molly Dunigan.
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Mar 19, 2013
Molly Dunigan
United States Army

commentary
Book Review: 'The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper
Tapper spends too much time providing tactical details of battles and too little offering a nuanced, thoughtful explanation of why the U.S. Army struggled so much in Nuristan, writes Seth G. Jones.
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Jan 14, 2013
Seth G. Jones
Military Logistics

commentary
Lean Thinking Comes to the Battlefield
The 1991 Gulf War represented the pinnacle of the U.S. industrial approach to warfare: overwhelming mass. Subsequently, the U.S. military began the shift to a new support paradigm, adapting the lean, best practices of contemporary business, write Eric Peltz and Rick Eden.
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Jun 5, 2008
Eric Peltz, Rick Eden

China's Growing Role in the Arctic

A New Approach to U.S. Security Policy in the Middle East

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Is Our Response to the Pandemic a Preview of How We May Deal with Climate Change?

Addressing Homelessness Among Individuals Incarcerated in Los Angeles County

The Policy Currents Podcast

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

Military Logistics

The Problem of Intra-Theater Lift: Moving Things Around in the Pacific Area of Responsibility

A Tradition of Service: Q&A with Two Veterans

Military and Defense-Related Supply Chains

Japan and Dynamic Force Employment

If U.S. Forces Have to Leave the Philippines, Then What?

Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?

Lives on the Line: The A2AD Challenge to Combat Casualty Care

Military Mobility Returns to the Forefront in Europe

Toward One Understanding of Multiple Domains

Preparing for the NATO Summit: Why Military Mobility Should Be on Top of the Agenda

Giving Japan a Military

Japan's Mistaken South Sudan Withdrawal

The Most Enduring Lesson: People

The U.S. Army Must Remain Prepared for Battle

Should the U.S. Move the Marines to Guam?

A Lesson from Iraq War: How to Outsource War to Private Contractors

Book Review: 'The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper

Lean Thinking Comes to the Battlefield

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