Army-led team probes joint logistics gaps.

The U.S. Army Developmental Test Command is sponsoring a test and evaluation program aimed at improving joint logistics processes.

The multiyear project, approved by the Defense Department, is known as Joint Logistics Planning Enhancements, or JLOG/PE.

A steering committee to oversee this program includes flag officers from all the military services, the Defense Department's Joint Logistics Directorate and the Defense Logistics Agency. Brig. Gen. Marvin "Keith" McNamara, the commander of the Developmental Test Command, is also a member of this committee.

The program will examine how information is accessed and used, will take a close look at information systems with the most potential to help commanders assess logistics capabilities in a theater of military operations.

"It's a refinement of processes," said Col. Edward J. Fisher, test director of the JLOG/PE team. "We're taking a look at how each service and the joint war-fighting commands do their logistics business. There are many good programs out there now, and some of them are furnishing data elements that we desire. It's a matter of being able to find them and meld them together," said Fisher. "We're trying to take the best of existing tools and come up with products that have universal acceptance from all the services."

Fisher said the JLOG/PE program intends to give the Defense Department's Joint Staff and the war-fighting commands a clear enough picture of joint logistics operations and requirements to make critical management decisions "without having to pick up the phone and call down to the chain of command to retrieve the information they need."

As the program moves forward, said Fisher, "We're getting a lot of support from all the commands we visit. They are offering us their best products to consider, enabling us to look at possible improvements.

One area of emphasis is logistics operations in joint military training exercises. The team is coordinating with the Joint Forces Command and other organizations to evaluate logistics during training, particularly theater level exercises.

"Logistics will be a major player during those exercises," Fisher said. "Besides working closely with the Joint Forces Command, we've talked to various combatant commanders, receiving real-world data on their actual experiences, focusing in on what the logistics challenges have been.

"We will be looking at specific classes of supply, fuel and ammunition first. This allows us to narrow our focus on two critical commodities, combining our research analysis and in turn providing improved refinement to sustainment of in-theater forces."

The test and evaluation program includes military officials, as well as government civilians and industry representatives from SRS Technologies and Computer Sciences Corporation.--Mike Cast, Army Developmental Test Command Public Affairs.