[December 16, 2019] There’s an old saying in the military that logistics is the ball and chain of armored warfare. We’ve all been there. Regardless of who we are, what responsibilities we bear, what we desire and need, there never seems to be enough “stuff” to do our jobs.
Every other month, I look forward to receiving my Army Engineer Magazine. An article in the latest issue, Nov/Dec 2019, was an article titled “Where’s My Stuff” by Linda S. Mitchell.1 She was writing about the technology that helps locate all the missing items that our combat troops need to succeed on the battlefield. It’s worth reading.
I’m an Engineer, not a logistician, so when loggies (aka, logistics officers) start talking about the ‘iron mountain’ versus ‘just in time’ logistics, my eyes glaze over. But I do understand the importance of getting the right stuff to the right people at the right time. I’ve been in combat long enough to experience severe shortages of and missing supplies. That was not a pleasant experience for any of us.
Here’s what else I understand. The leadership provided by logistic officers is often overlooked. True, they provide an invaluable service to the military. Logistics has always played a vital role in the outcome of battles throughout history. In the U.S. Civil War, Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest famously advised, “Get there firstest with the mostest” if you want to win the battle.
General Forrest meant to get there first with the right men and horses, ready to fight, and with the proper supplies. He was right. If you have to ask the question, ‘Where’s my stuff?’ then you’ve already lost the battle and might lose the war. That is why the U.S. military has a strong preference for supplying the combat soldier/Marine/airman/seaman with the supplies they need to get ‘er done.
That’s what leadership is about. All good teams and organizations get logistics right. There’s little room for error. If a problem does occur – and it inevitably does occur – loggie principles of leadership are applied. My best comrades that I had at my side during wartime were logistics officers. I think so highly of them; several were at my wedding and part of the Saber Arch.
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- http://armyengineer.com/army-engineer-association-nov-dec-2019/ Pages 18-22 in the on-line version.
Gen. Satterfield, you are just too funny sometimes. But truthful. “I’m an Engineer, not a logistician, so when loggies (aka, logistics officers) start talking about the ‘iron mountain’ versus ‘just in time’ logistics, my eyes glaze over.”
Ha Ha….. thanks ZB22 for pointing out the very point I was thinking about. Say it like it is. But to jump on this, there are degrees of respect to different jobs in the military. While the pilot, the commander, the artilleryman, etc. hold high status, the logistician, the transportation, and the administrative soldiers are not.
Thanks folks for great comments. Today’s article was exceptional.
Interesting UN article. “Fighting Corruption in the Supply Chain: A Guide for Customers and Suppliers”
http://www.unglobalcompact.bg/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/131.pdf
Good intent, bad execution. Fortunately, there is a way to fight back. Quote from the article, “The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the world’s strongest legal instrument to build integrity and fight corruption.” The UN is about as corrupt an organization that you can find of that size anywhere in the history of humankind. The idea that the UN would judge others on their corruption is outright laughable.
Thanks Georgie for showing this article.
The extension of commercial relations has led Western business to trade with dubious regimes and in marketplaces which have a more laissez-faire approach to legal enforcement. Many treat this as ‘local custom’. It is just part of the uniqueness of city that the major would require special payments to facilitate the deal. To impose foreign values of zero tolerance to bribes upon this ancient system, a London lawyer once told me, should be considered “cultural imperialism”.
The London mayor is obviously an idiot with non-Western ideas about how modern societies should work in order to benefit all. He would probably justify murder because another culture was better at it. How stupid can you get.
Stupid is as stupid does. The crazy London mayor should immediate let everyone know that his view of the West is based on Islamic principles. That is true, by the way.
No one ever said politicians were smart. Or honest for that matter and are in fact known for their corruption (moral, political, and practically). ?
I enjoyed today’s article, General Satterfield. I’m sharing your articles now with my co-workers and they are beginning to get on board as new fans of your blog. Have a wonderful holiday !!!
Interesting article in Forbes that address this very point of corruption and the resulting supply shortages it causes.
“Supply Chain Corruption: Procurement’s Dirty Secret”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jwebb/2015/10/09/supply-chain-corruption-procurements-dirty-secret/#7b19597535a9
Bottom line is that the problem has not gone away.
Yes, Xerxes (interesting nickname). The article points out that corruption in the supply chain is still a dirty secret for many large corporates. So very true and so very unfortunate.
JT, yes, whether it be the lack of individual/leader morality or the failure of the system, corruption of the supply chain always seems to enter the discussion just when we DON’T need it.
Logistics is not an easy area of work. Looking back into the history of the US in it’s wars, we see corruption and stupidity at the extremes. Great article on an important topic.
Army Cpt, correct. Here is a book on this very subject. “The Enemy Within: Fears of Corruption in the Civil War North” https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wrmf9
During the first year of the Civil War, Republican U.S. senator John P. Hale announced on the floor of Congress that “the liberties of this country are in greater danger today from corruptions, and from the profligacy practiced in the various departments of the Government, than they are from the enemy in the open field.”
Good example of the fear of corruption and the deleterious impact of both the fear and the corruption. No wonder so many soldiers in the field had gross supply shortages.
Tom, thanks for the example and yes, I heard about this while I was in grade school studying history. My teacher was an expert on the US civil war and was keen on pointing out the problems and how we could learn from those mistakes. This is why he taught us that the only way a democracy can exist is with a Christian culture. All others are subject to too much corruption of the system.
Cool! ?
Interesting title of your article, Gen. Satterfield. I was curious where you were headed with it. Well done!