Military Review English Edition November December 2016

CONTRACT SUPPORT sustainment headquarters, during recent operations. This change reflects the Department of Defense’s (DOD) strategy of developing “innovative, low-cost, and small-footprint approaches to achieve our security objectives, relying on exercises, rotational presence, and advisory capabilities.”13 Geopolitical considerations, geographic restrictions, and resource limitations all contribute to this pattern.14 In the U.S. Central provides a critical force multiplier, enabling commanders to deliver desired military and economic effects on a global scale without spending the time, money, and political capital to deploy additional soldiers and equipment. During the U.S. military’s 2010 humanitarian assistance mission in Haiti, for example, planners immediately leveraged existing commercial-shipping contracts and hired vehicles and drivers from the neighPhase 0 Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV Phase V Phase 0 Shape Deter Seize Dominate Stabilize Enable civil Shape boring Dominican initiative authorities Republic. They reopened port Direct support General support Direct support facilities and began movement of critiTheater support contracting support arrangements cal relief supplies to earthquake victims within forty-eight hours after the earthquake. Within fifteen days, U.S. military and commercial assets had combined to deliver 9,529 tons of goods and 6,387 Peace time authority Contingency authority Peace time authority relief personnel, Execution planning Theater support Contingency contracting including the 82nd administrative services Airborne Division’s CAAF development External support (contractors authorized 2nd Brigade Combat Contract closeout to accompany the force) Systems support Team. Reliance sole(Original figure from Joint Publication 4-10, Operational Contract Support; modified for Military Review by Arin Burgess) ly on military transportation assets Figure. Notional Operational Contract Support would have been Actions by Phase of Operation significantly slower and less effective, Command area of responsibility, for example, contracbut the ability to leverage commercial partners protors easily outnumber U.S. military personnel, with vided strategic flexibility and depth in the midst of approximately forty-five thousand contractors current- major combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.16 ly supporting U.S. military operations, including more To achieve these effects, commanders must intethan two thousand contractors in Iraq.15 With limited grate OCS early within the conceptual-planning phase numbers of uniformed military personnel in theater, of the operations process. This integration begins at commanders will increasingly rely on commercial supthe geographic combatant commander’s level, where port to fill the gaps. planners must link strategic and operational OCS OCS is a key enabler. Dependence on commercial effects to campaign objectives. This process begins support need not be a limitation. Used properly, OCS with two critical tasks: analysis of political, military, MILITARY REVIEW November-December 2016 55

Military Review English Edition November December 2016 | Page 57