Using simulation to understand interim brigade combat team (IBCT) munitions logistics

Today, military leaders have limited options when reacting to the wide range of current threats existing in our world. These threats demand forces able to deploy rapidly while possessing combat capabilities to stabilize a hostile area quickly. The Army´s answer to this requirement is the Interim Brigade Combat Team (IBCT). Logistically supporting the IBCT will require the Army to develop support organizations that exploit available technologies to automate support activities, enhance situational awareness, and minimize the overall logistics footprint. The unit responsible for supporting the IBCT is the Brigade Support Battalion (BSB). One of the important missions of the BSB is to establish an ammunition transfer point (ATP) for the storage and distribution of ammunition stocks to all customer units throughout the IBCT area. This study employs an Arena 5.0 discrete-event simulation model to explore the performance of the ATP over a set of operating conditions. This set of operating conditions was selected with a statistical design of experiments using two different sets of transportation assets and ATP personnel as factors.