ATP-4-90 Brigade Support Battalion Download
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Support Operations 18 June 2020 3-9 SUPPLY AND FIELD SERVICES The BSB SPO is responsible for supporting all BCT supply requirements. The brigade S-4 determines and prioritizes supply requirements for the BCT and communicates this information to the SPO. SPO supply personnel, including petroleum and ammunition sections, perform supply materiel management functions to ensure adequate supply stocks are available to meet BCT requirements. The SPO supply personnel perform the following materiel management functions: supply planning, requirements validation, asset visibility, asset reporting, resupply, stock control, warehousing, supply and retrograde of munitions. The supply personnel also coordinate with the transportation personnel in the SPO for distribution of supplies to the FSCs. Supporting the BCT class III(B) requirements, especially an ABCT, requires disciplined management of the limited BSB class III(B) distribution assets. This includes maintaining visibility of FSC class III(B) assets and having the authority to cross level or redirect the FSC assets if required. Close coordination with the BCT S-4 and FSC commander is imperative. The BCT S-4 must have a complete understanding of the BCT support requirements and priorities. Accurate and timely class III(B) LOGSTAT reporting from using units and FSCs, is also critical to understand actual requirements. The SPO must communicate forecasted class III(B) requirements to the DSB to ensure the DSB has adequate class III(B) stocks on hand to support BCT requirements. The SPO also coordinates with the DSB for class III(B) distribution reinforcement, if required. The SPO coordinates field service support for the brigade as required. This includes shower, laundry, water purification, aerial delivery, and mortuary affairs. Based upon BCT requirements, the SPO coordinates with the DSB for support. The SPO, based on guidance from the BCT S-3 and S-4, identifies locations for field service site establishment. SPO MORTUARY AFFAIRS The SPO staff also includes a mortuary affairs NCO who is responsible for planning, coordinating and synchronizing mortuary affairs support for the brigade. The SPO mortuary affairs NCO advises the commander on mortuary affairs, develops detailed operational mortuary affairs plans, develops mortuary affairs estimates, enforces the brigade’s mortuary affairs policy, and trains and advises subordinate BCT units on unit level battlefield recovery tasks. Unit level recovery tasks include search and recovery, tentative identification, preserving human remains, and safeguarding of the personal effects. The mortuary affairs NCO also coordinates with the DSB and mortuary affairs units in the area to synchronize the evacuation of the brigade’s remains and integrate BCT operations with the theater mortuary affairs concept of operations. The SPO mortuary affairs NCO section does not establish and run a mortuary affairs collection point for the BCT. Mortuary affairs collection teams from a quartermaster company (mortuary affairs) typically establish a mortuary affairs collection point at sustainment brigade or higher level based on quartermaster platoon allocations to the division. The mortuary affairs NCO acts as a liaison to a supporting mortuary affairs company and mortuary affairs collection points. The search and recovery teams from the BCT’s maneuver units (formerly called clear teams) establish and operate the transit collection point, usually in the BSA. For more information on mortuary affairs operations, see ATP 4-46. AMMUNITION The BSB SPO is responsible for planning and coordinating ammunition support to the BCT. The BCT S-4 consolidates and prioritizes ammunition requirements for the brigade and communicates this information to the BSB SPO. Based upon this information the SPO performs munitions materiel management functions to ensure adequate munitions stocks are available to support BCT munitions requirements. The SPO ammunition staff perform the following materiel management functions: supply planning, requirements validation, asset visibility, asset reporting, resupply, stock control, storage, supply and retrograde of munitions. The BSB SPO provides staff supervision to the distribution company’s MATP. The ammunition officer in the SPO provides oversight of the SPO munitions materiel management and support functions. The SPO ammunition officer also maintains direct liaison with the brigade S-3 and S-4 in limits defined by the BSB commander or SPO. More information regarding brigade ammunition officer responsibilities are in ATP 4-35, Munitions Operations and Distribution Techniques. ATP 4-90