FM-3-81 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Download
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09 November 2021 FM 3-81 5-1 Chapter 5 Sustainment Sustainment is the provision of logistics, financial management, personnel services, and health service support necessary to maintain operations until successful mission completion. (ADP 4-0). Sustainment provides freedom of action, extends operational reach, and prolongs endurance to unified land operations. It is essential to retaining and exploiting the initiative. Sustainment provides the support necessary to maintain operations until mission accomplishment. MEB commanders use their assets to maintain the momentum of operations and enhance the capabilities of their forces. This chapter discusses sustainment of the MEB. PLANNING 5-1. The sustainment warfighting function is defined as the related tasks and systems that provide support and services to ensure freedom of action, extend operational reach, and prolong endurance (see ADP 3-0). Sustainment encompasses the elements of logistics, personnel services, financial management, and HSS required for mission accomplishment. Logistics is planning and executing the movement and support of forces. The elements of logistics include maintenance, transportation, supply, field services, distribution, operational contract support, and general engineering. The Army HSS is support and services performed, provided, and arranged by the Army Medicine to promote, improve, conserve, or restore the behavioral and physical well-being of personnel by providing direct patient care that includes medical treatment (organic and area support) and hospitalization, medical evacuation (to include medical regulating), and medical logistics (to include blood management). Personnel services include human resources (HR) support, legal support, religious support, and band support. Financial management encompasses finance operations and resource management. 5-2. This chapter discusses how the MEB sustains itself. The MEB is a unique organization that can expand to employ a wide range of capabilities, each with their own sustainment needs. Operational planners must ensure that MEB sustainment planning is conducted as early as possible and continue to monitor as the mission changes to effectively sustain the MEB throughout the operation. Because the MEB no longer has a BSB, the MEB S-4 must work with the higher echelon headquarters and the sustainment command headquarters to conduct METT-TC analysis to ensure that the MEB has the required sustainment support to ensure mission success. 5-3. The MEB staff synchronizes operations across all six warfighting functions to generate and maintain combat power. It plans tactical logistics. The MEB S-4, S-1, brigade surgeon, and chaplain are the principal sustainment planners for the MEB. The S-4 is the principal sustainment executer. Logistics synchronization for the brigade is done between the primary staff sections and S-4. The MEB commander designates who will oversee logistics synchronization for the brigade. The MEB commander may elect to use the deputy commanding officers, the XO, or the brigade S-4 to oversee logistics synchronization for the brigade. The MEB obtains the logistics preparation of the theater information and products from the supporting sustainment brigade and the higher echelon headquarters concept of operations and integrates this with their IPB. The S-4 and S-1 maintain a continuous sustainment estimate during all operations. They use the logistics estimate to determine sustainment capabilities, anticipate support requirements, identify and resolve shortfalls, and develop support plans. They integrate into all planning what is needed to develop and synchronize sustainment with maneuver and fire plans. Sustainment commanders and planners must thoroughly understand the mission, tactical plans, and the MEB commander’s intent.