Contractor Logistics

The Defense Science Board has been tasked with reviewing the Pentagon's "organization, doctrine, training and planning for contractor logistics support of contingency operations," according to a recently released memo.

In the June 15 terms of reference, then-Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter -- who has since become deputy defense secretary -- called for a review of:

(1) Department of Defense policies and procedures for planning for contractor logistics support of contingency operations.

(2) Department organization and staffing for the implementation of such policies and procedures.

(3) The development of Department doctrine for contractor logistics support of contingency operations.

(4) The training of Department military and civilian personnel for the planning, management and oversight of contractor logistics support of contingency operations.

(5) The extent to which the Department should rely upon contractor logistics support in future contingency operations, and the risks associated with reliance on such support.

(6) Any logistics support functions for contingency operations for which the Department should establish or retain an organic capability.

(7) The scope and level of detail on contractor logistics support of contingency operations that is currently included in operational plans, and that should be included in operational plans.

(8) Contracting mechanisms and contract vehicles that are currently used, and should be used, to provide contractor logistics support of contingency operations.

(9) Department organization and staffing for the management and oversight of contractor logistic support of contingency operations.

(10) Actions that could be taken to improve Department management and oversight of contractors providing logistics support of contingency operations.

(11) The extent to which logistics support of contingency operations has been, and should be, provided by subcontractors, and the advantages and disadvantages of reliance upon subcontractors for that purpose.

(12) The extent to which logistics support of contingency operations has been, and should be, provided by local nationals and third country nationals, and the advantages and disadvantages of reliance upon such sources for that purpose.

Former Pentagon acquisition chief Jacques Gansler, retired Army Gen. Paul Kern and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Advanced Technology Ronald Kerber are the task force's co-chairs, according to the memo.

Inside the Pentagon reported in August that to help DOD better manage operating and support costs of major weapon programs, defense officials have developed a standard template to inform major acquisition milestone decisions and have instituted contractor cost reporting requirements for a number of programs.

DOD's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation shop is also working to implement policies and procedures that emphasize the importance of using these operating and support cost estimates to inform key acquisition decisions, ITP reported.

To help conform to the need to better track money spent by contractors on maintaining systems, CAPE's Defense Cost and Resource Center has also put into place tailored contractor logistics support reporting for a number of big DOD programs, according to the ITP story. These programs include the C-17, the C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engineering Program, the MQ-1C, the F-22, the F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, Light Utility Helicopter, Stryker and V-22.