Distribution Synergy in Multi-National Division-Baghdad During Operation Iraqi Freedom Rotation 07-09

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the 1st Sustainment Brigade (SB) reduced customer wait time (CWT) in Multi-National Division-Baghdad (MND-B) from October 2007 to January 2008. A secondary objective was to determine what affect initiatives from operational and strategic organizations also had on reducing customer wait time (CWT). The collective improvement in CWT totaled 54 percent. A comprehensive literature review of the Army's distribution and supply pipeline was conducted from the factory to the foxhole to obtain requisite background data. This was followed by a thorough analysis of unit after action and performance reports to provide essential quantitative data. A survey was administered to select logistics commanders and Support Operations Officers (SPO) that had intricate knowledge of operations during that time. Finally, several interviews were conducted to address questions that were not fully answered by the survey. The main conclusion is that innovations by the 1 SB, theater units, and strategic organizations reduced CWT by six, two, and four days, respectively, for a collective improvement of 12 days. One day is unaccounted for and could be attributed to a tactical unit innovation that was not investigated in the scope of this thesis.