Subscribe
By Lance Cpl. Daniel Todd
3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — Combat Logistics Regiment 3 is at the forefront of testing for one of the Corps' newest pieces of logistics equipment, which could drastically improve the way Marine logistics units operate.
The Autonomic Ready Logistics system, developed by Applied Research Labs at Penn State University, is a new system capable of collecting and forwarding critical logistical data, such as equipment health, identification, location, fuel levels, ammunition levels and mobile loads.
CLR-3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, has installed the ARL system on 12 vehicles, and each satellite-linked system has the capability to monitor fuel levels, water levels and vehicle maintenance.
The ARL system uses onboard sensors, processors and transmitters to retrieve real-time logistical data and send it via a unit's command and control systems. The system ensures commanders have real-time data to make timely, informed decisions said Col. Charles Chiarotti, CLR-3's commanding officer.
"This technology is absolutely phenomenal, and what it can and hopefully will do for the Marine Corps is going to be incredible," Chiarotti said. "It will help us save lives, decrease operational down time of equipment and reduce potential operational pauses."
Chiarotti said the most important thing the new equipment will do is help save lives. With the way logistics operates now, commanders often over-plan, which, in turn, puts Marines in harm's way.
After learning about the technology, CLR-3 leaders volunteered to test it for the Marine Corps. Headquarters Marine Corps agreed and selected CLR-3.
CLR-3 Operations Officer Capt. James Warner explained the system's strengths, citing situations in which the ARL system could greatly improve operations.
"When a unit gets into a firefight and the logistics commander finds out, he often sends the unit too much ammunition to replace what they used in the firefight," Warner explained. "Marines would then have to deliver the ammunition via convoy, putting Marines on the road and in danger when it isn't necessary. Also, sometimes something could go wrong with a vehicle during a convoy. We wouldn't know what the problem is, and the Marines would be stuck, possibly in an unsecured area."
With the new system, those types of problems would be eliminated, Warner said. As soon as a system failure begins or logistics requirements are identified, the system processes the information and sends it through the command and control systems where commanders can see the information and use it for operational planning and future force deployment.
This means that at any time a commander can pull up information on a computer and know exactly what he needs to do to support his troops.
"Commanders and logisticians have greater confidence with the improved data accuracy the ARL system provides, which leads to the best choices of support," Chiarotti said. "This is a great piece of equipment, and so far we have had great success with it. Hopefully, our success will show that every unit should have it, and the Marine Corps will change to this system."
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2008 04:59 |
| Story ID: | 17389 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 27 |
This work, Combat Logistics Regiment 3 first in Corps to test new logistics equipment, by LCpl Daniel Todd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
