Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2008. / Thesis Advisor(s): Carlyle, W. Matthew. "September 2008." AD-A488 887. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-48). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The United States is moving into a new era in which the enemy no longer provides symmetric opposition. The Navy and Marine Corps will face new challenges in the way they deploy and conduct future operations. One important way that these challenges will be met involves sea-based operations, which provide the sustainment necessary for prolonged operations and prevent unwanted operational pauses. Recent combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) demonstrated difficulties when sustaining forces from logistics bases ashore. For example, advancing the Army and Marines to Baghdad in OIF consumed large amounts of fuel and ammunition. The resupply could not replenish supplies and an operational pause began on 29 March, 2003. In order to prevent operational pauses, rapid movement from the sea to the objective must be implemented. This thesis analyzes the problem of finding an optimal mix of Combat Logistics Force shuttle ships required to sustain the sea-base. This is accomplished through two optimization models: The first one determines a shuttle mix ensuring required inventory levels at the sea-base are maintained at all times. Since this requirement may cause some shuttles to be loaded partially, in the second model we manually assign the shuttle mix and then minimize unmet demand. This model yields a mix of shuttles that strikes a balance between shuttle cost and meeting sea-base demand. This thesis uses varying distances for conducting analyses over several scenarios. / Captain, United States Marine Corps

This thesis examines the logistical support of the Australian Army???s operations in the South West Pacific from January 1943 to August 1945. It begins by examining the strategic context. Succeeding chapters then examine various topics, including doctrine, base development, problems of storage and tropic proofing, inland water transport, road construction, air supply, amphibious operations and the support of combat operations. In this thesis I argue that the Australian Army???s logistical acumen and ability steadily grew with each campaign, resulting in a highly effective military organisation that inflicted a series of crushing defeats on the Japanese.

This thesis examines the logistical support of the Australian Army???s operations in the South West Pacific from January 1943 to August 1945. It begins by examining the strategic context. Succeeding chapters then examine various topics, including doctrine, base development, problems of storage and tropic proofing, inland water transport, road construction, air supply, amphibious operations and the support of combat operations. In this thesis I argue that the Australian Army???s logistical acumen and ability steadily grew with each campaign, resulting in a highly effective military organisation that inflicted a series of crushing defeats on the Japanese.

Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, Sept. 2004. / Thesis Advisor(s): Javier Salmeron. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-36). Also available online.

System dynamics is based on principles borrowed from engineering—especially feedback concepts. It makes possible a representation of decision policies and information flow. The systems approach is a mixture of scientific approaches to conceptualizing problems and solving them through research, design and analysis. In system dynamics, differential equations are represented in the form of difference equations. There is no limit to the number that can be employed to represent the complex details of any system. The models developed here help in determining the superiority or inferiority of the Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA) over the baseline aircraft. The advanced tactical aircraft is a proposed replacement aircraft that can undertake any of the three missions—air superiority, fleet defense and attack/interdiction. The baseline aircraft for air superiority and fleet defense is the Tomcat Fighter, F-14 and for attack/interdiction it is Intruder, A-6. Several measures of effectiveness are presented to evaluate the superiority or inferiority of the replacement aircraft over the baseline aircraft. / Master of Science / incomplete_metadata

This thesis examines the Australia Army???s campaign on Papua from July 1942 to January 1943 with the focus on logistic support of the fighting arms and the relation of logistics to the tactics of tropical jungle warfare. It begins by examining the traditional approach to logistics in the military profession - the experience of Australian officers and forces in particular - from the First World War until May 1942, when the Australian territory of Papua was invaded. It establishes that the Army was poorly prepared because, as well as having never anticipated a prolonged land campaign in Papua-New Guinea, it lacked the logistic resources and knowledge of logistics as applicable to tropical jungle warfare. It then proceeds to examine the retreat over the Kokoda Track and the turning-point battles for Milne Bay and Imita Ridge. It demonstrates that the principal factor in the Australian retreat was logistic failure, as geography and lack of logistic resources prevented adequate supply of the fighting arms at least until lines of communication had been shortened; even then, difficulties remained. The thesis is rounded off by assessing the counter-attack across the territory of Papua for the capture of the enemy???s beachheads at Buna, Gona and Sanananda. It concludes that, as the island???s geography and tropical environment so dominated operations and since shortages of logistic equipment and units persisted, the Army could not perfect its logistic organisation by the end of this first phase of the New Guinea campaign. It fell back on improvisation and the fortitude of troops to triumph over the Japanese.

This thesis examines the Australia Army???s campaign on Papua from July 1942 to January 1943 with the focus on logistic support of the fighting arms and the relation of logistics to the tactics of tropical jungle warfare. It begins by examining the traditional approach to logistics in the military profession - the experience of Australian officers and forces in particular - from the First World War until May 1942, when the Australian territory of Papua was invaded. It establishes that the Army was poorly prepared because, as well as having never anticipated a prolonged land campaign in Papua-New Guinea, it lacked the logistic resources and knowledge of logistics as applicable to tropical jungle warfare. It then proceeds to examine the retreat over the Kokoda Track and the turning-point battles for Milne Bay and Imita Ridge. It demonstrates that the principal factor in the Australian retreat was logistic failure, as geography and lack of logistic resources prevented adequate supply of the fighting arms at least until lines of communication had been shortened; even then, difficulties remained. The thesis is rounded off by assessing the counter-attack across the territory of Papua for the capture of the enemy???s beachheads at Buna, Gona and Sanananda. It concludes that, as the island???s geography and tropical environment so dominated operations and since shortages of logistic equipment and units persisted, the Army could not perfect its logistic organisation by the end of this first phase of the New Guinea campaign. It fell back on improvisation and the fortitude of troops to triumph over the Japanese.