DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW

File: 102896_jun96_decls6_0028.txt
Page: 0028
Total Pages: 64

Subject: DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW                                   

Box ID: BX001608

Unit: 101ST ID    

Parent Organization: XVIII CORPS 

Folder Title: DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C                                                    

Folder SEQ  #:         83

Document Number:          2







           DSIT-AE-103: COL Roy E. Beauchamp


           KAJ floNEC: Did this require hot-seating, if you will? The
           truck never shut down, you would just switch drivers?

           COL BEAUCHAMP: No, the truck had to shut down because if
           you don't do maintenance, then it doesn't operate very long
           under those kind of conditions. So we had to have a very
           aggressive maintenance program because those transportation
           units are really our lifeline. I've used the formulation
           before, which makes a lot of sense to me. People talk about
           the tooth-to-tail ratio. Well, I don't believe in the
           tooth-to-tail ratio and I think that's the wrong formulation
           to draw when you talk about the respective relationship
           developments on the battlefield.
                A great army at war or a great army on the battlefield
           is like a living organism; it's like a body. You have the
           combat elements which are the teeth. You have the logistic
           support elements which are the muscle to sustain that
           capability and you have the transportation units which are
           really the sinews that tie together those muscles. So if
           you use that formulation, I think you get a much better
           picture of the role and the critical interdependent
           relationship between the combat forces and the combat
           logistics elements on the battlefield. Because one can't
           succeed in the long-term without the other.
                we have some magnificent fighting forces in our army
           but without the logistics sustaining capability, then they
           are of limited utility for a limited period of time. It
           takes a whole team doing that and those transportation units
           and those combat logistics elements are key players. My
           soldiers are proud of the role they played in DESERT STORM
ive throughout this
           whole operation. And they worked very hard to do that.
                We talked a little bit about the echelons above corps
           support. I understand the challenge associated with going
           into a theater and building a theater support base from the
           ground up. An enormous, enormous challenge; I understand
           that. Bringing in units who have never.worked together for
           from both the Active Army and Reserve Component--a very,
           very complex undertaking under the very best of
           circumstances. I didn't expect it to be perfect and it was
           not perfect. The price of perfection is too high. We did
           it very quickly. We did it on a very large scale. And
           there were a lot of soldiers to be supported.
                There are some areas I talked about earlier, especially
           in my own view with respect to repair parts that I was most
           concerned about. That requires, I think, the Army to take a
           look at and develop systems and to train people to make you
           understand things like that direct support system and the
           air-line communications logistics support. Because those
           are critical elements now of our logistical support
           structure. When we move that quickly, that far, then we

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Document 64 f:/Week-22/BX001608/DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C/desert shield-storm interview:10019616504029
Control Fields 17
File Room = jun96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-22
Box ID = BX001608
Unit = 101ST ID
Parent Organization = XVIII CORPS
Folder Title = DSS 101ST ABN DIV INTERVIEW CDR 101ST SG - C
Folder Seq # = 83
Subject = DESERT SHIELD-STORM INTERVIEW
Document Seq # = 2
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 01-OCT-1996