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At the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the receipt, issue, and tracking of supplies became one of the biggest challenges for the Theater Distribution Center (TDC), Logistics Support Area (LSA) Anaconda at Balad, Iraq, and the supply support activities (SSAs) throughout the theater. Problems in managing internal misships, external misships, and serviceable excess at LSA Anaconda were breaking the ability of the SSAs to support units. The solution was the development and implementation of a hub-and-spoke system to provide more timely receipt of parts and materials by units and reduce losses caused by misshipments. Hub-and-spoke operations at LSA Anaconda offer lessons for other LSAs and SSAs facing problems caused by misshipments.
"Internal misships" were those misshipments that were destined for SSAs within LSA Anaconda. "External misships" were those misshipments intended for SSAs located outside of LSA Anaconda, such as those at the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). "Serviceable excess" included parts or materials that exceeded authorized stockage levels and were returned to the corps distribution center (CDC) for onward movement.
The hub-and-spoke system was designed to relieve SSAs at LSA Anaconda of the need to transport internal misships by delivering all materiel to the correct SSAs at LSA Anaconda within a 24-hour period; to consolidate and transport external misships to the CDC for onward movement to units throughout the Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7) area of operations; and to transport serviceable excesses to the CDC.
Iraqi Freedom Supply Challenges
In early March 2003, LSA Anaconda was established to support warfighters and conduct combat service support (CSS) operations. However, the LSA did not receive the support it needed from the TDC. The commander of the 7th Corps Support Group (CSG) put together a Forward Assistance Support Team (FAST) comprising SSA warrant officers and senior noncommissioned officers to function as the CSG's LSA liaison. The goal was to expedite receipt of classes of supply for the six SSAs to be stood up at LSA Anaconda.
The FAST identified CONEXs (containers express), MILVANs (military-owned demountable containers), and classes of...