Proceedingsofthe1999WinterSimulationConference

P.A.Farrington,H.B.Nembhard,D.T.Sturrock,andG.W.Evans,eds.

TACTICALLOGISTICSANDDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS(TLOADS)SIMULATION
2 Light Weight,
Portable
L.
Buildings
DavidJ.Parsons
C.
Kr
3 Ocean
SimulationDynamics,Inc.
Anchoring
au
Systems
416HighStreet
se
Maryville,TN37804,U.S.A.
4 Mobile, Self
Powered
Simulati
Causeways
on
5 Water
Dynamic
Purification
ABSTRACT
s,Inc.
Units
1088
6 Standardized
In response to changing threats from opposing
Corte
Shipping
forces that often result from use of enhanced
Mira
Containers
technology, U.S. forces must adopt new tactics,
Flores
employing appropriately upgraded delivery
Santa
equipment to deliver rations, fuel, ammunition,
Paula,CA
personnel, and repair parts to forces in forward
93060,
areas.InthefaceofsharplyreducedR&Dbudgets,
U.S.A.
theopportunitytoexplorenewtacticsandtotest
and evaluate new logistics material delivery
equipment is correspondingly diminished. In
addition,theevaluationofnewtacticsthroughtrial
Past

doctrinal
maneuvers employing seagoing forces and
approaches to logistic
simulated troop landings is often frustrated by
support where forward
noncooperative weather, the high operational
assault forces required
expense of mounting a fullblown sea force and
initial supply and then
the typically inconclusive nature of the data
periodic resupply of
collected.
water,

rations,
However, through the use of simulation,
ammunition and fuel,
inexpensive, innovative force deployment and
dependedontheconcept
positioning schemes are tested. New supply
of the "beachhead." The
distributiontechniquesemployingawidevariety
beachhead

usually
of equipment combinations both existing and
consistedofanoperations
experimental are also tested. The simulation
center that controlled
outputdataisusedtogradedistributionschemes.
stock

requisition
Thisprovidesrangesofvehicleengineeringdata
communications,
which may impact and support subsequent
stockpile inventory and
equipmentdesignparameters.
the transportation of
logistics materials from
the stockpile to assault
1
INTRODUCTION
elements located inland.
Intoday'senvironmentof
The U. S. Navy Engineering Facilities
technologically enhanced
EngineeringServicesCenterprovidescontinuing
"smart" weapons, the
engineering support to the U. S. Marine Corps.
beachhead stockpile is
This support focuses on the development of
best labeled a hugely
logistics related procedures, equipment and
attractive target, easily
systemsthatsupportlittoraloperationsforUSMC
locatedanddestroyed.
Expeditionary Forces ashore. Primary
Notwithstanding
developmentfocusison:
recentoperationsinIraq,
planned

nearterm
1 TransferAndStorageOfBulkLiquids
requirements for littoral

assaultandrelatedlogisticssupporthaschanged changes on logistics

focusfromthemovementofmassivenumbersof supplyrequirements.The
troops,equipmentandsuppliesinlandthroughthe models were used to
beachhead.Thefocusisnowontheplacementof examine the operational
small, highly mobile "teams" Over The Horizon efficiencyofavarietyof
(OTH)directlyintotheforwardoperationalareas. supply network schemes
Theseteamswouldbeconnectedbymoderndata using mixes of standard

planned
linkstothemainforcesothatlocationandstatus and
areconstantlyknown.Thecorrespondinglogistics experimental logistics
supportandlogisticsmaterialdeliveryvisionisthe transport vehicles. A
same OTH movement of supplies from a sea model variable was the

distance
based delivery platform directly to forward standoff
stocking points or to the actual troop teams is betweentheoceangoing
resupply "Seabase" and
necessary.

incountry
Duringcalendaryears19951997,aseriesof the
discrete event models were designed and destinations.
implemented toexaminethe impact ofdoctrinal
As might be

1174

imagined, these discrete

event models assumed
giganticproportions,with
simulation

objects
approaching tens of
thousands. The resulting
simulation data proved
useful in documenting
the likely parameters of
modern OTH resupply
scenarios. However,
model execution speed
and the onerous task of
model modification and
maintenance forced a
reevaluation of the
discrete

event
architecture.

ParsonsandKrause

TLo

M aDS
O mod
el is
D
to
E prov
L idea
I tool
N to
G stud
ythe

deliv
A ery
S of
S logis
U tics
M mate
rial
P
to
T U.S.
I Mari
O ne
N Expe
S ditio
nary

Forc
A es.
N Som
D e
requi
D reme
nts
A
of
T the
A simu
latio
C n
O tool
were
L
as
L follo
E ws:
C
T 1 E
n
I
c
O
o
N
m

T
he
pu
rp
os
e
of
th
e

a
s
s

a
l
l

e
l
e

m
e
n
t
s

o
f

t
h
e

p
r
e
v
i
o
u
s
l
y

b
u
i
l
t

m
o
d
e
l
s

i
n
t
o

o
n
e

m
o
d
e
l
.

A
l
l
o
w

f
o
r

ea
o
sy
beca
us
use
er
of
m
the
oflexi
di
bilit
fiy
ca
requi
tired
oto
n.
achi
3 In
eve
cr
the
ea
abov
se
ee
xrequi
ec
reme
ut
nts
io
(Riv
n
era
sp
1998
ee
dand
si
Sipr
gelle
ni
fi1998
).
ca
The
nt
ly
over
.view
of
the
he mod
si el is
m sho
ul wn
ati belo
on w in
w Figu
as re1.
bu
ilt
us
in
g
E
xt
en
d
an
d
S
DI
In
du
str
y
Pr

T
he
bene
fitof
this
effor
t is
to
provi
de
an
inex
pensi
ve,
flexi
ble
and
pract
ical
tool
that
perm
its
unre
strict
ed
and
frequ
ent
eval
uatio
n of
new
logis
tics
deliv
ery
tacti
cs
and
logis
tics
mate
rial
trans
port
vehi
cles
throu
gh a
wide
varie
ty of
studi
es.
The
TLo
aDS
simu

lat allo
io ws
n the
us selec
er tion
is and
ab plac
le eme
to nt of
de stan
fi dard
ne force
m com
od posit
el ions
S (arm
C ored,
E infan
N try
A divis
R ions,
batta
I
lions
O
,
S com
us pani
in es,
g plato
a ons,
hi etc.)
gh com
ly prise
str d of
uc troo
tu p,
re vehi
d cle
L and
A weap
Y ons
D type
O sand
W quan
N tities
pr into
oc an
es oper
s. ation
T al
he area
la defin
yd ed
o and
w displ
n ayed
pr as a
oc stan
es dard
s milit

ary
Univ
ersal
Tran
svers
e
Merc
ator
(UT
M)
map
proje
ction
.
Each
scen
ario
can
be
save
d
and
reuse
d.
T
he
TLo
aDS
simu
latio
n
user
is
able
to
extra
ct
infor
mati
on
descr
ibing
the
beha
vior
of
the
mod
el
both
whil
e it
is
runni
ng
and
after
a
simu
latio

n eted.
ru Com
n pete
is nce
co with
m mod
pl el
Ov
erv
ie
w

Fi
g
ur
e
1:
T
L
o
a
D
S
Si
m
ul
at
io
n

setup
and
data
recor
ding
funct
ions

1175

TacticalLogisticsandDistributionSystems(TLoaDS)
Simulation
g
unit
allowstheuserto
(sea
designthatproduce
base
andrecordmodel
) to
responsesfor
the
variationsininput
cons
parameterssuchas:
ume
rs.
1 Force
2 Veh
distribution
icles
3
and

placement
their
2 Logistics
type
distribution
s
networks
and
3 Hostile
prop
threats
ertie
4 Weather
s
5 Types and
such
quantities of
as
transport
day
vehicles
and
6 Competi
nigh
tion for
t
scarce
spee
resource
ds,
ssuchas
load
transport
capa
vehicles
city
and
and
material
mai
handling
nten
equipme
ance
nt
prof
iles
Basic Model
are
Elements. There are
defi
six primary elements
ned
in
that are active
the
variables in the
Mo
TLoaDS model.
del
Theseare:
Con
text
1 Material
Dat
s the
abas
TLoaDS
e.
modelis
The
fundame
mod
ntally
el
about
user
the
spec
moveme
ifies
nt of
the
material
qua
s from
ntity
the
of
supplyin
each

vehi
cle
type
assi
gne
d to
each
supp
lier
unit.
Mat
erial
s
Han
dlin
g
Equi
pme
nt
(M
HE
such
as
fork
lifts,
con
vey
ors,
cran
es,
etc.)
are
reco
rded
in
the
Mod
el
Con
text
Data
base
alon
g
with
perf
orm
ance
and
capa
bilit
y
prof
iles
whi
ch
dete
rmin

e the
material
s that
can be
handled
by each
and the
rate at
which
these
material
s are
loaded
and
unloade
d to or
from
stock
piles
and/or
transport
vehicles.

4 Containe

rs the
capacity
of each
containe
r for
each
material
is
specified
, along
with the
maximu
m
numbers
of each
containe
r for
each
vehicle
is
recorded
in the
Model
Context
Database
. In this
way, the
material
capacity
of each
vehicle
by
containe
r is
determin
ed.
User

Unit
s
are
thos
e
that
do
not
re
sup
ply
othe
r
unit
s.
Con
sum
ptio
n of
mat
erial
s at
each
unit
is
dete
rmi
ned
by
the
com
bina
tion
of
troo
ps,
wea
pon
s
and
vehi
cles
(Sta
ndar
d
Mar
ine
Exp
editi
onar
y
Forc
e
Co
mpo
nent
s
that
are
stor

ed
in
the
mod
el
data
base
)
that
are
spec
ified
whe
n
the
unit
is
defi
ned
by
the
mod
el
user
duri
ng
the
layd
own
proc
ess

6 Sup

plier
Unit
s
supp
liers
have
all
of
the
prop
ertie
s of
user
s,
but
in
addi
tion,
rece
ive
and
disp
atch
mat
erial
s to
othe
r

units.
Supplier
s have
MHE
and
transport
vehicles
assigned
tothem.

3
BUILDING
THEMODEL
The TloaDS
model

is
comprised of the
TLoaDS
Logistics Wizard
processors,
Scenario
Laydown
processor,
TLoaDS
Navigator and
model Runtime
execution
processors.
This model
design permits
the user to build
complex tactical
scenarios in an
orderly and
logical manner
using

the
followingsteps:

1 Spe

cify
the
dura
tion
of
the
oper
atio
n
peri
od
(usu
ally
in
days
),
the
terra
in
(mo
unta
inou
s,
dese
rt,
trop

ical)
,
weat
her
(arid
,
tem
pera
te,
tropi
cal),
sea
state
(in
num
eric
stag
es
whi
ch
dete
rmin
e
the
load
capa
city
and
spee
d of
mari
ne
tran
spor
t
vehi
cles)
,
sunr
ise
and
suns
et.

2 Plac

e
Stan
dard
(mo
difia
ble)
Forc
e
Unit
s
(arm
ored
,

infantry,
artillery
battalion
s,
compani
es,
platoons
,etc.)at
specifie
d
coordina
tes in
the
operatio
nal area
which is
displaye
d as a
UTM
map
projectio
n.
Assign
terrain
per unit,
unit
elevatio
n for
helo
load
calculati
ons and
vehicle
approac
h rules
(for
example
, marine
craft
cannot
supply
land
bound
units).

3 Specify

operatin
g rules,
(e.g. re
supply
may
occur
only
during
daylight
hours
with no
hostile
action)
probabil
ity of

dela
y
due
to
ene
my
acti
on,
way

poin
ts
for
vehi
cle
tran
sit
thro
ugh
host
ile
area
s.
Spe
cify
the
mat
erial
(am
mun
ition
,
fuel,
wat
er,
ratio
ns)
cons
ump
tion
tem
po
for
each
unit
and
mat
erial
by
user
spec
ified
time
peri
ods
that
toge
ther
equ

al
with
in
the
oper
atio
n
dura
tion.
Database
Manager The
database records
scenario
setup
and reference
data that is used
during model
execution. The
database can
import data from
text files that are
generated using
Microsoft Excel
or any other
application
capable

of
outputting tab
delimited ASCII
files. Reference
databases are
created and
maintained from
the model screen
dialogs so that
externaltextfiles
are not required.
Database
information is
"read" from the
databaseandthen
converted to
"Fast Arrays" for
high speed use
during the model
run.

This
eliminates
unnecessary disk
references
resulting in
optimized model
runtime. A
portion of the
database showing
someofthetables
includedisshown
inFigure2onthe
followingpage.

1176

ParsonsandKrause

be
used
befo
re
mod
el
exec
ution
.
Thes
eare
cust
om
bloc
ks
that
allo
w
Data
base
Refe
renc
e
infor
Figure2:
mati
Portionof
on
the
such
Database
as
vehi
cle
spee
he d,
T carg
L o
oa capa
D city,
etc.,
S
tobe
L enter
og ed
ist and
ic main
s taine
W d.
iz Ther
ar eisa
d wiza
rd
pr for
oc each
es of
so the
rs basic
de mod
si el
gn elem
ed ents
to so

that
the
char
acter
istics
of
each
elem
ent
sub
type
can
be
recor
ded
and
modi
fied
as
perfo
rman
ce
char
acter
istics
chan
ge.
For
exa
mple
, the
Vehi
cle
Wiza
rd,
show
n in
Figu
re 3,
allo
ws
all
vehi
cle
types
(5
Ton
Truc
k,
Ch
53
Helo
,
LCA
C,
etc.)
tobe
recor

de
Figure locat
d
3:
ion
al
Vehicl depi
on
e
cted
g
Logist as a
wi
ics milit
th
Wizar ary
pe
d
UT
rf
M
or
map,
T
m he
weat
an Scen
her,
ce ario
and
ch Lay
sea
ar
cond
dow
ac
ition
n
ter
s.
proc
ist
The
essor
ic
Layd
allo
s
own
ws
su
proc
the
ch
essor
user
as
also
sp to
perm
ee creat
its
d, e
the
lo uniq
place
ad ue
ment
ca mod
of
pa el
Orga
cit setu
nizat
y p
ional
an facto
Unit
d rs
s
m such
such
ai as
as
nt geog
Mari
en raphi
ne
an c
Corp
ce
pr
of
ile
.

s
Arm
ored,
Infan
try,
etc.,
Divi
sions
,
Batta
lions
,
Com
pani
es
and
Plato
ons
at
UT

M onte
co xt
or Data
di base
na in
te term
s s of
in troo
th ps,
e vehi
m cles
od and
el wea
ge pons
og type
ra sand
ph quan
ic tities
ar assig
ea ned.
. Duri
T ng
he mod
se el
or run,
ga the
ni total
za num
tio ber
na of
l troo
un ps
its deter
ha mine
ve s
be meal
en and
pr wate
ev r
io cons
us umpt
ly ion,
de wher
fi eas
ne the
d quan
an tities
d and
re type
co s of
rd vehi
ed cles
in and
th wea
e pons
M deter
od mine
el fuel
C and

amm
uniti
on
cons
umpt
ion
respe
ctive
ly.
A
s
each
unit
is
place
d in
the
mod
el, it
is
desig
nate
d as
bein
g a
User
or a
Supp
lier
unit
and
supp
ly
links
and
perfo
rman
ce
rules
with
upstr
eam
and
dow
nstre
am
units
are
estab
lishe
d
and
recor
ded
in
the
Mod
el
Cont
ext

D rmitt
is a
at ing
set
ab the
of
as user
custo
e. to
m
mov
bloc
ks
he e by
mou
that
T
uses
L se
the
oa click
data
D,
direc
from
S
tlyto
Scen
N
any
ario
av of
Layd
ig the
own
at wiza
and
or rd
the
, dialo
refer
sh g
ence
o scree
data
w ns
from
n with
the
in out
data
Fi havi
base
gu ngto
to
re close
perfo
4, and
rm
is open
mate
a mult
rial
se iple
cons
t sequ
umpt
of ence
ion,
cu s of
detec
st hiera
tion
o rchic
of
m al
low
bu bloc
supp
tto ks.
ly
ns
level
th
sand
at
there
fl
fore
oa
requ
ts
est
ab
re
ov
supp
e
ly.
th
Simu
Figure4:
e
ltane
TLoaDS
m
ousl
Navigator
od
y
el
logis
T
w
tics
or he
vehi
ks TLo
cles
he aDS
deliv
et Run
er
pe time
logis

tic ring
s the
m mod
at el
eri run.
al
s 4
to VE
th RIF
e ICA
us TIO
in
N
g
AN
un
its D
, VA
wi LID
th ATI
co ON
m
pl Mod
et el
e Cont
m ext
od Data
el base
va refer
ria ence
bl data
e was
da colle
ta cted
re duri
co ng
rd inter
ed view
fo s
r with
po Subj
st ect
ru Matt
n er
ev Expe
al rts,
ua and
tio thro
n ugh
or anal
fo ysis
r of
gr tech
ap nical
hi refer
c ence
di man
sp ual
la data,
y empi
du rical

mate
rial
usag
e
data
base
sand
from
US
MC
refer
ence
data
base
MA
GTF
II.
Thes
e
data
were
cross

corre
lated
and
wher
e
acros
s the
boar
d
cong
ruen
ceof
data
was
obse
rved,
the
data
were
acce
pted
as
relia
ble.
On
the
other
hand
,
whe
n
data
varia
nce
occu
rred,

th e
e data
di sour
ff ces
eri were
ng in
da full
ta agre
so eme
ur nt.
ce Amb
w iguo
as us
no situa
t tions
us were
ed refer
if red
th to
e gove
re rnme
m nt
ai agen
nd cies
er for
of final
th resol

117

ution
.
M
odel
perfo
rman
ce
has
been
valid
ated
throu
gh
the
time
teste
d,
foolp
roof
appr
oach
wher
e
fully
docu
ment
ed,

TacticalLogisticsandDistributionSystems(TLoaDS)
Simulation
meettheneedsof
experts. The
known,testsituations many more
model runs on a
are setup and run. customers, with
standard PC
The model output is thesidebenefitof
running
then compared with being a great
Windows95,98,
the verified correct training tool to
or NT. The
results and model improve tactical
recommendedPC
analysis

and logisticians'
configuration is
adjustmentsaremade judgment of the
at minimum a
toensurereliableand complex system.
233MHzwith64
acceptableoperation. Further, plans
MBofRAM.
includeusingitto
5
RESULTS explore
REFERENCES
alternative
According to ourcourses of action
Rivera, J., 1988.
customer: "With thefor an active
Modeling
U. S. Marinesoperation, will
with Extend.
reinventing warprovide better
In
fighting tactics toassessment ofthe
Proceedings
addressthechangesinsupportability of
of the 1998
potential hostilecombat plans to
Winter
threats, novel combatmakebetteruseof
Simulation
approaches call forscarce resources
Conference,
ed. D. J.
reinventing tacticalbothincreasing
Medeiros, E.
logistics. During acombatpowerand
F.Watson,J.
period of severelythe probability of
S. Carson,
reduced budgets forlower men and
material
and M. S.
live tactical logistics
attrition.
Manivannan,
experimentation and
TheTLoaDS
257262.
virtually no funding
model was built
IEEE,
for

hardware
usingExtendand
Piscataway,
RDTE&A, modeling
SDIIndustryPro,
NewJersey.
and simulation's
both
Siprelle,
A. J.,
ability to explore
commercially
Phelps,
R.
conceptual
available offthe
A.,

Barnes,
alternatives holds the
shelf software
M.M.,1998.
promise of huge
products. The
SDI
payoffs in saved
Industry: An
cost of the
funding and time,
Extend
software was
yielding improved
Based Tool
$3495.
system performance,
for
Significant
andmanylivessaved.
Continuous
customization
The novel, paradigm
and High
was done within
shifting, potentially
Speed
the programming
highpayoff,buthigh
Manufacturi
environment of
riskconceptstheones
ng.

In
the software to
program managers
Proceedings
produce the
would rarely explore
of the 1998
TLoaDS model.
with real prototypes
Winter
Theentireproject
or live exercises
Simulation
required about 1
become affordable
Conference,
manyear of
andsafetoexplore.
ed. D. J.
effort
split
In the future,
Medeiros, E.
between military
TLoaDS may be
F.Watson,J.
personnel and
enhanced to leverage
S. Carson,
simulation
the investment and
and M. S.

Manivannan,
AUTHOR
349356. IEEE, BIOGRAPHIES
Piscataway,New
Jersey.
DAVID

J.
PARSONS is a
principal of
Simulation
Dynamics. His
experience with
simulation began
in 1965 with
experiments in
theuseofnatural
selection
algorithms to
evolve
architectural
designs. During
the 1980s he
designed, built
and operated
several dairy
processing plants
using simulation
ofkeysystemsas
an integral tool
for design, value
engineering, and
trouble shooting.
Mr. Parsons
received a B. A.

from Harvard
College and a
Master

of
Architecture
degree from the
Harvard School
ofDesign.
LARRY
KRAUSE is a
graduate of
George
Washington
University and
holds a graduate
degree

in
education from
Boston
University. He is
a retired Naval
Officer
specializing in
Combat Data
Systems who has
accumulated
significant
experience in
logisticsplanning,
especially from
the standpoint of
operational
readinesssupport.

1178