The official magazine of United States Army logistics.

Spearhead of Logistics is a narrative branch history of the U.S. Army's Transportation Corps, first published in 1994 for transportation personnel and reprinted in 2001 for the larger Army community. The Quartermaster Department coordinated transportation support for the Army until World War I revealed the need for a dedicated corps of specialists. The newly established Transportation Corps, however, lasted for only a few years. Its significant utility for coordinating military transportation became again transparent during World War II, and it was resurrected in mid-1942 to meet the unparalleled logistical demands of fighting in distant theaters. Finally becoming a permanent branch in 1950, the Transportation Corps continued to demonstrate its capability of rapidly supporting U.S. Army operations in global theaters over the next fifty years. With useful lessons of high-quality support that validate the necessity of adequate transportation in a viable national defense posture, it is an important resource for those now involved in military transportation and movement for ongoing expeditionary operations. This text should be useful to both officers and noncommissioned officers who can take examples from the past and apply the successful principles to future operations, thus ensuring a continuing legacy of Transportation excellence within Army operations. Additionally, military science students and military historians may be interested in this volume.

This is volume 2 of a three-volume setPerhaps no other field of military science is more misunderstood than logistics. Yet the means of supply, transportation, maintenance, and a variety of other supporting services frequently affect the daily lives of soldiers, the tactics of divisions, and the strategies of nations. Battles have been won, and wars have been lost, at least in part because of an army's ability to sustain itself in combat. U.S. Army Logistics, 1775-1992: An Anthology is designed to introduce to the soldier and the student of logistics a variety of topical selections that cover over 200 years of our army's history. In many cases, the reader may be intrigued by how often problems were repeated in different conflicts. There were remarkable similarities in transportation problems during the Mexican War and World War II, and comparable supply management difficulties arose during the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. How military personnel dealt with these issues and what successive generations learned from these experiences provide valuable insights for logisticians and commanders today. The selections for this anthology were made by Lt. Col. Charles R. Shrader, who was eminently qualified for this task. Blending his years of experience as an Army logistician and historian, Colonel Shrader has assembled a unique collection of essays that cover both the breadth and depth of Army logistics from the frozen hills of Valley Forge to the burning deserts of Southwest Asia. For the commander and the logistician, the soldier and the student, here is a book that will stimulate thought, encourage discussions, and provide perspective to an essential element of military science.

The official magazine of United States Army logistics.