Conventional Ammunition Ordnance Battalion

Reviewing current doctrine, the mission of the ordnance battalion (ammunition) states that the unit is identical and interchangeable with that of the combat sustainment support battalion. After analyzing historical regulations to todays’ doctrine, the ordnance ammunition battalion is more than the initial point of coordination for ammunition support.

The ammunition ordnance battalion’s mission is command and control, technical direction, and staff planning for subordinate units.

The mission of the headquarters element of an ordnance battalion (ammunition) is to command and control assigned units, attached units, and other attached ammunition elements at the platoon level. Additionally, the ordnance battalion (ammunition) ensures compliance with ammunition supply and maintenance procedures established by the ammunition material management branch. The unit is assigned to a Sustainment Command (Expeditionary or Theater). As a planning factor, one ammunition battalion would be required to support one division with operating units extending from the corps to the brigade support areas. Each ordnance battalion (ammunition) can provide the following:

·        Command, control, and staff planning for up to five subordinate units.

·        Technical direction over ammunition support operations of subordinate units.

Figure 1. Ordnance Battalion, Ammunition.

To ensure proper ammunition support, tactical and logistical planners in a headquarter element of an ammunition ordnance battalion must have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand the organization, mission, abilities, and limitations of ammunition support units to achieve unity of effort. On the multi-domain operations battlefield during intense large-scale combat operations, supply and resupply combat units may be the most extensive, most time-sensitive task of sustainment, one of the warfighting functions.

As the mission command provider of ammunition units, there are critical functions to accomplish. The HHD Commander is responsible for a task-based and event-driven unit training strategy and helps develop training plans that build and sustain unit training. Near-Peer threats will require ammunition units to be mobile and agile, in linear and nonlinear battlefields, with rapid movement and changes to the operational environment. The ammunition ordnance battalion will need to train in many different scenarios to support various joint task forces. That is why training during garrison operations is essential to the success of ammunition units in wartime.

The staff sections must create operational plans synchronized with other support elements such as transportation, security, engineering, and communications to provide a mission-dependent ammunition system. The ammunition ordnance battalion must integrate data automation technology, satellite ground stations, and other Army Enterprise Systems.

In support of joint operations, the ammunition ordnance battalion would have to be deployed to support a joint task force. Providing command of attached security forces and can be 100-percent mobile using organic transportation. To this end, plans must be developed to support from the brigade through joint security area of operations in large-scale combat operations.

In addition to staff members, the ammunition battalion materiel office (MATO) serves as the initial coordination point. And syncs plans with the echelons above bridge staff, sustainment command munitions branch, and transportation managers to accomplish the following:

·        Coordination of assets.

·        Monitoring and cross-leveling of stocks.

·        Direct the implementation of directives, taskings, and material commitments.

·        Analyze SAAS data to determine the trends and efficiency of stock operations.

·        Monitor supply status data on munitions stocks at Ammunition Support Activities.

·        Synchronize activities of subordinate ammunition units with transportation companies.

·        Monitor quality assurance, ammunition surveillance, and ammunition maintenance programs.

·        Cross-leveling munitions support personnel and equipment.

·        Coordination in-transit ammunition stocks for diversion based on METT-TC factors.

·        Develop plans for emergency destruction of ammunition to prevent capture by enemy forces.

The ordnance ammunition battalion is used for command and control, technical direction, and staff planning for up to five subordinate ammunition units. A dedicated ammunition unit can provide mission command, which is Army’s approach to command and control to empower subordinate decision-making and decentralized execution. Additionally, the unit can provide approved approaches, solutions, or refinements to complete a description of work and shift emphasis among work areas or tasks. Lastly, the battalion can create conceptual and detailed planning of situations, envision courses of action, and layout effective ways of bringing about the senior commander’s intent.

Resources:

Department of the Army, Ammunition Service Support in the Theater of Operations, FM 9–6 (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1981).

Department of the Army, Munitions Support in The Theater of Operations, FM 4-30.1 (FM 9–6) (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2003).

Department of the Army, Munitions Support in The Theater of Operations, ATP 4-35 (FM 4-30.1) (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2014).