Combat Service Support Soldier Network Enabled Operations (CSNEO)

Abstract

Modeling and simulation provides a cost effective means to gain insights into the potential benefits of network-enabled capabilities in a variety of operational settings. This research outlines a methodology and provides a use case for employing modeling and simulation in the identification of significant factors for network-enabled capabilities. The effort explores the use of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Analysis Center's Logistics Battle Command (LBC) model to examine the distribution of capabilities across an organizational structure. It leverages large, space-filling designs of experiments, in conjunction with high performance computing clusters, to assess the impact of Soldier-level, network-enabled capabilities on transportation terminal node operations within a sustainment base supporting a Joint Force. Further, this research coalesces experimental design and exploratory data analysis to examine 771 variants of the operational scenario. Three network structures are examined, namely, the Hierarchical, Star, and Hierarchical-Star topologies, to quantify the impacts of network-enabled capability on the velocity, reliability, and visibility measures of effectiveness. The results suggest that increasing network-enabled capabilities yields a significant return of investment over the current capabilities. The latter network topologies show that Soldiers performing terminal node cargo operations are better connected, and this leads to more responsive distribution systems.