A PATH ENUMERATION REFORMULATION OF THE SCHEDULE MIXED INTEGER PROGRAM SUPPORTING EXPEDITIONARY ADVANCED BASE OPERATIONS.

Abstract

The U.S. Marine Corps needs an accurate model for analyzing its logistical needs in support of Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). EABO is a doctrinal method used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for denying adversary forces access to the maritime global commons. Deployment and sustainment of forces engaged in EABO requires a distribution network supported by various surface and airborne connector platforms of differing capacity and speed. The Marine Corps currently has a model for analyzing its distribution networks in support of EABO, the Schedule Mixed Integer Program (S-MIP). However, the computational difficulty of S-MIP limits its usefulness in large-scale experiments. This thesis describes a path enumeration-based reformulation known as the Path Enumeration Mixed-Integer Program (PE-MIP). PE-MIP is designed to provide a less computationally difficult model than the antecedent model S-MIP. We compare the runtime of PE-MIP and the quality of its solutions with that of S-MIP model and find that PE-MIP provides faster and superior results to S-MIP. The application of PE-MIP by the research sponsor will further inform current Marine Corps and Navy operational plans, acquisition, and force structure decisions.