Information_Paper__Army_Prepositioned_Stocks_(Aps)

INFORMATION PAPER SUBJECT: Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) 1. Purpose: To provide information on the Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) program 2. Facts: a. The Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) program is the foundation of the Army’s capability to quickly project power throughout the world by strategically prepositioning vital war stocks as a combination of land and sea based global projection platforms. Additionally, the APS program supports our National Military Strategy and enables the United States to provide timely support in areas involving U.S. national interest or humanitarian needs. (FM 3-35.1, 1-1) b. The primary purpose of APS is to: • reduce the initial amount of strategic lift required to support a predominately CONUS-based force projection Army • sustain the Soldier until sea lines of communication (SLOC) are established. (FM 3-35.1, 1-2) c. APS uses four catagories of stocks: 1) Prepositioned unit sets - equipment configured into mission-driven sets and positioned ashore and afloat to reduce deployment response times. 2) Operational project (OPROJ) stocks - materiel above unit sets tailored to key strategic capabilities essential to the Army’s ability to execute its force projection strategy. OPROJ stocks are designed to support one or more Army operations, plans or contingencies. 3) Army War Reserve Sustainment Stocks - procured by the Army in peacetime to meet increased wartime requirements. They consist of major and secondary items to sustain operations by replacing combat losses and supplies consumed. Army War Reserve Sustainment Stocks are prepositioned in or near a theater of operations to be used until wartime production and supply lines can be established. 4) War Reserve Stocks for Allies (WRSA) - ensures United States preparedness to assist designated allies in case of war. WRSA assets are prepositioned in the appropriate theater and owned and financed by the United States. (AUSA, 2) d. In order to rapidly project the Army’s power to contingency areas, APS stocks are located at several land and sea based locations. These APS locations are set up as: • APS-1 (in the continental United States, or CONUS) has operational project stocks, sustainment stocks and ammunition. • APS-2 stocks (in Europe) include prepositioned sets, operational project stocks, ammunition and WRSA. • The APS-3 (Afloat) stocks aboard ships have prepositioned sets, ammunition, operational project stocks and sustainment stocks. • APS-4 (Pacific and Northeast Asia) has prepositioned sets, operational project stocks, sustainment stocks, ammunition and watercraft. • APS-5 stocks (Southwest Asia) include prepositioned sets, operational project stocks, sustainment stocks, ammunition and watercraft. (AUSA, 3) e. In planning for the future, Army senior leadership approved the APS Strategy 2015 in November 2007. The APS Strategy 2015 positions land-based, modular heavy brigade combat teams afloat and modular infantry brigade combat teams at strategic locations worldwide. The APS sets are augmented with essential combat support/combat service support unit sets, medical support sets, watercraft, operational project sets, munitions, and sustainment stocks to support operations in austere environments. (Mostofi, 2008) f. The APS configuration will allow for interface with current and future lift platforms and improve access globally. It will provide both strategic and operational flexibility and responsiveness to the ability of combatant commanders to respond to the full range of contingencies. (Mostofi, 2008) APS continues as a key enabler in achieving deployment/employment of a Brigade Combat team (BCT) with in four to seven days according to the 2003 DoD Joint Swiftness Objective of the 10-30-10 goals. (AUSA, 8) Works Cited FM 3-35.1, Army Prepositioned Operations, dated July 2008. Army Prepositioned Stocks: Indispensable to America’s Global Force-projection Capability, Association of the United States Army (AUSA), December 2008. Mostofi, Keith, “Building Army Prepositioned Stocks,” 2008 Army Posture Statement, http://www.army.mil/aps/08/information_papers/reset/Building_Army_Prepositioned_Stocks.html (accessed 30 November 2011).