War movies aren't made about logistics.
Logisticians aren't often hailed as heroes. But wars cannot be fought, and certainly not won, without them.
Following 13 years of war in Afghanistan, the unsung heroes of our nation's military are the Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians and defense contractors who have, and continue to, execute the monumental effort of equipping our forces in theater, and subsequently, return hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment to the United States.
Our Army logisticians have been hard at work behind the scenes for the past several years in support of the massive retrograde, redeployment, redistribution and disposal mission out of Afghanistan.
Unprecedented in complexity, the retrograde mission required innovation and creativity. An estimated value of $30 billion in equipment — vehicles, helicopters, shipping containers, generators, communications gear and more — was moved from a land-locked, mountainous and extremely austere country while under combat conditions.
A team of joint professionals and materiel experts, operating Ph.D.-level logistics, used every possible mode of transportation, including difficult ground routes through Pakistan and Kazakhstan, air and sea, all while facing constant attacks and targeting by the enemy, and budget constraints and uncertainty at home.
At the height of the war, U.S. and NATO forces operated from 820 bases. That's been reduced down to only 25 remaining bases. More than 44,000 vehicles, referred to as "rolling stock," have been removed from theater. More than 107,000 containers filled with equipment from tents to communications devices to spare parts, have returned. Laid end to end, the containers would stretch from Maine to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This means that the equipment that served our Soldiers so well in Afghanistan will continue to be available at home and abroad to meet future contingencies, safeguarding our nation's investment.
Yet this massive operation is being executed with little fanfare or attention. The seamless collaboration across multiple Department of Defense organizations, including the U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Army Central, and 1st Theater Sustainment Command, is truly extraordinary.
This wartime retrograde operation is different than that of any other previous war, including Iraq, in that we've accumulated 13 years worth of every type of equipment our Soldiers need to fight and win wars, and live in austere environments. It's also different in how we have committed to managing the retrograde effort, identifying the most appropriate disposition of each piece of equipment — bringing back what's economically feasible and usable for future operations, selling other equipment to Afghanistan and our allies, or divesting in place. We will not leave Afghanistan as the Soviets did with mountains of equipment strewn across the battlefield; we will be responsible allies and responsible stewards of our nation's equipment.
In all, the retrograde of equipment will cost the U.S. less than the $5.7 billion initially estimated in 2012. Thirteen years worth of accumulated gear, much of it heavy armored vehicles and equipment, and our military will have moved it halfway across the world in a complex, dangerous and exceedingly complicated environment, for less than half of what UPS spent in transportation expenses in a single year. This can only be done by absolute professionals and Army logistical experts who deserve praise, acclaim and commendation for their extraordinary and historic efforts.
Undersecretary of the Army Brad Carson recently said the comparative advantage of the U.S. military is logistics and sustainment. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the unprecedented feat our logistics team has accomplished in Afghanistan. They have overcome any doubt as to whether this historic and monumental operation could be accomplished, and their efforts should not go unnoticed.
Gen. Dennis L. Via has been the commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command since August 2012. Before his current role, he oversaw the retrograde of equipment and materiel out of Iraq at the end of Operation New Dawn.
