The extensive experience gained from organizing logistical support in numerous wars and conflicts served for many years as the foundation for implementing logistical thought in the civilian sphere. While these required certain modifications, they acted as models for the development of logistical systems in the national economy, often implemented in accordance with the assumptions and methodology of benchmarking. This process, which involves imitating others and improving the efficiency of one’s own organization by identifying, analyzing, adopting, and implementing solutions used by the most efficient organizations globally, has played a significant role in the past in the transformation of civilian logistical systems.
Today, the roles have reversed, and military logisticians now frequently utilize mechanisms and tools that have proven effective in the dynamically changing civilian market. One example of using civilian logistical solutions in the military sector is the effort aimed at concentrating military logistical potential within Military Economic Units (WOG) and Regional Logistics Bases (RBLog).
The purpose of this article is to characterize the solutions for rationalizing military logistical potential currently being undertaken in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (SZ RP), which are, to some extent, modeled on the organization of civilian logistics centers.
Military Economic Units as local logistics centers
The concept of creating military economic units in the Polish Armed Forces was born out of the necessity, postulated within the military community, to separate financial and economic functions from operational and training functions in military budgetary units. To meet these expectations, in 2005, the Minister of National Defense appointed a team to develop a “Concept for separating financial and economic functions from operational and training functions in military budgetary units.” As a result of the work of the team, which included representatives from 13 institutions and commands, the directions and principles for reorganizing the military financial-logistical system implemented at the local level were developed. The document regulating the construction of the new system and indicating its target shape, issued on April 11, 2006, contains:
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a detailed analysis of the financing and logistical supply of military budgetary units,
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the characteristics and purpose of a military economic unit,
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legal aspects of the proposed solutions,
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proposals for actions aimed at implementing the proposed solutions, including the assumptions of a pilot program,
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expected effects related to the reorganization of the logistical system of the Polish Armed Forces.
The practical implementation of the developed solutions began with the launch of a pilot program on January 1, 2008, for the functioning of Military Economic Units in the stationary logistical system of 6 main garrisons and nearby garrisons, within the framework of 4 military economic units (Figure 1), namely: WOG No. 2 in Wrocław, WOG No. 4 in Gliwice, WOG No. 5 in Dęblin, and WOG No. 6 in Ustka. The idea behind the functioning of WOGs boils down to their comprehensive provision of logistical services for all units stationed in their area of responsibility. For the supported units, they perform tasks in the scope of:
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maintaining combat and mobilization readiness (exclusively for the military economic unit and newly formed units),
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material support,
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technical support,
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medical support,
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financial support (including the execution of public procurement),
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infrastructure, including fire protection,
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geographical and hydrometeorological support,
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communication and IT equipment support,
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protection and defense of facilities,
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administrative and clerical support,
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support for training and cultural-educational facilities,
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occupational health and safety,
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tasks resulting from Host Nation Support (HNS) obligations,
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cooperation with civilian institutions and communities,
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family support services,
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support for military chaplaincy activities,
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transport support for military units,
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legal services,
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logistical support for stationary communication units in garrisons.
The experience gathered during the pilot program prompted the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense to establish economic units in another 14 garrisons in 2011 (Figure 2). The target concept for the functioning of the military logistical system at the garrison level assumes covering all military units with the WOG program, while maintaining the distinctness of individual branches of the armed forces (RSZ) – Land Forces, Air Force, Navy.
Military economic units constitute the superior link of the military logistical system in a garrison. Concentrating previously dispersed potential in one place is undoubtedly a new direction in the Polish Armed Forces, but considering civilian experience, it is entirely justified. Local logistics centers, i.e., centers performing functions related to logistical activities associated with specific local needs, have been successfully operating in the civilian sphere for years. These centers usually fulfill specific tasks for their immediate surroundings – an agglomeration or an urbanized area. Local logistics centers usually cooperate with higher-order centers; their radius of influence ranges from a dozen to several dozen kilometers, and they occupy an area of up to several dozen hectares. A significant and still open issue remains the selection of the appropriate WOG potential that allows for the full realization of logistical tasks resulting from the operational needs of military units.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2/2011.