R 231530Z DEC 97 ZYB
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//L//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //N04400/
ALMAR 430/97
MSGID/GENADMIN/I-L//
SUBJ/CONCEPT OF EMPLOYMENT FOR ATLASS I FOR DEPLOYED OPERATIONS//
RMKS/1.  DURING MARINE AIR GROUND TASK FORCE (MAGTF) OPERATIONS IN
SOUTHWEST ASIA AND SOMALIA, THE SUPPORTED ACTIVITIES SUPPLY SYSTEM
(SASSY) WAS USED IN A DEPLOYED ENVIRONMENT WITH THE AID OF A DEPLOYED
FIELD AUTOMATED SERVICE CENTER (DFASC).  THIS DFASC IS NO LONGER IN
SERVICE AND THE RESULTING ABILITY FOR A MAGTF TO DEPLOY AND UTILIZE
SASSY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT AND MANPOWER
INTENSIVE WORK AROUNDS.
2.  THE ASSET TRACKING, LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY SYSTEM (ATLASS) PHASE I
IS A PERSONAL COMPUTER BASED SUPPLY SYSTEM THAT FEEDS SASSY THROUGH A
DAILY CYCLE.  THIS SYSTEM IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE MAGTF SUPPLY
SUPPORT (NON AVIATION) IN A DEPLOYED ENVIRONMENT.  FOR THE BENEFIT OF
ALL MAGTF'S, THE FOLLOWING CONCEPT OF EMPLOYMENT IS PROVIDED AS A
MEANS TO DEPLOY ATLASS PHASE I.  THIS CONCEPT MAY ALREADY BE IN PLACE
IN SOME AREAS OF THE MARINE CORPS.  THIS ALMAR SERVES TO DOCUMENT THE
CONCEPT FOR THE MARINE CORPS.
3.  THE CONCEPT OF EMPLOYMENT ASSUMES THE FOLLOWING: (A)  THAT A
SASSY MANAGEMENT UNIT (SMU) CADRE WILL REMAIN BEHIND, EVEN IF THE
ENTIRE MEF DEPLOYS.  (B)  THAT THE DEPLOYED MAGTF WILL HAVE DATA
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE SMU IN THE REAR.  (C) THAT REQUISITIONS WILL
HAVE PRIORITY IN THE DATA LINK OVER ALL OTHER SUPPLY TRANSACTIONS.
(D) THAT A LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) OR WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN) WILL
BE SET UP IN THEATER AND PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY FOR THE COMBAT SERVICE
SUPPORT ELEMENT (CSSE) AND ALL UNITS THAT IT SUPPORTS.  THIS IS NOT
REQUIRED FOR THE CONCEPT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT IT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY
STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
4.  WHEN REQUIRED TO DEPLOY, A UNIT SHOULD EMBARK THEIR HARDWARE USED
FOR THE ATLASS PHASE I APPLICATION.  UPON ARRIVAL IN THEATER OR ONCE
ABOARD SHIP, THE UNIT SHOULD CONFIGURE THEIR SYSTEM TO BE SUPPORTED
BY A CSSE IF NOT ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED.  SUPPLY PROCESSING COMMENCES
AND AS REQUIREMENTS ARE DETERMINED, THEY ARE SENT TO THE SUPPORTING
CSSE FOR ACTION.  THIS WILL HAPPEN VIA A COURIER DISKETTE CREATED AS
PART OF THE ATLASS PROCESS AND WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE CSSE VIA
E-MAIL OVER THE LAN OR WAN, PHYSICAL DISKETTE VIA A COURIER, A FILE
TRANSFER PROTOCOL, A MODEM, OR BY SOME OTHER MEANS.  THE CSSE WILL
IMPORT THE COURIER INFORMATION INTO ATLASS PHASE I FOR EACH USING
UNIT IT SUPPORTS AS IT ARRIVES.  THE CSSE WILL FILL ALL REQUIREMENTS
IT CAN, PROVIDING STATUS TO THE UNITS AS IT DOES SO.  ANY
REQUIREMENTS THE CSSE IS NOT ABLE TO MEET ARE WRITTEN TO A SASSY
COURIER FILE AS PART OF THE ATLASS PHASE I PROCESS AND TRANSMITTED
TO THE SMU VIA E-MAIL, DISKETTE, FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL, MODEM, OR BY
SOME OTHER MEANS. (THE CSSE SHOULD CONFIGURE THEIR ATLASS MACHINE TO
BE SUPPORTED BY A SMU.)  THE SMU IN THE REAR WILL IMPORT THE SASSY
COURIER INTO SASSY AND RUN A DAILY CYCLE, MAKING ISSUES FROM
AVAILABLE STOCKS AT THE SMU AND PASSING REQUIREMENTS IT CAN NOT MEET
TO THE DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY. STATUS ON TRANSACTIONS WILL BE SENT
TO THE CSSE FOR THE ENTIRE DEPLOYED MAGTF.  THE DEPLOYED CSSE WILL
COLLATE THE STATUS IN ATLASS PHASE I AND SEND IT TO EACH SUPPORTED
UNIT.
5.  THIS CONCEPT IS INTENDED TO BE A TOOL FOR THE OPERATING FORCES
AS THEY DEPLOY AND SHOULD SERVE AS A STARTING POINT FOR PLANNERS TO
HELP IN ENSURING SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENTS AND QUALITY SUPPLY SUPPORT
THROUGHOUT THE DEPLOYMENT. //
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