Preparedness for All Potential Catastrophic Health Events
- What recommendations would you make to restore the lost transportation capabilities over the next 48 hours?
Air services play a critical role in delivering assistance to people during disasters, war, and famine. They are particularly useful in situations where no other means of transportation can provide humanitarian aid to affected communities. Air transport logistics allow the military to deploy, employ and re-deploy forces and equipment quickly and over considerable distances affected by disasters. The airplane’s inherent speed and flexibility and the ability to provide soldiers, weapons, trucks, food, fuel, communications equipment, and many other things to war are vital for success in the onset of war. However, air transport is also vulnerable to hazards that affect the community. Following an accident in air logistics, there is a need for immediate restoration to ensure a continuous supply of resources to the affected population.
In this case, I would recommend the creation of a flexible plan and survivability. The plan should consider uncertainty and capacity shortages while increasing the capability to quickly resolved shortfalls. A plan is required for forecasting errors and unexpected incidences like airplane crashes and how to deal with such issues. Effective prediction of medical operations requires considering the mission, medical threat, medical assets, the affected community, their culture, needs, and the availability of area of operations. Planning ensures the capacity of medical logistics to support a fast-paced and frequently changing expeditionary operations. In this case, MEDDRUN serves a contingency plan for the delivery of medical supplies within the shortest time possible (Jackson County Medical Control Authority, 2017). As the senior level logistics operations officer, I would restore air transportation but ensure the number of air transportation decreases. Still, the carrying capacity increases to ensure that the U.S Forces receive the remaining medical supplies. Planning establishes the course of action and methods of execution to improve the associability of medical supplies.
Communication with the central command should make them understand that there an urgent need to restore air transportation to continue delivering the supplies because there is an expectation of worse conditions. It necessitates the use of MEDDRUN, which is intended to ensure the rapid delivery of medical supplies. The use of MEDDRUN ensures the availability of medical supplies for the forces for the proper continuation of the services they contribute to the affected community. MEDDRUM requires quick restocking of medical supplies as soon as possible. The security of the supplies is vital because there is an expectation for more violence, demonstrations, or looting. An increase in security will ensure equitable distribution of the medical supplies and safeguard them from destruction by the affected community.
- What are your current priorities?
My priority would be to assess the needs of the medical requirements to deploy lifesaving medications & supplies to the military forces rapidly. It is in recognition that the occurrence of a largescale event has the power to overwhelm the available medical supplies. The threat of looting can result in the misuse of the available medical supplies. Assessing the need includes recognizing that there is a remaining 10% that of supplies has not been delivered to U.S. Forces in and around BIAP. Therefore, there is an urgency to ensure that all the supplies have been provided and extra are available in case of an escalation of the situation.
The absence of U.S. Army air assets is no longer delivering the continuous support of delivering medical supplies because of the two fatal crashes which destroyed both crews. There is a need to ensure that the Points of Distribution (PODs) receive the destroyed replacements to continue serving the 20,000 people daily in the BIAP area of operations. Because there is minimal violence, MEDDRUN can fill the gap and provide the required medical supplies. Security is also vital to ensure that the delivered supplies are safe from violence and looting. Security will ensure that medical supplies are protected and serve the right purpose. It will be achieved by providing an accurate accounting of the supplies.
There is also a need to prioritize information system resourcing. Information systems include mobile communications, logistics, and operational situational awareness capabilities to ensure proper understanding of the medical supply needs on the ground by MEDDRUM. Adequate information consists of the current situation and possible developments, weather conditions, and threats that might hinder air transportation. It will allow MEDDRUM to understand the required quantity and type of supplies needed. Further, because of the lost crew, there is a need to train more teams to ensure a continuous supply of medicine and other equipment to the forces (Rodriguez, 2007). Having adequate crew specially trained for medical logistics in the tactical area ensures correct and timely supplies.
- How can you ensure the ability to replace the lost capacity to move nearly 150 tons of medical supplies daily into BIAP?
The capacity to replace the lost ability to move nearly 150 tons of medical supplies daily can be increased through collaboration with government agencies and private responders to conflict. Different organizations have different capacities, and some have specialized ability to deliver massive medical supplies in highly vulnerable locations: strategic planning, preparedness, and increased communication between stakeholders. Having many stakeholders in disaster logistics increases resources and personnel to ensure continuous medical supplies.
The U.S military should collaborate and coordinate with local healthcare systems to increase the capacity to deliver supplies. The local healthcare facilities have adequate resources to provide medical supplies when air transportation cannot deliver to the point of distribution (RAND, 2005). Nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross and other government agencies can ensure continuous medical supplies through air transportation. When one organization is affected, the others provide the resources to deliver timely supplies to the affected areas. Medical logistics’ success depends on partnerships that can be achieved only by cross-leveling existing resources to increase the capability to integrate logistics solutions in austere scenarios (Rodriguez, 2007). The availability of many stakeholders increases complexity; thus, it requires a coordinated command. Coordinated logistics require established standards to provide timely and accurate medical supplies.
Disaster logistics require an understanding that disasters are uncertain and complex. This necessitates the need for effective planning in consideration of possible events that can alter logistics. Uncertainties can terminate air logistics operations, causing the suffering of the affected communities and change the military’s operations in disaster relief. Thus, there is a need for the military to have a contingency plan to ensure that medical supplies reach the point of distribution and, eventually, the affected community.
- Given your new timeline, what is your plan for handing off your battle-plan to your replacement?
The plan for handing off my battle-plan to my replacement begins after a month of taking my position. At this time, I will have ensured that half of the remaining 10% needed supplies have been delivered. The most vital aspect of handing over to the next person is to provide adequate information regarding the project. Providing sufficient information will ensure the continuous flow of medical supplies to meet all the needs. It also eliminates the risk of errors because the next person gains an understanding of the process. Information transfer requires one week, then it is followed by transmission of documents. After handing off all the documents, a meeting will take place for official transition and project handoff.
References
Jackson County Medical Control Authority. (2017). Michigan Special Operations CHEMPACK/MEDDRUN. Retrieved from https://www.acidremap.com/sites/files/430/142/10-4-chempackmeddrun.pdf
RAND. (2005). Sustainment of Army Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Major Findings and Recommendations. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG342.pdf
Rodriguez, E. H. (2007). Improving Class VIII Management at Brigade Level. Retrieved from https://alu.army.mil/alog/issues/novdec07/imprv_class8_mgnt.html