Application of Advanced Decision-Analytic Technology to Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force Problems

The primary task of this project was to demonstrate the application of advanced decision-analytic technology to the problems of an operational military staff, in this case the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force RDJTF staff. A secondary task was to determine the usefulness of advanced decision- analytic products to the RDJTF staff, and transfer, if possible, a decision- analytic capability for a specific problem to them. As a result of discussions with RDJTF personnel, Decisions and Designs, Inc. DDI selected a problem that seemed most promising in terms of applying advanced techniques and of providing the RDJTF with a useful product in the near term. This problem concerned the provision of an adequate support architecture in the Persian GulfIndian Ocean area for the deployment of the RDJTF. DDI constructed a hierarchical resource allocation model to demonstrate the feasibility of optimizing the support architecture for deployment forces of different sizes, by making trade-offs within and between base structure, prepositioned materiel, and airliftsealift assets. To avoid classification problems, hypothetical values were assigned to the parameters of the model. However, the base structure sub-model was built in close consultation with members of RDJTF staff, and actual costs and effectiveness estimates were produced. These cost and the effectiveness estimates will greatly facilitate prioritization of support for military construction programs, permit rapid exploration of the usefulness of new proposed base options, and add to understanding whether and how decision- analytic techniques can be transferred to military operational staffs.