Field Manual FM 4-30 Ordnance Operations April 2014

Book excerpt: This publication, Field Manual FM 4-30 Ordnance Operations April 2014, provides fundamental guidance for the employment of United States Army ordnance maintenance operations, munitions operations and explosive ordnance disposal operations in support of unified land operations and warfighting functions. Unified land operations are how the Army seizes, retains, and exploits the initiative to gain and maintain a position or relative advantage in sustained land operations through simultaneous offensive, defensive, and stability operations in order to prevent or deter conflict, prevail in war, and create the conditions for favorable conflict resolution (ADRP 3-0). The principal audience for FM 4-30 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as a joint task force (JTF) or a multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations as well as joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication. The purpose of the ordnance corps is to support the development, production, acquisition and sustainment of equipment- including weapons systems and munitions- and to provide explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), during peace and war, to provide superior combat power to the United States (U.S.) Army. The ordnance corps has a rich and robust history of supporting the force dating back from the American Revolution to present day. The future of our nation and Army will continue to be engaged in an era of "persistent conflict" a period of protracted confrontation among states, non-state, and individual actors increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their political and ideological ends. The ordnance corps must evolve and remain the indispensable sustainment warfighting function in order for the Army to successfully execute simultaneous and protracted operations. The Army sustainment concept is based on the integration of people, systems, material, health services, and other support that links sustainment to the operations process. Today modularity requires the ordnance corps to anticipate, analyze, and tailor available resources for effective and timely maintenance, munitions, and EOD support. Adaptive planning and increased options for decision makers now necessitate maintenance, munitions, and EOD managers to embrace change, innovation, and flexibility at all levels. The ordnance corps success is measured by how well it supports unified land operations with the elements of maintenance, munitions and EOD support. FM 4-30 contains four chapters: Chapter 1 covers a summative history of the ordnance corps and outlines the core competencies of the ordnance corps and their strategic relevance in sustaining the Army's unified land operations function. Chapter 2 discusses the tactical and operational mission of ordnance munitions operation as a major factor in determining the outcome of offensive, defensive, stability, support, protection and other combat operations. Chapter 3 discusses EOD operations, organizational structure, their command and support relationships and how they support unified land operations. Chapter 4 discusses the two levels of maintenance concept and how maintenance support is provided above and below the brigade level. Chapter 4 also identifies the command and support relationships between the U.S. Army Materiel Command (USAMC) maintenance sustainment organizations and the operational Army in the conduct of unified land operations.