Sustainment is the provision of logistics, financial management, personnel services, and health service support necessary to maintain operations until successful mission completion (ADP 4-0). In the Infantry rifle platoon, the platoon leader is responsible for planning sustainment; the platoon sergeant and squad leaders have the responsibility to execute the plan. The platoon sergeant is the platoon’s primary sustainment operator and works closely with the company executive officer and first sergeant to ensure the platoon receives the required support for its assigned missions. The company normally forecasts supplies and “pushes” to the platoon rather than having the platoon “pull” them. This chapter describes sustainment in support of the Infantry rifle platoon. It concludes with a discussion of casualty response, specifically the three phases (care under fire, tactical field care, and tactical evacuation care) of tactical combat casualty care (TCCC). (See ATP 3-21.10 for additional information.)
Note. See ATP 3-21.18 for additional information on Soldier load.
Next Page : Section 1 – Sustaining the Platoon