Mobility Planner/Shift Leader Deployment Info

[Newb]

Starting a new topic because I couldn’t find any relevant information.

Does anyone have gouge on what a deployed mobility planner/shift leader will do in Kuwait? Will I work within an Army unit? It’s a 6-monther for a 11M.

How will this impact my career as an MWS IP? 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Newb

[jazzdude]

Starting a new topic because I couldn’t find any relevant information.
Does anyone have gouge on what a deployed logistics planner/shift leader will do in Kuwait? Will I work within an Army unit? It’s a 6-monther for a 11M.
How will this impact my career as an MWS IP? 

Did that job 2 years ago. You'll be a JOPESter validating requirements and have a few people you supervise on shift, and also help with other logistics related tasks, like working with the different TF mobility shops in planning. You'll be working for CENTCOM CCJ4, but a lot of time will be spent interacting with the Army, and living on an army base, though you'll be in a joint unit.

O-4s/O-5s (and O-4 selects) get a roommate, though when I was there they let FGOs have single rooms if they were available. O-3s live in bays, though when I was there the unit had a handful of rooms for the night shift where CGOs were 2 to a room as well.

8 hour shifts, 1 full day off and a half day off per week. Chow halls are good, plenty of restaurant options.

We had people get forward deployed as well to work specific logistics problems, such as dips.

It was interesting to see logistics from the other side, especially since I had done an AMD deployment as well.

Can't say there necessarily a career benefit, but you'll get a joint medal out of it.

[Newb]

Thanks for the info, that was really helpful.

Do you have an opinion why a rated officer needs to fill the billet?

Edited July 26, 2021 by Newb

[jazzdude]

So to do the "normal" job of JOPEStering, you can have enlisted do that (and you'll see that about half the people doing JOPES are enlisted there). Initially, that would take about 3/4 of my shift, though after a few weeks, as a shift lead, you'll probably spend less than half your shift doing JOPES.

The other piece is doing action officer stuff, and it helps to have a rated person to beat back some of the crazy and ridiculous ideas the army comes up with in initial planning. Plus, part of the validation process is reviewing notional load plans, so helps to have someone in the office that can provide context to load plans.

I also worked on initial planning into new airfields, so familiarity with giant reports, planned ground time, etc helps put together a better plan before it goes down to AMD for scheduling. Didn't replace what the tactics shops had to do, but more of a first pass "here's where your friction points are going to be" (including things like ground support, aerial port capacities, customs, dips, etc). Yeah, the AMLOs attached to the army units should be doing that stuff, but, well, some are better than others.

Most of the other officers will be loggies, but they also have to get spun up on JOPES since that is also not their normal job.

ETA: Overall it's not a bad gig if you have to deploy to a non flying deployment.