FA 90: an update on the multifunctional logistician program: recent developments in functional area 90 mirror the increasing importance of multifunctional logistics in officers' careers

Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Terry E. Juskowiak, Robert L. Shumar

The Army of tomorrow relies on the Army of today to accept the challenge and responsibility for the development of leaders for the future.

--General Carl E. Vuono

Chief of Staff of the Army, 1987-1991

The Army is undergoing its most comprehensive transformation since the early years of World War II. As a result of the changing battlefield and threat, the majority of the logistics units we are now fielding are multifunctional. Junior logistics officers are being exposed to multifunctional logistics experiences earlier in their careers, often in combat. Our logistics units require smart, competent, and confident leaders who have the training and experience to operate successfully, and not only as part of an Army team but also as part of a joint or multinational force. We owe our Army and our Nation nothing less.

Our multifunctional logistics program has come a long way since its inception in 1992. The proponent for functional area (FA) 90, Multifunctional Logistics, is the Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) at Fort Lee, Virginia. CASCOM, working with the combat service support (CSS) branch proponents and the CSS Division at the Army Human Resources Command (HRC), has undertaken several initiatives to address the reality of the predominantly multifunctional environment in which our logistics leaders are required to operate. These initiatives will ensure the relevance and readiness of our logistics officer corps during this period of dynamic change and into the future and will strengthen the FA 90 career field.

This article addresses some of the current major initiatives that impact all logistics officers who aspire to become the prime movers in our profession: competent and confident multifunctional logisticians.

DA Pamphlet 600-3

Department of the Army Pamphlet (DA Pam) 600-3, Commissioned Officer Development and Career Management, is the Army officer's primary career guide. This pamphlet is used by HRC career managers, Department of the Army selection boards, personnel system staff officers, and officers in the field to make critical career decisions that impact individual officers and the Army as a whole. Since the last major update to the pamphlet in 1998, much has changed in the Army, especially in organization and business practices. A newly updated chapter on FA 90 (chapter 29) acknowledges the expanding role of multifunctional logistics and reflects an ongoing process of maturing that began when FA 90 was established in 1992.

The updated chapter on FA 90 clearly details the training and jobs required to become fully qualified as a multifunctional logistician. Much of the haze that obscured what was needed to be qualified as a multifunctional, as opposed to a functional, logistician has been cleared. Here are some of the more significant changes--

* Service in a logistics position outside of the officer's basic branch is recognized as a multifunctional experience, and that service is credited accordingly.

* A specific list identifies FA 90 qualifying positions at the major and lieutenant colonel grade levels.

* A new policy allows an HRC panel to evaluate retention of the FA 90 designation by lieutenant colonels who have not participated in the FA 90 career path.

This last initiative ensures that only experienced, competent, qualified logisticians fill our multifunctional command positions, G-4 slots, and other critical Army and joint logistics staff officer billets. The first HRC panel met this year and reviewed the files of 208 Ordnance, Quartermaster, Transportation, and Medical Service Corps and Aviation Logistics officers from the fiscal year 2004 lieutenant colonel selection list. The panel certified 149 officers in FA 90 (71.6 percent) and decertified 59 (28.4 percent).

The message is clear: If you want to be a board-validated FA 90 officer, you must meet specified minimum qualifications. Gone are the days when you could carry the FA 90 certification without having served in FA 90 by the time you reached major (P) [promotable].

Command Realignment

Part of an ongoing assessment of logistics units and their functions was a review of current commands on the lieutenant colonel-level command selection list (CSL) to see if those commands were in the appropriate category. This is part of a continual effort to keep our logistics branches in step with Army Transformation and with evolving missions and functions across the force. As a result of this assessment, several functional logistics commands were moved to the multifunctional command categories. Two new multifunctional command categories, 6SM (materiel management) and 6ST (Surface Deployment and Distribution Command), also were created at the lieutenant colonel command-level. (See the chart above). The result is that there are now 104 commands in the multifunctional logistics command category. Of these, 75 are multifunctional tactical (6S). Only multifunctional logisticians can compete in categories 6S and 6SM. The 6ST category is open only to officers in FA 90 and branch code 88, Transportation Corps. (See the chart on page 4 for details.)