The Importance of in-Transit Visibility on the U.S. Military Logistics

Just as Abraham Maslow presented a hierarchy of human needs from survival to growth, military logistics mirrors this building block approach to satisfying certain basic needs before more advanced facets of military strategy and doctrine can be formulated. The basic survival needs begin with physiological and safety needs. Food, water, shelter, materiel, and security requirements must be met in order to sustain and equip military forces. Next, troops are organized and trained, meeting psychological acceptance and esteem needs. Then, growth needs can be addressed, presenting opportunities to reach individual and group self-actualization. At this time, a military can begin to strategize and reach its full organizational potential. Therefore,


basic needs must be satisfied before cognitive thought and successful vision can be played out on the field of battle.