Date of Award

3-14-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Jeffery D. Weir, PhD

Abstract

Gathering insight into the theater distribution process can be a complex task, especially when estimating potential beddown solutions. Coming up with a low cost feasible mixture of cargo vehicles that will support distribution of military personnel and goods within theater is currently a high priority for force flow analysts at USTRANSCOM. In the past, analysts used a trial and error simulation process that was iterative and time consuming. Recent research has produced the Improved Theater Distribution Model (ITDM), which presents a less time consuming, more precise method to estimate beddown allocations. Improving on this research, two linear programming methods were developed and added to the ITDM that reduce baseline beddown approximations. Because daily usage cost and initial beddown cost was included, this ultimately presented a lower cost feasible solution when modeling theater distribution. The improved beddown solutions generated from post-processing results of the ITDM can be used as baselines for further distribution analysis. Within the construct of the model, precise set notation is carried over from the Improved Theater Distribution Model and slightly altered to reduce the generation of unnecessary variables and constraints with large-scale problems.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-14-M-34

DTIC Accession Number

ADA610193

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