Optimizing the Ammunition Process

Bridging Tactical Gaps Toward a Data-Centric Army

By CW2 Dennis L. Puccini, Jr., and SSG Devante J. Mckenzie

Article published on: March 10, 2026 in the Winter 2026 edition of the Aviation Digest

Read Time: < 9 mins

Photo credit: Pixabay.com

Introduction

As the Army transitions toward a data-centric model of command and control, ammunition forecasting and accountability remain trapped in legacy systems, manual processes, and fragmented coordination. While strategic efforts, such as the implementation of Enterprise Business System–Convergence (EBS-C)1promise Enterprise-level integration, operational gaps continue to impact sustainers at the brigade level and below. The result is an accountability model failing to meet the operational tempo or digital expectations of the modern force. This article analyzes current shortfalls, evaluates the limitations of upcoming systems, and presents tactical-level solutions that align with the Army Chief of Staff’s modernization priorities, while reinforcing readiness, audit compliance, and mission success.

The Problem: Disconnected Systems and Tactical Consequences

The Army’s current ammunition supply chain and accountability processes suffer from inefficiencies that begin at the lowest levels and cascade upward. At the company and platoon levels, forecasting is often driven by assumption, not data. Training calendars may shift, but those changes rarely propagate into munitions forecasts, resulting in over-ordering, underutilization, and inaccurate returns. Junior leaders lack real-time visibility into what has been requested, what has been approved, and how their forecasts affect higher-level authorizations or availability.

At the battalion and brigade levels, support operation (SPO) sections are the tactical executors of ammunition planning and accountability. They must reconcile requests from subordinate units with allocations, coordinate issue and turn-in with ammunition supply points (ASPs), and report usage accurately. However, the digital infrastructure they currently rely on, primarily Total Ammunition Management Information System (TAMIS) and the Digital Training Management System (DTMS), do not support seamless communication. These systems operate independently, and the lack of integration forces sustainers to manually reconcile data, often across separate spreadsheets and disconnected workflows.

Division and corps-level allocation processes are equally constrained. Their models often lack flexibility and responsiveness, relying on historical usage data that fail to reflect modern training conditions. Allocation decisions are based on forecasts, not actual demand, and real-time visibility across subordinate formations remains limited or entirely absent.

TAMIS, DTMS, and the Accountability Lifecycle

Total Ammunition Management Information System is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Training’s (DCS G-3/5/7) official system for managing ammunition forecasts, allocations, and requests. The system calculates requirements based on standards in weapons training and program of instruction data, manages sub-authorizations, and collects expenditure reports across all commands. However, its practical utility is often hindered by poor alignment with training schedules, limited user training, and its detachment from DTMS.

The Digital Training Management System governs training calendars and exercises, yet it does not automatically adjust ammunition forecasts when training plans change. There is no procedural feedback loop to ensure unused munitions or updated training objectives influence future forecasting. These gaps contradict the intent of Department of the Army (DA) Pamphlet 700-16 (2021b), Ammunition Management, which emphasizes lifecycle accountability, feedback-informed planning, and integration across systems.

Units typically forecast 90 days in advance based on anticipated training, but when changes occur due to weather, mission shifts, or leadership turnover, those forecasts remain static. The result is a breakdown in resourcing that impacts everything from live-fire qualifications to full-scale collective training. Even the ammunition request and turn-in process remain partially manual, with inconsistent tracking, prolonged return timelines, and reconciliation errors that affect audit readiness.

A U.S. Army Pacific Command Soldier observes munitions being loaded onto a military vehicle near an ammunition supply activity in the Philippines. U.S. Army photo by SFC Joshua Brandenburg.

The Promise and Limits of EBS-C

The Army’s next-generation Enterprise Resource Planning solution, EBS-C, is intended to resolve many of these issues. With its cloud-native, open-architecture design, EBS-C will replace legacy systems and offer Enterprise-level visibility into ammunition (Class V) movement and accountability. It supports full-spectrum logistics planning, enabling commanders to assess ammunition posture in real time and adjusts based on operational need. Its early fielding success, such as the rapid deployment of the first ammunition management module, demonstrates agility and commitment to transformation (Christ, 2025).

However, we anticipate that several key limitations will persist, even as EBS-C comes online. One major concern is that petroleum, oils, and lubricants (Class III) and Class V operations will still depend on partial integration with legacy systems or external platforms. Total Ammunition Management Information System and Standard Army Ammunition System Modernization (SAAS-MOD) will continue to play a role, but their full interoperability with EBS-C remains unresolved. This introduces audit and readiness risk, especially when information must be manually reconciled across systems.

Another limitation we anticipate is EBS-C’s dependence on stable non-secure internet protocol router (NIPR) connectivity. Its cloud-based infrastructure assumes consistent access, which is simply not a reality at the tactical edge. Field units, particularly those in forward support companies, aviation maintenance units, and brigade support battalions operating in austere or disconnected environments, cannot rely on EBS-C unless it incorporates robust offline functionality. The absence of a sync-later feature or tactical buffer for data capture renders the system ineffective in environments where it is needed most. This limitation directly undermines the Army’s ability to sustain lethality in multidomain operations.

The human factor will compound these issues. Soldiers responsible for forecasting, requesting, and reconciling ammunition—including those in 92Y, 92A, 89B, 92F, and 88M military occupational specialties (MOSs)—are not yet trained on the nuances of the new system. Brigade-level SPOs will also shoulder the burden of adapting planning, reporting, and coordinating tools without losing operational tempo. Without a deliberate training and force adaptation plan, the Army risks losing continuity and compliance during the transition.

The EBS-C process. Image provided by the author.

Tactical Solutions to Bridge the Gap

Until EBS-C is fully implemented, brigade-and battalion-level leaders must adopt adaptive solutions that reconcile current system limitations with the operational demands of a modern, fast-paced force. One critical area requiring immediate attention is the coordination between TAMIS and the handling of signed issue documentation. Currently, when delinquent documents are flagged, the brigade ammunition team lacks visibility into the quantities of missing items. The only available reference is the document number in TAMIS, which necessitates manual research to determine what was issued to the unit. Once potential shortages are identified, the team must engage both the unit and the ASP to confirm discrepancies and collect all signed pickup and turn-in documentation, none of which are stored within TAMIS.

There is no centralized system at the brigade level to archive signed issue and turn-in documentation unless the unit or ASP proactively emails the records. The ASP uses SAAS-MOD to record real-time transaction history, but this system is restricted to ASP personnel and supports only retail-level ammunition operations. This lack of visibility creates significant challenges for oversight of both training and operational load ammunition. The SPO ammunition team requires a system capable of providing real-time updates on signed documentation, live and residue turn-ins, appointment scheduling, and memorandum agreements for training extensions. Total Ammunition Management Information System currently offers limited real-time data to brigade-level approvers, such as issued quantities and document reconciliation status. However, this information is often unreliable and subject to change without notification, resulting in wasted time and operational inefficiencies.

For example, a unit may submit an electronic DA Form 581, Request for Issue and Turn-In of Ammunition (2021a), with a scheduled pickup date in TAMIS but later reschedule directly with the ASP. Total Ammunition Management Information System remains unchanged, and only battalion and company-level personnel are aware of the update. Similarly, if a unit extends its training period and submits an approved extension memo to the ASP, TAMIS continues to reflect the original required delivery date, creating discrepancies in planning and accountability.

These gaps become especially problematic during Army Regulation 15-6 (Procedures for Preliminary Inquiries, Administrative Investigations, and Boards of Officers) investigations into missing ammunition, such as cartridge-actuated devices and propellant-actuated devices, which often remain installed on aircraft for extended periods (DA, 2025). By the time a loss is identified, documentation may be missing or inaccessible, and the ASP typically does not retain these records. A system that enables real-time uploading and access to signed documentation at the brigade level would significantly enhance accountability and streamline investigative processes.

To mitigate these challenges, the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade (1AD CAB) has instituted recurring coordination meetings between the SPO and brigade S3 operations staff. These engagements ensure alignment between training schedules and ammunition forecasts, reducing mismatches contributing to waste and readiness degradation. The 1AD CAB has also integrated a Microsoft Power BI (Business Intelligence) dashboard to track real-time usage, authorization, and forecast data across subordinate units. These tools do not require Enterprise integration but can dramatically improve transparency and responsiveness at the brigade level.

Soldiers assigned to the 53D Brigade Support Battalion prepare to unload ammunition at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. U.S. Army photo by SFC Shane Klestinski.

In the absence of EBS-C’s offline functionality, units should develop tactical standard operating procedures for disconnected ammunition tracking. These can include digital or analog tracking methods, barcode logs, or mobile forms that reconcile once NIPR access is restored. These workarounds are not ideal, but they are essential to maintain audit integrity and Class V continuity until the final solution is delivered.

Finally, training must begin now. Leaders should leverage existing training environments, simulations, and sustainment forums to familiarize Soldiers with EBS-C concepts, workflows, and vocabulary. This proactive approach will prevent future friction and ensure a smoother transition when the system becomes mandatory.

Conclusion

Optimizing the Army’s training ammunition process is a readiness imperative. Although EBS-C offers a path toward full integration, the reality is that tactical-level leaders will carry the responsibility of bridging the accountability gap until full convergence is achieved. Support operations sections at the brigade level are the linchpin of Class V success. Their ability to adapt, coordinate, and modernize under imperfect conditions will determine whether modernization is a theory or a capability.

As the Army prepares for future combat environments and adopts data-centric warfare as its north star, the ammunition forecasting process cannot be left behind. The solution is not simply software, it is also leadership, initiative, and trust in the tactical sustainers who already keep the fight resourced, one round at a time.

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