text: Chapter 5
  Sustainment
  Sustainment is the provision of logistics, financial management, personnel services,
  and health service support necessary to maintain operations until successful mission
  completion. (ADP 4-0). Sustainment provides freedom of action, extends operational reach,
  and prolongs endurance to unified land operations. It is essential to retaining and exploiting
  the initiative. Sustainment provides the support necessary to maintain operations until
  mission accomplishment. MEB commanders use their assets to maintain the
  momentum of operations and enhance the capabilities of their forces. This chapter
  discusses sustainment of the MEB.
  PLANNING
  5-1. The sustainment warfighting function is defined as the related tasks and systems that provide support
  and services to ensure freedom of action, extend operational reach, and prolong endurance (see ADP 3-0).
  Sustainment encompasses the elements of logistics, personnel services, financial management, and HSS
  required for mission accomplishment. Logistics is planning and executing the movement and support of
  forces. The elements of logistics include maintenance, transportation, supply, field services, distribution,
  operational contract support, and general engineering. The Army HSS is support and services performed,
  provided, and arranged by the Army Medicine to promote, improve, conserve, or restore the behavioral and
  physical well-being of personnel by providing direct patient care that includes medical treatment (organic
  and area support) and hospitalization, medical evacuation (to include medical regulating), and medical
  logistics (to include blood management). Personnel services include human resources (HR) support, legal
  support, religious support, and band support. Financial management encompasses finance operations and
  resource management.
  5-2. This chapter discusses how the MEB sustains itself. The MEB is a unique organization that can expand
  to employ a wide range of capabilities, each with their own sustainment needs. Operational planners must
  ensure that MEB sustainment planning is conducted as early as possible and continue to monitor as the
  mission changes to effectively sustain the MEB throughout the operation. Because the MEB no longer has a
  BSB, the MEB S-4 must work with the higher echelon headquarters and the sustainment command
  headquarters to conduct METT-TC analysis to ensure that the MEB has the required sustainment support to
  ensure mission success.
  5-3. The MEB staff synchronizes operations across all six warfighting functions to generate and maintain
  combat power. It plans tactical logistics. The MEB S-4, S-1, brigade surgeon, and chaplain are the principal
  sustainment planners for the MEB. The S-4 is the principal sustainment executer. Logistics synchronization
  for the brigade is done between the primary staff sections and S-4. The MEB commander designates who
  will oversee logistics synchronization for the brigade. The MEB commander may elect to use the deputy
  commanding officers, the XO, or the brigade S-4 to oversee logistics synchronization for the brigade. The
  MEB obtains the logistics preparation of the theater information and products from the supporting
  sustainment brigade and the higher echelon headquarters concept of operations and integrates this with their
  IPB. The S-4 and S-1 maintain a continuous sustainment estimate during all operations. They use the logistics
  estimate to determine sustainment capabilities, anticipate support requirements, identify and resolve
  shortfalls, and develop support plans. They integrate into all planning what is needed to develop and
  synchronize sustainment with maneuver and fire plans. Sustainment commanders and planners must
  thoroughly understand the mission, tactical plans, and the MEB commander’s intent.