In 2006,ESG developed and demonstrated the Sustain the Mission Project (SMP) methodology for calculating and analyzing the fully burdened costs of fuel and water to sustain Army missions in theaters of operation and the training base.The SMP methodology includes the costs of the fuel or water commodity, equipment, personnel, inter and intra-theater transportation, force protection, and other costs related to providing fuel or water to a consuming Army unit.The sponsor of this project was the Army Environmental Policy Institute (AEPI).
In 2008, ESG developed an alpha version of the SMP Decision Support Tool which provided the Army with a user-friendly operational capability to calculate the fully burdened costs of fuel and water based upon ESG’s SMP methodology.The alpha SMP Tool also enabled cost-benefit analysis of investments in alternative energy or water technologies based upon the fully burdened costs of fuel/water and other factors such as reductions in resupply convoys due to investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
In 2009, ESG developed a methodology for calculating casualty factors for fuel and water resupply convoys in theater operations, and demonstrated the methodology based on historical data from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Casualties calculated included Army soldiers and civilians killed or wounded while transporting fuel or drinking water to consuming units and forward operating bases in theater. These factors were incorporated into the alpha SMP Tool.
In 2010, Headquarters, Department of the Army G4 (Logistics) assumed proponency ofSMP and established an initiative to significantly expand the capabilities of the SMP Decision Support Tool (for energy only). In addition, G4 Logistics Innovation Agency (LIA) became the lead office for SMP.This project expands SMP Tool capabilities, distributes the SMP Tool for Army-wide use (in September 2010), and provides training to SMP Tool users. The SMP Tool is currently the only analytic capability in the Army which enables cost-benefit analysis of investments in alternative energy technologies based upon the fully burdened costs of fuel and evaluation of energy efficiency as a key performance parameter.
The SMP methodology has been validated by ODASA-CE (Cost and Economics).It also complies with OSD policy on the fully burdened cost of fuel; and has been uniquely acknowledged for its advances in fully-burdened cost of fuel analysis in the Defense Science Board Report on Energy Strategy and GAO report on mobility.