Supply Corps
Encyclopedia
A Supply Corps is a branch of a country's military which is in charge of logistics
and supply
procurement to the armed forces. The term is also used by private corporation
s but on a much rarer basis.
In the United States armed forces
, each branch of service has its own supply corps. The United States Army
refers to the organization as the Quartermaster Corps
while the U.S. Navy
operates a group known as the Navy Supply Corps.
In most militaries, the Supply Corps are considered staff officers meaning that they have no command authority over troops in the field or ships at sea. In the modern age, however, some logistics commands (such as Commander Naval Logistics Forces Korea
) have such a forward deployed manpower base that they are considered equal to front line combat units.
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
and supply
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
procurement to the armed forces. The term is also used by private corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s but on a much rarer basis.
In the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, each branch of service has its own supply corps. The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
refers to the organization as the Quartermaster Corps
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
while the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
operates a group known as the Navy Supply Corps.
In most militaries, the Supply Corps are considered staff officers meaning that they have no command authority over troops in the field or ships at sea. In the modern age, however, some logistics commands (such as Commander Naval Logistics Forces Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
) have such a forward deployed manpower base that they are considered equal to front line combat units.