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Timeless insights into military logistics sprang out of the hardship and sacrifices of Canadians who fought in Afghanistan.
Good battlefield logistics have always been more about people than things. Yet military logisticians in the Canadian Armed Forces have suffered in the cellar — the underappreciated bottom of the institution — for decades. These soldiers were called upon mightily in the summer of 2006 to sustain an infantry battlegroup in one of the world’s harshest theatres. Afghanistan was a pyre of quiet desperation for the soldiers of the Canadian logistics battalion — the National Support Element — who sustained Task Force Orion in combat through endless days and overextended lines of communication. This crucible yielded lessons of war that have never been shared before now.
In Our Dry Cellar, John Conrad makes a case for strengthening the logistics underpinnings of the Canadian Armed Forces, unlocks sustainment secrets of the small but gritty Canadian Army, and gives human faces to the service and sacrifice of the revered art of battlefield logistics.
Good battlefield logistics have always been more about people than things. Yet military logisticians in the Canadian Armed Forces have suffered in the cellar — the underappreciated bottom of the institution — for decades. These soldiers were called upon mightily in the summer of 2006 to sustain an infantry battlegroup in one of the world’s harshest theatres. Afghanistan was a pyre of quiet desperation for the soldiers of the Canadian logistics battalion — the National Support Element — who sustained Task Force Orion in combat through endless days and overextended lines of communication. This crucible yielded lessons of war that have never been shared before now.
In Our Dry Cellar, John Conrad makes a case for strengthening the logistics underpinnings of the Canadian Armed Forces, unlocks sustainment secrets of the small but gritty Canadian Army, and gives human faces to the service and sacrifice of the revered art of battlefield logistics.
Price: $22.99
Pages: 256
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Imprint: Dundurn Press
Publication Date:
December 1, 2026
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781459757189
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
HISTORY / Military / Canada, Military and defence strategy, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / Afghan War (2001-2021), POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Military Policy, HISTORY / Military / Strategy, HISTORY / Modern / 21st Century, Military forces and sectors
Logistics matter. Col (Ret'd) John Conrad led the National Support Element during the heaviest fighting in Kandahar in 2006. His well-written analysis of his experiences from the Afghan War argues that the Army must pay much more attention to logistics in both the Regular and Reserve forces. Most important, he demonstrates why logisticians must be fighters first, technicians second, as his troops became. Only then will they be able to operate effectively on future battlefields. A genuinely important book for our planners to study.
As the maxim goes, amateurs focus on strategy or tactics, professionals focus on logistics. Military history usually is weighted towards battle and kinetic activity. John Conrad details in this important work expert fashion why logistics is critical to military success. I would encourage everyone who is interested in military affairs and specifically in our operations in Afghanistan to read this important book.
Our Dry Cellar is a powerful book that could only be written by John Conrad. At once a personal memoir of a soldier/scholar and his time in command of the National Support Element supporting Task Force Orion in Afghanistan in the first half of 2006, it is also a reflection on action that captures important lessons for any contemporary logistician seeking to support combat operations with extended lines of communication. It serves as a rallying call to modernize combat logistics within the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Canadian Army in particular ... Relevant and timeless lessons abound in each chapter, offering powerful insights into both the conduct of field logistics, and the exercise of command at multiple levels. This is a solid contribution to our collective understanding of logistics in war and a worthy addition to Canadian military historiography.
As the maxim goes, amateurs focus on strategy or tactics, professionals focus on logistics. Military history usually is weighted towards battle and kinetic activity. John Conrad details in this important work expert fashion why logistics is critical to military success. I would encourage everyone who is interested in military affairs and specifically in our operations in Afghanistan to read this important book.
Our Dry Cellar is a powerful book that could only be written by John Conrad. At once a personal memoir of a soldier/scholar and his time in command of the National Support Element supporting Task Force Orion in Afghanistan in the first half of 2006, it is also a reflection on action that captures important lessons for any contemporary logistician seeking to support combat operations with extended lines of communication. It serves as a rallying call to modernize combat logistics within the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Canadian Army in particular ... Relevant and timeless lessons abound in each chapter, offering powerful insights into both the conduct of field logistics, and the exercise of command at multiple levels. This is a solid contribution to our collective understanding of logistics in war and a worthy addition to Canadian military historiography.
"What about logistics?", is a key question asked by every commander, especially those about to go into action. Sadly, it is a topic not well covered in the general literature. This makes John Conrad's book essential reading. It provides a uniquely Canadian perspective on the issue, written by an experienced combat veteran who knows what he’s talking about. Though centred on his experiences in Afghanistan, Conrad's narrative ranges far and wide, from the world wars, through Korea, peacekeeping missions, and the impact of Unification to provide needed context on the state of Canadian army logistics in the 21st century. Highly recommended.
John Conrad is a retired Canadian army officer with over three decades in uniform. He is the author of What the Thunder Said and the critically acclaimed Among the Walking Wounded. He presently works as a senior executive in the Alberta government and lives in Hastings Lake.
- Foreword
- Introduction: Notes from a Dry Cellar
- Part I The Least You Should Know About Logistics
- 1 Soldiering and the Logistician
- 2 Faces from the Front: Moments of Value
- 3 Homage to the Unremarkable: Interpreting Ground
- Part II The Heart of the Cellar
- 4 Daze of Supply: The Tyranny of Time
- 5 Scar Tissue: The Ebbs and Flows of Battlefield Damage
- 6 You Have What You Have: The Power of Retro
- 7 Material Confidence: Moral Value in a Stockpile
- Part III Underused Tools
- 8 Contracting in War: A Brushstroke on the Canvas
- 9 Ordinary Superstars: The Stranded Army Reserve
- Afterword: Wind Without Rain
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Image Credits
- Index
- About the Author