Supply Base

(military), the totality of units and agencies whose purpose is to receive, store, and issue matériel for the support of a particular grouping of forces. A supply base may be stationary or mobile. Depending upon its purpose, it may be located deep within a country or in the immediate area of combat action. The basic components of a supply base are located in a dispersed manner and equipped with facilities built by the engineering corps; for example, underground or semiunderground installations and storage rooms are built, shelters for personnel and equipment are constructed, camouflage is organized, rail and highway connecting routes are set up, landing areas for helicopters are prepared, and pipes are laid for transporting and dispensing fuel. In order to ship supplies in or out by transport plane, nearby airports are used; the location of airports is usually taken into account in the disposition of supply bases.