One of the critical factors when we were planing the PRT in 05 was the airflow. This was before we had strat lift. We planed in detail what was in each triwall, when it was to go into the flow, and how it would be received. Great. We rented the ILs and got underway.
Except.....we didn't factor in a few things.
It was July and the runway was still messed up from previously inflicted damage, so was a patch work. When the ILs landed they ripped up the runway patches, which resulted in a closed runway. This limited the resupply for the whole base. This of course caused some tension, and when one IL came in with out cash for gas, they were turned away from KAF and rerouted to Kabul.
Great now we were missing critical kit, and the airflow is stacked with the rest.
This is when I (I was acting J3), received a call from the acting J3 in Kabul. He had ten minutes to pick two pallets he could send on a herc, but he couldn't break the pallets, and that was all he could send until the airflow cleared.
Of course my IA was to contact the Sqn Comd who was conducting the activation. I told him the situation, he slowly pulled together his team and started to look at the load to prioritize. Good, I go back and report to Kabul, 'we are on it', mind it had already been 15min, lol.
At the thirty min mark I get a call, give me your answer, so I march over to the Sqn for an answer, only to be told this is our issues and we will give the answer when we are ready (i was a green capt, and the Sqn comd was a major).
Ok then, when I got the call from Kabul 5 min later to say now or never, I made a decision.
We had been using US comms to communicate to Canada and to Kubal. My decision was to get thin pipe Canadian comms established, so I told Kabul what I needed. It invariably, meant a bunch of low pri crap came too. I accepted that as part of the problem set.
Next morning, I receive a detailed list from the Sqn, by triwall (not by pallet), the priority of when the kit is needed. 8hrs too late. And of course for the rest of the tour all the Sqn did was whine about the fucked up air flow. lol.
Moral of the story, having a prefect plan too late is useless. You have to decide with the information at hand, in the time you have and try not to miss factors.
This decision cost me, heavily career wise (maj vs capt, rock paper, rank), but knowing everything I do now, if i could do it again, is I would make the same decision, only I would have made it sooner.