3-66. Sustainment determines the depth and duration of Army operations. It is essential to retaining and exploiting the initiative and it provides the support necessary to maintain operations until mission accomplishment. Failure to provide sustainment could cause a pause or culmination of an operation resulting in the loss of the initiative. It is essential that sustainment planners and operation planners work closely to synchronize all of the warfighting functions, in particular sustainment, to allow commanders the maximum freedom of action.