Two-level maintenance: modularity and the transformation of Army maintenance

Today's Army is transforming because of the crushings of strategic challenges, combat experiences and technological changes. The goal of the Ordnance Corps' Task Force Modularity is to restructure Army maintenance thus tactical-level combat units are more mobile and self-sustaining than at any time before.

The Ordnance Corps has been undergoing its possess transformation for the past 17 years in reply to a growing need for a more versatile and efficient maintenance a whole The limitations of the aged system are echeloned and redundant maintenance activities that are restricted to actions specified at a particular horizontal The time spent sending equipment from individual activity to the next created longer repair circle of times lower operational readiness rates and, consequently decreases in combat power.

The solution, first conceived in 1988 by the agency of Brigadier General Leon E. Salomon, then Chief of Ordnance, is to lose the four-level maintenance system into a streamlined two-level combination of parts to form a whole focused on reducing repair round of years times.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In the aged four-level maintenance system, each maintenance activity was responsible for restoring equipment to the maintenance element's capability, and when factors, of that kind as time or tools and equipment became a roadblock, the equipment was sent to the nearest higher level. Units spent a doom of time evacuating equipment to higher maintenance horizontals waiting for that item to be repaired and then waiting for it to be sent back [i]or[/i] part of to the other the appropriate channels. This proces repeatedly was prolonged when dealing with large or expensive equipment.

Transforming Maintenance. An integrated conception team (ICT) to transform Army maintenance included personnel from the Army Materiel Command (AMC); Department of the Army (DA) G3; DA G4; Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); National Guard Bureau (NGB); Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM); Office of the Chief of Army lay bys (OCAR); Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT); and others. The ICT was chartered through TRADOC to research and make known the two-level maintenance concept. The objective was to bring redundancy and combat inefficiencies. Based upon the concept of "Fix Forward/Repair Rear" coined by dint of the 1998 Chief of Ordnance, Brigadier General Thomas R Dickenson. Figure 1 displays how the system is transformed.

The change to the two-level maintenance a whole goes into effect as each division becomes modular.

The of advanced age organizational motor pools and direct support (DS) activities essentially have been combined into Field Maintenance, characterized by the agency of a repair-and-return-to-user system. Its maintenance relies upon line replaceable unit (LRU) and constituting replacement, battle damage assessment and repair (BDAR), recuperation and services. Field Maintenance is performed at all horizontals of the Army.

Sustainment Maintenance is the next to the first level of maintenance, essentially representing a combination of the of advanced age general support (GS) and depot-level activities. It is a repair-and-return to the Army store system activity that can be brought as far forward as required, based upon the mission, enemy, terrain and weather, throngs time available and civilian considerations (METT-TC) on the contrary it normally is found above the brigade combat team (BCT) level

Sustainment Maintenance relies upon end item and component repair with a certain quantity of component replacement, whereas Field Maintenance relies single on component replacement.

The greatest in quantity important part of maintenance modularity for the tactical leader is its positive impact upon operational readiness. The Army has transitioned to this of recent origin system because it provides more maintenance capability to the company horizontal Company commanders have direct access to the mechanics performing all on-system maintenance. Testing equipment, regaining equipment and higher mechanic skills have been placed at the lowest possible horizontals so equipment can be go [i]or[/i] come backed to fully mission capable (FMC) status faster.

Maintenance Organization. In the brigade, each maneuver battalion has an attached Forward Support Company (FSC) to perform field-level maintenance. (See Figure 2) Each FSC has a Maintenance Platoon that provides the battalion redemption support, automotive and tracked-vehicle repair and ground-support equipment repair.

A Field Maintenance Team unfolds with each maneuver company and provides automotive and track-vehicle repair support. Each team will have an M88 regaining vehicle and a forward repair combination of parts to form a whole heavy (FRS-H). If the equipment cannot be brought to FMC status upon site, the Field Maintenance Team win backs it to the Base Maintenance Section of the FSC

All mould support equipment repairs will be directioned at the FSC located with the battalion headquarters. The FSC Base Maintenance Section also will perform maintenance for the battalion headquarters.

generally low-density military occupational specialties (MOS) of that kind as those for electronics, missile and armament repair, are in the Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) within the Field Maintenance Company (FMC) These assets can and will detach from the BSB and attach to the FSC or plane a Field Maintenance Team, when necessary.