ATP-5-0-2-1 Staff Reference Guide Volume 1 Download
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Sustainment Planning Factors 07 December 2020 ATP 5-0.2-1 273 THE ARMY MAINTENANCE SYSTEM G-95. The material in this section is derived from ATP 4-33, ATP 3-04.7, AR 750-1, and TC 8-270. G-96. The Army Maintenance System consists of two types: field maintenance and sustainment maintenance. Field maintenance is on system maintenance, repair and return to the user including maintenance actions performed by operators (FM 4-30). It is maintenance performed by the equipment operator, equipment crews, and ordnance corps-trained maintainers. The owning unit or a supporting maintenance unit performs field maintenance using its own tools and test equipment. The unit should retain and repair the item until it is ready to return to service. Maintainers perform field maintenance on all types of unserviceable items of equipment and weapon systems. Repairs include the replacement of an unserviceable line, component, module, or part. However, field maintenance is not limited to remove-and- replace actions. If the operator, crew, or ordnance corps-trained maintainers are authorized and possess the required skills, tools, repair parts, references, and time, then the item should remain onsite and not be evacuated for sustainment maintenance. This is especially relevant to BCTs. The expertise to fix major weapon systems—Abrams, Bradley, Paladin, and Stryker vehicles—resides only in the FSC. No maintenance units are equipped or staffed to perform field-level maintenance repairs to the weapon systems outside the BCT. The BSB in a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) is one exception, because the FMC includes mechanics that maintain the medical company’s Stryker medical vehicles. G-97. Sustainment maintenance is off-system component repair and/or end item repair and return to the supply system or by exception to the owning unit, performed by national level maintenance providers (FM 4-30). Sustainment maintenance consists of two subcategories: (1) below-depot-level sustainment maintenance and (2) depot-level sustainment maintenance. Units use sustainment maintenance when crew, operators, operators-maintainer, or ordnance corps-trained maintainers lack the required skills and tools or cannot perform proper repairs using field maintenance. Based on the extent of damage to an item and operations and mission variables, leaders decide the best course of action (COA). No absolute checklist exists. Field maintenance is the preferred method of repair. The intent of sustainment-level maintenance is to perform commodity-oriented repairs to return items to a national standard, providing a consistent and measureable level of reliability. The Army sustainment command, its subordinate Army field support brigades, and Army field support battalions execute sustainment maintenance missions. Sustainment maintenance supports both operational forces and the Army supply system. Maintenance Operations G-98. Planners ensure maintenance for offensive operations supports momentum and massing at critical points. Operators, crews, and maintenance personnel maximize momentum by fixing inoperable equipment at the point of malfunction or damage. They enhance momentum by keeping the maximum number of weapon systems operational. Therefore, maintenance and recovery personnel perform their mission as far forward as possible. G-99. Planners ensure maintenance operations include planning to replace lost maintenance capability, using maintenance teams well forward at maintenance collection points, planning to displace often, and emphasizing recovery and retrograde of equipment that requires extended repair time. The FSC's field maintenance platoon takes all required steps to place as many weapon systems as possible in serviceable condition. Operators, crews, and field maintenance teams perform any necessary repairs authorized at their level of repair. Once defensive operations begin, the principles are the same as for offensive operations. Vehicle Recovery G-100. The material in this section is derived from ATP 4-31, ATP 4-33, GTA 01-14-001, and GTA 09-14-002. G-101. Recovery are actions taken to extricate damaged or disabled equipment for return to friendly control or repair at another location (JP 3-34). LSCO increases the need for vehicle recovery commensurate with estimated loss rates. The more prepared a unit is to accomplish recovery, the greater their survivability rates.