MCWP 4-11 - United States Marine Corps...MCWP 4-11.4 sets forth essentials of the Marine Corps’ equipment maintenance sys-tem from the perspective of the unit commander. It provides

MCWP 4-11.4

Maintenance Operations

U.S. Marine Corps

PCN 143 000017 00

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVYHeadquarters United States Marine Corps

Washington, DC 20380-1775

24 April 1998

FOREWORD

1. PURPOSE

Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP) 4-11.4, Maintenance Operations, pro-vides the commander with the basic information on the Marine Corps’ maintenancesystem and how the system is employed to maintain a unit’s equipment in a combat-ready condition.

2. SCOPE

MCWP 4-11.4 sets forth essentials of the Marine Corps’ equipment maintenance sys-tem from the perspective of the unit commander. It provides a practical approach tounderstanding maintenance management of ground equipment that can be appliedwithout any significant technical background. Maintenance policies and proceduresfor aircraft and other Navy-procured equipment are outlined in OPNAVINST4790.2, The Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP).

3. SUPERSESSION

FMFRP 4-15, Commander’s Guide to Maintenance, 4 September 1990.

Reviewed and approved this date.

BY DIRECTION OF THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS

J. E. RHODESLieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commanding GeneralMarine Corps Combat Development Command

DISTRIBUTION: 143 000017 00

To Our Readers

Changes: Readers of this publication are encouraged to submitsuggestions and changes that will improve it. Recommendationsmay be sent directly to Commanding General, Doctrine Division (C42), Marine Corps Combat Development Command, 3300 RussellRoad, Suite 318A, Quantico, VA 22134-5021 or by fax to703-784-2917 (DSN 278-2917) or by E-mail to smb@doctrinediv@mccdc. Recommendations should include the following in-formation: Location of change

Publication number and titleCurrent page numberParagraph number (if applicable)Line numberFigure or table number (if applicable)

Nature of changeAdd, deleteProposed new text, preferably double-spaced and typewritten

Justification and/or source of change

Additional copies: A printed copy of this publication may beobtained from Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, GA31704-5001, by following the instructions in MCBul 5600, MarineCorps Doctrinal Publications Status. An electronic copy may beobtained from the Doctrine Division, MCCDC, world wide webhome page which is found at the following universal referencelocator: http://ismo-www1.quantico.usmc.mil/docdiv.

Unless otherwise stated, whenever the masculine or feminine gender is used, both men and women are included.

Page

Chapter 1. Maintenance Overview

1001 Maintenance Definition 1-11002 Maintenance Subfunctions 1-11003 Categories of Maintenance 1-31004 Class VIII (Medical/Dental) Maintenance 1-5

Chapter 2. Maintenance Management

2001 Command 2-12002 Resources 2-22003 Production 2-62004 Information 2-11

Chapter 3. Maintenance-Related Programs

3001 Secondary Reparable Program 3-13002 Replacement and Evacuation Program 3-13003 Recoverable Item Program 3-23004 Corrosion Prevention and Control Program 3-23005 Joint Oil Analysis Program 3-3

Chapter 4. Maintenance Organizations

4001 Types of MAGTF Combat Service Support Elements 4-14002 Combat Service Support Installations 4-24003 Permanent Organizations 4-34004 Mobile Maintenance Teams 4-54005 Central Maintenance Shops 4-5

Chapter 5. Maintenance Planning

5001 Supported Unit Responsibilities 5-15002 Supporting Unit Combat Service Support Responsibilities 5-25003 Combat Service Support Planning References 5-25004 Personnel Considerations 5-35005 Maintenance Tools Considerations 5-35006 Safety Considerations 5-35007 Maintenance and Supply Interface 5-4

Maintenance Operations

Table of Contents

iii

Chapter 6. Maintenance Execution

6001 Ground Maintenance Control and Execution Options 6-16002 Maintenance Afloat 6-16003 Maintenance in Maritime Prepositioning Force Operations 6-36004 Maintenance Concepts 6-36005 Maintenance Support in Combat 6-56006 Maintenance Support in the Offense 6-66007 Maintenance Support in the Defense 6-76008 Combat Recovery, Evacuation, and Repair Cycle 6-8

Appendices

A Maintenance Shop Organization A-1B Marine Corps Integrated Maintenance Management System and

the Field Maintenance Subsystem B-1C Maintenance Directives, Technical Manuals, and Stock Lists C-1D Glossary D-1E References and Related Publications E-1

Works Cited

MCWP 4-24

iv

MCDP 4, Logistics, indicates that “the complexityof the tasks involved in supporting a high technol-ogy force also increases as the sophistication of itsweapons and equipment increases.”2 Quite simply,the more advanced the equipment, the harder it isto fix. Couple this with the notion of generatingever-increasing tempo in reduced response timeover greater distances and maintenance becomes asignificant challenge. To meet this challenge andensure combat readiness, commanders must bemaintenance oriented and have a basic under-standing of the Marine Corps’ maintenance sys-tem. The purpose of maintenance is simple anddirect—to keep equipment in service. Accord-ingly, commanders must emphasize maintenanceat every level of command.

1001. Maintenance Definition

Maintenance is one of the six functional areas oflogistics. It consists of—

“1. All action taken to retain materiel in a serv-iceable condition or to restore it to serviceabil-ity. It includes: inspection, testing, servicing,classification as to serviceability, repair, re-building, and reclamation. 2. All supply and re-pair action taken to keep a force in condition tocarry out its mission. 3. The routine recurringwork required to keep a facility (plant, building,structure, ground facility, utility system, orother real property) in such condition that itmay be continuously utilized, at its original ordesigned capacity and efficiency, for its in-tended purpose.”3

Our Service policy (MCO P4790.2, MIMMSField Procedures Manual) also considers effortsto update and upgrade the capability of materielas a maintenance function.

1002. Maintenance Subfunctions

a. Inspection and ClassificationInspection and classification are the first and lasttasks that a user and maintenance activity performon equipment.

Inspection is the checking or testing of an itemagainst established standards. The inspection pro-cess determines maintenance requirements andsatisfactory maintenance performance. It deter-mines if something is wrong with the equipment.All echelons of maintenance include inspections.Inspections are most effective when the inspectoris not the person who performs the maintenance.

Classification is the assignment of an item to amaintenance category based on established proce-dures. The assigned classification determines whorepairs the item and where the repairs are made.

When an item is evacuated to a higher echelon,the higher echelon’s repair organization alsoinspects and classifies equipment for service-ability/failure using tools and techniques unavail-able to the lower echelon. This re-checking by thehigher echelon confirms the results of the lowerechelon’s inspection. The higher echelon also per-forms a final inspection and classification beforereturning the equipment to the lower echelon.This confirms that the appropriate repairs were

Chapter 1

Maintenance Overview

“It is a command responsibility to ensure that assigned materiel is maintained in operating condi-tion to perform designated functions effectively.”1—Marine Corps Manual

completed. The owning unit’s maintenance or-ganization performs the final equipment inspec-tion and classification before placing the itemback in service.

b. Servicing, Adjustment, and TuningServicing, adjustment, and tuning tasks do nothave precise definitions. Servicing may include allrepairs or maintenance, including adjustment andtuning. Tuning is a process of adjusting equipmentto achieve precise functioning. For example, tun-ing often refers to engine adjustments; however,engines are not the only components that need ad-justments. Regardless of precise definitions, theterms have one thing in common: they refer tomaintenance performed on operable equipment,including equipment that the maintenance activityhas just repaired.

c. Testing and CalibrationTesting and calibration are terms that apply to themaintenance of precision instruments. These in-struments may be components of larger items, orthey may be maintenance test equipment. Testingcompares the accuracy of the instrument to an es-tablished standard. Calibration is the adjustmentof precision instruments that have deviated fromtheir standards.

d. RepairRepair is the return of an item to serviceable con-dition through correction of a specific failure orunserviceable condition. The repair cycle startswhen the maintenance activity removes an unserv-iceable part or reparable component. It ends whenthe maintenance activity reinstalls the replacementpart or reparable component and places the equip-ment back in service.

Joint Pub 1-02 defines a reparable item as “anitem that can be reconditioned or economically re-paired for reuse when it becomes unserviceable.”A maintenance activity reconditions or repairs areparable component after its removal and keepsit in stock for reuse when the same type of com-ponent becomes unserviceable on another item of

equipment. These are often referred to as “secon-dary reparables,” “secreps,” or “line replacementunits.” See chapter 3 for more information on sec-ondary reparables.

Two repair techniques are cannibalization and se-lective interchange. Maintenance by cannibaliza-tion or selective interchange is considered to bean exceptional procedure. It is authorized onlywhen an operational commitment is imminent andthe required part or reparable component may notbe available from stock or obtained in time. Main-tenance by cannibalization and selective inter-change is decided case-by-case. It can only beauthorized by the Commandant of the MarineCorps, DC/S Installations and Logistics, LogisticsPlans Policy and Strategic Mobility Division(HQMC code: LP); a major subordinate com-mand commander, and commanders of any unitauthorized third echelon repairs.

(1) Cannibalization. Cannibalization is the re-moval of serviceable parts from an unserviceableitem of equipment and installing it on another un-serviceable item to make it serviceable. Cannibali-zation does not address the replacement of theremoved serviceable repair part/component; how-ever selective interchange does.

(2) Selective Interchange. Selective inter-change is the exchange of selected serviceableparts/components from a deadlined item of equip-ment for unserviceable repair parts/com- ponentsfrom a like item. The maintenance activity is re-quired to immediately reuse or requisition theparts to repair other items of equipment. Selectiveinterchange can decrease the time to repair anitem and return it to the user. Selective inter-change is commonly recognized as a lesser degreeof cannibalization.

e. ModificationModification changes the design or assemblycharacteristics of systems, end items, components,assemblies, subassemblies, or parts. A modifica-tion’s purpose is to improve equipment function-ing, maintainability or reliability (usually issued as

1-2 MCWP 4-24

a normal modification), or its safety characteris-tics (typically seen as urgent modifications).Maintenance activities routinely apply normalmodifications to upgrade otherwise operableequipment. However, in circumstances that re-quire urgent modification, the item may be placedin an administrative deadline status, pending appli-cation, to prevent possible damage or unsafe op-eration. Extensive modifications are referred to asproduct improvements and are managed sepa-rately from modifications. See chapter 2 for addi-tional information.

f. Rebuilding and OverhaulingRebuilding restores items to like new condition.The rebuilt item’s appearance, performance, andcapabilities are the same as originally manufac-tured. Overhauling restores items to a serviceablecondition under maintenance serviceability stan-dards. Rebuilding is a depot maintenance func-tion. Depending on the item, overhauling may beeither a depot or intermediate maintenance func-tion. When rebuilding or overhauling an item, themaintenance activity also performs required mod-ifications that were not previously applied.

g. ReclamationReclamation is action taken to restore con-demned, scrapped, abandoned, or damaged mate-riel, parts, and components. Reclamation actionsinclude repair, refabrication, or renovation. Themaintenance activity returns reclaimed items tothe supply system. Reclamation is a depotfunction.

h. Recovery and EvacuationRecovery is the process of retrieving or freeingimmobile, inoperative, or abandoned materiel. Itincludes returning it to operation or taking it to acollection point for repair, evacuation, or dis-posal. Recovery is the responsibility of the owningunit. Evacuation moves materiel from one combatservice support (CSS) maintenance activity to an-other for repair or disposal. It includes movingequipment between the owning unit’s mainte-nance site and the supporting combat service

support element (CSSE). Evacuation is the re-sponsibility of the combat service supportelement.

1003. Categories of Maintenance

Three categories of maintenance exist within theMarine Corps’ ground equipment maintenancesystem: organizational, intermediate, and depot.Within these three categories are five echelons ofmaintenance. Each category and echelon isauthorized to perform certain maintenance func-tions on certain commodity area items of equip-ment (e.g., communications, ordnance, motortransport). This capability is normally listed in aunit’s table of organization (T/O) mission state-ment. Maintenance units are not restricted to per-forming only one echelon of maintenance. Forexample, a unit may be authorized to perform firstand second echelon maintenance or even third orfourth. To manage maintenance effectively, com-manders must understand their maintenance re-sponsibilities and the maintenance responsibilitiesof those units in support.

a. Organizational MaintenanceThe using unit performs organizational mainte-nance on its assigned equipment. All units withinthe Marine division, force service support group(FSSG), and aircraft wing possess the organiza-tional capabilities to maintain their organic equip-ment. Organizational maintenance focuses on theoperator and crew preventive/corrective measuresrequired by technical publications, equipment fail-ure, and service schedules. Organizational mainte-nance phases normally consist of inspecting,servicing, lubricating, adjusting, and replacingparts, minor assemblies, and subassemblies. Or-ganizational maintenance includes first and secondechelon maintenance responsibilities.

First echelon maintenance is performed by theuser or equipment operator. This maintenance in-cludes the proper care, use, operation, cleaning,preservation, lubrication, adjustment, minor re-pair, testing, and parts replacement prescribed by

Maintenance Operations 1-3

appropriate technical publications. Collection ofMarine Integrated Maintenance Management Sys-tem (MIMMS) information is not required forfirst echelon maintenance.

Second echelon maintenance includes the per-formance of scheduled maintenance, diagnosisand isolation of previously identified and tracedequipment malfunctions, replacement of majorassemblies/modular components that can be read-ily removed/installed and do not require criticaladjustment, and replacement of easily accessiblepiece parts not authorized at first echelon. Secondechelon maintenance is performed by speciallytrained personnel in the organization. Specificpublications authorize second echelon, mainte-nance-capable units to hold additional tools, sup-plies, and test equipment that support a higherechelon of maintenance.

b. Intermediate MaintenanceIntermediate maintenance is the responsibility ofand performed by designated maintenance activi-ties in direct support of using organizations. Inter-mediate maintenance phases normally consist ofcalibration, repair, or replacement of damaged orunserviceable parts, components, or assemblies;the emergency manufacture of nonavailable parts;and providing technical assistance to using organi-zations. Intermediate maintenance includes thirdand fourth echelon maintenance. See MCOP4790.2 for detailed information.

Note: Some elements of third and fourth echelonmaintenance can be performed at either theintermediate or organizational levels dependenton the capability assigned in the T/O missionstatement of certain commodity-peculiar organi-zations (e.g., tank battalion, communications bat-talion, light armored reconnaissance battalion).

Third echelon maintenance is performed by spe-cially trained personnel and can include—

Diagnosing and isolating equipment/modu-lar malfunctions.Adjusting and aligning modules using test,measurement, and diagnostic equipment(TMDE).

Replacing modular components and pieceparts that do not require extensive postmaintenance testing or adjustment.Cleaning modular components and perform-ing limited repair if needed.Installing replacement seals.Applying external parts.Installing repair kit pieces.Performing minor body work.Evaluating emissions of internal combustionengines.

Fourth echelon maintenance is normally associ-ated with semi-fixed or permanent shops of inter-mediate maintenance activities. It is frequentlyassociated with organizational shops of units thathave a commodity-peculiar mission. Fourth eche-lon can include—

Diagnosing, isolating, adjusting, calibrating,aligning, and repairing malfunctions to inter-nal piece/part levels.Replacing defective modular components notauthorized at lower echelons.Repairing major modular components bygrinding and adjusting items such as valves,tappets, and seats.Replacing internal and external piece parts toinclude solid-state integrated circuits andprinted circuit boards/cards.Performing heavy body, hull turret, andframe repair.

c. Depot MaintenanceDepot maintenance is performed on materiel thatrequires a major overhaul or a complete rebuild-ing of parts, assemblies, subassemblies, and enditems. This level of maintenance includes themanufacture of parts, modifications, testing, andreclamation, as required. Depot maintenance sup-ports lower categories of maintenance by provid-ing technical assistance and by performingmaintenance that exceeds the lower categorieslevel of responsibility. Depot maintenance alsoprovides stocks of serviceable equipment that arenot available in lower echelon maintenance

1-4 MCWP 4-24

activities. Depot maintenance includes the fifthechelon of maintenance.

Note: Fifth echelon maintenance can be per-formed at intermediate maintenance activities ifspecifically authorized by the Commandant of theMarine Corps.

Fifth echelon maintenance includes—

Overhauling or rebuilding end items ormodular components.Performing repairs that exceed the assignedcapability of lower echelons of maintenance(special environmental facilities or specifictolerances are required).Performing nondestructive testing.

Performing special inspection/modificationthat requires extensive disassembly or elab-orate test equipment.Manufacturing items not provided or avail-able.Providing wholesale direct exchange sup-port.

1004. Class VIII (Medical/Dental)Maintenance

Class VIII medical and dental equipment havespecific maintenance requirements that differ fromnormal Marine Corps maintenance procedures forground combat equipment. MCBul 4790, Mainte-nance Management of Marine Corps Class VIIIEquipment, provides maintenance managementpolicies and procedures for Marine Corps medicaland dental equipment.


(reverse blank)

Maintenance management is the systematic ap-proach to the maintenance of organizationalequipment. There are four principal concerns inmaintenance management: command, resources,production, and information. The ability to plan,organize, staff, direct, and control a command’sground equipment maintenance program is thefoundation for sustainment in combat.

2001. Command

Among the four principal concerns of mainte-nance management, command is the most signifi-cant. Command contains four key elements thatcommanders use to focus and fulfill their respon-sibilities. These elements are interest, organiza-tion, policies, and procedures.

a. InterestCommand interest must reflect the responsibilityinherent in command for equipment readiness.Commanders are not expected to possess a tech-nician’s or a mechanic’s expertise, but they areexpected to demonstrate sincere interest in theirunit’s maintenance program. Their interest is es-sential to a successful ground maintenance pro-gram. Commanders’ interests motivate personnelto maintain a high level of excellence.

b. OrganizationTypically, commands authorized second echelonor higher maintenance for more than one

commodity area have maintenance managementofficers. If a maintenance management officer isnot identified in organizational structure, com-manders should assign, in writing, maintenancemanagement officer responsibilities as an addi-tional duty. The maintenance management officercoordinates and integrates command efforts in themaintenance management functional areas listedin figure 2-1.

c. PoliciesCommanders at major subordinate commands arerequired to publish maintenance managementstanding operating procedures (SOP). The SOPwill not contain all subordinate unit functions.However, it should be applicable at the unit leveland adequately detailed to ensure that each subor-dinate unit can perform its maintenance mission.

Chapter 2

Maintenance Management

“Equipment is manufactured at great expense. It is shipped 5000 miles by train, ship, and truck. Itis issued to the troops and eventually, with great labor, carried to the top of a mountain in Korea.How many times, at the last point, has the whole enormous effort been thrown away, as carelesslyas a burnt match, by the happy-to-lucky negligence of the very people whose lives depend onkeeping the stuff in shape?”1—FMFRP 12-14

Figure 2-1. Functional Areas ofMaintenance Management.

Maintenance AdministrationPersonnel and TrainingRecords and ReportsPublications Control

Equipment AvailabilityPreventive Maintenance Checks andServices and Corrective Maintenance

Supply SupportMaintenance-Related Programs

Commanders at subordinate command levels (in-cluding detached or separate commands) author-ized to perform second echelon maintenance orhigher for more than one commodity area mustpublish a maintenance management SOP. If main-tenance procedures are adequately covered in themajor subordinate command’s maintenance man-agement SOP, then subordinate commanders arenot required to publish one for the unit.

Commanders at subordinate command levels (in-cluding detached or separate commands) author-ized to perform only first echelon maintenance fororganic equipment must publish, as a minimum, aunit logistic SOP or a maintenance policy letter.The SOP or policy letter addresses maintenancemanagement procedures not covered by the majorsubordinate command’s maintenance managementSOP.

d. ProceduresThe frequent change of personnel within a unitcan result in a lack of expertise and continuitywithin day-to-day operations. To reduce theseeffects and increase overall unit efficiency, com-manders emphasize the use of desktop proce-dures and turnover folders. Desktop proceduresare not intended to be inclusive or formalized,they are a simple listing of significant items perti-nent to everyday operations within a particularbillet. Turnover folders focus on policy informa-tion, status of pending projects, references, man-agement controls, functioning of the section,techniques used to accomplish routine and infre-quent tasks, and personnel information. Desktopprocedures and turnover folders do not apply toall billets and should be applied in accordancewith MCO P4790.2.

2002. Resources

Maintenance resources consist of time, personnel,repair parts, tools and support equipment, facili-ties, publications, and funds. Commands musthave authorization to possess these resources.There are three principal documents that list a

command’s authorized level of maintenanceresources: tables of equipment (T/E), tables oforganization (T/O), and tables of authorized ma-teriel (TAM).

A table of equipment lists the equipment thatcommands are authorized to possess for missionaccomplishment.

The table of organization indicates the mainten-ance authority of each unit based on its capabil-ities, personnel, equipment, and wartime mission.The T/O logistic capability statement determinespersonnel skills and equipment requirements. Itsorganization paragraph identifies the unit’s subor-dinate elements, source of internal maintenancesupport, and unit maintenance requirements. Thetable of organization also contains the unit’s con-cept of employment, which is vital to the com-mander and staff in determining the type ofsupport required and how to obtain the requiredsupport.

The table of authorized materiels is a listing of in-formation used for logistic planning with respectto selected materiel authorized for use by the Ma-rine Corps (both regular and reserve). Materiel islisted by subsistence; petroleum, oil, and lubricantitems; and type:

Type I. Required Items.Type II. Local Allowances.Type III. Environmental Items.

a. TimeTime must be viewed from two aspects: theequipment and the mechanic.

(1) Equipment. The maintenance managementofficer maximizes equipment availability by estab-lishing an effective preventive maintenance pro-gram and by eliminating shortages of maintenanceresources that reduce maintenance production.Shortages can include a lack of tools, publica-tions, space, parts, skills, supervision, and funds.

2-2 MCWP 4-24

When these items are not available at the worksite, time is wasted.

(2) Mechanic. Optimally, mechanics shouldspend their time maintaining and repairing equip-ment to a combat-ready status. Realistically, me-chanics could spend a majority of their time onmaintenance training, administrative duties, andother miscellaneous requirements. Therefore, ef-fective time management demands that these non-maintenance requirements be consolidated intoblocks and coordinated with the appropriate cog-nizant staff officers, subordinate commanders, andnoncommissioned officers in charge in order toreduce the impact of these nonmaintenance, yetrelated, activities to a mechanic’s primary duty.Only after a mechanic’s productivity has beenmaximized can the command determine if ade-quate time has been allocated for equipment main-tenance and repair.

Note: If mechanics are still unable to performrepair/maintenance activities within the alloca-ted time, then either the available maintenancetime must be increased, the workload reduced, ora degraded level of readiness accepted. Sometechniques for making these tradeoffs include ad-ministrative storage, split shifts, and reduced op-erations.

b. PersonnelThe success of a unit’s maintenance effort is heav-ily influenced by its quantity and quality of per-sonnel. The maintenance management officercoordinates an annual review of the table of or-ganization by the equipment commodity sectionand recommends changes to the commanding offi-cer and G-1/S-1. Additionally, the table of organi-zation should be reviewed whenever the logisticcapabilities statement, concepts of employment,or capability statements change.

The maintenance management officer also ensuresthat maintenance and maintenance managementtraining requirements are included in the unit’s an-nual training plan. The annual training plan mustaddress both mission and military occupational

specialty training as well as operator andsupervisor training.

Personnel safety is also a constant concern. Con-tinuous vigilance by all maintenance personnel isrequired to ensure that operating procedures andwork methods do not expose personnel to injuryor equipment to damage or loss.

c. Repair PartsIn this publication, repair parts refer to consum-able repair parts and secondary reparables. Com-manders must ensure that repair parts andmaintenance-related supplies are requisitionedwhen required, properly accounted for, and safe-guarded.

(1) Requisitioning. Repair parts must be placedon requisition as soon as possible after a require-ment is identified. The need must be consistentwith the urgency and submission standards statedin MCO 4400.16, Uniform Material Movementand Issue Priority System. Units use the equip-ment repair order shopping/transaction list(EROSL) to requisition all repair parts andmaintenance-related supplies for units supportedby the Field Maintenance Subsystem (FMSS). Useof the EROSL or DD Form 1348 is optional fornon-FMSS supported units. Reconciliation ofsupply requisitions between the maintenance sec-tion and its supply source must occur at leastevery 2 weeks to review the status of repair partrequisitioning.

(2) Accounting. Repair parts are accounted forby an equipment repair order (ERO) parts bin,sometimes referred to as a layette. A copy of theEROSL must be maintained in the layette. Partsfor a pending job are placed in an ERO bin that isdesignated for that specific job until all parts arereceived and maintenance personnel are availableto effect repairs. All parts for the same equipmentrepair order are kept together in the same bin andthe location is normally indicated by ERO num-bers. Large parts may not fit into a bin and mustbe kept in another area; these parts are stored to-gether and must be marked with the applicable


ERO number. The EROSL must indicate the al-ternate storage location.

Materiel stored in ERO bins must be inventoriedand validated at least every 2 weeks. EROSLs areannotated to indicate all repair parts, receiptsfrom supply sources, removal from the bin, trans-fers, and application to the equipment.

Another method of accounting and stocking re-pair parts is a pre-expended bin. Pre-expendedbins ensure adequate stockage of fast-movingitems resulting in an across the counter issuerather than a back order. Pre-expended bins cansave commanders time and money, and they canmaintain readiness. MCO P4400.150, ConsumerLevel Supply Policy Manual, gives specific guid-ance on establishing and maintaining pre-expended bins.

d. Tools and Support EquipmentTools and support equipment refer to tool sets,kits, chests, hoists, jacks, and stands. Loss oftools slows maintenance and increases costs.Therefore, proper inventory procedures and effec-tive control measures must be employed to reduceloss of tools. Defective tools and equipment arealso a safety hazard, and they are detrimental tothe unit’s equipment readiness. Tools and supportequipment are often classified and referred to assupport equipment and test, measurement, and di-agnostic equipment.

The unit maintenance management officer estab-lishes tool control and calibration control pro-grams for the unit. These programs ensureaccountability and serviceability. They must alsobalance the need for access to tools to increaseproductivity and the need to reduce tool andequipment loss. Specific tool inventory require-ments are found in MCO P4400.150.

e. FacilitiesThe maintenance management officer has primestaff responsibility for the allocation and use ofmaintenance facilities between commodity areas.

Staff functioning affects site selection, shop lay-out, and shop organization. See chapter 6 and ap-pendix A for more information.

f. PublicationsPublications control system operations are nor-mally managed by the S-1/adjutant, supply officer,and maintenance management officer. Publica-tions control is divided into four functional areas:automatic distribution control, internal distribu-tion control, inventory control, and order control.

(1) Automatic Distribution Control. The auto-matic distribution control system is managed viathe publications listing. The publications listingidentifies all publications automatically distributedto an activity from the publications stock controlpoint at Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany,Georgia. The activity’s S-1/adjutant, with the ad-vice and assistance of the maintenance manage-ment officer, maintains and reviews thepublications listing and ensures that all necessarypublications are listed. An outdated publicationslisting can cause the activity to go without essen-tial information and/or receive publications thatare no longer required. MCO P5600.31, MarineCorps Publications and Printing Regulations,contains procedures concerning the publicationslisting. The UM-MCPDS, Marine Corps Publica-tions Distribution System (MCPDS) Users Man-ual, provides detailed guidance on the automatedMarine Corps Publications Distribution System.

(2) Internal Distribution Control. The publica-tions internal distribution control system ensuresthat publications received on automatic distribu-tion are properly routed to those who need them.The internal distribution control system is man-aged by the S-1/adjutant with the advice andassistance of the maintenance management offi-cer. To be effective, a publication’s location andquantity must be annotated on either a local distri-bution control form or in an automated controlsystem. MCO P5600.31 provides detailed guid-ance for the establishment of an internal distribu-tion control system and the preparation of aninternal distribution control form. Commodity

2-4 MCWP 4-24

managers must understand the internal distribu-tion control system in order to properly managepublications and recommend timely changes to theinternal distribution control form and the publica-tions listing.

(3) Inventory Control. The inventory controlsystem manages publications libraries. An effec-tive inventory control system must ensure theadequacy of two elements: publications conditionsand on-hand quantities. Publications conditionsrelate to the status of directives and publicationson the library shelf. Publications must be up-to-date with all changes properly entered. On-handquantities must match the total quantities shownin the “location of copy” column on the internaldistribution control form. The UM-PLMS, Ma-rine Corps Publications Library ManagementSystem (PLMS) Users Manual, provides guidanceregarding the Marine Corps Publications LibraryManagement System (PLMS).

There are two types of inventory methods used:wall-to-wall and update inventories. Wall-to-wallinventories are conducted when libraries are in ex-treme disrepair. Update inventories are conductedwhen either an updated NAVMC 2761, Catalogof Publications, SL-1-2 that contains an index ofauthorized publications for equipment support, orSL-1-3 that contains an index of publicationsauthorized and stocked by the Marine Corps isreceived.

(4) Order Control. The order control system isan outgrowth of the inventory control system.When publications become worn out or on-handquantities do not match total quantities, unitsmust replace damaged or missing publications.Units order publications through the MarineCorps Publications Distribution System. An effec-tive requisition control system depends on theregular reconciliation of individual libraries withthe unit publication control point. g. Funds

If a maintenance section is adequately funded, ithas the necessary repair parts, tools, and othermaintenance-related supplies available. Funds(dollars, budgets, or operating targets) are not di-rectly seen by the maintenance management offi-cer or maintenance sections. Even though theimpact of funding is indirect, the role of the main-tenance management officer is vital. The mainte-nance management officer’s main fundingresponsibility is to establish a budget and controlfund outflow.

(1) Budgeting. The maintenance managementofficer’s first task in the budgeting process is tocollect and evaluate previous expenditure infor-rmation. The maintenance management officeruses automated information systems to obtain ex-penditure information. A review of the historicalexpenditure information must include a check forcorrectness and consider expenses that are notcovered on automated information system re-ports. Past expenditures will not indicate futureneeds unless the past expenditure is compared tofuture operations, logistic commitments, and newequipment receipts. Once all information is gath-ered, the maintenance management officer can as-sist commodity and maintenance sections inforecasting funding requirements.

(2) Control. Funds must be controlled once theyare allocated. The maintenance management offi-cer provides staff advice on internal allocation ofmoney. The maintenance management officer en-sures that funds obligated for maintenance re-sources are applied in the best manner and thatperiodic fiscal reviews are conducted. The mainte-nance management officer provides control by co-ordinating with supply and fiscal officers andpresenting the commander with the informationneeded to determine reallocation of funds, to can-cel requisitions, or to request additional funds. Tofacilitate the control of funds, the maintenancemanagement officer, in conjunction with the unit’ssupply and fiscal officer and in coordination withthe command’s comptroller, develops a unit’s job


order number structure. This structure allows eas-ier information collection and sound decisionmak-ing because expenditures are listed bymaintenance commodity area (e.g., motor trans-port, engineer).

2003. Production

Production is the physical performance of variousmaintenance functions. These functions includepreventive maintenance checks and services(PMCS), corrective maintenance, modification,calibration, conversion, modernization, overhaul,and rebuild. Some of the functions are generallyperformed only by depots, while others are per-formed by field units (see table 2-1). Actions re-lated to maintenance production (recovery,quality control, and equipment inspection) arealso discussed in the following subparagraphs.These functions are embedded within the fourphases of the maintenance process.

a. Maintenance PhasesThe maintenance process consists of four mainte-nance phases. These phases include the accep-tance of equipment, equipment induction, activemaintenance, and maintenance closeout.

(1) Acceptance of Equipment Phase. The ac-ceptance of equipment phase is the initial step ofthe maintenance process. It consists of an accep-tance inspection, scheduling, and assignment. Thepurpose of the acceptance inspection is to verifythat equipment is complete and prepared for the

required maintenance service (e.g., operator main-tenance was performed and equipment wascleaned). Equipment that is incomplete (missingequipment parts or records) or not properly pre-pared by the unit or activity requesting mainte-nance should not be accepted into themaintenance cycle until discrepancies are cor-rected.

Once equipment is accepted it is given a work pri-ority based on the ERO priority, operational re-quirements, and available maintenance resources.Based on the assigned priority, the equipment isthen scheduled to arrive at the maintenance facil-ity at, or immediately before, the time mainte-nance resources are available. The equipment isheld by the owning unit in a unit recall status untilfacilities/personnel are available to conduct main-tenance actions and the unit is contacted. Untilthat time, operationally safe equipment is returnedto the using unit, which gives the owner maximumuse and avoids congestion at maintenance sites.The assignment of equipment to a specific mainte-nance shop within the maintenance section occursupon completion of the acceptance inspection andscheduling.

(2) Equipment Induction Phase. Induction isthe physical commitment of an ERO and its asso-ciated equipment to a specific shop. Delivery ofthe equipment from the owning unit is requestedonce the maintenance shop is capable and ready toperform maintenance actions. This request shouldbe given to the using unit or appropriate coordi-nator as soon as possible. Induction of equipmentinto a specific shop is determined by the priority

2-6 MCWP 4-24

Table 2-1. Maintenance Production Functions.

Preventive MaintenanceChecks and Services Corrective Overhaul Rebuild

Calibration Modification Conversion Modernization

Field Functions Depot Functions

1. Preventive maintenance checks and services. 1. All field functions.2. Corrective maintenance. 2. Overhaul.3. Calibration. 3. Conversion.4. Modification. 4. Rebuild.

5. Fabrication. 5. Modernization.

assigned during the equipment acceptance phasein accordance with the priority requested by theowning unit.

(3) Active Maintenance Phase. Production ac-tions performed following induction of the EROand its associated equipment into a maintenanceshop constitute the active maintenance phase andthe beginning of the repair process. This phase isperformed in a sequence of logical steps designedto ensure that the required services are conductedin an efficient and effective manner. Continualemphasis is placed on the quality control of theactions and tasks performed. The frequency ofquality control inspections depends on the skilland experience of the individual technicians ormechanics and the overall complexity of the ac-tions. The following steps are conducted duringactive maintenance.

(a) Inspection of Equipment. The initial step in-volves a detailed inspection of equipment bymaintenance personnel. This inspection is thefoundation of the maintenance process and in-cludes locating and identifying equipment mal-functions, inventorying the equipment and itscontents, and verifying that all equipment recordsassociated with the required service are preparedin accordance with current publications.

(b) Preparation for Maintenance Actions. Prepa-ration for maintenance actions includes the assem-bly of the appropriate technical publications andother technical information; support equipment;and test, measurement, and diagnostic equipmentto perform the required services. Adequate prepa-ration reduces the actual time required to performthe maintenance and avoids initiating maintenanceactions if resources are not available.

(c) Performance of Maintenance. Performanceof all maintenance actions is per the appropriatetechnical publication. Maintenance actions in-clude performance of preventive maintenancechecks and services, corrective maintenance, ap-plication of modifications, and calibration. Oncemaintenance actions are completed, the equipmentis given final adjustments. Bringing the equipmentperformance to within specified tolerances is a

positive indication that the action has beensuccessfully completed.

(d) Quality Control. Quality control requires acomplete equipment check to determine propercompletion of maintenance actions and that equip-ment records are completed per TM 4700-15/1,Ground Equipment Record Procedures. Equip-ment not performing satisfactorily is rejected andrecommendations are made for further mainte-nance actions. Acceptable performance results inthe completion of the active maintenance phaseand the movement of the equipment to thecloseout phase. Quality control should be per-formed by experienced maintenance personnelsince this is the last opportunity to catch any defi-ciencies before equipment is returned tooperation.

(e) Cleanup of Maintenance Area. Time and re-sources must be allocated to cleanup the mainte-nance area. Support, test, measurement, anddiagnostic equipment, (including tools) must becleaned, serviced, and inventoried to facilitate fu-ture maintenance actions. Technical publicationsmust be returned to their proper locations. Defec-tive parts and other residue must be removedfrom the maintenance area using proper disposalprocedures.

(4) Maintenance Closeout Phase. The close-out phase of the maintenance process commenceswhen equipment has been repaired and the serv-iceable item is returned to the owner or when adecision has been made to evacuate or dispose ofthe equipment. Maintenance personnel must en-sure that the closeout process is accurate, com-plete, and coordinated. This includes ensuring thatthe ERO and equipment records are correctlycompleted. The closeout phase requires close co-ordination with owning unit personnel to ensurethat they are notified as soon as the equipment isready for pickup. This reduces vehicle congestionat the maintenance facility and allows the usingunit to employ all of its assets. The using unitmust make every effort to pick up their repairedequipment promptly. Any special packaging, pres-ervation, transportation, and shipping require-ments are addressed during this phase.


b. Preventive Maintenance Checksand ServicesPreventive maintenance checks and services is asystematic program consisting of inspecting,cleaning, servicing, lubricating, and adjusting.This program is the key to maintaining equip-ment readiness because it helps prevent earlybreakdown or failure of equipment. An effectivePMCS program also reduces the number ofcostly, complex, and time-consuming repairs andallows the optimum use of maintenance resourcesthrough early detection of defects. The unit own-ing or using the equipment is responsible forscheduling and ensuring the completion of equip-ment PMCS. Preventive maintenance checks andservices are normally a function of first and sec-ond echelon organizational maintenance.

(1) First Echelon PMCS. The operator or crewwill perform a scheduled PMCS when it is withintheir authorized echelon of maintenance. Thereare certain items that, due to technological ad-vances, use different criteria for scheduling pre-ventive maintenance checks and services. Anequipment’s technical publication is the basicguide for performing preventive maintenancechecks and services. Operators are primarily re-sponsible for daily and monthly preventive main-tenance checks and services.

(a) Daily PMCS. Operators or the crew performdaily PMCS every day that the equipment is oper-ated. Equipment operated infrequently or inter-mittently normally does not require daily PMCS.Daily preventive maintenance checks and ser-vices are divided into before, during, and after op-eration services.

Before operation, preventive maintenance checksand services are performed on equipment to de-termine if the equipment is operational. A widerange of events can occur between service checks;for example, physical damage from handling; cor-rosion of electrical connections; or leakage of lu-bricants, coolants, operating fluids and gases. Ifequipment is found to be unserviceable or to re-quire corrective maintenance, personnel mustpromptly report the deficiency so that the appro-priate maintenance action can be taken.

During operation, the operator or crew must bealert to any unusual noises, odors, abnormal in-strument readings, or any other irregularities thatmight indicate equipment malfunction. Every op-eration must be considered a test, and all unusualor unsatisfactory performance must be noted.When equipment is not operating, all deficienciesnoted during operation must be investigated andcorrected or reported.

After operation, preventive maintenance checksand services are performed to ensure equipment isready to operate for the next mission. The opera-tor or crew inspects the equipment thoroughly todetect any deficiencies that may have developedduring operation. Assemblies requiring inspectionor service while still at operating temperaturemust be inspected as soon as possible after equip-ment operation has ceased. All defects and irregu-larities that occur during operation must becorrected or reported to the echelon that can takecorrective action.

(b) Monthly PMCS. Monthly PMCS reinforcesdaily preventive maintenance checks and services.Generally, it consists of the same checks per-formed during the daily PMCS, but in greaterdepth. For example, daily PMCS may require theoperator to simply check the emergency brake foroperation, but monthly PMCS may require clean-ing and lubrication of the brake’s moving parts.Management can also use monthly PMCS toevaluate a operator’s daily PMCS performance.As with all preventive maintenance checks andservices, supervision and inspection by qualifiedsupervisory personnel should be stressed.

(2) Second Echelon PMCS. The owning or us-ing unit schedules second echelon PMCS. Organ-izational maintenance mechanics are responsiblefor the performance of second echelon PMCS.Therefore, there must be constant coordinationbetween the maintenance facility and the owningor using unit for the performance of second eche-lon PMCS. If feasible, the operator or crewshould assist mechanics with the performance oftheir equipment’s second echelon PMCS. This in-volvement helps operators gain a better working

2-8 MCWP 4-24

knowledge of their equipment and increases main-tenance productivity.

If a unit is operating under adverse climatic or ter-rain conditions, commanders are authorized toconduct second echelon PMCS actions more fre-quently than scheduled. Preventive maintenancechecks and services may also be deferred or inter-vals extended if equipment is placed in an admin-istrative storage program or equipment is placedon administrative deadline (see MCO P4790.2 forspecific criteria). There are certain items that, dueto technological advances, use different criteriafor scheduling second echelon PMCS (see the ap-propriate technical publication for preventivemaintenance checks and services requirements).The different classifications of second echelonPMCS are discussed below.

(a) Quarterly PMCS. The normal interval be-tween quarterly PMCS is 3 months. Economy ofoperation demands that, within sound practices ofsafety and reliability, maximum useful life is ob-tained from materiel resources. Worn parts andmaterials are replaced during preventive mainte-nance checks and services.

Note: The life expectancy of the part/materialand the nature of the anticipated operations mustbe taken into consideration.

When possible, the operator or crew of the equip-ment should be asked by maintenance personnelto obtain first-hand information on irregularitiesor indications of equipment malfunctions.

(b) Semiannual PMCS. The normal interval forsemiannual PMCS is 6 months. Equipment techni-cal publications provide the requirements forsemiannual PMCS and other less frequent preven-tive maintenance checks and services. Economyof operation demands that, within sound practicesof safety and reliability, maintenance personnelextract the maximum useful life from materiel re-sources. Worn parts and materials are replacedduring preventive maintenance checks and serv-ices only when it is determined, after consideringlife expectancy and the nature of anticipated op-erations, that they cannot be expected to provide

safe, reliable service until the next scheduled pre-ventive maintenance checks and services. The op-erator or crew of the equipment should providemaintenance personnel with firsthand informa-tion on irregularities or indications of equipmentmalfunction.

(c) Annual PMCS. The normal interval for annualPMCS is 12 months, but it may be advanced whenthe operating criteria specified in equipment tech-nical publications are achieved earlier. Equipmenttechnical publications provide the requirementsfor annual PMCS and other less frequent preven-tive maintenance checks and services. AnnualPMCS is greater in scope than semiannual PMCSand additional time is required to accomplish an-nual PMCS requirements. The operator or crewof the equipment should provide maintenance per-sonnel with firsthand information on irregularitiesor indications of equipment malfunction.

(d) Biennial PMCS. The normal interval for bien-nial PMCS is 24 months, but it may be advancedwhen the operating criteria specified in the equip-ment’s technical publications are achieved earlier.Equipment technical publications provide the re-quirements for biennial PMCS and other less fre-quent preventive maintenance checks andservices. Biennial PMCS is greater in scope thanannual PMCS and additional time is required toaccomplish the maintenance requirements.

(e) Special PMCS. Special PMCS procedures arenecessary when equipment has been exposed toharsh environments (e.g., salt water, fresh water,operations conducted in loose sand or mud).Equipment exposed to harsh conditions should bechecked thoroughly for contamination, washedthoroughly with fresh water, and have appropriateservices performed per the applicable technicalpublication/instruction. In most instances, a spe-cial PMCS will resemble a semiannual, annual, orbiennial service. The commander may authorizethe modification of the PMCS schedule to reflectthe preventive maintenance checks and servicesperformed and reschedule existing preventivemaintenance checks and services.

c. Corrective Maintenance


Corrective maintenance actions are performed torestore a defective item to a specified condition.The detection of defective equipment may occurduring routine preventive maintenance checks andservices or through operational failure of theequipment. Corrective maintenance is a very time-consuming process and therefore requires closecoordination of the maintenance workload andavailable resources.

If a required piece of equipment is unusable dueto a failed part, then the equipment must be re-paired. However, since corrective maintenance isvery time consuming, the urgency of repair is rela-tive to the unit’s mission. To repair equipmentthat requires an echelon of maintenance higherthan that authorized at the owning/using unit, itmust be evacuated to the support activity author-ized to perform the maintenance. Excessive delaysin evacuation postpone corrective action andtherefore must be avoided.

There are three basic stages of corrective main-tenance.

(1) Isolating Equipment Malfunctions. Duringthis stage, maintenance personnel attempt to iso-late the equipment’s malfunction so thatcorrective action can begin. Personnel use theappropriate support equipment; test, measure-ment, and diagnostic equipment; and the properstep-by-step procedures described in the applica-ble technical publication to isolate the cause ofequipment malfunctions. Once the cause is iso-lated and fault diagnosis confirmed, personnelestimate the cost of the required maintenance anddetermine if the equipment is economically repair-able. If the equipment is determined not to beeconomically reparable, personnel stop activemaintenance, and request disposition instructions.

(2) Obtaining Required Repair Parts. Therequisition of repair parts must be accurate to en-sure the receipt of intended items in a timely man-ner. Inaccurate requisition procedures (i.e., usingoutdated publications and improperly completedforms) result in receipt of unneeded repair parts,delays in maintenance production, and wastedmaintenance funds. Pre-expended bin levels, when

used, should be maintained within each shop toensure that selected items are readily available.

(3) Correcting Equipment Faults. Fault cor-rection is the goal of all corrective maintenanceactions. Proper maintenance techniques are em-ployed to ensure that repair parts are installedcorrectly. Reassembly is accomplished in se-quence, including the proper servicing and the useof test and measurement devices at the appropri-ate stages of equipment reassembly. Major com-pleted maintenance actions are recorded on theERO, this provides information for future man-agement decisions and appropriate entries onequipment records.

d. ModificationEquipment modifications are maintenance actionsperformed to change the configuration of equip-ment systems, end items, components, assemblies,subassemblies, or parts to improve equipmentfunctioning, maintainability, reliability, and/orsafety characteristics. Primary sources of modifi-cation requirements are manufacturer’s engineer-ing change proposals and comments andsuggestions made by using units via the ProductQuality Deficiency Report. Complaints regardingequipment malfunction or poor design should bechanneled to agencies responsible for procure-ment/development of Marine Corps equipment.

(1) Modification Responsibility. It is the re-sponsibility of the using unit to determine whichmodifications have been issued for their assignedequipment and to take the necessary action forcompliance. The modification instruction identi-fies the resources, skills (to include echelon ofmaintenance), and time necessary to perform themodification. If the application is to be applied bythe unit, it is scheduled and performed at thatlevel. For higher echelon modifications, the usingunit must arrange to evacuate the equipment tothe appropriate echelon of maintenance.

(2) Modification Control. Equipment modifica-tions must be controlled to ensure safe equipmentoperations. TM 4700-15/1 outlines unit responsi-bilities in establishing a modification control

2-10 MCWP 4-24

program. It also provides instructions for thecompletion and disposition of the records main-tained by the unit. The maintenance managementofficer prepares periodic unit modification con-trol program reports for the commander. Thereare two classifications of modifications: normaland urgent.

Modifications classified as normal are usuallycompleted during regular maintenance activitiessuch as preventive or corrective maintenanceservices. Normal modifications comprise the ma-jority of modifications and generally do not re-strict the operation of the equipment. Typically,the unit has 1 year from the date of the modifica-tion instruction to complete the actions requiredby a normal modification.

Modifications classified as urgent (printed at thetop of the modification instruction) are issued toprevent serious injury to personnel and/or majorequipment damage. Urgent modification instruc-tions specify a date that the actions must be com-pleted by and dictate any restrictive operatingconditions until the modification is completed. Forexample, an urgent modification instruction mightbe issued to correct a faulty condition concerningthe 5-ton trucks’ fuel tanks. A leaking fuel tankcould result in serious injury to operators andtransported troops/cargo. Based on this safetyhazard, the modification instruction would statethat the truck is not to be operated (deadlined)until corrective actions are completed.

e. CalibrationCalibration is the process of adjusting items sothat they measure within a standard deviation.This applies to equipment submitted for repair;maintenance tools and equipment; and test, meas-urement, and diagnostic equipment. Test, meas-urement, and diagnostic items are identified withlabels that classify their category of calibration.There are four categories of calibration:

(1) Calibrated. Calibrated applies to instrumentswith all ranges and functions tested and foundwithin applicable tolerances. (2) Special Calibration. Special calibration ap-plies to instruments with only a portion of the

ranges and functions tested and found within ap-plicable tolerances. The calibration label indicatesthe limitations (e.g., clockwise).

(3) Inactive. Inactive applies to instruments thatwill not be used in the foreseeable future. Equip-ment is not allowed to be in an inactive status formore than 3 years at a time. If equipment is inac-tive for 3 years, the unit should re-evaluate theneed for the equipment. If the equipment is stillrequired, personnel request a new inactive labelfrom the supporting calibration laboratory.

(4) Calibration Not Required. Calibration notrequired applies to instruments that are used tomake measurements of a noncritical nature or forinstructional purposes. However, some instruc-tional equipment will require calibration or specialcalibration.

f. FabricationFabrication is the process of constructing ormanufacturing parts or components that are notavailable through the normal supply system. Itshould not be used to circumvent the normal sup-ply system. Fabrication is primarily performed atthe intermediate maintenance activity. However,units may find themselves in situations where it isnecessary to perform fabrication. Fabrication isgenerally accepted when it is within the unit’sauthorized echelon of maintenance. Once a deci-sion to fabricate an item is made, the unit mustconsider safety and installation requirements. Per-sonnel safety and damage to equipment must beaddressed. Fabricated items are intended to re-place a like item, not create a new item. Fabri-cated items that change the performance ofequipment or require changes in structure (e.g.,drilling additional holes) are not authorized.

2004. Information

Maintenance information provides the basis formanaging a unit’s equipment maintenance pro-gram. Maintenance information is comprised ofrecords, reports, and an automated informationsystem. Proper upkeep and use of maintenance in-formation are invaluable tools for analyzing andevaluating maintenance performance. The


maintenance performance analysis and evaluationare generally expressed in the form of equipmentreadiness.

a. RecordsPreparing and maintaining records consumes bothpersonnel and materiel resources. Therefore, re-cords must be kept to the minimum consistentwith required Marine Corps directives and publi-cations. Commanders should ensure that recordsoriginating within the unit are not prepared andused in lieu of or in addition to those required byMarine Corps directives and publications. Mainte-nance records are classified as equipment, re-source, and local records. TM 4700-15/1 containsinstructions for the preparation, use, and disposi-tion of the required forms and records for the op-eration and maintenance of Marine Corps groundequipment.

(1) Equipment Records. Equipment recordsare maintained for a specific item of equipment.Equipment records are an integral part of theequipment because they contain historical dataconcerning repairs performed, maintenance sched-ules (i.e., PMCS schedule), and modifications. Toensure this information is available to maintenancepersonnel, equipment records must accompanyequipment when it is evacuated for maintenance,transferred, or temporarily loaned to another unit.

(2) Resource Records. Resource records doc-ument the unit’s maintenance efforts (e.g., modifi-cations, preventive maintenance checks and serv-ices, calibration). These records contain historicalinformation and provide the basis for evaluationof past performance and planning for futureefforts/requirements.

(3) Local Records. Local records are discour-aged. Local records should not be initiated unlessa definite requirement has been established and ithas been determined that records required byhigher headquarters will not satisfy the require-ment.b. Reports

Maintenance reports contain information thatcommanders use to determine policy, to plan, toestablish controls, to evaluate operations and per-formances, and to prepare other reports. They aregenerally summarized and may be transmitted ona recurring, one time, or occasional basis. Mainte-nance reports fall into one of the following classi-fications that reflect who generated the request.

(1) Headquarters, Marine Corps Reports. Re-ports submitted to Headquarters, Marine Corpsinclude maintenance reports required by both Ma-rine Corps directives and other forms of commu-nication. They may be produced by either manualor automated means and normally contain a reportcontrol symbol. Reports currently required on arecurring basis are listed in the MCBul 5214 se-ries, Information on Requirements Managementin the Marine Corps. MIMMS is the primarysource for maintenance reports required by Head-quarters, Marine Corps.

(2) Field Reports. Field reports list a unit’s spe-cial field requirements that Headquarters, MarineCorps reports do not address. Using these reportsshould be kept to a minimum so that units are notoverburdened with administrative work. When-ever a requirement for a field-originated report isestablished on a recurring basis, it must be for-warded to the Commandant of the Marine Corpsfor nomination as a standard report.

(3) External Agency Reports. At times, a unitmay be required to submit reports to an activityoutside of the Marine Corps. Requests for reportsconsidered invalid should be referred to the nextsenior unit in the administrative chain of com-mand.

c. Automated Information SystemsAutomated information systems were developedto assist the field user by automating manual ad-ministrative work. These systems provide com-manders at all levels with excellent, up-to-dateinformation and management tools. MIMMS isthe current automated system for the maintenancefield and is discussed in appendix B.

2-12 MCWP 4-24

Headquarters, Marine Corps (HQMC code LP)encourages the use of automated systems to cap-ture, track, and schedule maintenance actions/in-formation. As the system sponsor for all Class Isupply and maintenance systems, Headquarters,Marine Corps (HQMC code LP) intends to inte-grate both maintenance and supply under a singlesystem with the fielding of Asset Tracking Logis-tics and Supply System Phase II+.

d. Readiness ReportingAs prescribed in MCO 3000.11, Marine CorpsGround Equipment Resource Reporting(MCGERR), commanders are required to reportthe level and condition of MCGERR-reportableequipment. Table 2-2 identifies categories ofground equipment readiness. MCGERR-reportable equipment is identified in MCBul 3000,Table of Marine Corps Ground Equipment Re-source Reporting (MCGERR) Equipment. Equip-ment included in this bulletin must be a principalend item that is 85-percent fielded Marine Corps-wide (including the Reserves), nominated by ei-ther the field commands or Headquarters, MarineCorps, and accepted for inclusion (or deletion) bythe Commandant of the Marine Corps (Logistics).

Note: The term “fielded Marine Corps-wide”means that the system’s manager, in coordinationwith the project manager for the principal enditems, has verified to the Commandant of theMarine Corps that sufficient quantities are dis-tributed throughout the Fleet Marine Force andReserves to meet the 85-percent criteria.

Readiness reporting for Marine Corps suppliesand equipment has three components: mission-essential equipment, table of equipment deficien-cies, and equipment deadlines.

(1) Mission-Essential Equipment. Mission-essential equipment is governed by MCBul 3000.This bulletin lists selected items of mission-essential equipment required to be reported tohigher headquarters. The items that appear in thisbulletin do not represent a complete list of equip-

ment normally considered mission-essential at thebattalion level; for example, M16A2 rifles are notincluded due to their high density. However, thelist is sufficiently representative to provide an ade-quate measure of the equipment readiness of theoperating forces.

(2) Table of Equipment Deficiencies. Table ofequipment deficiencies are items that are author-ized but not on-hand. To remain a force in readi-ness, the Marine Corps plans, programs, andbudgets annually for the modernization of itsequipment and capabilities. The modernization ofmission-essential equipment could have a substan-tial effect on MCGERR reporting. Accordingly, areplacement item and the item it is replacing maybe excluded from MCGERR reporting during themodernization (phase in/phase out) of equipment.

(3) Equipment Deadlines. Equipment dead-lines are items that are not capable of performingtheir designed combat missions due to their needfor critical repairs. Ground equipment readinessreporting begins at maintenance shops with the


Table 2-2. Categories of GroundEquipment Readiness.

Category

Percentage of Mission-Essential EquipmentThat Is Operationally Ready

C-1 90-100

C-2 70-89C-3 60-69

C-4 0-59Notes:1. MCBul 3000 lists mission-essential equipment

and provides an adequate measure of theequipment readiness of the operating forces.

2. Per Joint Pub 1-02, operationally-ready equip-ment is “the status of an item of equipment inthe possession of an operating unit that indi-cates it is capable of fulfilling its intended mis-sion and in a system configuration that offers ahigh assurance of an effective, reliable, andsafe performance.”

determination of deadline status. Table 2-2 identi-fies categories of ground equipment readiness.Deadline status is entered into MIMMS at themaintenance shop level via the ERO input. Dead-line status is normally determined by commoditymanagers/shop officers. However, final authorityfor determining whether or not a piece of equip-ment is capable of performing its assigned combat

mission rests with the commander. Excessive de-lays in evacuation postpone corrective action andtherefore must be avoided.

2-14 MCWP 4-24

The Marine Corps has implemented severalmaintenance-related logistic programs to assistcommands with the management of their equip-ment maintenance. This chapter discusses some ofthe more important maintenance-related programsthat commanders should be familiar with.

3001. Secondary ReparableProgram

The Secondary Reparable Program is an effectivemeans of maintaining a high state of equipmentreadiness. It provides a pool of serviceable assem-blies, subassemblies, and component parts forrapid exchange of unserviceable like items (e.g.,carburetors, starters, generators, radiators). Theseare also referred to as line replaceable units. Sec-ondary Reparable Program item candidates areidentified by the source, maintenance, and recov-erability (SMR) codes in the SL-4, technicalmanuals, and parts manuals (see app. C).

Secondary Reparable Program items are posi-tioned in floats maintained by the SupportedActivities Supply System (SASSY) manage- mentunit, supply battalion, FSSG. Critical low densityitems are normally held by the owning unit. TheSASSY management unit may also operate sev-eral subfloats and position them where they canprovide immediate service to customers. The floatholder issues a catalog that identifies the floats itmanages. These floats allow units to minimizeequipment down time by providing a one-for-onecomponent exchange and eliminating the need fortime-consuming supply requisitions. Generalsteps included in the Secondary Reparable Pro-gram process are as follows.

a. RemovalThe defective item is removed from the end itemand taken to the supporting float by the owning orintermediate maintenance unit. Removal of anyitem is accompanied by turn-in documentation re-quired by the float holder.

b. Turn-InThe defective item is checked for completenessand is exchanged for an on-hand, serviceable item.If an exchange item is not on-hand, the floatholder accepts the defective item and provides thecustomer with a backorder receipt. Once the floatholder receives the required item from its source,the item is issued to the customer. If several unitshave placed demands on the float holder for likeitems, the float holder issues the requested itembased on the established priority of need. Priori-ties are assigned to all supply transactions in ac-cordance with the guidelines contained in MCO4400.16.

c. Repair Defective items turned in to the float holder aresent to the maintenance battalion for repair andsubsequent return to the float holder’s stock.

3002. Replacement and Evacuation Program

The Replacement and Evacuation Program is an-other type of float maintained at the depot mainte-nance level to replace and repair worn out,selected major end items on a scheduled basis.The Replacement and Evacuation Program as-sures a requisite readiness level throughout the

Chapter 3

Maintenance-Related Programs

“If field operations continue for a considerable length of time, it may be necessary to reinforce thecartridge belts, magazine carriers, and other web equipment with leather. This has been done inthe past by local artisans in the theater of operations.”1—FMFRP 12-15

Marine Corps by cyclically rebuilding items beforethey become unreparable. TI-4710-14/1, Replace-ment and Evacuation Criteria, USMC Equip-ment, lists the equipment administered by thisprogram. It also contains specific criteria forselecting/nominating equipment for rebuilding.

a. Equipment Nomination Organizations nominate equipment for rebuildingand replacing to the Commandant of the MarineCorps through the chain of command and the lo-cal Replacement and Evacuation Program coordi-nator, in the supporting FSSG. Nominations aremade each year for the next 3 years. The Com-mandant then uses unit nominations and theworkload of the depot maintenance activities toestablish yearly allowances for Marine Forces.Marine Forces then allocate allowances to theirmajor subordinate commands. Once allocationsare physically made available, nominating unitsare authorized to turn in items to the force servicesupport group and receive replacements.

b. SelectionWhen a unit is directed to turn in equipment forreplacement and evacuation they must select theitems that are in the worst condition, yet still re-pairable. Equipment that is not repairable does notqualify for the Replacement and EvacuationProgram.

c. Equipment ExchangeWhen units turn in equipment they should ensurethat all collateral (e.g., SL-3 gear) equipment re-quired by higher headquarters accompanies theturn-in. Generally, a requirement exists for miss-ing collateral equipment to be noted on the limitedtechnical inspection of an item. The unit shouldindicate if responsibility for the loss is known orwhat action is ongoing to determine responsibil-ity. Before accepting a replacement item, the unitshould inspect and ensure that the item is in con-dition code A as defined in the applicable supplydirectives. If not, the unit should either refuse theitem or note the deficiencies on the acceptance in-spection sheet.

3003. Recoverable Item Program

Equipment not included in the Replacement andEvacuation Program is disposed through the Re-coverable Item Program, also known as the WIRProgram. This program is outlined in MCOP4400.82, Marine Corps Unified Materiel Man-agement System (MUMMS) Control Item Man-agement Manual. The WIR Program provides forthe recovering, reporting, and managing of equip-ment that cannot be repaired within the resourcesof the field commander and for the disposal ofitems that are beyond economical repair. Com-manders replace unserviceable items through thesupply system.

3004. Corrosion Prevention andControl Program

Marine Corps tactical ground and ground supportequipment are particularly susceptible to corro-sion and other types of moisture damage due totheir material composition and assigned missionsin moisture-laden environments. Compoundingthe problem is the fact that a significant portion ofMarine Corps ground equipment is stored out-doors without shelter and subject to the direct,corrosive effects of the environment. The Corro-sion Prevention and Control Program was estab-lished to extend the useful life of Marine Corpstactical ground and ground support equipment. Itsintent is to reduce maintenance requirements andassociated costs through the identification, imple-mentation, and development of corrosion preven-tion procedures and corrective corrosion control.The Corrosion Prevention and Control Programseeks ways to use technologies and processes thatwill repair existing corrosion damage and prevent,or retard, future corrosion damage to MarineCorps ground and ground support equipment.MCO 4790.18, Corrosion Prevention and Con-trol Program, and TM-3080.12, Corrosion Con-trol G/Equipment, address the CorrosionPrevention and Control Program in detail.

3-2 MCWP 4-24

a. Preventive Corrosion ControlThe Marine Corps corrosion prevention programstarts at acquisition. Corrosion prevention focuseson identifying, developing, and implementingstate-of-the-art technologies and processes thatdirectly prevent the corrosion, not just its symp-toms. If preventive corrosion measures are suc-cessful, then corrective maintenance resources areconserved and equipment service life is signifi-cantly extended.

b. Corrective Corrosion ControlCorrective corrosion control identifies, develops,and implements technologies and processes thatcorrect current equipment deficiencies resultingfrom corrosion and moisture damage. The MarineCorps is currently experiencing severe corrosionproblems resulting from the seaborn transit andsaltwater immersion of equipment during amphi-bious exercises/operations and the indoor/outdoorstorage of equipment in moisture-laden environ-ments. Some of these corrosion problems are alsothe result of equipment design and manufacturingdeficiencies that need to be identified and ad-dressed.

3005. Joint Oil Analysis Program

The Joint Oil Analysis Program is an agreementamong the Navy, Army, and Air Force. It stan-dardizes policies, procedures, research, and devel-opment for the process of oil analysis. Oil analysisis a general term that describes scientific tests andevaluations performed on used oil.

The Marine Corps is an associate member of theJoint Oil Analysis Program coordinating group.This group implements and monitors the oil

analysis program. Their analysis determineswhether oil may be retained or must be changed,and it also provides information on the internalcondition of engines, transmissions, and other oil-wetted components. The Joint Oil Analysis Pro-gram has two components: spectrometric analysisand physical property analysis.

a. Spectrometric AnalysisSpectrometric analysis is used to determine theconcentrations of various wear metals in oil sam-ples. Wear metals are metal particles of micro-scopic size that enter the oil stream and aredispersed and suspended throughout the lubricat-ing system. These particles are produced by thefriction of moving parts within a mechanical sys-tem. Analysis of the oil for the wear metal typeand amount determines which component partsmay have generated the particles. Periodic sam-pling and testing of oil from a mechanical systemhelps to detect abnormal component wear and as-sist in the maintenance effort.

b. Physical Property AnalysisPhysical property analysis detects propertychanges in used oil. Changes in viscosity, fuel di-lution, or water content may indicate faulty equip-ment, operating conditions, or maintenanceprocedures. Physical property analysis is instru-mental in eliminating the wasteful requirement ofchanging oil based on hours/miles/calendar daysas currently specified by some technical publica-tions and lubrication orders.

c. Sampling ProceduresGeneral sampling procedures and techniques arediscussed in MCO 4731.1, The U.S. MarineCorps Oil Analysis Program.


(reverse blank)

Task organization is a quantitative and qualitativeprocess used to best structure available assets tosupport a specific mission and concept of opera-tions. It is applicable whether commanders arebuilding combat power or maintenance capability.Within this context, the CSSE is the Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) element that pro-vides the task-organized intermediate groundmaintenance capability to support requirementsbeyond the organic capabilities of the supportedelements. Combat service support elements varyin size from temporary, task-organized combatservice support detachments (CSSD) to perma-nent organizations such as the FSSG. Normally,there is only one combat service support elementin a MAGTF.

4001. Types of MAGTF CombatService Support Elements

The designation, size, and composition of theMAGTF combat service support element is deter-mined by the mission, size, and composition of theMAGTF it supports. There are five basic types ofcombat service support elements.

a. Force Service Support GroupThe FSSG is a permanently structured command.Its mission is to provide combat service supportto the Marine expeditionary force. The FSSG nor-mally has eight permanent battalions, but task or-ganizations can be created from these battalionsto support Marine expeditionary force operations

over a large geographic area. The FSSG is theMarine expeditionary force’s combat service sup-port element. It supports the Marine expedition-ary force command element; surveillance,reconnaissance, and intelligence group; groundcombat element comprised of one Marine divi-sion; and aviation combat element comprised ofone Marine aircraft wing.

b. Combat Service Support GroupThe combat service support group is the task-organized combat service support element of aunit with less than the full spectrum of capabilitynormally afforded a Marine expeditionary force.For example, a combat service support group cur-rently supports Marine units stationed in Hawaii.Personnel and equipment are assigned to the com-bat service support group from permanent battal-ions of the FSSG. This support group providesgeneral and direct combat service support to des-ignated units. If required, it may be augmented byassets from the division and/or wing.

c. Marine Expeditionary Unit ServiceSupport GroupThe MEU service support group (MSSG) is atask-organized combat service support elementthat provides combat service support to all ele-ments of the Marine expeditionary unit. Like thecombat service support group, the MEU servicesupport group draws its personnel and equipmentfrom the organic battalions of the FSSG. TheMSSG may also contain assets from the divisionand/or the wing.

Chapter 4

Maintenance Organizations

“There is no area of military activity where so many departures from the theoretical ideal are re-quired by circumstances as in organization. Yet the fact that compromises which produce defectsare inevitable should not lead us to ignore them. Instead we have the task of recognition andcompensation.”1—FMFRP 12-14

d. Combat Service SupportDetachmentA combat service support detachment is usuallytask-organized from numerous sources. Its pri-mary tasks are to rearm, refuel, and provide lim-ited maintenance repair/supply for a supportedunit. Combat service support detachments are cre-ated and task-organized to meet a combat servicesupport mission. For example, a CSSD can sup-port a regiment, another CSSD may provide di-rect support to a battalion conductingindependent operations, and yet another CSSDmay support an aircraft squadron operating at aremote airfield. Combat service support detach-ments can also be designated as mobile CSSDs. Amobile combat service support detachment, as thename implies, possesses sufficient mobility assetsto keep pace with and respond to a supported ma-neuver element. Its capabilities usually mirror theparent combat service support detachment, but ona reduced scale.

e. Landing Force Support PartyThe landing force support party is a temporary or-ganization that provides interim combat servicesupport capability until the CSSE is phasedashore. Its mission is to support the landing andmovement of troops, equipment, and suppliesacross the beaches and into helicopter landingzones. The nucleus for this task organization isthe landing support battalion, FSSG. The organi-zation and mission of the landing force dictate thestructure of the landing force support party. Navalelements may include detachments from the cargohandling and port group and the beachmaster unit.The landing force support party is normally dis-solved and absorbed by the CSSE once it isashore and established.

4002. Combat Service SupportInstallations

Operational logistic installations are the source ofmost combat service support for the MAGTF.These installations are physical locations eitheraboard ship or ashore. The number, location, andspecific capabilities of combat service support in-stallations are based on the MAGTF’s mission,

concept of operations, and combat service sup-port concept. The MAGTF’s concept of opera-tions must address the requirement to defend andprotect these installations and facilities. The majortypes of combat service support installations areas follows.

a. Force Combat Service Support AreaAt the Marine expeditionary force level, the CSSEestablishes a force combat service support area(FCSSA) in close proximity to a beach, seaport,and/or an airfield. From this location, the forcecombat service support area supports other CSSinstallations and provides greater support capabili-ties to the MAGTF than those available at for-ward installations. All six functional areas ofcombat service support, or any combinationthereof, is resident within the FCSSA to includedumps and issue points for rations, fuel, ammuni-tion, and water. Combat service support elementcommanders generally divide their recovery assetsbetween the force combat service support areaand the combat service support area to achieve abalance between economy and responsiveness.

b. Combat Service Support AreaThe combat service support area (CSSA) is a for-ward support installation. It is designed to extendthe reach of the force combat service supportarea. The combat service support area funnelscombat service support onward to forward sup-ported elements or their CSSDs. It does not havethe full spectrum of combat service support capa-bilities found in the forward combat service sup-port area. The CSSA provides the minimumessential support required in the six functional ar-eas of combat service support. Its composition(e.g., dumps, issue points) is determined by theCSSE commander based upon the MAGTF con-cept of operations. The combat service supportarea is supported by the force combat service sup-port area.

c. Beach Support AreaThe beach support area is normally one of the firstcombat service support installations establishedashore during an amphibious operation. Estab-lished by the landing force support party to facili-tate initial throughput requirements, the beach

4-2 MCWP 4-24

support area may expand to include the full spec-trum of combat service support functions or itmay be designated as a CSSA. Also, it may even-tually be dissolved or become the force combatservice support area. In some situations, the beachsupport area may be the only combat service sup-port installation ashore. In other situations, it maybe one of several combat service support installa-tions. The CSSE commander determines thebeach support area’s composition (e.g., dumps,issue points, etc.) based on the MAGTF conceptof operations.

d. Landing Zone Support AreaThe landing zone support area (LZSA) is a com-bat service support area established to supporthelicopterborne operations. It is normally devel-oped from an existing helicopter landing zone thatwas established by a helicopter support team. Ahelicopter landing zone is established when acombat service support buildup beyond the heli-copterborne unit’s basic load of supplies and am-munition or organic CSS capabilities is required.When a combat service support buildup begins ina helicopter landing zone, control of the helicop-ter landing zone normally transitions from thehelicopterborne unit’s helicopter support team toa designated combat service support unit and thehelicopter landing zone is redesignated an LZSA.Although the landing zone support area can beexpanded into a CSSA, it is most often a short-term installation with limited capabilities. Typi-cally, an LZSA only contains dumps for rations,fuel, ammunition, and water.

e. Repair and Replenishment PointA CSSD normally establishes a temporary repairand replenishment point to support mechanized orrapidly moving units. Repair and replenishmentpoints are either a pre-established point or a hast-ily selected point to rearm, refuel, or provide re-pair services to the supported unit. Depending onthe mission, a combat service support detachmentmay establish multiple repair and replenishmentpoints. Although the main body of the CSSD usu-ally follows the advancing unit, repair and replen-ishment points are normally located in forwardareas near the supported unit’s trains. To mini-mize the handling of supplies, vehicles from a

combat service support area deliver directly to theusers at the forward repair and replenishmentpoints.

4003. Permanent Organizations

Permanent organizations are established with ta-bles of organization and tables of equipment.Each unit’s table of organization establishes itsstructure and mission. Its table of equipment es-tablishes the quantity and type of authorizedequipment required to perform the unit’s assignedmission. By table of organization and table ofequipment, 11 MAGTF units of battalion andsquadron size or larger possess organic mainte-nance capabilities. There are two permanent com-bat service support organizations within theMarine expeditionary force that provide inter-mediate ground maintenance support to theMAGTF: the force service support group and theMarine wing support group. These organizationspossess most of the assets required to task-organize the combat service support element.Normally, the FSSG is the primary source of in-termediate maintenance support for the groundcombat element.

a. Maintenance Battalion, FSSG

(1) Mission. The maintenance battalion providesintermediate (third and fourth echelon) mainte-nance for Marine Corps-furnished tactical groundequipment of a Marine expeditionary force.

(2) Concept of Employment. The battalion es-tablishes and operates intermediate level, directand general support maintenance facilities in sup-port of the Marine expeditionary force or anysmaller combination of MAGTF. If the mainte-nance battalion is supporting MAGTFs smallerthan a Marine expeditionary force, it forms pla-toon detachments from each of the functionalcompanies (while maintaining unit integrity) as-signed to the supporting combat service supportelement. The detachments are task-organized toprovide all second and third echelon and limitedfourth echelon secondary reparables capabilities.Maintenance support of major end items is


provided by maintenance support teams wheneverpossible.

(3) Organization. Maintenance battalion, FSSGis organized with a headquarters, support ele-ments, four commodity maintenance companies,and a general support maintenance company (seefig. 4-1). It is staffed and equipped to be em-ployed in two modes simultaneously. First, withtask-organized detachments and maintenance sup-port teams that provide CSSE support and on-siterepairs for supported units. Second, as a func-tional commodity area company that operates acentralized maintenance facility.

The battalion is effective when it is employed in acentralized manner and co-located with its sour-ces of supply or as task-organized detachments/maintenance support teams. The method of em-ployment (centralized, task-organized, or a com-bination of the two) is situationally driven toprovide the most effective means of support basedon mission requirements and available resources.

(4) Maintenance Companies. The battalion’sfive maintenance companies differ not only in thekind of equipment they repair but also in the leveland type of repairs they can perform. Engineer,motor transport, and ordnance maintenance com-panies are the most mobile and perform mainte-nance on their respective types of equipment byreplacing end item parts or components. The elec-tronics maintenance, ordnance, and general sup-port maintenance companies also repair their owncomponents, but their work generally requiresmore sophisticated tools and test equipment andenvironmentally-controlled work areas makingthem the least mobile of the battalion’s units.

The electronics maintenance company’s main em-phasis is the repair of secondary reparables andtheir subsequent return to float stockage. Littlemaintenance is performed to end items. The sec-ondary responsibility of the electronics mainte-nance company is the calibration and repair of testequipment for all commodity areas. Therefore, theemployment of the company and its detachmentsmay be different than the employment of the othercommodity areas. The electronics maintenancecompany commander is responsible to the com-mander for dispersing assets to cover the numer-ous floats spread out in support of the combatelements while still maintaining sufficient equip-ment (primarily test equipment) to provide timelyrepairs for all floats. For example, the commandermay attach small detachments to a float for the re-pair of most communications and electronicsequipment and establish evacuation procedures tosend difficult or time consuming repairs to therear.

b. Marine Wing Support Group andMarine Wing Support SquadronThe Marine wing support group is limited to firstechelon maintenance. The Marine wing supportsquadron is authorized first and second echelonmaintenance on ground equipment and some thirdand fourth echelon maintenance on expeditionaryairfield-related equipment. If requirements exceedthis capability, the maintenance battalion of theFSSG provides intermediate support.

4-4 MCWP 4-24

Ordnance Maintenance Company Company

Maintenance Motor Transport Engineer

Maintenance Company

Headquarters and Service Company

Electronics Maintenance Company

General Support Maintenance Company

Maintenance Battalion

Figure 4-1. Maintenance Battalion, FSSG.

4004. Mobile Maintenance Teams

The mission of maintenance teams is to diagnoseproblems, route repairs, and replace combat unitequipment as far forward as possible on the bat-tlefield. There are two types of maintenanceteams: maintenance contact teams and mainte-nance support teams. Maintenance contact teamscome from the organizational maintenance activityof the equipment owner and are located close tocombat units. Maintenance support teams comefrom the CSSE and perform their duties at for-ward sites. The situation determines the composi-tion of the mobile maintenance team (manpowerand equipment). Therefore, maintenance teamsare task-organized to fit the particular mainte-nance effort required.

a. Maintenance Contact TeamThe maintenance contact team is a key element oforganizational maintenance. The maintenancecontact team has organizational maintenance re-pairmen with tools, test equipment, technical pub-lications, and limited repair parts. Themaintenance contact team may have communica-tions, engineer, motor transport, or ordnance re-pair personnel depending on the table ofequipment. The unit commander determines theexact number of personnel and mix of skills in themaintenance contact team.

b. Maintenance Support TeamThe CSSE commander may form maintenancesupport teams from available assets. The CSSEcommander determines the task organization ofthe maintenance support team. At a minimum, the

maintenance support team contains intermediatelevel maintenance (i.e., engineer, motor transport,ordnance, or communications-electronic), specialtools, and transportation as required. The CSSEcommander uses maintenance support teams tosupport either organizational maintenance contactteams within the MAGTF or to augment subordi-nate combat service support detachment capabili-ties during surge periods.

4005. Central MaintenanceShops

The organization of unit maintenance activities,personnel, and equipment into a central mainte-nance shop, if compatible with the unit’s mission,is normally preferred over distribution throughoutequipment operating elements. Central mainte-nance shops increase economy of operation, de-crease time required for maintenance, andimprove maintenance quality. Although a mainte-nance shop’s organization will vary, most shopsconsist of a shop office/operations section, admin-istrative section, services section, maintenancesection, and an issue point as shown in figure 4-2.The issue point may be internal or external to theshop or it may be a central issue point serving amajor command or geographical location.

a. Shop Office/Operations SectionA shop office manages the overall conduct ofmaintenance within the shop. This includes, but isnot limited to—

Recommending personnel assignment.Scheduling maintenance.


Figure 4-2. Central Shop Organization.

Ensuring that maintenance operations inter-face with maintenance-related programs.Ensuring the economic use of maintenanceresources.Supervising maintenance training within theshop.Ensuring that proper transactions are submit-ted into the Field Maintenance Subsystem formaintenance actions completed and changesin ERO status.

b. Administrative SectionThe administrative section performs functions as-sociated with equipment receipt and transfer,technical data research, tool issue, shop propertycontrol, and the recording and reporting of com-pleted maintenance actions within the shop. Anadministrative section can range from one personin small shops to several people in larger shops.

c. Services SectionA services section performs functions in supportof equipment maintenance; for example, welding,battery shop service, inspection, quality control.

d. Maintenance SectionsThe actual performance of maintenance is accom-plished by maintenance sections. These sectionsmay be organized in a number of different ways:

By function (e.g., preventive maintenancechecks and services, corrective maintenance,modification).By equipment (e.g., light, medium, heavy, orspecific equipment type).By commodity (e.g., motor transport, ord-nance, engineer, ground maintenance equip-ment).By echelon (e.g., second, third, fourth, oreven second and third).

4-6 MCWP 4-24

MCDP 4 shows that common to all logistic sys-tems are a distribution system and command andcontrol. The distribution system is made up ofbases (sources sized and located in accordancewith need and capability) and distribution proce-dures (means, parameters, and criteria to distrib-ute). Command and control provides the ability toadminister, monitor, and adjust the distributionsystem as required. Therefore, planning effortsmust focus on developing a distribution systemwith the command and control appropriate to themission and scheme of maneuver.

Planning expeditionary maintenance to supportMAGTF operations must start early and be ad-justed, as necessary, with the receipt of the initiat-ing directives and other planning documents. Boththe supported and supporting units must knoweach other’s responsibilities if a unit commander isto receive timely and appropriate combat servicesupport. While maintenance and supply are sepa-rate functions, maintenance support planning mustparallel and interface with supply planning efforts.It is also essential to make maximum use of theFSSG’s major base/ installation facilities to pre-pare equipment prior to deployment.

5001. Supported UnitResponsibilities

Supported unit commanders, through the coordi-nated efforts of the G-3s/S-3s and G-4s/S-4s, ini-tiate combat service support detailed planning.Combat service support planning begins by

determining support requirements, assigning pri-orities, and allocating resources.

a. Determining Support RequirementsSupported unit commanders must determine andidentify combat service support mission require-ments that are beyond their organic capabilities.To accurately determine the type and amount ofexternal service support, the supported com-mander’s staff must calculate the exact quantitiesof needed supply categories. The following fac-tors should be considered when calculating need:

MAGTF mission.Characteristics of the objective area, inclu-ding available resources, climate, weather,and terrain.Enemy capabilities.Characteristics of operations to be sup-ported.Duration of the operation.Capability and dependability of the transpor-tation system (outside and inside the objec-tive area).Tasks requiring special supplies and equip-ment.Experience in similar operations.

b. Assigning PrioritiesUnits assign priorities based on their assignedforce activity designator (FAD) and urgency ofneed designators as outlined in MCO 4400.16.

Chapter 5

Maintenance Planning

“The factors and methods which give great economy in a stable situation may not be adequate forthe changing situation.”1—FMFRP 12-14

“. . . Mere size is no suitable object; rather, the efficiency of the logistic support rendered is thetrue aim.”2—FMFRP 12-14

Units upgrade force activity designators based onchanges to the unit’s mission. Commanders mustbe keenly aware of their FAD and when itchanges. A unit’s FAD directly translates towhose equipment is fixed first. The assignment ofpriorities affects the supporting CSSE’s conceptof combat service support and must be coordi-nated by the supported unit and the combat serv-ice support element to ensure that adequatecombat service support is available during theearly stages of an operation. Ultimately, theMAGTF commander oversees assignment of pri-orities.

c. Allocating ResourcesSupported unit commanders allocate available or-ganic CSS resources, including the assets theyretain as a reserve, to subordinate elements withintheir organization. These allocations must supportand complement the MAGTF’s concept of opera-tions and reflect previous decisions concerning re-quirements and priorities. Like supported unitcommanders’ assignment of priorities, their allo-cation of combat service support resources alsoaffects the supporting CSSE’s concept of combatservice support.

5002. Supporting Unit CombatService Support Responsibilities

The supporting combat service support plannercan be an important asset to the supported unit.The supporting combat service support plannercan advise and assist the unit in refining require-ments, procuring the resources to meet those re-quirements, and planning for the distribution ofassets to support the mission and concept ofoperations.

a. Determining RequirementsRequirements are based on the supported com-manders concept of operations and the situation.The identified requirements must address eachCSS functional support area. The CSSE mustknow the requirements early in the planning phase

and be informed of changes as they occur. Closecoordination between the supporting CSSE andthe supported unit prevents support short- falls.

b. Procuring AssetsThe supporting combat service support elementprocures assets based on the requirements neededto sustain the supported unit. To prevent unnec-essary logistical burdens, the CSSE plannercarefully reviews requirements to avoid overes-timating requirements.

c. Distributing AssetsThe distribution of assets is the actual perform-ance of the supported service. The distribution ofassets has the most critical impact on responsive-ness, flexibility, and economy of combat servicesupport. Assets distribution can be successfullyachieved only by coordinated predeploymentplanning, which anticipates and provides for unex-pected replenishment opportunities, surge require-ments, and alternate delivery means.

5003. Combat Service SupportPlanning References

a. Table of Authorized MaterielThe table of authorized materiel (TAM) providesgeneral information and instruction on the supplysystem; specific information on classes I, II, III,IV, and VII; and replacement factors needed toproject anticipated losses or consumption rates.This source document is the one most used byMarine Corps personnel with regards to logisticplanning.

b. Mechanized Allowance List and Table of EquipmentThe mechanized allowance list (MAL) and tableof equipment (T/E) identify the equipment that aunit rates and the total of what it has on-hand oron order. The table of equipment is primarily con-cerned with class VII items. It also assists in thedetermination of class V because it identifies the

5-2 MCWP 4-24

number and type of weapon systems a unit pos-sesses. The table of equipment listing ofvehicles/equipment is also very helpful in deter-mining class III and IX requirements.

c. Table of OrganizationThe table of organization (T/O) contains the or-ganization of the unit and a listing of the unit’sauthorized personnel allocations. The table of or-ganization is useful to the logistic planner becauseit describes the logistic capabilities of the unit andassists in the determination of classes I, II, V, andVII.

d. Marine Corps OrdersMCO 8010.1, Class V(W) Supply FMF CombatOperations, provides class V(W) supply ratesduring combat operations. MCO P8011.4, Tableof Allowances for Class V(W) Materiel (Peace-time), provides information for determining train-ing requirements.

e. Marine Corps DoctrineMarine Corps doctrine portrayed in the 4 series ofour doctrinal hierarchy includes doctrinal publica-tions (MCDP 4, Logistics) future warfightingpublications (MCWP 4-1, Logistics Operations[under development]), and reference publications(FMFRP 4-34, Recovery and Battlefield DamageAssessment and Repair). This doctrine is invalu-able to understanding the nature of logistics as itapplies to our warfighting philosophy. It providesthe framework for applying the necessary tactics,techniques, and procedures. A thorough ground-ing in our warfighting doctrine is essential to ef-fective planning.

f. U.S. Army Field ManualFM 101-10-1/2, Staff Officers’ Field Manual:Organizational, Technical, and Logistical Data(volume 2), provides planning factors for engi-neer, supply, transportation and movement, per-sonnel services, health services, and operationalforce requirements.

5004. Personnel Considerations

Maintenance planning must include every level ofmechanic and technician needed to supportMAGTF ground equipment. The ratio of mechan-ics to the density of equipment to be supportedmust be considered during planning. This planningincludes the organizational maintenancemechanics of MAGTF units and the CSSE’sintermediate maintenance mechanics. The compo-sition of maintenance contact teams and main-tenance support teams must also be programmedto support the MAGTF’s scheme of maneuver.

5005. Maintenance ToolsConsiderations

The need for special and general tools and kitsmust be considered during MAGTF maintenancesupport planning. The following factors determinethe need for special and general tools kits:

Types of equipment to be supported.Density of equipment supported.Mobility required.Environmental conditions.

5006. Safety Considerations

All commanders must address the safety of per-sonnel during expeditionary maintenance opera-tions. Personnel safety must be a primary concern.Lack of effective safety measures can result intragedy. The following safety issues should be ad-dressed at all levels of command during the plan-ning phase and while operations are underway:

Are personnel properly trained for the tasksand procedures they are performing?Is the operation adequately staffed and su-pervised by personnel qualified in their po-sition?Has the operational tempo increased to thepoint where haste, fatigue, and personnel


availability are causing common safety prac-tices, procedures, and regulations to beviolated?

5007. Maintenance and SupplyInterface

The supply system provides the MAGTF with thematerial it needs to support unit operations. Theneeds of the supported unit must be the basis ofall supply efforts, especially that of the CSSE. Theusing unit level is where the supply cycle beginsand ends. Therefore, supply related limitationsthat affect maintenance support operations mustbe minimized. Tailoring repair parts blocks tosupport a MAGTF’s maintenance effort, collocat-ing issue points and maintenance facilities, ware-housing to support anticipated maintenance, andusing maintenance and supply automated informa-tion systems are all part of the maintenance andsupply interface. The goal is to provide the usingunit with sufficient expeditionary maintenance ca-pabilities to support the scheme of maneuverwithout overtaxing embarkation/lift constraints.

a. Repair Parts Block (Class IX Block)CompositionDuring the predeployment phase, a class IX blockis tailored to support MAGTF units. The processof estimating the supply block begins with theSASSY Management Unit running a deploymentsupport generator package (also known as a gen-pack.) This automated computer program esti-mates repair parts requirements based on historicusage data (past demand for parts in support ofequipment by identification number). The SASSYManagement Unit runs the genpack against theequipment density list provided by the MAGTF toestimate repair parts requirements for each type ofequipment supported. Since this history does notcapture variable that influenced the demand (e.g.,operating climates), the estimates usefulness ismainly as a starting point to further develop andrefine the class IX block. To further refine the es-timate, commanders also consider the experiencecaptured in lessons learned from previous opera-tions and the input provided by their maintenance

personnel. The following factors should be con-sidered during repair parts block determination:

Type and density of equipment to be sup-ported.Level of maintenance to be performed by theorganizational and CSSE maintenanceelements.MAGTF objective and scheme of maneuver.Environmental impact. Projected length of operation and resupplycapability.Other resources in the MAGTF’s area ofoperation.After-action reports of MAGTFs previouslydeployed to the same region.High demand national stock numbers. Embarkation and lift constraints.

b. Repair Parts Issue PointIdeally, the CSSE commander locates the repairparts issue point near the intermediate mainte-nance area. At each forward issue point, the com-bat service support detachment maintains a blockof repair parts tailored to the anticipated needs ofthe supported unit(s).

Note: The repair parts block, which the combatservice support detachment holds, has limitedrange and depth (too large a supply block limitsmobility, too small a supply block reduces re-sponsiveness).

The preponderance of class IX blocks arrive inthe area of responsibility with the assault follow-on echelon. When they arrive, the combat servicesupport element expands the primary issue pointin the force combat service support area.

Forward issue points stock only those class IX re-pair parts necessary to maintain combat-essentialequipment. The MAGTF commander establishesthe stockage objective for forward issue pointsbased on the CSSE commander’s recommen-dation. The composition of the issue point is de-termined by the MAGTF scheme of maneuver and

5-4 MCWP 4-24

the supported unit’s type and density ofequipment.

c. Warehousing PartsThe warehousing of parts must be considered dur-ing supply support planning. Warehousing ofparts is the process of packaging parts in a prior-ity of issue sequence. The anticipated order of is-sue determines the packaging process (i.e., thefirst parts to be issued will be the last to be pack-aged so they can be readily accessed). The abilityto identify, locate, and access required parts in atimely manner is critical to the maintenance ef-fort’s supply support. The MAGTF’s automatedinformation systems allow supply functions to beresponsive to the maintenance support effort.

Note: Consideration also must be given to the us-age of parts blocks afloat during the movementphase of an operation. The ability to access re-quired parts in support of the maintenance effortaboard ship must be coordinated with ship per-sonnel prior to deployment.

d. Information Systems SupportWithin the MAGTF, commanders down to thebattalion and company level have organic, auto-mated information systems to manage their man-power, supply, maintenance, embarkation, anddisbursing. Both MIMMS and SASSY providethe MAGTF commander with timely and accurateinformation concerning the status of equipmentundergoing repair and the repair parts required toeffect those repairs. The interface betweenMIMMS and SASSY must take place in the main-frame located in the continental United States.Planning for deployed maintenance reporting mustinclude a description of available transmission me-diums such as a message editing processing sys-tem, electronic mail system, and satellitecommunications. (See app. B for further informa-tion concerning information systems.)


(reverse blank)

The Marine Corps demands that its maintenanceplan is well directed, organized, staffed with suffi-cient materiel and trained personnel, and executedwith its focus on the supported units mission andthe commander’s intent. Chapter 6 addresses theimpact of maintenance execution in the organiza-tion, embarkation, transit, offload, and employ-ment of personnel and materiels.

6001. Ground Maintenance Control and Execution Options

Commanders may centralize or decentralize con-trol and execution of their maintenance opera-tions. For example, during an amphibious assault,the landing force support party has limited main-tenance capabilities. The landing force supportparty commander normally centralizes both con-trol and execution of maintenance operations atthe beach support area or landing zone supportarea. Once the CSSE comes ashore, maintenancecapabilities increase. This permits a shift to cen-tralized control and decentralized execution ofcertain maintenance tasks.

Note: Some maintenance tasks are always cen-tralized because the CSSE has limited resources.

MCDP 1 says we should aspire to train the waywe fight, MCDP 4 indicates that successful logis-tics requires both effectiveness and efficiency,hence that is not always possible. For example,while inherently better from a training perspectiveto use nothing but tactical communication meansfor daily operations, the cost of batteries mitigatesthe use of the base telephone system in garrison.

To perform maintenance as far forward aspossible, commanders must decentralize executionof essential tasks. As a general rule, the goal incombat should be centralized control with decen-tralized execution unless the tactical circum-stances or resources demand a differentconfiguration. Similarly, the peacetime goal iscentralized control with centralized execution.This is more economical, although not as re-sponsive. In peacetime, economy will frequentlyoutweigh responsiveness in order to conserveresources.

6002. Maintenance Afloat

MAGTF commanders must plan for and conductmaintenance operations during the movementphase of an amphibious operation. Maintenanceafloat must be coordinated with ship personnel.Prior planning ensures that parts and materials arereadily available to conduct planned maintenance.Expeditionary maintenance operations afloat usu-ally include only those repairs/services that are ab-solutely necessary. A ship’s facilities, with propercoordination, can provide valuable support to theMAGTF’s maintenance effort afloat.

a. Maintenance Capabilities AfloatDue to obvious space restrictions, the mainte-nance capabilities of embarked MAGTF units arenormally very limited. Only maintenance proce-dures or repairs that are approved by ship person-nel and can be accomplished safely are performed.However, commanders should take advantage ofthis opportunity to improve the readiness of theMAGTF’s equipment. Listed below are mainte-nance capabilities that can be performed afloat byMAGTF units.

Chapter 6

Maintenance Execution

“Has all the money spent on what is now called ‘the tail’ been wasted?”1—FMFRP 12-14

(1) First Echelon. First echelon is the limitedaction performed by crews or operators as pre-ventive maintenance. It normally involves clean-ing, servicing, lubricating, and other actionswithin the operators maintenance category. Spe-cial consideration must be given to the extremelycorrosive environment while embarked and duringlanding operations. If feasible, crews or operatorsshould conduct either freshwater wash- downs orwipedowns as frequently as possible, preferablyno less than biweekly.

(2) Second Echelon. Second echelon is thelimited action above the operators level performedby organizational mechanics or maintenance con-tact teams. It normally involves minor repairs, ad-justing, inspecting, servicing, and othermaintenance actions within the organizationalmaintenance category.

(3) Third Echelon. Third echelon is the limitedcomponent replacement performed by intermedi-ate mechanics or maintenance support teams.

b. Maintenance Procedures AfloatMAGTF equipment maintenance operations afloatdiffer slightly from garrison or ashore expedition-ary maintenance procedures. Space restrictionsrequire close coordination with ship personnel.Safety regulations may prevent specific types ofmaintenance from being performed. Additionally,sea conditions and time constraints may restrictmaintenance operations. Therefore, the MAGTFunit commander embarked aboard ship outlines, incoordination with ship personnel, the proceduresfor equipment maintenance afloat.

Climatic conditions aboard ship affect embarkedMAGTF weapons and equipment. Dampness andsalt water cause corrosion and deterioration to anextent beyond that usually experienced ashore.Therefore, weapons and equipment aboard shiprequire extra care.

The following topics should be considered whileconducting maintenance afloat.(1) Equipment Stowed Topside. First echelonmaintenance is paramount for equipment stowedtopside. Whenever possible, equipment should be

protected from the weather by canvas and tarpau-lins. This must be accomplished without dam- ag-ing the ship or equipment. Equipment may alsorequire additional maintenance attention due tothe harsh environment.

(2) Equipment Preventive Maintenance.Equipment must be wiped down periodically. First

echelon lubrication is performed at regular inter-vals. Vehicles should be started periodically,whether stowed on the main deck or in holds. Be-fore starting vehicles in a hold, unit maintenancepersonnel coordinate with ship personnel to en-sure that the ship’s safety regulations are strictlyenforced.

(3) Equipment Inspections. Equipment inspec-tions should be conducted frequently to ensurethat all equipment will function properly when de-barked. Permission must be obtained from theship’s commander to enter cargo holds for inspec-tions. Inspections should include—

Equipment waterproofing.Gas and oil leakage.Batteries and tires.Deterioration due to dampness or sea (salt)water.Lashing assemblies and shoring to ensurethat vehicles remain secured. (This is nor-mally a joint responsibility of the ship’s deckdepartment and embarked personnel.)

c. Ship’s Maintenance FacilitiesAll amphibious ships have some type of mainte-nance facilities or shops to maintain and repair theship. Most ships have electrical, welding, carpen-try, electronics, and machine shops. These facili-ties, although not designed to specifically supportMAGTF maintenance operations, may be utilized

6-2 MCWP 4-24

WARNING

THE SHIP’S VENTILATION SYSTEMMUST BE USED TO PROTECT PER-SONNEL AGAINST CARBON MONOX-IDE POISONING.

when properly coordinated with ship personnel.The embarked MAGTF commander and staffshould be aware of the maintenance facilitiesaboard ship and coordinate their use by MAGTFpersonnel if needed.

6003. Maintenance in MaritimePrepositioning Force Operations

The maritime prepositioning force offload prepa-ration party is task-organized and composed ofmaintenance supervisors (i.e., officers and staffnoncommissioned officers), mechanics, techni-cians, and operators. The offload preparationparty deploys prior to the MAGTF to prepareequipment for offload and receipt by the MAGTF.Limited by size, capability, time, and workspace,its work is typically confined to first echelonmaintenance and second echelon emergency fieldexpedient repairs. Therefore, corrective mainte-nance requirements of a more significant natureare identified for resolution by maintenance unitsat the point of offload.

6004. Maintenance Concepts

a. Organizational Maintenance Con-cept of OperationsAll battalions and regiments have organizationalmaintenance capabilities. Proper employment ofthese elements is essential to sustain combat op-erations. The maintenance contact team is the keyelement of organizational maintenance in combat.Maintenance contact teams are essential to a suc-cessful recovery, evacuation, and repair program.They determine whether an item is repairable atthe recovery site. If so, they fix it themselves orobtain parts and additional personnel and toolsfrom the rear. If the equipment is not repairable ator near the recovery site, they supervise evacua-tion of the equipment. Maintenance contact teamsconsist of organizational maintenance repairmenwith tools, test equipment, and limited repair partsto inspect, diagnose, classify, and repair equip-ment at forward sites. Depending on the organiza-tion, maintenance contact teams can be composedof communications, engineer, motor transport,

and/or ordnance repair personnel. The com-mander determines the exact number of personneland mix of skills in a maintenance contact team.

Positioning of maintenance contact teams dependslargely on the train option selected. If combattrains are used, maintenance contact teams areforward, where they are more responsive to thetactical units they support. If unit trains are used,maintenance contact teams are further to the rearand are not as readily available to inspect, classify,or repair damaged or inoperable items.

Figure 6-1, on page 6-4, shows the notional posi-tioning and relationship among various mainte-nance agencies in an expeditionary environment.Ground combat element collection points repre-sent the battalion and regimental trains. The ter-rain and tactical situation dictate the locations ofboth tactical and combat service support ele-ments. Organizational maintenance elements aregenerally forward of the division’s rear boundary.

b. Intermediate Maintenance Conceptof OperationsThere are three elements in the intermediate main-tenance concept: the maintenance support team,the forward support maintenance detachment, andthe CSSE maintenance element.

(1) Maintenance Support Team. The mainte-nance support team is to intermediate mainte-nance what the maintenance contact team is toorganizational maintenance. Maintenance supportteams consist of intermediate maintenance repair-men, tools, test equipment, and repair parts.Maintenance support teams inspect, diagnose,classify, and repair equipment at forward sites.The CSS commander forms maintenance supportteams from available intermediate maintenance as-sets. Unlike maintenance contact teams, mainte-nance support teams are not routinely forwardwith the tactical units. They usually work onequipment in the CSSA until sent forward to re-pair a specific item of equipment. This permitsbetter use of maintenance and transportation as-sets while also permitting the maintenance team todraw and bring with them the needed repair parts.


The CSS commander may position maintenancesupport teams forward; however, this is usuallyonly done when the commander anticipates thatthe team will have enough work to justify this op-tion. If the commander sends the team forward, a

repair parts block must also be sent. When dis-patched, the team remains forward only until thework is completed. Once the work is completed,they return to the CSSA where they are accessiblefor further missions. Combat service support

6-4 MCWP 4-24

Figure 6-1. Notional Field Maintenance Flow.

detachments always have maintenance supportteams.

(2) Forward Support Maintenance Detach-ment. The forward support maintenance detach-ment is the CSSD maintenance element. It oper-ates the maintenance facilities and maintenancecollection points in the combat service supportarea. Its primary role is to evacuate inoperableequipment from the supported units’ collectionpoints and perform intermediate maintenancewithin its capabilities. The detachment also pro-vides the repairmen, tools, and test equipment fora maintenance support team, which assists organ-izational maintenance elements. The forward sup-port maintenance detachment is the furthestforward point of entry into the automated mainte-nance management system.

(3) CSSE Maintenance Element. The CSSEtask-organizes to support the deploying force. Itcan task-organize as an MSSG or FSSG.

The MEU service support group is the smallestCSSE. Although it has extensive capabilities, theMSSG conducts maintenance operations from asingle combat service support area. The MSSGcommander uses maintenance support teams asneeded.

The maintenance capabilities of an FSSG aremuch greater than an MSSG. These commandershave the assets to form multiple combat servicesupport detachments in addition to retaining acentral maintenance capability. The commanderestablishes a central maintenance capability in theFCSSA. It is here that the CSSE performs themore complex, time-consuming maintenance. TheCSSE commander may also create maintenancesupport teams from these assets to support eitherorganizational maintenance contact teams or toaugment subordinate combat service support de-tachment capabilities during surge periods. Main-tenance support teams are usually kept on-call inthe FCSSA rather than with either the supportedunit or with subordinate combat service supportdetachments.

6005. Maintenance Support inCombat

a. Maintenance System AdaptabilityIdeally, peacetime or garrison systems andexpeditionary maintenance systems should be thesame. Maintenance systems and procedures mustsupport mission accomplishment during bothpeace and war. However, peacetime or garrisonmaintenance procedures may not necessarilytransfer to or work effectively for expeditionarymaintenance execution under combat conditions.Whenever peacetime maintenance systems andprocedures can support or enhance sustainment,the MAGTF should employ them. Where they arecumbersome, redundant, or impossible to admin-ister, the MAGTF must use other techniques andprocedures.

b. Maintenance RequestsDuring combat actions, intermediate maintenanceand augmentation of organic maintenance capa-bilities are performed only by maintenance sup-port teams when requested by the supported unit.Maintenance support teams are drawn either fromthe supporting combat service support element ormaintenance battalion, FSSG. Regardless of thesource, maintenance support teams employedforward of the supported unit’s rear boundary arerequested through and coordinated by the sup-porting combat service support element.

c. Rear Area SupportIn the MAGTF’s rear area, the CSSE’s mainte-nance element provides maintenance support.CSSE maintenance elements are task-organized tosupport mission/operational requirements. Person-nel are selected based on their specific skills.Equipment selections are based on projectedneeds. The situation determines the size and capa-bilities of the maintenance element. The larger themaintenance element, the greater the need tostock repair parts, and the less maneuverable the


combat service support element. Elements of elec-tronics and general support maintenance compa-nies can be positioned in the rear area to takeadvantage of captured facilities, security, and theestablishment of semi-fixed facilities.

d. Main Area SupportIn the vicinity of the FSSG’s main area, the main-tenance battalion is located in one of the combatservice support areas with its companies locatedin the same or in other combat service support ar-eas to provide dispersion. It is not effective to es-tablish a full range of capabilities in each combatservice support area, but establishing complemen-tary capabilities facilitates reconstitution in theevent of loss of a combat service support area orredeployment.

e. Forward Area SupportThe forward support maintenance detachment isthe CSSD’s maintenance element that operatesmaintenance facilities and maintenance collectionpoints in the combat service support area. Itevacuates inoperable equipment from the sup-ported units’ collection points and performs inter-mediate maintenance within its capabilities. Theforward support maintenance detachment pro-vides the repairmen, tools, and test equipment forthe maintenance support teams that assist organ-izational maintenance elements. The forward sup-port maintenance detachment is the furthestforward point of entry into the automated mainte-nance management system.

6006. Maintenance Support inthe Offense

The ability to maintain momentum and mass atcritical points is crucial in the attack. Maintenanceoperations must be thoroughly integrated into theplan in order to surge support to units preparingfor attack. They must also be positioned to re-spond quickly when repair on site is critical. Thesituation may dictate repair at the point of mal-function or damage in order to maintain the

maximum number of operable and mobile weaponsystems. Therefore, mechanics and techniciansworking in forward areas must be able to meet theincreased demands for organizational (first andsecond echelon) and intermediate (third andfourth echelon) maintenance. Intermediate main-tenance elements, in the form of maintenance sup-port teams, may also operate in direct support oflead units in the attack. Maintenance supportteams must be properly configured (military occu-pational specialty and quantity), equipped (trans-portation, common tools, special tools, andcommunications), and supplied (components, as-semblies, and repair parts) to perform their mis-sions. Noncombat essential repair parts,components, and assemblies should not be carriedforward due to their adverse effects on mobility.

Highly trained technicians must make hasty butinformed decisions regarding what can be repairedon the site, what should be evacuated, and whatshould be cannibalized. They must also be capableof determining if operational necessity demandsthe destruction of damaged equipment to render ituseless to the enemy. Guidelines should be set re-garding the amount of time devoted to repair onsite to determine whether or not equipmentshould be evacuated or reported to the nexthigher level and left to be repaired by followingunits. Contact teams report the location of itemsleft behind to their parent maintenance controlelement. Parent maintenance control elements co-ordinate recovery and evacuation of these items.Typically, policy and standing operating proce-dures require the destruction of equipment (e.g;trucks, tanks, assault amphibious vehicles, artil-lery) that must be abandoned (operator’s equip-ment manuals provide destruction procedures).The inherent danger of leaving equipment forrecovery/salvage is that it provides the enemy theopportunity to exploit/compromise the equipment.Attempted recovery/salvage of equipment that hasbeen compromised may not be feasible due to thetactical situation and safety.

a. Maintenance During the Amphibious Assault

6-6 MCWP 4-24

Assault elements of the landing force are in eitherscheduled or on-call waves. Assault units usuallyhave few organizational maintenance personnel.The majority of their organizational maintenancecapability follows in nonscheduled waves.

The initial maintenance capability, to include lim-ited recovery, evacuation, and repair, is providedby the landing force support party (LFSP). TheLFSP maintenance detachment carries a smallblock of critical repair parts tailored to match thequantity and type of equipment in the assaultwaves. Due to the intense activity during the as-sault phase, the LFSP’s emphasis will be on re-placement of components and assemblies ratherthan repairing them. The LFSP should be author-ized selective interchange and cannibalization tooffset the limited depth and breadth of the repairparts block. Immediate tasks of the LFSP mainte-nance detachment are to establish maintenanceand salvage collection points and aggressively im-plement the recovery and evacuation plan. Assaultelements must be made to understand the impor-tance of recovering damaged equipment and re-turning the equipment to the appropriatecollection point. Even extensively damaged itemsmay provide parts for repair of other combat-essential equipment items. Equipment should onlybe abandoned when the tactical situation leavesno other options. When units are unable to re-cover equipment, they should report the locationto the LFSP for later recovery and evacuation.Assault elements are normally on unit distributionfor resupply and should place damaged equipmenton resupply vehicles for return to the LFSP.

b. Maintenance During TransitionPeriodsAs the tactical situation stabilizes, assault elementcommanders phase in their nonscheduled unitsthat include their unit/battalion trains and their or-ganizational maintenance elements. The primaryresponsibility for maintenance then shifts to theunit owning the equipment. As the assault units’organizational maintenance capability expands,the LFSP shifts its efforts to intermediate mainte-nance. Assault units initially position their trainsnear the LFSP to enhance mutual support, avoid

unnecessary duplication of effort, and reduce dis-tance between train positions, which also reducesthe transportation burden for both maintenanceand resupply.

c. Maintenance During SubsequentOperationsOnly after the assault follow-on echelon arrivesdoes the combat service support element reachfull maintenance capability. When a maintenanceunit cannot repair an item, it holds the item at themaintenance collection point or evacuates theitem to the next higher level. As the situation con-tinues to mature, the landing force commanderphases in additional CSSE units from the assaultechelon and maintenance capabilities gradually in-crease. When satisfied that adequate capabilityand command and control is established by theCSSE, the landing force commander will disestab-lish the LFSP, which will be subsequently ab-sorbed into the CSSE.

6007. Maintenance Support inthe Defense

The MAGTF maintenance effort’s primary thrustin the defense is to prepare the maximum numberof combat-ready weapons. Once the defensivebattle begins, the priority shifts to repairing themaximum number of damaged/inoperable systemsand returning them to the battle as fast as possi-ble. This requires conduct of maintenance on siteor as near as possible to the location where thesystem is employed. Commanders task-organizepersonnel, equipment, and parts as required toprovide responsive maintenance in the forwardarea. This organization should include trained per-sonnel who are able to diagnose problems quickly,make rapid repairs, or decide to evacuate equip-ment to the next level of maintenance.Note: Consideration should also be given to pro-viding maintenance to covering force elementswhen they return to the ground combat element’srear area so they may be returned more rapidlyto a combat-ready condition.


6008. Combat Recovery, Evacuation, and Repair Cycle

Combat recovery, evacuation, and repair capabili-ties are phased in as more of the MAGTF lands.

a. RecoveryRecovery is the responsibility of the units thatown the equipment. Owning units retrieve or ar-range to retrieve immobile, inoperative, and/orabandoned materiel. The owning unit’s objectiveis to recover equipment to its maintenance collec-tion point, to a main supply route, or to the com-bat service support detachment’s intermediatemaintenance site.

If materiel is not repairable or is permanently un-recoverable, owning units recover salvageableparts and components. Owning units should de-stroy equipment they cannot recover or that is indanger of capture. If possible, they cannibalizemateriel before destroying it.

b. EvacuationIf neither the owning unit nor the combat servicesupport detachment can repair a recovered item,the combat service support detachment evacuatesit to the force combat service support area. Thecombat service support detachment may removeand use parts before evacuating an item if theMAGTF commander has authorized selective in-terchange. The combat service support detach-ment evacuates recovered equipment directly to

an agency that will repair or dispose of theequipment

c. PrioritiesTactical and combat service support commandersmust closely monitor and control recovery andevacuation operations. They must establish prior-ities that govern recovery and evacuation efforts,and they must carefully allocate personnel andequipment to these efforts. For example, combatvehicles, weapons platforms, and weapons oftenhave a higher recovery priority than other items.The extent of damage also affects recovery prior-ity. When the unit must recover two or more ofthe same item, they should first recover the itemrequiring the least repairs.

d. PositioningCombat and combat support unit commandersshould position their recovery capability as farforward as possible. As a rule, their recovery ca-pability consists of the personnel and equipment intheir maintenance contact teams. Commanders ofintermediate maintenance activities should holdtheir recovery assets at the force combat servicesupport area or the combat service support areawhere they can achieve a balance between econ-omy and responsiveness.

6-8 MCWP 4-24

Since the basic functions and tasks of a mainte-nance shop are the same, its organization is fairlystandard regardless of shop size or authorizedechelon of maintenance. The difference amongshops is mainly the workload associated with eachfunction or task and the resources required. Thisappendix addresses establishment of a basic main-tenance shop applicable to a wide range ofscenarios.

1. Site Selection

The following characteristics affect selection of amaintenance area site:

Terrain.Environment.Tactical situation.Unit size and mission.Mission maintenance requirements.

Typically, the unit’s S-1 and the headquarterscommandant share responsibility for selecting thesite for the command echelon and allocating spacewithin it. The maintenance area is normally withinthe limits of the unit’s command echelon site. Inmajor subordinate and force level commands, thelogistic areas of subordinate service support unitsnormally locate away from the command echelonsite. The maintenance areas within these units areselected by the unit’s G-3/S-3 with the assistanceof the unit’s G-4/S-4. Figure A-1 on page A-2shows a generic layout for a field support mainte-nance activity.

a. Field Site SelectionBasic considerations that pertain to maintenancesite selection are common to any field activity;

i.e., cover, concealment, and perimeter security.Other factors also include—

(1) Space Requirements. Space limitations ina maintenance area can cause congestion thatcould impair maintenance efficiency and safety. Amaintenance area should be large enough to pro-vide for the adequate dispersal of equipment andmaintenance activities.

(2) Terrain Features. Ideally the terrain shouldoffer concealment from ground and air observa-tion; favor defense against air or ground attacks;facilitate local security; have a hardstand for vehi-cles and equipment; and be accessible to road,water, and air routes for evacuation and resupply. (3) Access Routes. Access routes should avoidcongested areas and be convenient to users of themaintenance facility. A maintenance area of sup-port maintenance units should be located alongthe main supply route to provide easy access tosupported units and to allow for the evacuation ofequipment.

(4) Proximity to Supported Units. The mainte-nance area is positioned so that it allows eachmaintenance section to effectively perform its mis-sion. A maintenance area of support maintenanceunits should be located far enough from sup-ported combat elements to allow continuity ofmaintenance operations.

(5) Proximity to Other Logistic Elements.The maintenance area is located in close proximityto the unit’s other logistic elements to better usecommon facilities and services.

b. Garrison Site SelectionGarrison site selection of a maintenance area doesnot differ appreciably from field site

Appendix A

Maintenance Shop Organization

considerations. Since mobility normally is not amajor factor in garrison, restrictions on theamount of maintenance capability to collocatewith the commodity users are limited only by theunit’s maintenance capabilities. Commercial

equipment resources should be used to the maxi-mum extent practical to extend tactical equipmentlife. Proximity of the unit’s maintenance area todining, billeting, and administrative facilities re-duces time lost due to travel.

A-2 MCWP 4-24

BIL

LE

TIN

G/A

DM

INIS

TR

AT

IVE

AR

EA

SUPPLY AREA

MA

INT

EN

AN

CE

OP

ER

AT

ION

S

PO

WE

R D

IST

RIB

UT

ION

ENGINEER

MAINTENANCE

ELECTRONIC

MAINTENANCE

GENERAL

SUPPORT

MAINTENANCE

ORDNANCE

MAINTENANCE

MO

TOR

TRANSPORT

MAINTENAN

CE

ISS

UE

PO

INT

SE

CU

RE

AR

EA

TRACKED VEHICLES

FUEL STORAGE

VEHICLE WASH

PR

IMA

RY

RO

AD

HARDSTAND

HARDSTAND

HARD

STAND

Figure A-1. Layout of a Field Support Maintenance Activity.

2. Organization of the Maintenance Area

The S-4 advises the commander on the assign-ment of facilities, placement of organic mainte-nance areas, distribution of utilities, and priorityof installation within the maintenance area. Exceptfor purely tactical considerations, the maintenancemanagement officer’s recommendations applyequally to the maintenance area in garrison. Com-manders must consider the following when organ-izing the maintenance area:

Facilities are assigned according to equip-ment size, density, and anticipated mainte-nance workload.Maintenance shops are positioned accordingto equipment types. Tracked vehicle mainte-nance normally is conducted outside of or onthe outer limits of the central maintenancearea to reduce route maintenance. Structuresare erected or assigned based on the need toprotect equipment from the climate and toprovide comfort to personnel. Drainage con-siderations are paramount when assigningoutside work and storage areas. Shops with common requirements for exten-sive electrical power are positioned so thatgenerators can be shared. Wash racks shouldbe established to serve several users.Defensive positions are accessible to theplace of work. Maintenance hardstands are installed whereneeded.Position of outside illumination must con-sider the tactical situation and concealmentrestrictions. Secure areas are established away from theperimeter of the unit and where a minimumnumber of personnel are needed to keepthem secure. Common issue points are located at the mostconvenient position for shop use. Commod-ity-oriented issue points should be locatedwhere they best serve the commodity shop. Storage areas are designated for fuel, flam-mable materials, hazardous materials, andhazardous waste. These areas are locatedaway (downhill/downwind) from work and

billeting areas, but still convenient for shopuse. A fire plan is established and considerationgiven to the positioning of firefightingequipment.Hazardous work areas are designated.

3. Maintenance Shop Layout

After the maintenance area site is selected, thenthe shop layout must be planned. Shop layout in-volves the organization of equipment and spaceassigned to a particular shop for the conduct ofmaintenance operations. Shop layout provides anefficient workflow, safety to personnel, and eco-nomic use of support and test equipment. FigureA-2 on page A-4 shows a generic maintenanceshop layout plan.

a. Inspection AreaAn initial inspection and holding area, whichserves as a control point for equipment enteringthe shop, is the first step in promoting orderlyworkflow. This area can be divided so that it alsoprovides for final inspection and holding of com-pleted maintenance items. The inspection areashould prevent overcrowding of the shop’s activemaintenance by controlling input, holding com-pleted work, and eliminating customers from thework areas.

b. Shop OfficeThe shop office should be located adjacent to theinspection and holding area. This location makesit convenient to shop customers and facilitates theprocessing of paperwork. The administrative andmanagement support provided by the shop officerequires that office personnel have easy access tothe remainder of the shop.

c. Common-Use ItemsCommon areas and equipment used by all shopmaintenance personnel should be located so theyare easily accessible. Some of these include—

A technical library (the shop library shouldbe immediately accessible to the work area).

Maintenance Operations A-3

Repair parts and materials (shop stores andpre-expended bins should be located in closeproximity to work areas). A scrap collection point (a central collectionpoint for scrap should be established to keepwork areas clear and facilitate easy collectionand removal of refuse from the shop).

Support and test equipment (equipment usedprimarily by one mechanic should be locatedas close as possible to the mechanic’s placeof use; however, a central location for low-density, common-use tools facilitates toolavailability and is preferred).

A-4 MCWP 4-24

LUBE RACK

WORK AREA

MAINTENANCE/ LUBE PIT

FLAMMABLE STORAGE

CLEANING AREA

UNSERVICEABLE HOLDING AREA

INITIAL AND FINALINSPECTION AREA

SERVICEABLE HOLDING AREA

OXYGEN STORAGE

ACETYLENE STORAGE

SHOP SUPPLY

SHOP OFFICE

TOOL ISSUE

PARTS ISSUE

TECHNICAL LIBRARY

RECORDING AND

CLOSEOUT

WORK AREA

HAZARDOUS AREA

WORK AREA

Figure A-2. Maintenance Shop Layout.

d. WorkflowThe shop office controls the flow of work throughthe shop. Work should not be inducted until ade-quate resources (e.g., space, personnel, and parts)are available to perform the necessary work. Thisreduces the chance of a work stoppage and effec-tively utilizes maintenance space.

e. Paper FlowEquipment repair orders, logbooks, equipmentrecords, and any other appropriate paperworkshould accompany the equipment through theshop during its various phases of maintenance.The ERO and other equipment records requiredfor the performance and recording of main-

tenance actions are checked at the acceptanceinspection for accuracy and completeness. Thisensures that the necessary paperwork is availableto the mechanics and technicians performing thework during the active maintenance phase. Ashop officer monitors and controls the paper flow.ERO logs and status boards are recommendedmethods for monitoring both supply and mainte-nance actions if automated reports are not avail-able. Once active maintenance is completed andthe equipment is ready to leave the shop, rec-ords should be returned to the administrative sec-tion for processing and closing. When returningequipment to the owning unit, the person receiv-ing it must ensure that all records delivered withthe equipment are returned and complete.

Maintenance Operations A-5

(reverse blank)

The Marine Corps Integrated Maintenance Man-agement System is an automated managementsystem. Operating force commanders and sup-porting establishment commanders use MIMMSto perform Marine Corps ground equipmentmaintenance. It is organized into three subsys-tems: the Headquarters Maintenance Subsystem,the Depot Maintenance Subsystem, and the FieldMaintenance Subsystem.

1. Headquarters MaintenanceSubsystem

The Headquarters Maintenance Subsystem sup-ports commodity managers at HeadquartersMarine Corps. It allows commodity managers(i.e., motor transport, communications-electron-ics, engineer, and ordnance) to enter standarddata into the Marine Corps Integrated Mainte-nance Management System and to maintain a database of selected maintenance information. TheHeadquarters Maintenance Subsystem data base iscomprised of information extracted from the FieldMaintenance Subsystem. It facilitates selectivemaintenance engineering analysis, logistic readi-ness evaluation, and maintenance management forspecified functions required by the HeadquartersMaintenance Subsystem user.

2. Depot Maintenance Subsystem

The Depot Maintenance Subsystem supports themateriel functions of the two Marine Corps depotmaintenance activities: one located at Albany,

Georgia and the other at Barstow, California. TheDepot Maintenance Subsystem provides materieland production control information and cost andlabor accounting information.

3. Field Maintenance Subsystem

The Field Maintenance Subsystem was developedto improve and standardize equipment status re-porting and management, while reducing and con-solidating manual reporting requirements. Itprovides operating force commanders with timelyand accurate information concerning the status ofequipment currently in the maintenance cycle.This system provides for the reporting of activemaintenance and repair parts information, produc-tion of selected SASSY transactions, collection ofhistorical costs, and tracking of maintenance engi-neering and modification control information. Re-ports and listings are generated from informationgenerated by the Field Maintenance Subsystem onboth a scheduled and nonscheduled basis. See UM4790-5, MIMMS Automated Information SystemField Maintenance Procedures, for userinstructions.

a. Input SourcesThe Field Maintenance Subsystem receives inputprimarily from two source documents: NAVMCForm 10245, Equipment Repair Order andNAVMC Form 10925, ERO Shopping/Transac-tion List. NAVMC Form 10245 is commonly re-ferred to as the ERO, and NAVMC Form 10925is commonly referred to as the ERO ShoppingList (EROSL).

Appendix B

Marine Corps Integrated MaintenanceManagement System and the Field

Maintenance Subsystem

The ERO is used for all maintenance actions ap-plied beyond the first echelon. Maintenance per-formed and requests for higher echelons ofmaintenance are recorded on the ERO.

The EROSL, often referred to as a shopping list,is used to requisition, receipt for, cancel, and re-cord partial issues and credits of repair parts andsecondary reparable items associated with equip-ment being repaired. It also serves as an excellentsource document for unit supply input and pro-vides a method for processing unit maintenanceinput to the Field Maintenance Subsystem.

The ERO and EROSL are completed by mainte-nance and supply personnel at the using unit andby the activity repairing the equipment. At thebattalion level, the appropriate maintenance shop(e.g; motor transport, armory) or the supply sec-tion completes the ERO and EROSL. Within theforce service support group, the appropriateequipment maintenance company of the mainte-nance battalion completes the ERO and EROSL.TM 4700-15/1 contains instructions for complet-ing both forms.

b. Input to the Data BaseEach battalion inputs data into the data base.Maintenance and supply information are con-verted into the appropriate input transaction typeand transmitted to the supporting automated serv-ices center for entry into the Field MaintenanceSubsystem data base. The conversion is accom-plished using source data automation equipment.Transactions are verified on machine media andtransferred to the automated services center forstorage and production of Field Maintenance Sub-system reports.

c. Data Base OutputMaintenance management officers at all levels areresponsible to their commanders for all aspects oftheir unit’s maintenance programs, which includesField Maintenance Subsystem operations. Theirduties include establishing and disseminating pro-cedures for the submission of information and thedissemination of output reports, evaluating

maintenance ship performance using Field Mainte-nance Subsystem output reports, and training per-sonnel in all aspects of Field MaintenanceSubsystem operations.

The FSSG’s information systems coordinatorsponsors and coordinates Field Maintenance Sub-systems operations within a Marine expeditionaryforce. The information systems coordinator coor-dinates and disseminates system changes or direc-tives from higher headquarters; consolidatessystem changes, modification requests, and impactstatements from adjacent major commands tohigher headquarters; coordinates the schedule forsubmission/dissemination of daily input and out-put reports; and prepares work requests for allupdate cycles and reports.

4. Reports

Report information is based on the input providedby technicians at the working level. Therefore,commanders must ensure that personnel aretrained, guided, and motivated to perform theirjobs effectively and to report relevant information.These reports are used in two critical activities:validation of requisitions and reconciliation ofreadiness, maintenance, and supply reports. Vali-dation involves confirming that repair parts on or-der are still needed, and that cancellations,receipts, scrounges, and current statuses are prop-erly reflected. Reconciliation of informationamong maintenance, supply, and readiness reportsis accomplished by the maintenance managementofficer in concert with commodity and supply rep-resentatives. Reconciliation is the means to moni-tor the status of mission-essential deadlinedequipment and to identify any recurring errors ortrends in maintenance or requisitioning proce-dures that could result in delay. While not all in-clusive, the following is a list of reports essentialto managing the maintenance effort:

Daily Process Report.Field Maintenance Production Report.MIMMS LM2 Unit Report.

B-2 MCWP 4-24

Weekly Maintenance Exception Report.Weekly Materiel Report.Weekly Owning Unit Maintenance TAM Re-port.

a. Weekly Maintenance ExceptionReportThe Weekly Maintenance Exception Report is aneffective tool that provides a summary of pendingsupply and maintenance items and identifies dis-crepancies. A weekly comparison of two or threeconsecutive reports can help determine proceduralproblems, developing trends, and aid in determin-ing corrective action. Report information isprinted in narrative form and is very easy tocomprehend.

b. Weekly Owning Unit MaintenanceTAM ReportThe Weekly Owning Unit Maintenance TAM Re-port, commonly referred to as the TAM report,provides the specific repair status of individualpieces of equipment within a unit’s maintenancecycle. This report is produced weekly in table ofauthorized number sequence. It includes activeEROs at intermediate and organizational main-tenance activities and the latest job status. The

TAM report is used to identify unfavorable trendsin equipment defects, priority assignments, jobstatus, days deadlined, and days in shop. TheTAM report also provides ERO information fromthe intermediate maintenance level to determinecurrent status of equipment that was evacuated toa higher echelon for repair.

c. Daily Process ReportThe Daily Process Report is used predominantlyby leaders of organizational maintenance sections.The Daily Process Report contains completemaintenance and repair parts information regard-ing each ERO opened by a section. Section headsuse the Daily Process Report to track equipmentrepair performed by the respective unit repairships.

The Daily Process Report provides a presentationof both supply and maintenance data. The shopchief generally uses the information in day-to- dayoperation. It is useful in the conduct of periodic,informal inspections to identify work stoppagesand delays, outstanding parts requisition, disa-greements between maintenance and repair partspriorities, added parts, and parts needed for dead-lined equipment.

Maintenance Operations B-3

(reverse blank)

B-4 MCWP 4-24


B-6 MCWP 4-24


B-8 MCWP 4-24


B-10 MCWP 4-24

The Marine Corps establishes maintenance guide-lines so that all commanders can comply with pro-curement regulations and perform requiredequipment maintenance. These guidelines are setforth in directives that establish maintenancegoals. These directives can contain broad guid-ance or very specific instructions. Equipmenttechnical manuals and Marine Corps stock listssupport these directives. This appendix introducessome of the more widely used maintenanceresources.

1. Basic Maintenance Directivesand Policies

There are numerous directives that provide poli-cies and procedures for every level of authorizedmaintenance required for MAGTF equipment. Itis essential that all commanders and their staffs beaware of basic directives and key policies that ap-ply to their organization.

a. The Marine Corps ManualThe Marine Corps Manual is the capstone publi-cation for policy statements issued by the Com-mandant of the Marine Corps. It contains policiesthat supplement naval regulations established bythe Secretary of the Navy. The guidance con-tained in The Marine Corps Manual is very broadand it is amplified by other Marine Corps publica-tions. The manual’s section devoted to mainte-nance has five basic policies that commandersshould be familiar with—

Maintenance is a command responsibility.Therefore, commanders are responsible forensuring that assigned equipment is properly

maintained to ensure the effective perform-ance of mission requirements.The categories and echelons of maintenanceto be performed are assigned to specificlevels of command as determined by the mis-sion and resources assigned. This main-tenance authority is prescribed in the unit’stable of organization logistic capabilitiesstatement. Standard ground equipment poli-cies and procedures are followed at all levelsof command, for all equipment commodityareas, and all echelons of maintenancethroughout the Marine Corps. Maintenanceand maintenance management proceduresand systems used when the unit is deployedwill not differ from those used in a garrisonenvironment. Repairs are performed at the lowest, author-ized echelon of maintenance and as far for-ward as possible to enhance the tacticalsituation. The evacuation of equipment re-duces combat and combat support strength.Evacuation to a higher echelon of mainte-nance is accomplished only after prescribedfault diagnosis and isolation has been accom-plished at the previous echelon of mainte-nance. Each echelon is authorized to performlower echelon repair operation.Marine Corps equipment is modified only asdirected or approved by the Commandant ofthe Marine Corps.Commanders order periodic inspections oftheir materiel. The scope of the inspectionshall conform generally to the authorizedechelon of maintenance. They must include aschedule of technical inspections that coverall pertinent areas performed by qualifiedpersonnel.

Appendix C

Maintenance Directives,Technical Manuals, and Stock Lists

b. MCO P4790.2MCO P4790.2, MIMMS Field Procedures Man-ual, provides MAGTF units with a comprehensiveguide for the standardized management of groundequipment maintenance. It sets forth detailedmaintenance functions and responsibilities and es-tablishes procedures for the full implementation ofMIMMS. MCO P4790.2 also amplifies the broadpolicies contained in other directives such as theMarine Corps Manual.

There are two important policies in MCOP4790.2 that commanders and their staffs must beaware of.

First, commanders at major subordinate com-mands, including detached or separate commands,authorized second echelon or higher maintenancecapabilities for more than one commodity areashall publish maintenance management standingoperating procedures except when maintenanceprocedures are adequately covered in the majorsubordinate command’s maintenance managementSOP. In such cases, the major subordinate com-mand’s maintenance management SOP may beused in lieu of a unit standing operating proce-dure. The instructions contained in the com-mand’s maintenance management SOP need notcontain all subordinate unit functions; however,they will be clear, completely applicable at theunit level, and sufficiently detailed to ensure eachsubordinate unit can perform its maintenancemission.

Second, commands, to include detached or sepa-rate commands, authorized a second echelon orhigher maintenance capability for more than onecommodity area will assign an officer or staff non-commissioned officer as the maintenance manage-ment officer. The appointment must be in writingand emphasize the significance of the maintenancemanagement officer’s duties.

2. Technical Manuals

Mechanics should use the applicable technicalmanual to ensure that inspection and repair proce-dures are effectively applied. The Marine Corpshas a comprehensive technical publication system

that supports the maintenance effort at all eche-lons. The commander and maintenance manage-ment officer ensure that an effective publicationcontrol program is established (see MCO P4790.2for guidance). It is the unit commander’s respon-sibility to ensure that current maintenance publica-tions are on-hand and used.

a. TM 4700-15/1TM 4700-15/1, Ground Equipment Record Pro-cedures, establishes uniform recordkeeping proce-dures to record and account for maintenanceperformed on ground equipment. Recordkeepingprocedures include the preparation, use, and dis-position of required forms and records associatedwith the receipt, transfer, use, maintenance, re-pair, and disposal of all Marine Corps tacticalequipment. Information is arranged into separatechapters for each type of equipment: commu-nications-electronic, motor transport, engineer,and ordnance. This manual is an excellent refer-ence for commanders and their staffs to use whenspot checking the reported condition of unitequipment and the maintenance commodity sup-port procedures.

b. Equipment Technical ManualsEquipment technical manuals provide instructionsfor the performance of authorized maintenance onspecific equipment for each category of mainte-nance. Technical manuals are published by theService that is designated as the item manager ofa particular piece of equipment. For example, TM9-1025-211-10 is the operator’s manual for thehowitzer medium, towed, 155mm, M198 and ispublished by the U.S. Army (the item manager forartillery weapons). TM 08594A-10/2 is the opera-tor’s manual for the light armored vehicle-25and is published by the Marine Corps (its itemmanager). Regardless of the publisher, technicalmanuals are available from the Commanding Gen-eral, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany,Georgia.

Each part of an equipment technical manual isidentified by a basic number that identifies thetype of equipment and the echelon of mainte-nance. For example, in the M198 howitzer series

C-2 MCWP 4-24

TM 9-1025-211-10, TM 9-1025-211-20, and TM 9-1025-211-34 exist as technical manuals:

The first eight digits (9-1025-211) identifythe type of equipment (howitzer, medium,towed, 155mm, M198).The -10 identifies the manual as the 1st eche-lon, operator/crew instructions.The -20 identifies the manual as 2d echelonmaintenance instructions.The -34 identifies the manual as 3d and 4thechelon maintenance instructions.

Technical manuals that end with the letter “P” areparts manuals. Technical manuals are published infive parts to facilitate distribution and use. Theseparts are discussed below.

(1) Operator/Crew Manual (-10). This part ofan equipment technical manual contains operationand maintenance instructions for the operator orcrew. It is also known as the “ten” manual be-cause its technical manual number has the suffix-10. The operator technical manual instructs theoperator/crew on how to shoot, move, and main-tain a specific item of equipment. It usually out-lines before, during, and after maintenanceservices performed on the equipment, both dailyand periodic maintenance requirements. Operatorand crew technical manuals should be kept on theequipment when it is dispatched to provide readyaccess by the operator.

(2) Organizational Maintenance Manual (-20).This is the second part within the technical manualseries for a given item of equipment. This techni-cal manual provides instructions for second eche-lon maintenance personnel. It provides mechanicsand technicians with step-by-step procedures fortroubleshooting and repairing equipment mal-functions. It also contains guidelines for the per-formance of second echelon preventivemaintenance services.

(3) Intermediate/Depot Manuals (-30, -40,-50). Third, fourth, and fifth echelon maintenancein- structions are contained in specific technicalmanuals and designed with the suffix -30,-40, or-50, respectively. The instructions for each

echelon may be so limited or so similar that pub-lishing separate parts as individual technicalmanuals are not necessary. For example, theM198 howitzer has one technical manual that ad-dresses two echelons of maintenance (TM9-1025-211-34).

(4) Lubrication Instruction and LubricationOrder. Lubrication instructions and lubricationorders furnish technical information and instruc-tions on the service, lubrication, and other relatedpreventive maintenance checks and services re-quired for equipment or material. A lubrication in-struction, also identified as an lubrication order(depending on the Service sponsor), prescribesequipment lubrication instructions, describesproper lubricants, establishes required intervalsand explains lubrication maintenance. The differ-ence between the lubrication instruction and thelubrication order is that the lubrication instructionapplies to Marine Corps-sponsored equipment(Marine Corps-peculiar equipment) and the lubri-cation order applies to equipment sponsored byanother Service. For example, a lubrication in-struction exists for a D7G tractor that is spon-sored by the Marine Corps and a lubrication orderexists for a 5-ton M939 truck that is sponsored bythe Army.

(5) Modification Instruction. Many items re-quire modifications to improve safety and/or op-erating characteristics. When a modification isrequired, the Marine Corps issues a publicationknown as a modification instruction.

(6) Technical Instruction. Technical instruc-tions provide technical information on equipment,materiel, and programs. For example, TI4710-14/1 provides technical instruction for thereplacement or evacuation of Marine Corpsground equipment or TI 4731-14/1 provides tech-nical instruction on a particular oil program.

3. Marine Corps Stock Lists

Stock lists provide all levels of Marine Corps sup-ply and maintenance operations with essential, up-to-date information for Marine Corps-manageditems.

Maintenance Operations C-3

a. SL-1-2The SL-1-2 identifies technical publications re-quired to support a unit’s assigned equipment. Itlists publications for each piece of equipment. Itprovides the publication’s number, current date,and any changes that have been issued. Com-manders use the SL-1-2 to ensure that their unitshave the required, up-to-date technical publica-tions on-hand.

b. SL-1-3The SL-1-3 lists all current and superseded publi-cations by their publication control number and bytheir short title (e.g., MCDP 1). The SL-1-3 alsoprovides amplifying information needed to orderand maintain a unit’s publication library. This in-cludes general subject publications that may notbe listed in the SL-1-2.

c. SL-3The SL-3 provides component listings for everyend item. It identifies the national stock number;quantity; unit of issue; and source, maintenance,and recoverability code (SMR). The SL-3 alsoidentifies if an item is an actual component of theend item or if the using unit provides the item thatis to be used with the end item. Operators, use the

SMR code to identify whether the component,when defective, is to be turned in to a mainte-nance support facility for second echelon repair orreplaced at the first echelon maintenance level.

d. SL-4The SL-4 conveys supply and maintenance infor-mation to unit maintenance personnel. It lists therepair parts that apply to an end item, component,or major assembly requiring maintenance and sup-ply support. The SL-4 provides national stocknumbers for ordering parts, graphic presentationof each part for easy identification, unit of issue(measurements by which the item is dispensed;e.g., each, feet, pounds), quantity of repair partbeing applied to the end item, and SMR code.

The SMR code provides important information tomaintenance personnel. It identifies the lowestechelon of maintenance authorized to removeand/or install a part and to perform the completerepair of that part. Commanders should occasion-ally question maintenance personnel concerningtheir use of the SMR code to demonstrate interestin unit maintenance operations, to determine theirmaintenance personnel’s knowledge in prescribedprocedures, and to determine if training deficien-cies exist.

C-4 MCWP 4-24

Maintenance Operations C-5

CSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . combat service supportCSSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . combat service support areaCSSD . . . . . . combat service support detachmentCSSE . . . . . . . . . . combat service support element

ERO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . equipment repair orderEROSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . equipment repair order

shopping/transaction list

FAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . force activity designatorFCSSA . . . . . . . force combat service support areaFM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . field manualFMFM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fleet Marine Force manualFMFRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fleet Marine Force

reference publicationFMSS . . . . . . . . . . . . Field Maintenance SubsystemFSSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . force service support group

HQMC . . . . . . . Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps

LFSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . landing force support partyLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lubrication instructionLO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lubrication orderLZSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . landing zone support area

MAGTF . . . . . . . . . . . Marine air-ground task forceMAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mechanized allowance listMCBul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Corps bulletinMCDP . . . . . Marine Corps Doctrinal PublicationMCGERR . . . . . Marine Corps ground equipment

resource reportingMCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Corps OrderMCPDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Corps Publications

Distribution System

MCRP . . . . . . Marine Corps reference publicationMCWP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Corps warfighting

publicationMIMMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marine Integrated

Maintenance Management SystemMSSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEU service support group

NAVMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Navy/Marine CorpsNAVSEAOP . . . . . Naval Sea Systems Command

operating procedures

OPNAVINST . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of the Chief ofNaval Operations instruction

PLMS . . . . . . . Marine Corps Publications LibraryManagement System

PMCS . . . . . . . . . . preventive maintenance checksand services

SASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supported ActivitiesSupply System

SL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stock listSMR . . . source, maintenance, and recoverabilitySOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . standing operating procedure

TAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . table of authorized materielT/E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . table of equipmentTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . technical instructionTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . technical manualTMDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . test, measurement,

and diagnostic equipmentT/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . table of organization

UM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . users manual

Appendix D

Glossary

Section I. Acronyms and Abbreviations

A

assembly—In logistics, an item forming a portionof an equipment, that can be provisioned and re-placed as an entity and which normally incorpo-rates replaceable parts or groups of parts. Seepart; subassembly. (Joint Pub 1-02)

B

back order—The quantity of an item requisi-tioned by ordering activities that is not immedi-ately available for issue but is recorded as a stockcommitment for future issue. (Joint Pub 1-02)

C

cannibalize—To remove serviceable parts fromone item of equipment in order to install them onanother item of equipment. (Joint Pub 1-02)

collateral equipment—The equipment consistingof secondary items which are functionally relatedto an end item, but are not considered a part ofthem. The materiel is identified in the SL-3 (stocklist) for the end item under the headings; supplysystem responsibility, using unit responsibility,and collateral materiel. An end item is consideredcomplete only when the total quantity of itemsshown in the SL-3 are on hand. Repair parts,spare parts, and components are not consideredcollateral equipment. (MCO P4790.2)

combat essential equipment (CEE)—Items des-ignated as CEE or pacing items that are of suchimportance that they are subject to continuousmonitoring and management at all levels of com-mand. Items eligible for nomination as CEE itemsmust be listed in the JCS Major Equipment File.This file is maintained by the CMC (Code POC).

CEE items are identified by table of au- thorizedmateriel control number in an enclosure to theMarine Corps Bulletin in the 3000 series. (MCO3000.11)

combat service support—The essential capabili-ties, functions, activities, and tasks necessary tosustain all elements of operating forces in theaterat all levels of war. Within the national and theaterlogistic systems, it includes but is not limited tothat support rendered by service forces in ensur-ing the aspects of supply, maintenance, transpor-tation, health services, and other services requiredby aviation and ground combat troops to permitthose units to accomplish their missions in com-bat. Combat service support encompasses thoseactivities at all levels of war that produce sustain-ment to all operating forces on the battlefield.(Joint Pub 1-02)

combat service support area—An area ashorethat is organized to contain the necessary sup-plies, equipment, installations, and elements toprovide the landing force with combat servicesupport throughout the operation. (Joint Pub1-02)

combat service support elements—Those ele-ments whose primary missions are to provideservice support to combat forces and which are apart, or prepared to become a part, of a theater,command, or task force formed for combat opera-tions. (Joint Pub 1-02)

commodity area—A grouping or range of itemswhich possess similar characteristics, have similarapplications, and are susceptible to similar logis-tics management methods. The commodity areasin use in the Marine Corps and table of authorized

D-2 MCWP 4-24

Section II. Definitions

materiel control number (TAMCN) commoditydesignators are as follows:

(1) . . . . . Communications-Electronics (C&E). A, H, and T.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Engineer (Eng). B, K, and U.(3) . . . . Motor Transport (MT). D, M, and W.(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ordnance (Ord). E, N, and X.(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garrison Mobile Equipment

(GME). G.(6) . . . . . . . . General Supply (GS). C, K, and V.(7) . . . . . Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC).

NBC equipment carries Eng, C&E,and GS commodity designators.

(MCO P4790.2)

component (materiel)—An assembly or anycombination of parts, subassemblies, and assem-blies mounted together in manufacture, assembly,maintenance, or rebuild. (Joint Pub 1-02)

corrective maintenance—Maintenance actionscarried out to restore a defective item to a speci-fied condition. (Joint Pub 1-02, NATO defini-tion)

corrosion—The deterioration of a material, usu-ally a metal, because of a reaction with the imme-diate environment. (MCO 4796.2C)

D

deadline—To remove a vehicle or piece of equip-ment from operation or use for one of the follow-ing reasons: a. is inoperative due to damage,malfunctioning, or necessary repairs. The termdoes not include items temporarily removed fromuse by reason of routine maintenance, and repairsthat do not affect the combat capability of theitem; b. is unsafe; and c. would be damaged byfurther use. (Joint Pub 1-02)

depot maintenance—That maintenance per-formed on materiel requiring major overhaul or acomplete rebuild of parts, assemblies, subassem-blies, and end-items, including the manufacture ofparts, modifications, testing, and reclamation asrequired. Depot maintenance serves to supportlower categories of maintenance by providing

technical assistance and performing that mainte-nance beyond their responsibility. Depot mainte-nance provides stocks of serviceable equipmentby using more extensive facilities for repair thanare available in lower level maintenance activities.(Joint Pub 1-02)

desk top procedures—Usually a file folder orloose-leaf binder of instructions, procedures, ref-erences, and notes pertaining to the everyday du-ties and operations of a personnel billet. Desk topprocedures should standardize requirements, ac-tions, and record keeping. See turnover folder.(MCO P4790.2)

direct support (DOD)—A mission requiring aforce to support another specific force andauthorizing it to answer directly the supportedforce’s request for assistance. (Joint Pub 1-02)

E

end item (DOD)—A final combination of endproducts, component parts, and/or materials thatis ready for its intended use, e.g., ship, tank, mo-bile machine shop, aircraft. (Joint Pub 1-02)

ERO parts bin (layette)—An area where theparts ordered on an EROSL for an ERO arestored waiting to be placed on the equipment. Thearea can be a shelf or a box or something similar.All parts for the same ERO are kept together inthe same bin, the location of which is normally in-dicated by the ERO number. The parts are alsotagged/marked with the applicable ERO number.(MCO P4790.2) evacuation—1. The controlled process of col-lecting, classifying, and shipping unserviceable orabandoned materiel, United States and foreign, toappropriate reclamation, maintenance, technicalintelligence, or disposal facilities. (Joint Pub 1-02)2. evacuation—A controlled process of movingequipment which cannot be repaired, modified,serviced, or utilized by the owner to the organiza-tion which can effect the necessary equipmentmaintenance or redistribute the equipment to an-other user or storage/disposal facility. (MCOP4790.2)

Maintenance Operations D-3

F

Fleet Marine Force (DOD)—A balanced forceof combined arms comprising land, air, and serv-ice elements of the U.S. Marine Corps. A FleetMarine Force is an integral part of a U.S. Fleetand has the status of a type command. (Joint Pub1-02)

float (maintenance)—Components of equipmentauthorized for stockage at installations or activi-ties for replacement of unserviceable items ofequipment when immediate repair of unservice-able equipment cannot be accomplished at the or-ganic level of maintenance. (MCO P4400.150)

G

general support—That support which is given tothe supported force as a whole and not to anyparticular subdivision thereof. (Joint Pub 1-02)

H

host nation support—Civil and/or military assis-tance rendered by a nation to foreign forceswithin its territory during peacetime, crises oremergencies, or war based on agreements mutu-ally concluded between nations. (Joint Pub 1-02)

I

in support of—Assisting or protecting anotherformation, unit, or organization while remainingunder original control. (Joint Pub 1-02)

intermediate maintenance (field)—Thatmaintenance which is the responsibility of andperformed by designated maintenance activitiesfor direct support of using organizations. Itsphases normally consist of a. calibration, repair,or replacement of damaged or unserviceableparts, components, or assemblies; b. the emer-gency manufacture of nonavailable parts; and c.providing technical assistance to using organiza-tions. (Joint Pub 1-02)

item manager—An individual within the organi-zation of an inventory control point or other such

organization assigned management responsibilityfor one or more specific items of materiel. (JointPub 1-02)

J

joint—Connotes activities, operations, organiza-tions, etc., in which elements of two or more Mili-tary Departments participate. (Joint Pub 1-02)

L

limited technical inspection (LTI)—Equipmentinspections that are limited in scope and objective.LTIs are generally directed at inspecting equip-ment conditions to determine the extent and levelof maintenance required to restore it to a specifiedcondition or to check for serviceability status.(MCO P4790.2)

logistics—The science of planning and carryingout the movement and maintenance of forces. Inits most comprehensive sense, those aspects ofmilitary operations which deal with: a. design anddevelopment, acquisition, storage, movement, dis-tribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposi-tion of materiel; b. movement, evacuation, andhospitalization of personnel; c. acquisition or con-struction, maintenance, operation, and dispositionof facilities; and d. acquisition or furnishing ofservices. (Joint Pub 1-02)

M

maintenance area—A general locality in whichare grouped a number of maintenance activitiesfor the purpose of retaining or restoring materielto a serviceable condition. (Joint Pub 1-02)

maintenance categories/echelons—The subdivi-sions of maintenance which permit the assignmentof maintenance responsibility to various levelswithin units/organizations. The categories ofmaintenance and corresponding echelons of main-tenance are as follows: organizational (first andsecond echelons), intermediate (third and fourthechelons), and depot (fifth echelon). (MCOP4790.2)

D-4 MCWP 4-24

maintenance cycle time—That period of timeduring which equipment is inoperative and re-quires repair. (MCO P4790.2)

maintenance management—The retention orrestoration of materiel to a serviceable conditionthrough the efforts of other people. (MCOP4790.2)

maintenance management officer (MMO)—An officer designated to perform the general du-ties of a special staff officer under the staff cogni-zance of the G/S-4 and is the primary point ofcontact in maintenance management matters.(MCO P4790.2)

maintenance (materiel)—1. All action taken toretain materiel in a serviceable condition or to re-store it to serviceability. It includes inspection,testing, servicing, classification as to serviceabil-ity, repair, rebuilding, and reclamation. 2. All sup-ply and repair action taken to keep a force incondition to carry out its mission. 3. The routinerecurring work required to keep a facility (plant,building, structure, ground facility, utility system,or other real property) in such condition that itmay be continuously used, at its original or de-signed capacity and efficiency for its intended pur-pose. (Joint Pub 1-02)

maintenance resources—Maintenance resourcesinclude: time, personnel, repair parts, tools andequipment, facilities, funds, and publications.(MCO P4790.2)

maintenance status—1. A nonoperating condi-tion, deliberately imposed, with adequate person-nel to maintain and preserve installations,materiel, and facilities in such a condition thatthey may be readily restored to operable conditionin a minimum time by the assignment of additionalpersonnel and without extensive repair or over-haul. 2. That condition of materiel which is infact, or is administratively classified as, unservice-able, pending completion of required servicing orrepairs. (Joint Pub 1-02)

Marine air-ground task force—A task organ-ization of Marine forces (division, aircraft wingand service support groups) under a single

command and structured to accomplish a specificmission. The Marine air-ground task force(MAGTF) components will normally includecommand, aviation combat, ground combat, andcombat service support elements (including NavySupport Elements). Three types of Marine air-ground task forces which can be task organizedare the Marine expeditionary unit, Marine ex- pe-ditionary force and special purpose Marine air-ground task force. The four elements of a Marineair-ground task force are: a. command element(CE)—The MAGTF headquarters. The CE is apermanent organization composed of the com-mander, general or executive and special staff sec-tions, headquarters section, and requisitecommunications and service support facilities.The CE provides command, control, and coordi-nation essential for effective planning and execu-tion of operations by the other three elements ofthe MAGTF. There is only one CE in a MAGTF.b. aviation combat element (ACE)—TheMAGTF element that is task organized to provideall or a portion of the functions of Marine Corpsaviation in varying degrees based on the tacticalsituation and the MAGTF mission and size. Thesefunctions are air reconnaissance, antiair warfare,assault support, offensive air support, electronicwarfare, and control of aircraft and missiles. TheACE is organized around an aviation head-quarters and varies in size from a reinforced heli-copter squadron to one or more Marine aircraftwing(s). It includes those aviation command (in-cluding air control agencies), combat, combatsupport, and combat service support units re-quired by the situation. Normally, there is onlyone ACE in a MAGTF. c. ground combat ele-ment (GCE)—The MAGTF element that is taskorganized to conduct ground operations. TheGCE is constructed around an infantry unit andvaries in size from a reinforced infantry battalionto one or more reinforced Marine division(s). TheGCE also includes appropriate combat supportand combat service support units. Normally, thereis only one GCE in a MAGTF. d. combat servicesupport element (CSSE)—The MAGTF elementthat is task organized to provide the full range ofcombat service support necessary to accomplishthe MAGTF mission. CSSE can provide supply,maintenance, transportation, deliberate engineer,health, postal, disbursing, enemy prisoner of war,


automated information systems, exchange, utili-ties, legal, and graves registration services. TheCSSE varies in size from a Marine expeditionaryunit (MEU) service support group (MSSG) to aforce service support group (FSSG). Normally,there is only one combat service support elementin a MAGTF. (Joint Pub 1-02)

maritime prepositioning force—A task organi-zation of units under one commander formed forthe purpose of introducing a MAGTF and its as-sociated equipment and supplies into a securearea. The MPF is composed of a command ele-ment, a maritime prepositioning ships squadron, aMAGTF, and a Navy support element. (FMFRP0-14)

modification; equipment—Consists of thosemaintenance actions performed to change the de-sign or assembly characteristics of equipment sys-tems, end items, assemblies, subassemblies, orparts in order to improve equipment functioning,maintainability, reliability, and/or safety character-istics. Requirements and step-by-step proceduresfor accomplishment are published as ModificationInstructions (MI). MIs are designated as either ur-gent or normal depending on the nature of themodification (MCO P4790.2)

modification; normal—A type of equipmentmodification accomplished according to a plan-ned schedule which involves the alteration of anitem to correct or improve its design, functioning,and maintainability. Normal modification instruc-tions establish an effective date from which an ac-tivity has one year to complete the modification.Normal modification requirements generally donot resist the operating conditions of the item ofequipment. (MCO P4790.2)

modification; urgent—A type of equipmentmodification required to prevent death or seriousinjury to personnel, prevent major damage toequipment, or make changes which are consideredso essential to equipment that their applicationmust be accomplished at the earliest possible time.Urgent Modification Instructions specify a re-quired completion date and may contain restric-tive operating conditions. Instructions restricting

operation conditions may be disseminated bymessage. (MCO P4790.2)

N

National Stock Number—The 13-digit stocknumber replacing the 11-digit Federal StockNumber. It consists of the 4-digit Federal SupplyClassification code and the 9-digit National ItemIdentification Number. The National Item Identifi-cation Number consists of a 2-digit NationalCodification Bureau number designating the cen-tral cataloging office of the NATO or otherfriendly country which assigned the number and a7-digit (xxx-xxxx) nonsignificant number. Thenumber shall be arranged as follows:9999-00-999-9999. (Joint Pub 1-02)

nonreparable items—Items which, after a periodof use, cannot be economically restored to a serv-iceable condition (usually expendable types ofsupplies and materiel). (MCO P4400.150)

O

on hand—The quantity of an item that is physi-cally available in a storage location and containedin the accountable property book records of an is-suing activity. (Joint Pub 1-02)

operational logistics—Operational logistics ad-dresses sustainment within a military theater ofoperations. It connects the logistic efforts of thestrategic level with those of the tactical level. . . .It makes them available in sufficient quantities tothe tactical commander to support the concept ofoperations. Operational logistics involves thosesupport activities required to sustain campaignsand major operations. It normally encompassesthree tasks: providing resources to the tacticalcommanders, procuring resources not provided bystrategic logistics, and managing the resourcesnecessary to sustain the campaign in accordancewith the intent of the operational-level com-mander. (MCDP 4)

operational readiness—The capability of a unit/formation, ship, weapon system or equipment toperform the missions or functions for which it isorganized or designed. May be used in a general

D-6 MCWP 4-24

sense or to express a level or degree of readiness.(Joint Pub 1-02)

operational readiness float—A pool of mission-essential, maintenance significant end items usedto provide replacement items for unserviceable,reparable end items which cannot be repaired intime to meet an operational commitment.(FMFRP 0-14)

organizational maintenance—That maintenancewhich is the responsibility of and performed by ausing organization on its assigned equipment. Itsphases normally consist of inspecting, servicing,lubricating, adjusting, and the replacing of parts,minor assemblies, and subassemblies. (Joint Pub1-02)

overhaul—The restoration of an item to a com-pletely serviceable condition as prescribed bymaintenance serviceability standards. See rebuild;repair. (Joint Pub 1-02)

P

part—An item forming part of an assembly orsubassembly, which is not normally further brokendown. (Joint Pub 1-02, NATO definition)

part number—A combination of numbers, let-ters, and symbols assigned by a designer, a manu-facturer, or vendor to identify a specific part oritem of materiel. (Joint Pub 1-02)

petroleum, oils, and lubricants—A broad termwhich includes all petroleum and associated prod-ucts used by the Armed Forces. Also called POL.(Joint Pub 1-02)

pre-expended bin—Low-cost, fast-moving con-sumables held by maintenance shops that are re-plenished on a recurring basis and expended uponissue from the consumer inventory. (MCOP4400.150)

preventive maintenance—The care and servic-ing by personnel for the purpose of maintainingequipment and facilities in satisfactory operatingcondition by providing for systematic inspection,detection, and correction of incipient failures

either before they occur or before they developinto major defects. (Joint Pub 1-02)

principal items—End items and replacement as-semblies of such importance that managementtechniques require centralized individual itemmanagement throughout the supply system, to in-clude depot level, base level, and items in thehands of using units. These specifically include theitems where, in the judgment of the Services,there is a need for central inventory control, in-cluding centralized computation of requirements,central procurement, central direction of distribu-tion, and central knowledge and control of all as-sets owned by the Services. (Joint Pub 1-02)

principal end item—A Marine Corps-uniqueterm synonymous with principal item. (MCOP4400.150)

R

rebuild—The restoration of an item to a standardas nearly as possible to its original condition inappearance, performance, and life expectancy.See overhaul; repair. (Joint Pub 1-02)

recoverable item—An item which normally is notconsumed in use and is subject to return for repairor disposal. (Joint Pub 1-02)

recoverable item program—The program thatestablishes policy and procedures for the recov-ery, reporting, and management of recoverableitems which cannot be repaired within the re-sources available to the field commander, becomeexcess to a command’s allowances, or which arebeyond economical repair and require disposal.

repair—The restoration of an item to serviceablecondition through correction of a specific failureor unserviceable condition. See overhaul; re-build. (Joint Pub 1-02)

repair cycle—The stages through which areparable item passes from the time of its removalor replacement until it is reinstalled or placed instock in a serviceable condition. (Joint Pub 1-02)


reparable item—An item that can be recondi-tioned or economically repaired for reuse when itbecomes unserviceable. See recoverable item.(Joint Pub 1-02)

requisition—1. An authoritative demand or re-quest especially for personnel, supplies, or serv-ices authorized but not made available withoutspecific request. 2. To demand or require servicesfrom an invaded or conquered nation. (Joint Pub1-02)

S

salvage—1. Property that has some value in ex-cess of its basic material content but which is insuch condition that it has no reasonable prospectof use for any purpose as a unit and its repair orrehabilitation for use as a unit is clearly impracti-cal. 2. The saving or rescuing of condemned, dis-carded, or abandoned property, and of materialscontained therein for reuse, refabrication, orscrapping. (Joint Pub 1-02)

scheduled maintenance—Periodic prescribed in-spection and/or servicing of equipment accom-plished on a calendar, mileage, or hours ofoperation basis. See organizational mainte-nance. (Joint Pub 1-02)

secondary reparable items—End items and ex-pendable and reparable items other than principalend items.

selective interchange—The exchange of selectedserviceable repair parts/components from a dead-lined item of equipment for unserviceable repairparts/components from a like item. The exchangemust be complete to qualify as selective inter-change. The exchange, however, may take theform of a requisition for the replacement repairpart/component in lieu of the actual unserviceablerepair part/component. (MCO P4790.2)

standing operating procedure—A set of in-structions covering those features of operationswhich lend themselves to a definite or standard-ized procedure without loss of effectiveness. Theprocedure is applicable unless ordered otherwise.Also called standard operating procedure. (JointPub 1-02)

subassembly—In logistics, a portion of an as-sembly, consisting of two or more parts, that canbe provisioned and replaced as an entity. See as-sembly; component; part. (Joint Pub 1-02)

supplies—In logistics, all materiel and items usedin the equipment, support, and maintenance ofmilitary forces. (Joint Pub 1-02)

supply—The procurement, distribution, mainte-nance while in storage, and salvage of supplies,including the determination of kind and quantityof supplies. a. producer phase—That phase ofmilitary supply which extends from deter-mination of procurement schedules to accep-tance of finished supplies by the Military Services.b. consumer phase—That phase of military sup-ply which extends from receipt of finished sup-plies by the Military Services through issue foruse or consumption. (Joint Pub 1-02)

T

table of authorized materiel (NAVMC 1017)—A source document of information for logisticsplanning with respect to selected materiel author-ized for use by organizations, activities, and de-tachments of the Marine Corps, both regular andreserve. Items listed in the table of authorized ma-teriel include the three supply-types of materiel,subsistence, and petroleum, oils, and lubricants.(MCO P4790.2)

table of equipment—A document listing theequipment which a unit is required to possess andmaintain in order to accomplish its mission. Whenused with the table of organization, it serves asthe basis for determining what publications andadditional equipment may be required by the unit.(MCO P4790.2)

table of organization—A document which pro-vides the authority for personnel staffing of a unitand the basis for all other resources. The table oforganization contains a unit’s mission, organiza-tion, concept of employment, administrative capa-bilities, and logistics capabilities. (MCO P4790.2)technical assistance—The providing of advice,assistance, and training pertaining to the

D-8 MCWP 4-24

installation, operation, and maintenance of equip-ment. (Joint Pub 1-02)

turnover folder—A folder containing informa-tion about policy, personnel, status of pendingprojects, references, management controls, func-tioning of a section, and ways and means of ac-complishing routine as well as infrequent tasks,and any other information of value to an individ-ual newly assigned to a billet. (MCO P4790.2)

U

unserviceable—An item in a condition unfit foruse, but which can be restored to a serviceablecondition after repair, rework, or overhaul. (MCOP4400.150)


(reverse blank)

Joint Publications (Joint Pubs)

1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms3-08 Interagency Coordination During Joint Operations3-10 Joint Doctrine for Rear Area Operations4-0 Doctrine for Logistic Support of Joint Operations

Marine Corps Publications

Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP)1 Warfighting4 Logistics

Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP)4-1 Logistics Operations (under development)

Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP)

0-14 Marine Corps Supplement to the DOD Dictionary of Military and AssociatedTerms

4-34 Recovery and Battlefield Damage Assessment and Repair (when reissued, will become MCRP 4-24A, same title)

Marine Corps Orders (MCOs)

P1200.7 Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) Manual3000.2 Operational Reporting3000.11 Marine Corps Ground Equipment Resource Reporting (MCGERR)4400.16 Uniform Material Movement and Issue Priority System (with changes 1–3)P4400.82 Marine Corps Unified Materiel Management System (MUMMS) Control Item

Management Manual (with change 1)P4400.150 Consumer Level Supply Policy Manual (with changes 1–3)4710.8 Uniform Criteria for Repair Cost Estimates Used in Determination of Economic

Repair4731.1 The U.S. Marine Corps Oil Analysis Program4733.1 Marine Corps Test, Measurements, and Diagnostic Equipment Calibration and

Maintenance Program

Appendix E

References and Related Publications

P4790.1 Marine Corps Integrated Maintenance Management System (MIMMS) Introduc-tion Manual (with changes 1 and 2)

P4790.2 MIMMS Field Procedures Manual (with change 1)4790.18 Corrosion Prevention and Control Program4855.10 Quality Deficiency Reporting5100.8 Marine Corps Ground Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Program5210.11 Records Management Program for the Marine Corps (with changes 1 and 2)5214.2 Marine Corps Information Requirements ReportsP5215.1 The Marine Corps Directive SystemP5215.17 Marine Corps Technical Publications System Manual5216.9 HQMC Organization and Organization CodesP5600.31 Marine Corps Publications and Printing Regulations (with change 1)6260.1 Marine Corps Hearing Conservation ProgramP7000.14 Marine Corps Cost Factors ManualP7100.8 Field Budget Guidance Manual8010.1 Class V(W) Supply FMF Combat OperationsP8011.4 Marine Corps Table of Allowances for Class V (W) Materiel (Peacetime)11240.19 Repair Parts for Motor Transport Tactical Vehicles11240.84 Wheeled Tactical Motor Transport Vehicle Maintenance Expenditure Limits

(with change 1)11262.2 Inspection and Load-Testing of Marine Corps-Owned Commercial and Tactical

Load-Lifting Equipment

Marine Corps Bulletins (MCBuls)

3000 Table of Marine Corps Ground Equipment Resource Reporting (MCGERR) Equipment

5214 series Information Requirements Management in the Marine Corps4790 Maintenance Management of Marine Corps Class VIII Equipment

Technical Manuals (TMs)

08594A-10 Light Armored Vehicle LAV-253080.12 Corrosion Control G/Equipment4700-15/1 Ground Equipment Record Procedures6625-45/4 Automotive Test Equipment Operation and Calibration8000-10/1 Ordnance Characteristics Manual9130-12 Fuel Handling Procedures (Liquid Fuels)11275-15/3 Principal Technical Characteristics of Marine Corps Engineer Equipment

Users Manuals (UMs)

UM-MCPDS Marine Corps Publications Distribution System (MCPDS) Users ManualUM-PLMS Marine Corps Publications Library Management System (PLMS) Users Manual

Marine Corps Technical Instructions (TIs)

2005-25/2 Postsubmersion Salvage Procedures Electronic Equipment4710-14/1 Replacement and Evacuation Criteria, USMC Equipment4733-15/1 Calibration Requirements, Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment4733-15/2 Sliding Calibration Interval Program, Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic

Equipment

E-2 MCWP 4-24

4733-15/7 Procedural Publications Index for Marine Corps Measurement and DiagnosticEquipment, Calibration and Maintenance Program

4733-15/10 Special Calibration of Torque Wrenches, Marine Corps Calibration Program4733-35/5 Calibration Equipment Recommendations, Marine Corps Calibration Program4733-35/6 Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment, Calibration and Maintenance

Program4733-35/8 Marine Corps Standards Exchange Program, Calibration and Maintenance

Program5600 Series Publication Information, Marine Corps Equipment6100-15/1 Neutralizing and Disposing of Storage Batteries Electrolyte6850-13/2 Conservation Procedures Antifreeze Solutions8005-34/18 Prepackaging Inspection for Serviceability Ordnance Materiel (with change 1)8370-15/1 Identification Marking Small Arms

Users Manuals (UMs)

4400-124 SASSY Using Unit Procedures4790-5 MIMMS Automated Information System Field Maintenance Procedures

Navy/Marine Corps (NAVMC) Departmental Publications

1017 Table of Authorized Materiel (TAM)2599 A Guidebook for Commanders-Materiel Management2664 Financial Guidebook for Commanders2761 Catalog of Publications

Navy Publications

Naval Sea Systems Command Operating Procedures (NAVSEAOP)

2165 Navy Transport Safety Handbook (Volume 1) (with changes 1–5)

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST)

4790.2 The Naval Aviation Maintenance Program

Army Publications

Field Manual (FM)

101-10-1/2 Staff Officer’s Field Manual: Organizational, Technical, and Logistical Data(with change 1)

Technical Manuals (TMs)

9-237 Operator’s Manual for Welding Theory and Application9-243 Use and Care of Hand Tools and Measuring Tools10-8400-201-23 Unit and Direct Support Maintenance Manual for General Repair Procedures for

Clothing (with changes 1–6)11-486-11 Electrical Communications Systems Engineering: Definitions and Abbreviations

Maintenance Operations E-3

(reverse blank)

E-4 MCWP 4-24

Documents

MCWP 4-11 - United States Marine Corps...MCWP 4-11.4 sets forth essentials of the Marine Corps’ equipment maintenance sys-tem from the perspective of the unit commander. It provides