WASHINGTON – General Randy George, the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, has consistently communicated that the Army must remain focused on its warfighting mission and continue training to fight at every echelon.
Changes to Army logistics business practices are clearly warranted amid enterprise efforts to help facilitate training for the warfighting mission. The Headquarters Department of the Army G-4 implemented the Equipment Services Optimization Program to support the Chief's direction to reduce maintenance workload and facilitate readiness.
Last summer, then-Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General George tasked G-4 to "review maintenance services schedules and timelines across all fleets…to determine if we can modify our timelines to gain efficiency without sacrificing quality in our maintenance services."
Leaders and maintainers at all echelons across the Army must carefully balance work schedules to ensure adequate time is available for necessary training amid day-to-day operations. Sergeant Major Petra Casarez is the senior enlisted advisor to the Army G-4. SGM Casarez shared at this year's AUSA Global Force Symposium, "As a maintainer, I can tell you that unburdening the maintainer really enables readiness."
Army leaders acknowledge that the force disproportionately performs maintenance services on specific equipment to meet unit readiness requirements. "Equipment Services Optimization is a Total Army program designed to reduce the unnecessary workload on Soldiers and facilitate more time for readiness generating tasks," stated Colonel Fredericka Harris, HQDA G-4 Maintenance Directorate Deputy.
In June 2023, the Maintenance Directorate convened an Army-wide working group to solicit necessary input from the field to implement services optimization successfully. Army EXORD 335-23, published in November 2023, outlined the initial tranche of equipment that would transition from time-based maintenance service intervals to usage-based. Of importance, this effort did not alter or replace operator preventative maintenance checks and services.
The EXORD initially specified a handful of systems, including the HMMWV, FMTV, HEMTT, and PLS. It revised M-4 and M-16 intervals, addressed policy-driven issues associated with the Low-Usage Program, methodically assessed usage-based intervals for fielded platforms, updated GCSS-Army to improve optimization efforts, and required Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to propose usage-based intervals for new platforms. Since then, platforms and equipment such as the M915/M916, HET, JLTV, Stryker, tactical quiet generators, and night vision devices have extended service intervals.
In addition, G-4 approved an exception to policy for the U.S. Armor School at Fort Moore to begin a pilot program for scheduled maintenance optimization of M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, as well as FORSCOM units to adopt the same pilot methodology.
G-4 Maintenance Directorate conducts working groups across all COMPOs to identify additional equipment while continually assessing current program implementation. HQDA EXORD 335-23 provides further details about the Equipment Services Optimization Program.
Mr. Rick Marsh, the G-4 Maintenance Programs and Policy Director is the senior civilian representative who reiterates the Chief of Staff's point on the need for velocity: "We have made progress over a year, but there's a lot more work to do—and we need to move faster."
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