The dust settles on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as the last AH-64 Apache helicopter lifts off, signaling the inactivation of an air cavalry squadron. But the mission is not over. Hundreds of pieces of aviation equipment — from sophisticated targeting systems to specialized maintenance tools — remain, representing a significant logistical challenge.
Traditionally, this would trigger a lengthy process of documentation, coordination, and potential delays, diverting valuable resources from the remaining units.
Now, a different scene unfolds: a dedicated Equipment Redistribution and Divestiture Site (ERDS) team arrives. The team establishes a streamlined process to rapidly assess, redistribute, or divest the squadron’s equipment, ensuring a seamless transition and maximizing the recovery of vital assets.
In 2025, the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI) and force structure adjustments created significant equipment imbalances across the force, as hundreds of units were marked for conversion, relocation, or inactivation. These conversions inevitably result in the possession of major end items and other equipment that are no longer aligned with new missions. Managing the divestiture or redistribution of this equipment presents a logistical challenge and places a burden on Soldiers who conduct maintenance and inventory.
ERDS is Army Materiel Command’s (AMC’s) enterprise solution to the growing challenge of maintaining operational readiness in a dynamic environment. This new capability is one of many efforts by AMC to streamline equipment management, free up resources for units impacted by ATI, and refocus Soldiers on their core mission.
AMC and U.S. Army Sustainment Command (ASC) have been at the heart of alleviating the burden of excess equipment on Soldiers, from running 14 modernization displacement and repair sites (MDRSs) that provided centralized locations supporting equipment turn-in, to launching the Rapid Removal of Excess (R2E) initiative that freed up valuable storage space and reduced maintenance burdens on units.
Since the inception of MDRS in 2016, units have transferred more than six million pieces of equipment to the Army at sites located around Army installations in the U.S. The R2E business rules introduced in 2024 enabled the Army to reduce over one million pieces of equipment from unit property books over 18 months.
While they proved to be successful efforts, R2E and MDRS were designed to support a different Army structure and have presented unsustainable funding challenges. A new approach is needed to manage equipment redistribution as the Army enters an age of continuous transformation.
ERDS
ERDS represents an evolution in Army equipment management. It is a flexible capability, deploying directly to impacted installations and units when they need it most. A dedicated team of logistics professionals establishes a temporary site to assist units in clearing their property books of equipment slated for divestiture or redistribution within one business day of turn-in. Whereas MDRS was an enduring expense for the Army, ERDS is an agile capability that the Army can strategically fund and deploy when units enter modernization windows.
Excess equipment from inactivating units often surpasses the capacity of local supply support activities. ERDS returns time to Soldiers by streamlining the property accountability process through its year-long focus sites at Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, and Fort Carson, and through mobile ERDS teams available to support installations across the Army.
At the senior commander’s discretion, ERDS can support units across all components within a 150-mile radius of each site and provide a scalable solution for Class II non-expendables, Class VII major end items, and Class IX repair parts.
An enticing draw for units is the ability of ERDS to accept Class IX items, which can be quickly accepted by ERDS representatives and redistributed back into the Army’s supply chain.
ERDS Basics
Unlike MDRS, ERDS sites and teams do not conduct any maintenance or repair. ERDS teams only confirm that equipment is transportable and compliant with the directed maintenance standard. If not, the unit must repair the end item before it can be accepted by an ERDS representative.
To further simplify the process and increase turn-in velocity, ERDS also reduced the number of documents required for accountability relief. Additionally, an exception to policy (ETP) was signed by LTG Michelle Donahue, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, to further unburden units by designating top-down vetting of proposed sourcing decisions and as-is acceptance status for all equipment. This ETP removed the requirement for time-consuming technical inspections and refinement of bills of material listings.
By nature, ERDS sites are not designed to be permanent, but to be responsive. For fiscal year 2026, the Army approved and funded operations for three focused sites at Forts Bragg, Hood, and Carson. The Army also funded separate mobile teams that can lift and shift to support other heavily impacted installations.
Best Practices for Divesting Units
Beyond the ERDS operational framework, the program’s efficiency relies on unit-level discipline and chain of command involvement. One of the most important factors in a smooth divestment is early, consistent focus on documentation.
A successful divestment begins long before equipment reaches an ERDS site. Maintaining property book integrity early in the process is essential, as even small discrepancies can halt progress. Ensuring that every asset is accurately reflected on accountability records creates the foundation for a smooth, uninterrupted flow of equipment through the system.
Sustaining momentum throughout the divestment process requires active engagement with the Decision Support Tool (DST). Developing a plan, regularly monitoring DST status, and incorporating updates into routine battle rhythm events help prevent vetting delays and keep actions aligned across the formation. Tools like the Vantage ERDS dashboard, which draws data directly from DST and Global Combat Support System–Army, provide leaders with a clear, real-time picture of where equipment stands in the process.
Unit personnel must verify the routing identifier code, ensuring the pass-through unit identification code is designated as ERDS, and must confirm that the second leg (the equipment’s final destination) is validated and approved. This acts as the connecting order that moves equipment from the ERDS holding to the gaining unit or depot.
Looking Ahead
ERDS teams have been met with buzz as they have arrived to assist air cavalry squadrons with deactivations and mobile brigade combat teams with conversions. AMC and ASC leadership continue to receive positive feedback from supply sergeants, property accountability officers, and senior commanders as the Army works together to prepare these units for their next mission.
While ERDS is slated to end its mission on September 30, 2026, it represents a fundamental shift toward a more agile and responsive Army sustainment system, capable of adapting to evolving force structure and operational requirements. By optimizing equipment management, ERDS will free up resources for Army units, enhance operational readiness, and enable the Army to maintain a decisive advantage on the battlefield.
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LTG Gavin Lawrence currently serves as the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. He has a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College, Rhode Island, and a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, Pennsylvania, where he successfully completed the Advanced Strategic Arts Program. He has also completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI program and University of North Carolina’s Institute for Defense & Business LOGTECH Executive program.
MG Eric P. Shirley serves as the commanding general of U.S. Army Sustainment Command. A distinguished military graduate of the University of Arizona, he holds a master’s degree in military art and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies. His senior education includes the Army War College Fellows Program at Stanford University and the Joint & Combined Warfighting School. He has commanded at multiple echelons and held key joint and strategic roles, including commanding the 1st Theater Sustainment Command and leading the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
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This article was published in the winter 2026 issue of Army Sustainment.
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