| The Army
has recently begun to track the equipment readiness of returning
units and units approaching deployment in an effort to assess
the effectiveness of their reset efforts. However, these readiness
indicators are of limited value in assessing the effectiveness
of reset because they do not measure the equipment on hand levels
against the equipment that the units actually require to accomplish
their directed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the Army’s fiscal year 2007 framework for
reset and the Army’s force generation model implementation
strategy, the goal of reset is to prepare units for deployment
and to improve next-to-deploy unit’s equipment on hand
levels. However, since the Army’s current reset planning
process is based on resetting equipment that it expects will
be returning to the United States in a given fiscal year, and
not based on an aggregate equipment requirement to improve the
equipment on hand levels of deploying units, the Army cannot
be assured that its reset programs will provide sufficient equipment
to train and equip deploying units for ongoing and future requirements
for the Global War on Terrorism.
What is RESET?
The Army defines reset as the repair, recapitalization, and
replacement of equipment.
Repairs can be made at the field level or
national (depot) level. Army field level maintenance is intended
to bring equipment back to the 10/20 series Technical Manual
standard, is done by soldiers augmented by contractors, as required,
and is usually performed at installations where the equipment
is stationed.
Recapitalization includes rebuilding of equipment
which could include: extending service life, reducing operating
and support costs, enhancing capability, and improving system
reliability. The Army recapitalizes equipment either at Army
Materiel Command depots or arsenals, the original equipment
manufacturer, or a partnership of the two.
Replacement includes buying new equipment
to replace confirmed battle losses, washouts, obsolete equipment,
and critical equipment deployed and left in theater but needed
by reserve components for homeland defense/homeland security
missions.
Reset and Equipment Modernization
In addition to meeting these short term requirements, the Army’s
reset strategy has included funding requests for certain items
to accelerate achieving longer-term strategic goals under the
Army’s modularity initiative.
For example, in addition to the planned fiscal year 2007 national
level reset of almost 500 tanks and more than 300 Bradleys expected
to return from the OIF theater, the Army also intends to spend
approximately $2.4 billion in fiscal year 2007 reset funds to
take more than 400 Abrams
tanks and more than 500 Bradley
Fighting Vehicles from long-term storage or from units that
have already received modernized Bradleys for depot level upgrades.
These recapitalizations will allow the Army to accelerate their
progress in achieving a modular force structure by providing
modernized Abrams and Bradley vehicles to several major combat
units 1 or 2 years ahead of schedule. The Army believes achieving
these modularity milestones for Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting
Vehicles will achieve greater commonality in platforms that
will enable force generation efforts and reduce overall logistical
and financial requirements by reducing the number of variants
that must be supported.
|
