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Army Reserve Components: Better Training Could Improve General Support Maintenance Capability

NSIAD-91-219 Published: Jul 09, 1991. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) examined how well the Army was preparing its reserve general support maintenance units to perform their wartime missions; and (2) assessed actions underway to improve their capability.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Army To enhance the capability of reserve general support maintenance units, the Secretary of the Army should ensure that commanders in all wartime theaters provide mission guidance to reserve units specifying the types of equipment they would be expected to repair in wartime.
Closed – Implemented
In June 1993, the Army issued revised mission guidance specifying equipment to repair in wartime to its reserve general support maintenance units. This action follows unit realignments that occurred in April 1993.
Department of the Army To enhance the capability of reserve general support maintenance units, the Secretary of the Army should resolve problems such as: (1) administrative and repair parts' difficulties with the Hands-on Training Program; and (2) the lack of force modernization equipment available to units participating in the overseas program for heavy equipment maintenance companies that have limited the value of reserve training initiatives designed to provide units with opportunities to repair equipment they would be expected to repair during wartime.
Closed – Implemented
During fiscal year 1992, the Army began providing force modernization equipment repair opportunities for heavy equipment maintenance companies participating in the overseas training program. The Army has assessed the problems with the Hands-on Training Program and is establishing a Memorandum of Understanding between FORSCOM and AMC to resolve the problems.
Department of the Army To enhance the capability of reserve general support maintenance units, the Secretary of the Army should determine whether unit-level initiatives to improve general support maintenance capability, such as Iowa National Guard actions to: (1) measure and track the proficiency of general support maintenance mechanics; and (2) more effectively manage reserve training time, can be adopted in other reserve units.
Closed – Implemented
The Army has reviewed the initiatives of the Iowa National Guard and has determined that, although valuable for Iowa units, the initiatives were not readily transferable to other units because: (1) job books differed from other units; and (2) the automation required was unique to the Iowa Guard. No further action is planned.

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Topics

Armed forces reserve trainingArmy reservistsCombat readinessDefense contingency planningEducation program evaluationEquipment maintenanceEquipment repairsMaintenance standardsNational defense operationsTraining utilization