From: Paul A. Thomas (bluewhale@jaxkneppers.com)
Date: Sun Jun 27 2004 - 10:54:14 PDT
Ida:
That's a lovely book you wrote. However in the real world commands
sometimes pay no attention to the manual. In '78-'81 the outfit I was
with in Korea was one such. The final three months there, after we were
turned into a battalion instead of just an Army Security company, a full
bird was placed in command and he did RTFM. so times changed. However
for the vast majority of my time in the MoPo the only time we followed
the official way to operate was when we had to to appear to do so to get
what we needed to accomplish our goals ( Functional Vehicles ). We did
many engine swaps to keep the trucks up. No, we were not allowed to do
engine swaps. However the depot ( I could be using the wrong term,
that's just what we called them ) was far too slow. Much better to grab
what you need from a deadlined truck then once it had enough 'wrong'
with it send it to depot level for a rebuild.
Your credentials are marvelous. I simply worked for an old time motor
sergeant who felt doing the job correctly was more important than
looking good.
Paul
****************************
Paul,
Just out of curiosity, what country's Army were you in? I entered the U.S.
Army in 1960 and retired in 1982, was in the automotive maintenance field
the entire time, started out carrying a general mechanics tool box and
retired an Automotive Maintenance Technician Chief Warrant Officer and TAMMS
(The Automotive Maintenance Management System) didn't operate quite the way
you described during the time I was in. Up until 1962 when a wheeled or
tracked vehicle needed work performed that wasn't allowed by the
organization in which it was issued and assigned, it was required to send
it to "Ordinance" who would either perform needed repairs and return to user
or accept it for "Turn In" and the unit would requisition a replacement from
the supply system. Beginning in 1962, if memory serves me, "Ordinance" was
changed to "Direct Support" and "General Support" and the same basic
procedure was followed if a vehicle was in need of repair that the
organization was not allowed to do.
The levels of maintenance were/are:
1. Organizational- this includes the operator for operator maintenance and
the mechanic for organizational maintenance.
2. Direct Support- these folks would replace major components and rebuild
some small parts. Defective components would be shipped to General Support
for rebuild or disposal.
3. General Support- these folks would rebuild major components or dispose
of them.
4. Depot- These folks would classify and rebuild those vehicles which were
worthy of rebuild or dispose of them through "Property Disposal" whick today
may be called DRMO.
The above is believed by me to be the way the Army Maintenance System
operates. If any of the above is incorrect I would appreciate being
informed.
Note: There were times and places where a Direct Support unit may be allowed
to repair a component as needed and return to user instead of replacing it
but that was not the norm.
Sonny
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