Lawmakers want to allow troops to fix their own equipment

[rangerrebew]

Lawmakers want to allow troops to fix their own equipment
By SVETLANA SHKOLNIKOVA STARS AND STRIPES •
December 12, 2024


 WASHINGTON — Service members could gain the ability to repair and maintain their own equipment under a new bill that seeks to cut Pentagon spending on defense contractors. The legislation would compel contractors to give the military “fair and reasonable” access to parts, tools and repair instructions so troops could make fixes without waiting on expensive and time-consuming repairs by contractors. Contractors often have “right-to-repair” restrictions in contracts with the Pentagon that require the use of their own materials and installers to patch up equipment.

Such requirements have forced the Navy to fly contractors to ships at sea to perform simple fixes and Marines to send engines back to the U.S. instead of fixing them on-site, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2024-12-12/troops-equipment-repairs-contractors-16147454.html
Source - Stars and Stripes

[rangerrebew]

One of the problems the armies had in the Civil War was troops all bringing individually owned weapons to fight with.  How do you keep an army supplied when you can never be quite sure what ammo you might need and what modifications had been made to the weapons.  In the modern military having everyone fiddle with their own equipment, fixing it the "military way,"(those who have been there know what I mean) causes a whole mish mash of weapons and equipment.  Not exactly a prescription for an effective military unit.

[The_Reader_David]

One of the problems the armies had in the Civil War was troops all bringing individually owned weapons to fight with.  How do you keep an army supplied when you can never be quite sure what ammo you might need and what modifications had been made to the weapons.  In the modern military having everyone fiddle with their own equipment, fixing it the "military way,"(those who have been there know what I mean) causes a whole mish mash of weapons and equipment.  Not exactly a prescription for an effective military unit.

But this isn't about allowing non-standard equipment. It's about allowing the armed forces to maintain the standard equipment they use, rather than having employees of the defense contractor do it.  It's a right-to-repair law for the military, not a bring-your-own-equipment law (though in the case of body armor, I've been given to understand one can acquire better than standard issue).

[rangerrebew]

But this isn't about allowing non-standard equipment. It's about allowing the armed forces to maintain the standard equipment they use, rather than having employees of the defense contractor do it.  It's a right-to-repair law for the military, not a bring-your-own-equipment law (though in the case of body armor, I've been given to understand one can acquire better than standard issue).

Points well made.  As long as they make repairs "by the book," it will keep the equipment "standard."  Freelancing could create problems though.