Lesson 1/Learning Event 1
Maintenance Operations
Maintenance involves all actions taken to keep materiel in a serviceable condition. A successful
maintenance program is dependent upon the concentrated efforts of all personnel of the unit Part
of your job will be to insure that proper maintenance records and procedures are kept and
performed. The various categories and responsibilities for maintenance actions are shown in
figure 2 on page 6. Army units are primarily concerned with organizational maintenance. They
organize maintenance capabilities to keep equipment operable and to provide prompt and
efficient maintenance support for equipment that becomes inoperable.
In this subcourse, you will not be concerned with categories of maintenance above organizational
except to know where support can be obtained. You will be concerned with the supervision of
operator-level maintenance of organizational NBC defense equipment.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is the keystone to a good maintenance program. Preventive
maintenance includes systematic servicing, inspection, correction of initial failures before
damage occurs, detection, and correction of abuse, and teaching proper care and use of
equipment. Early and thorough preventive maintenance prevents minor shortcomings from
becoming major deficiencies which require extensive repair. Preventive maintenance must be
scheduled at definite intervals, as the tactical situation allows. You can anticipate periodic
announced and unannounced inspections and spot checks to be conducted by company and
battalion. You should perform your own checks to insure the program is working for NBC
equipment.
Preventive maintenance is facilitated through the use of appropriate maintenance records. These
records are a thorough control device for the recording of operating condition, maintenance
accomplished, and modification of various items of equipment Maintenance records provide the
commander with current information on:
Equipment operational status
Results of inspections
Scheduling of preventive maintenance services
Keeping proper records permits the selection of equipment which requires the greatest
maintenance effort. It also aids in development of priorities for turn-in when replacement items
are available, thus enhancing the capability of the unit to effectively accomplish the mission.
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