Usawc Strategy Research Project Thinking inside the Box: Growing an Aviation Maintenance Solution for the Joint Force Fight

AUTHOR: Lieutenant Colonel Juan L. Arcocha TITLE: Thinking Inside the Box: Growing an Aviation Maintenance Solution for the Joint Force Fight FORMAT: Strategy Research Project DATE: 15 March 2006 WORD COUNT: 5971 PAGES: 25 KEY TERMS: (Use reference terms not included in title) CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified The Department of Defense’s (DOD) aviation maintenance structure is an inefficient and marginally effective relic of the Cold War. DOD and Army maintenance structures have implemented a patchwork series of reforms since the 1980s that have been partially applied, insufficiently integrated and marginally effective. Military aviation organic and support maintenance performance has slowly declined over the past twenty years. While various services continue to espouse a desire to increase joint operations and interoperability, the majority of changes within their respective aviation maintenance communities have been parochial. They optimize service unique portions of the maintenance system. Future budgetary and operational realities will demand that the services operate their expensive aviation operations more efficiently and effectively. Each service in the military creates its own maintenance requirements, contract specifications, and competes individually for all support services. Each service and agency suboptimizes their procurement, maintenance, overhaul and sustainment operations for their perceived needs. The result is a hodgepodge of organic as well as contract support organizations and procedures that is cumbersome and inefficient. Aviation maintenance should be integrated and consolidated in order to maximize overall systemic efficiency and effectiveness. THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: GROWING AN AVIATION MAINTENANCE SOLUTION FOR THE JOINT FORCE FIGHT The Army’s and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) aviation maintenance structure is an inefficient and marginally effective relic of the Cold War. DOD and Army maintenance structures have implemented a patchwork series of reforms since the 1980s that have been partially applied, insufficiently integrated and marginally effective. Army aviation organic and support maintenance performance has slowly declined over the past twenty years. Similarly, the Air Force has faced readiness challenges across its fleets as Operational Tempo (OPTEMPO) and deployments continue to press against institutional structural limitations. While various services continue to espouse a desire to increase joint operations and interoperability, the majority of changes within their respective aviation maintenance communities have been parochial. They optimize service unique portions of the maintenance system. Future budgetary and operational realities will demand that the services operate their expensive aviation operations more efficiently and effectively. The key to the success of applying reforms to the aviation sustainment community is to understand the complexities and uniqueness of aviation businesses and to apply realistic and constructive reforms to the realities faced by aviation maintainers and operators. Modern business practices and functional consolidation across the services will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of military aviation support operations throughout the world. Each service in the military creates its own maintenance requirements, contract specifications, and competes individually for all support services. In the limited world of aviation support services not only are the maintenance requirements uncoordinated, they often compete with one another on pricing, manpower, parts and other sustainment issues. Each service and agency sub-optimizes their procurement, maintenance, overhaul and sustainment operations for their perceived needs. The result is a hodgepodge of organic as well as contract support organizations and procedures that is cumbersome and inefficient. Aviation maintenance should be integrated and consolidated in order to maximize overall systemic efficiency and effectiveness. Methodology This study proposes to examine the mechanisms of aviation maintenance across the DOD against the business model of successfully transformed civilian aviation operations. The analysis will begin by identifying historically where previous attempts at transformation have sub-optimized the current maintenance system.