Soldier Support: PM’s not a Back Burner Issue

BLUF: It’s time to move PM to the front burner.


Photo by Lance Cpl. Christian Tofteroo
 

This article initially appeared in PS 766, p. 1 (Sep 16).

NCOs, you rely on operators and mechanics to perform PMCS on vehicles and other Army equipment. You’re counting on them to look out for potential maintenance problems.
But does it sometimes seem like preventive maintenance gets treated as a “back burner” issue? Does a vehicle have to be deadlined, affecting unit readiness, before maintenance becomes important?

It’s not like you can inspect all that equipment yourself. Plain and simple, it takes a team to keep the little things from growing into maintenance nightmares.

So the next time you spot something small—a truck’s worn V-belt, a weapon needing lube, loose tank track—teach the operator to be proactive. If he fixes it now, he won’t have to worry about it failing and threatening a mission. That’s the preventive in preventive maintenance!

When PM is moved to where it belongs—the front burner— you’ll have a unit that hums along as smoothly as its equipment.