3.1.
GENERAL
Maintenance is the work that every man in a unit must do to
keep his equipment in first-class shape.
In its simplest form,
maintenance
consists
of
cleaning,
lubrication,
repair,
and
preservation.
It is important to safety; the failure of one small
part in a locomotive or railway car may cause the loss of hundreds of
lives because of an accident or the lack of delivery of material
vital to combat forces.
Rail equipment used for the logistical support of combat forces
must have proper maintenance.
Having the best equipment money can
buy is little better than having none if it is not taken care of.
The foundation of any efficient rail operation is to have high
standards of inspection and maintenance.
In peacetime, high
maintenance standards are the rule; in wartime in a theater of
operations, however, some of these standards may have to be
sacrificed to accomplish the main objective of the military
railroads--getting troops and supplies to the front to support
fighting armies.
This chapter discusses the Army maintenance system, how it
relates to railway equipment, and the units responsible for
maintaining this equipment.
3.2.
CATEGORIES OF MAINTENANCE
The Army maintenance system, based on experience and practical
operation, is divided into four categories: organizational, direct
support, general support, and depot maintenance.
The categories
assign responsibility for specific maintenance tasks for specific
items of materiel to specific levels of command. They are defined in
the following subparagraphs. Paragraphs 3.3 through 3.5 explain how
rail maintenance fits into these categories and who is responsible
for each.
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