Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 15, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF11466 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Tyler F. Hacker, G. James Herrera |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.) §2464 requires the
Department of Defense (DOD) to “maintain a core logistics
capability that is government-owned and governmentoperated [GOGO]… to ensure a ready and controlled
source of technical competence and resources necessary to
ensure effective and timely response to a mobilization,
national defense contingency situations, and other
emergency requirements.” This capability resides in DOD
maintenance depots, which perform depot-level
maintenance and repair (defined by 10 U.S.C. §2460 as
“material maintenance or repair requiring the overhaul,
upgrading, or rebuilding of parts, assemblies, or
subassemblies, and the testing and reclamation of
equipment”). These GOGO facilities, together with certain
government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facilities,
are collectively referred to as the organic industrial base, or
OIB. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in a
2019 report (GAO-19-242), described these depots as
“crucial to maintaining military readiness by ensuring that
the services can regularly repair critical weapon systems
and return them to the warfighter for their use in training
and operations.”
Although each military department (MILDEP) manages and
resources the depots that service its weapon systems and
equipment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
and Sustainment (USD (A&S)) is responsible for DODwide maintenance policy direction and oversight. In
addition to repairing and maintaining military systems, each
MILDEP’s depots serve as repositories for technical data,
testing equipment, and unique tooling and design
capabilities. Depending on the types of activities supported,
DOD may designate facilities performing depot functions
as logistics complexes, shipyards, readiness centers, or
logistics bases. Depot-level maintenance and repair
activities also encompass certain types of software
maintenance, but do not include major upgrades, the
procurement of parts for safety modifications, or the
nuclear refueling and defueling of aircraft carriers.
