Maintenance Skills Test

X The Army’s New Maintenance Skills Test Program in the

A s the Army continues to prepare for large scale combat operations (LSCO) along with the imperative for mobile, protective combat platforms like the M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley, the Armor community understands the need for established maintenance training standards to maintain our fleet readiness. Therefore, the Armor community has developed doctrine for the Maintenance Skills Test (MST) program. This program enables maneuver companies to better train and demonstrate proficiency and competence to operate more effectively in garrison, field training, and real combat environments. The Russo-Ukraine conflict shows us that we can no longer only rely on our dedicated maintainers to be brought forward or even evacuate damaged/inoperable vehicles to the rear area to be repaired in a LSCO environment. In addition, due to manning challenges amongst maintainer military occupational specialties (MOSs) across armor brigade combat team (ABCT) formations, a greater significance on a more skilled and self-sufficient force of operators is needed now more than ever. Having served as a platoon leader and troop executive officer in a cavalry squadron within an ABCT for a combined 27 months, I witnessed firsthand constraints imposed by a lack of available maintainers to sufficiently man company/troop maintenance teams, operators with bare-minimum knowledge necessary to understand and repair their platforms, and a tendency for overreliance on civilian higher-level maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary that we deliberately implement a standardized approach to train and gauge our technical skills and understanding at the operator and junior leader levels across all ABCT formations. The MST implements the pre-existing structure and format of the Gunnery Skills Test (GST), with which combat platform operators are already familiar. MST prioritizes crew level understanding of common maintenance tasks and are subsequentially tested on their execution and understanding of their assigned platform. Like the troop leading procedures (TLPs), leaders are certified and validated by subject matter experts (SMEs) and then impart that knowledge to their respective echelons, teaching and testing their operators until their crews are certified. This contributes to the establishment of a crew-ownership culture within company/platoon formations, fostering a sense of pride and confidence with their assigned platforms. This will significantly enhance readiness and lethality while simultaneously decreasing the strain on maintenance systems across the Army. Even as a pre-command Armor Captain, I believe a few must-haves should be done at the company level to properly implement this program within ABCTs as the Army continues its Army Structure (ARSTRUC) plan and continued transformations to prepare for future LSCO environments. Upon taking command of a company/troop, I believe it is necessary to coordinate with your First Sergeant (1SG) and executive officer (XO) to assess the level of technical knowledge and skillsets of the maintainers, noncommissioned officers (NCOs), and operators within your formation, while identifying which company internal SMEs you can most rely on. Then empower those junior leaders to lead the implementation of the MST in your company. With the help from your company/troop’s SMEs, by CPT Gabriel Liranzo U. S. Army photo by Jason Johnston 42 determine what specific maintenance-related issues in your formation need the most attention and publish your maintenance priorities. Some of these priorities may be operator competency, platform specific maintenance issues, or resource requirements from the battalion/brigade level. Be sure to protect the time needed for your junior leaders during your company/ troop training and maintenance meetings to drive action and assess the progress of crews. The commander must prioritize the planning and execution of MST as much as GST in the regular battle rhythm. Advocating and protecting this time contributes to greater lethality and will always be time well spent. Lastly, re-evaluating the results of this new program with feedback from all pertinent parties; operators, NCOs, maintainers, company, and battalion leadership helps ensure a more seamless implementation of the MST for your company. In conclusion, line companies are overdue for greater standardization, and the MST will empower battalions, companies, and platoons to build greater ownership and mastery of their platforms and equipment. This renewed ownership will make the difference when we are in a real LSCO environment against our next adversary. In preparation for when crews must repair their own equipment in combat, empowering our formations to train with a standardized maintenance process makes all the difference in maintaining operational tempo after first contact. Thus, it’sup to company commanders to drive this program to the forefront of their priorities and establish a culture of ownership and mastery to set the tone for future generations of crews and leaders that take pride in their equipment that will enable them to close with and destroy the enemy. Captain Gabriel Liranzo is a post-MCCC CPT on orders to serve in 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. He commissioned with a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from the University of North Georgia in 2020. CPT Liranzo served as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader and Executive Officer for Blackfoot Troop, 2-13th Cavalry Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss, TX. Figure 1. U. S. Soldiers assigned to 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division conduct preventative maintenance checks and services on a Bradley fighting vehicle. (U. S. Army photo by SPC Malakai Corley)