ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

It was inevitable that Master Sgt. Half-Mast, the cartoon senior NCO with all the maintenance answers, would one day retire.

In a message posted on the website for PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, an illustrated magazine read by the Army’s mechanics, supply specialists and radio maintainers since 1951, Half-Mast announces that the online magazine will shut down by Sept. 30.

After decades of providing preventive maintenance and supply knowledge to soldiers in PS Magazine, the fictional Master Sgt. Half-Mast McCanick will be inducted into the Ordnance Corps’ Hall of Fame. 

“I was deeply honored, as I think any inductee probably is,” he said in an Army news release. “It’s always nice to be recognized for what you do although that’s not the reason most of us do it. We do it because we love bettering soldiers’ lives and making the Army all the more ready.”

Addressing the Army’s building maintenance backlog supports the force’s modernization and readiness goals, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office.

While the report found that “most of the Army’s buildings do not require any renovation or modernization to support the functions for which they are being used,” those facilities may need to be upgraded as the Army modernizes.

“The Army has ongoing programs to develop new weapon systems and may need to upgrade or modernize its facilities to accommodate those systems,” the report says.

A 10-year study of military aircraft found most were unready for combat-related missions, including three types of Army helicopters.

The report by the Government Accountability Office, titled “Weapon System Sustainment: Aircraft Mission Capable Goals Were Generally Not Met and Sustainment Costs Varied by Aircraft,” details the examination of 49 types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Findings indicate that only four aircraft met their annual mission readiness goals from fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2021—an overall decline over time.

Predictive maintenance on military weapons systems is already showing great value, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

“According to the Army, the use of predictive maintenance helped the Army avoid four serious aircraft accidents,” according to the December report.

With more than 200,000 buildings on its installations around the world, the Army faces a maintenance backlog worth several billion dollars, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office. 

The report, which analyzed 49,000 of those buildings in use on 88 Army installations across the U.S., estimates that “the cost of eliminating the deferred maintenance backlog and returning the buildings to the Army’s standards would be about $19 billion.”

The Army and DoD must better manage maintenance on its facilities, especially as buildings age and exceed their expected lifespans, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. 

“DoD manages facilities worldwide with an estimated aggregate plant replacement value of about $1.3 trillion,” the report says. “Sustaining these facilities involves maintenance and repair to keep them in good working order. Deferring maintenance can lead to deterioration, potentially affecting DoD’s ability to support missions.”