WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. forces face problems in replacing equipment used up in current wars, a congressman said Tuesday.
"U.S. military equipment usage in Iraq and Afghanistan is estimated to be two to six times peacetime usage rates, on average, depending on the type of equipment and operational conditions," Rep, Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md, told a hearing of the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps equipment reset requirements.
"We in Congress have a responsibility to provide the necessary funding to repair and/or replace this equipment," Bartlett said in a statement. "Our depots and private industry also play a key role in this effort."
But Bartlett warned that the process was not a straightforward one. "In some cases, legacy equipment is no longer in production, which necessitates superior supply chain management to obtain obsolescent parts or the flexibility to substitute alternative equipment that is in production," he said.
"Full reset will require a long term plan that includes effective and efficient partnerships between our depots and industry," Bartlett said. "The ultimate metric of success is whether or not we are getting the proper equipment into the hands of our brave warfighters in time for them to train before they go into harms way."
