https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 30, 2022
Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots
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 government-
operated [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. As the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
states in a 2019 report (GAO-19-242), these depots “are
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 DOD-
wide maintenance policy direction and oversight. In
addition to repairing and maintaining military systems, each
MILDEP’s depots also 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.
Organization and Management
Among OIB GOGO facilities, Congress has designated 21
“covered depots” for special oversight under 10 U.S.C.
§2476 due to their importance in Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff strategic and contingency plans. Covered depots
currently include 18 depots, logistics complexes, shipyards,
readiness centers, and logistics bases, as well as 3 Army
arsenals with depot maintenance capabilities. Together,
they employ a workforce of over 80,000 government
civilians (Figure 1).
Figure 1. DOD Covered Depots (10 U.S.C. §2476)
Source: CRS adaptation of GAO graphic (“Military Depots: DOD
Strategy for Addressing Deteriorating Facilities and Equipment Is
Incomplete” GAO-22-105009)
Army Covered Depots
Army Materiel Command (AMC) operates the following
nine Army sites, each of which services particular systems.
Anniston Army Depot (Anniston, AL): Tracked and
wheeled ground combat vehicles; small caliber
weapons; towed and self-propelled artillery; and rail
equipment.
Corpus Christi Army Depot (Corpus Christi, TX):
Rotary wing aircraft.
Letterkenny Army Depot (Chambersburg, PA): Air
and missile defense; and precision fires systems.
Red River Army Depot (Texarkana, TX): Tactical
wheeled vehicles.
Tobyhanna Army Depot (Tobyhanna, PA): Command,
control, communications, computers, intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; electronics,
avionics, and missile guidance/control systems.
Rock Island Arsenal (Rock Island, IL): Joint
Manufacturing and Technology Center; Joint Munitions
Command; and Army Sustainment Command.
Pine Bluff Arsenal (Pine Bluff, AR): Chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) systems;
and specialized ammunition
Watervliet Arsenal (Watervliet, NY): Cannons,
mortars, and associated components.
Tooele Army Depot (Tooele, UT): Equipment for
handling, maintaining, and modifying ammunition.
