Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-193- An Operational Analysis of Cadre
maintenance cadre organization specifically assigns the cadre leaders the task of maintaining
their equipment during peacetime. The domestic training cadre unit could use their
equipment for training exercises and oversee maintenance performed by the trainees.
The benefits of cadre maintained equipment are that the cadre leaders are familiar
with their equipment and they can be sure it will be there when they need it. One downside
is that assigning these duties can lower morale. This is relevant for maintenance cadre units
in which officers and NCOs who have long graduated from performing equipment
maintenance would be required to perform these tasks. It is less relevant for domestic
training cadre units, which could use trainees to help perform some of the maintenance.
While Chapter Three shows that the domestic training cadre unit would likely be cheaper
than the maintenance cadre unit, if these units used their equipment in training exercises,
then the additional wear and tear on the equipment would increase operation and
maintenance costs. This would offset some of the cost savings from a cadre augmented
force.
4.1.2—Contractor Maintained in Humidity Controlled Storage
Another option available for maintaining full cadre equipment sets in peacetime is to
have the equipment maintained by contractors in humidity controlled storage. This was
proposed in the Cold War drawdown as a way to maintain surplus equipment that would be
mobilized in the event of a war. 87 This is also how some pre-positioned army equipment was
stored before it was removed for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 88
____________
87 DoD (1996)
88 GAO (2006a)