Updated December 30, 2022
Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots
Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.) §2464 requires the
Figure 1. DOD Covered Depots (10 U.S.C. §2476)
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
Source: CRS adaptation of GAO graphic (“Military Depots: DOD
the services can regularly repair critical weapon systems
Strategy for Addressing Deteriorating Facilities and Equipment Is
and return them to the warfighter for their use in training
and operations.”
Incomplete” GAO-22-105009)
Army Covered Depots
Although each military department (MILDEP) manages and
Army Materiel Command (AMC) operates the following
resources the depots that service its weapon systems and
equipment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
nine Army sites, each of which services particular systems.
and Sustainment (USD (A&S)) is responsible for DOD-
Anniston Army Depot (Anniston, AL): Tracked and
wide maintenance policy direction and oversight. In
wheeled ground combat vehicles; small caliber
addition to repairing and maintaining military systems, each
MILDEP’s depots also
weapons; towed and self-propelled artillery; and rail
serve as repositories for technical
equipment.
data, testing equipment, and unique tooling and design
capabilities. Depending on the types of activities supported,
Corpus Christi Army Depot (Corpus Christi, TX):
DOD may designate facilities performing depot functions
Rotary wing aircraft.
as logistics complexes, shipyards, readiness centers, or
Letterkenny Army Depot (Chambersburg, PA): Air
logistics bases. Depot-level maintenance and repair
and missile defense; and precision fires systems.
activities also encompass certain types of software
Red River Army Depot (Texarkana, TX): Tactical
maintenance, but do not include major upgrades, the
wheeled vehicles.
procurement of parts for safety modifications, or the
Tobyhanna Army Depot (Tobyhanna, PA): Command,
nuclear refueling and defueling of aircraft carriers.
control, communications, computers, intelligence,
Organization and Management
surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; electronics,
avionics, and missile guidance/control systems.
Among OIB GOGO facilities, Congress has designated 21
“covered depots” for special oversight under 10 U.S.C.
Rock Island Arsenal (Rock Island, IL): Joint
§2476 due to their importance in Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Manufacturing and Technology Center; Joint Munitions
Staff strategic and contingency plans. Covered depots
Command; and Army Sustainment Command.
currently include 18 depots, logistics complexes, shipyards,
Pine Bluff Arsenal (Pine Bluff, AR): Chemical,
readiness centers, and logistics bases, as well as 3 Army
biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) systems;
arsenals with depot maintenance capabilities. Together,
and specialized ammunition
they employ a workforce of over 80,000 government
Watervliet Arsenal (Watervliet, NY): Cannons,
civilians (Figure 1).
mortars, and associated components.
Tooele Army Depot (Tooele, UT): Equipment for
handling, maintaining, and modifying ammunition.
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Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots
Air Force Covered Depots
depot maintenance reached $32.6 and $35.1 billion,
Air Force Materiel Command’s Air Force Sustainment
respectively. According to DOD, the FY2023 budget
Center (AFSC) operates the following three air logistics
request would fund 50% of total executable Army depot
centers, each of which services particular airframes and
maintenance requirements; 71% of Navy requirements;
systems.
80% of Marine Corps requirements; 85% of Air Force
requirements; and 83% of Space Force requirements.
Ogden Air Logistics Center (Hill Air Force Base, UT):
F-35; F-22; F-16; A-10; C-130; T-38; Minuteman III
Relevant Statutory Requirements
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; and landing gear.
Title 10 U.S.C §2460 explicitly provides a role for depot-
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (Tinker Air
level maintenance and repair performed by private sector
Force Base, OK): KC-46; KC-135; B-1B; B-52; E-3; E-
contractors. Title 10 U.S.C. §2466 prohibits DOD from
6; various aircraft engines; and software.
spending more than 50% of its annual depot-level
maintenance funds on contracting with non-federal entities
Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (Warner Robins,
in a given fiscal year (sometimes referred to as the 50-50
GA): F-15; C-5; C-130; C-17; and various special
rule). DOD is also barred by 10 U.S.C. §2472 from
operations forces aircraft.
managing depot employees by end strength.
Navy Covered Depots
Title 10 U.S.C. §2476 establishes capital investment and
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and Naval Air
congressional reporting requirements for the 21 covered
Systems Command (NAVAIR) manage covered Navy
depots. Each MILDEP must annually invest at least eight
shipyards and fleet readiness centers, respectively.
percent of the total value of its depot workload (averaged
over the previous three years) into the capital budgets of its
NAVSEA operates the following four shipyards, each of
depots. Of this annual investment, 25% must be used for
which services a variety of ships and submarines.
facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
(FSRM). In addition, DOD must annually submit a report to
Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, VA)
the congressional defense committees detailing the
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate
MILDEPs’ depot investments, including benchmarks,
Maintenance Facility (Pearl Harbor, HI)
funded workloads, and any impediments.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Kittery, ME)
Considerations for Congress
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate
Resourcing maintenance depots. In a 2022 report, GAO
Maintenance Facility (Bremerton, WA)
assessed the condition of most depot facilities and
equipment as “fair-to-poor;” in response, some in DOD and
NAVAIR operates the following three fleet readiness
Congress have raised concerns that the resourcing of
centers, each of which services particular Navy and Marine
maintenance depots is insufficient. These concerns
Corps airframes and systems.
informed Section 374 of the FY2023 National Defense
Fleet Readiness Center East (Cherry Point, NC): MV-
Authorization Act (NDAA), which modified MILDEPs’
22B; F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets; F-35B; UH-
investment obligations by increasing the minimum
1N; CH-53E; and AV-8B.
investment requirement from 6% of the average annual
depot workload to 8% of this total, with the further
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (Jacksonville, FL):
requirement that 25% of this investment be used for FSRM.
P-8; P-3; H-60; F/A-18 Super Hornets; various naval
Congress may oversee the MILDEPs’ execution of this
aviation weapon systems; aeronautical components; and
requirement, and might consider whether further
life support systems
modifications to investment requirements and priorities
could improve the condition of depot infrastructure.
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (North Island, CA):
AV-8B; E-2; H-60; and UH-1N.
Improving depot planning, management, and reporting.
Planning depot-level maintenance is complex, requiring
Marine Corps Covered Depots
MILDEPs to estimate optimal workforce levels at each
Marine Depot Maintenance Command operates the
covered depot by balancing peacetime and wartime
following two logistics bases, each of which services a
requirements. In addition to scheduled maintenance, depots
variety of ground combat and combat support equipment.
must also perform unplanned maintenance to address
emergent issues. The difficulty of planning can lead to
Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (Albany, GA)
negative impacts, including maintenance backlogs, spare
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow (Barstow, CA)
parts shortages, and the failure of major weapon systems to
meet readiness goals. Congress may direct DOD to
Funding
continue reporting recurrent maintenance problems and
Title 10 U.S.C. §2460 defines depot-level maintenance
identify changes to improve depot performance.
without regard to which appropriation funds the activity. In
FY2021 DOD received $32.5 billion in Operations &
Luke A. Nicastro, Analyst in U.S. Defense Infrastructure
Maintenance, Procurement, and Research, Development,
Policy
Test, & Evaluation appropriations for depot maintenance
Cameron M. Keys, Analyst in Defense Logistics and
activities. DOD budget requests for FY2022 and FY2023
Resource Management Policy
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Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots
IF11466
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