text: Signal Systems Maintenance
  troubleshooting increases in complexity. Operator-maintainers working with communications systems and
  communications-electronics equipment, armament routinely perform tasks other maintainers would consider
  sustainment-level maintenance.
  SUSTAINMENT MAINTENANCE
  D-12. Since it is closer to the point of use, field maintenance is the preferred method of repair. However,
  operators, crews, and unit maintenance personnel sometimes lack the skills, special tools, repair parts, or
  references to complete repairs. This may require evacuating equipment for sustainment maintenance. Based
  on the extent of damage or failure, leaders use their professional judgment to determine the best course of
  action, based on operational and mission variables.
  D-13. The intent of sustainment maintenance is to perform commodity-oriented repairs to return items to a
  national standard, providing a consistent and measurable level of reliability. Sustainment maintenance
  supports both operational forces and the Army supply system. Sustainment maintenance is comprised of two
  subcategories—below depot-level sustainment maintenance and depot-level sustainment maintenance.
  Depot Maintenance
  D-14. Tobyhanna Army Depot provides depot-level sustainment maintenance for communications-
  electronics systems, including joint satellite communications and joint command, control, communications,
  computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Besides depot repairs and spares
  management, Tobyhanna Army Depot can provide on-site depot-level technical assistance.
  D-15. Tobyhanna’s forward repair activities provide depot-level sustainment presence at locations inside and
  outside the continental United States. Tobyhanna field service representatives provide depot-level technical
  assistance visits for on-site troubleshooting, repair, and configuration assistance worldwide.
  Below Depot Maintenance
  D-16. The United States Army Communications-Electronics Command Field Sustainment Support Division
  has seven regional support centers aligned with the Army field support brigades. Regional support centers
  provide forward logistical support, including care of supplies in storage, warehousing, below depot
  sustainment maintenance, and return maintenance authorizations for warranty items. The regional support
  centers can react rapidly to warfighter requirements and support surge requirements, if necessary. Regional
  support centers mainly support commercial off-the-shelf and non-standard equipment.
  D-17. United States Army Communications-Electronics Command provides below depot sustainment
  maintenance for United States Army Training and Doctrine Command training base tactical equipment at
  Fort Huachuca, Arizona and Fort Gordon, Georgia. This includes associated support items of equipment for
  the systems.
  D-18. United States Army Communications-Electronics Command’s logistics assistance representatives
  provide commanders the technical guidance necessary to resolve problems with weapon systems, equipment,
  and logistics. Logistics assistance representatives help solve readiness issues at unit level, and assist with
  logistics problems beyond the unit’s resources or capabilities to resolve through—
  * Technical guidance to resolve equipment and systemic logistics issues.
  * Analysis of readiness issues.
  * Identification of systemic issues with command, control, communications, computers, and
  intelligence equipment.
  COMMUNICATIONS-ELECTRONICS MAINTENANCE
  D-19. The unique maintenance requirements of signal equipment and the need to maintain the DODIN-A
  with minimal downtime requires more responsive maintenance procedures. Some signal military
  occupational specialties are operator-maintainers who can perform more extensive field maintenance on their
  assigned equipment at the point of use. These operator-maintainers perform equipment replacement tasks to
  restore or maintain the viability of the network.