Americans Are Fixers. Their Troops Should Be Too.
Military personnel are often blocked from repairing their own equipment due to manufacturer restrictions. In wartime, that could be fatal.
DOD needs more DIY.
Photographer: AFP/Getty Images
Here’s something that Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to agree on: When Americans serving in the military are trying to protect our country and each other, they should not be strangled by red tape that prevents them from fixing broken weapons and tools. And yet that is exactly the danger they currently face.
If a war broke out tomorrow, American troops may struggle to repair and maintain the assets they need to defend themselves and defeat the enemy — not because they aren’t capable of making those repairs or hiring a third party who can, but because they are contractually forbidden from doing it.