SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ROLE OF DEPOT-LEVEL ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

SEC. 346. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ROLE OF DEPOT-LEVEL ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. (a) Findings.—The Congress makes the following findings: (1) The depot-level maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense provide the Armed Forces with a critical capacity to respond to the needs of the Armed Forces for depot-level maintenance and repair of weapon systems and equipment. 107 STAT. 1625 (2) The depot-level maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense provide the Department with capabilities that are uniquely suited to responding to the increased need for repair and maintenance of weapon systems and equipment which may arise in times of national crisis. (3) The skilled employees and equipment of the depotlevel maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense are an essential component of the overall defense industrial base of the United States. (4) The critical role of the depot-level maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense is recognized in section 2466 of title 10, United States Code, which provides that the Secretary of a military department and, with respect to a Defense Agency, the Secretary of Defense, may not contract for the performance by non-Federal Government personnel of more than 40 percent of the depot-level maintenance workload for the military department or the Defense Agency. (5) Maintenance of this critical industrial capability in the Department of Defense requires that an appropriate level of the depot-level maintenance and repair of new weapon systems be assigned to depot-level maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of the Congress that, in order to maintain the critical depot-level maintenance and repair capability for military weapon systems and equipment, the Secretary of Defense shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that a sufficient amount of the depot-level maintenance and repair of new weapon systems and equipment is assigned to depot-level maintenance and repair activities of the Department of Defense, consistent with the requirements of section 2466 of title 10, United States Code.