REMINDER/Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium Poised to Address ``Turning Logistics Resources into Readiness''.

Business Editors, Government & Aerospace/Defense Writers

REMINDER...

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 2002

Military equipment and weapons systems maintenance will take center stage as Defense maintainers, manufacturers and component suppliers participate in the 2002 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition, to be held October 28-31, 2002 at the Reno Hilton in Reno, Nevada.

The Symposium, sponsored by the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness in conjunction with SAE International (The Society of Automotive Engineers), will focus on critical issues surrounding the maintenance of weapon systems and equipment. It will also address commercial and military maintenance technologies, information management, and maintenance management processes. The Symposium agenda features an outstanding slate of senior level speakers from Government and Industry, a wide range of panels and breakout sessions, and over 125 exhibits.

"This event is vitally important as it is the only Department of Defense forum bringing together maintainers to exchange ideas, concepts, technologies, and experiences," said Robert T. Mason, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Maintenance Policy, Programs and Resources. "While the maintenance demands to support the war against terrorism have been extraordinary, the Military Services are additionally in the midst of transforming their logistics processes to be significantly more agile and responsive, and that translates to a lot of new requirements for information systems, technological infusion, and process reengineering."

The Exhibition will feature interactive military and commercial equipment displays as well as advanced vehicle systems. It will include the RQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and the Army's new Stryker Vehicle. The exhibition will also showcase innovative vehicle approaches such as the Commercially Based Tactical Truck (COMBATT), state-of-the-art commercial trucks, and the Mobile Parts Hospital, considered the "automotive equivalent of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital."

On Wednesday evening, October 30, six outstanding field-level military units will receive the "Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award." These winners were announced on August 2, 2002. One unit of these six, to be announced, will be awarded the Phoenix Award, as the "best of the best" maintenance unit in the Department of Defense.

"The resources involved in maintenance are enormous," Mr. Mason continued, "with annual expenditures over $40 billion and involving nearly 700,000 military and civilian personnel and thousands of contractors. Maintenance is what keeps military equipment operating in the deserts of Afghanistan and the corrosive salt-water environment of the open ocean. It's where a crew chief in his or her early 20s is the lynchpin to mission success, and it's where the real heroics of a mission happen at night on an open maintenance ramp with minimal support and lots of time pressure to get ready for the next mission. That's why the Maintenance Awards banquet is such an emotionally charged event, because that's what these units do to be recognized as the very best."

For more information pertaining to this Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award, contact Mr. Chuck Field [phone], [e-mail]. Information about the DoD Maintenance Symposium is updated continually and is available online at http://www.sae.org/dod. To receive printed materials, call [phone], or e-mail [e-mail].

Note to Editors: Accredited media representatives are invited to attend this symposium/exhibition at no charge. To register on-line, please visit http://www.sae.org/calendar/dod/index.htm or contact Mark Burd, SAE Public Relations at 724-772-4052, [e-mail].