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To improve test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) utilization, the Army recently conducted a study that surveyed TMDE usage, coordinator training, and calibration workloads.
What if there were an easy way for commanders and Soldiers to reduce the time spent on test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) coordinator tasks and increase overall unit readiness? What if calibration workload backlogs could be reduced by removing obsolete and unused TMDE from unit property books?
The Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) and the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) have recently focused on accomplishing these goals by conducting the TMDE Utilization Study. The study focused on determining TMDE utilization, removing TMDE not in use from property books, reducing calibration backlogs, and improving TMDE coordinator training materials.
About TMDE
TMDE is an important component of Army maintenance because it provides the ability to test, adjust, synchronize, verify accuracy of, and repair air and ground weapon systems by using highly precise measurements across various spectrums. These include physical, dimensional, radiological, electrical, electronic, electromagnetic, and electro-optical ranges. Each TMDE spectrum requires a level of traceable accuracy that ensures aviation and ground weapon systems can perform optimally and safely.
The Army uses calibration sets and equipment that reflect national and international TMDE standards; their chain of custody hierarchy begins with the National Instrumentation of Standards and Technology (NIST). All Army TMDE requires calibration and is traceable to the NIST to ensure that the equipment's level of measurable accuracy provides the necessary maintenance support for the appropriate weapon system platform.
Each unit tasks personnel to be TMDE coordinators who are responsible for turning in assigned TMDE for calibration support and for managing their specific portion of the brigade's TMDE program. Military occupational specialty 94H (TMDE support specialist) Soldiers and U.S. Army TMDE Activity (USATA) civilians are responsible for providing precision measurement and repair tasks on general and special purpose TMDE.
Each TMDE item requires a separate calibration procedure and traceability requirement. Those procedures are established in Technical Bulletin 43-180, Calibration and Repair Requirements for the Maintenance of Army...