testing, and reclamation as required. Depot maintenance supports  lower  categories  of  maintenance  by  providing technical assistance and by performing maintenance that  is  beyond  their  responsibility  or  capability.  Depot maintenance  provides  stocks  of  serviceable  equipment by using more extensive facilities for repair than are available in lower-level maintenance activities. This maintenance is normally performed b y naval air rework facilities,  depot  field  teams,  naval  ammunition  depots, naval  ordnance  stations,  naval  weapons  stations,  and naval  construction  battalion  centers.  It  may  be performed  at  contractor  depot  level  work  activities,  at commercial  facilities,  or  Navy  shipyards  during availabilities   designated   as   “voyage   repairs,” “restricted, “  “technical,”  “regular overhaul,” and the like. CATEGORIES OF MAINTENANCE AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL Maintenance actions are subdivided into groups or categories  in  several  different  ways;  for  example, operational/technical,   preventive/corrective,   and overhaul/repair.  The  operational/technical  and overhaul/repair   categories   can   be   bound   together according  to  the  technical  knowledge  and  skill  needed to do the work. OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE Operational maintenance is the care and minor maintenance of equipment  using procedures that do not require detailed  technical  knowledge  of  equipment’s or  system’s  function  and  design.  This  category  of operational   maintenance   normally   consists   of inspecting,  cleaning,  servicing,  preserving,  lubricating, and adjusting, as required. Such maintenance may also include  minor  parts  replacement  that  does  not  require the person performing the work to have highly technical skills  or  to  perform  internal  alignment. As the term implies, operational maintenance,  is performed by the operator of the equipment. Its purpose is threefold: (1) to make the operator aware of the state of readiness of the equipment; (2) to reduce the delays that would occur if a qualifiedtechnician had to be called every time a simple adjustment were needed; and (3) to release  technicians  for  more  complicated  work. You need to talk with the operators and instill in them your willingness to work with them, as a team, to ensure  that  all  equipment  will  be  maintained  in operational readiness. The y should report all equipment defects  and  irregularities  to  the  ET  shop  promptly,  so that all defects can be corrected as soon as possible, before  they  become  worse. TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE Technical  maintenance  is  the  restoration  of  an equipment or system to its normal operating condition through the elimination of electrical and mechanical faults;   replacement   of   unserviceable   parts, subassemblies,  or  assemblies;  and  aligning,  testing,  and adjusting  affected  equipment.  This  type  of  maintenance requires skill and detailed technical knowledge of the equipment. The  knowledge  required  for  this  maintenance  can be  acquired  through  experience,  individual  study, formal  naval  schooling,  observation  of  the  work  of skilled personnel, and in-service training (OJT). Details  of  technical  maintenance  (usually  referred to in technical manuals as  corrective  maintenance)  are given in equipment technical manuals, maintenance manuals,  letters,  directives,  and  periodicals. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE We can reasonably assume that many equipment breakdowns  were  once  minor  faults.  Some  of  these minor faults are detectable in their early stages. The ultimate objective of preventive maintenance is to detect and correct these faults early so they will not later result in  equipment  failure. Equipment failures are govement in general, by the complexity of the equipment, the demands placed on it, and  the  abuse  to  which  it  is  subjected.  Abusing equipment  means  failing  to  follow  proper  operational procedures  and  failing  to  ensure  adequate  preventive maintenance. As an ET1 or ETC, you must ensure that your personnel are thoroughly familiar with the contents of the MRCs and maintenance publications that apply to the equipment or system on which they are assigned to  work.  This  information  will  help  to  prevent equipment  abuse  and  to  reduce  equipment  failures. ELECTRONIC  EQUIPMENT  AND SYSTEM MAINTENANCE At this point in your electronics career, you are probably a proficient maintenance technician for certain equipments  and  systems,  and  have  developed  a  positive attitude and confidence concerning these particular equipments  and  systems.  As  you  advance  to  ET1  and ETC, your “equipment and systems” responsibilities will increase because you will probably be in a work 8-2