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1 [1] (November 26, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govegfx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con grass S November 26, 2021 Defense Primer: Department of Defense Pre-Positioned Materiel As part of its globalposture, the U.S. military maintains war reserve materiel (W RM), which are stocks of essential items and munitions that, according to the Department of Defense (DOD), are sufficient to attain and sustain operationalobjectives in DODplans. Some of this materiel, DOD states is designatedpre-positionedWRM (or PWRM), which is strategically located to facilitate a timely response during the initialphase of an operation. PWRM is stored worldwide at or near points of planned use in specialized facilities (i.e., ashore) and dedicated ships (i.e., afloat). Why does DOD pr-postion materi? The primary purpose ofPWRM is to reduce military response times and ensure timely support of operations in their initial phases, until follow-on capabilities are available and supply chains are established. PWRM, airlift, and sealift comprise the three legs of the strategic mobility triad that enables military power projection. Pre-positioning materiel reduces the demands for strategic airlift and sealift as sets by locating heavy andbulky materiel closer to the theater of operations. Unlike airlift and sealift, PWRM is not constrained by lift capacity, but comes with increased infrastructure costs associated with storing and maintaining stocks. Typically, personnel and a limited amount of equipment are transported into a theater, where they draw and prepare PWRM to rapidly resource deploying forces. For example, in 1990-1991 during Operation Desert Shield, PWRM enabledthe delivery of Marine Corps armoredunits to the Persian Gulf one month before the arrivalof other armored units shipped fromthe United States, according to the Congressional BudgetOffice. Similarly, in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, DOD made extensive use of stocks and materiel ashore and afloatin the Middle East and Europe, to provide deployed forces essential equipment and supplies. PWRM may be used to signalU.S. intentions. Materiel stored overseas may demonstrate commitment to allies and partners or enhance the deterrence of potential adversaries. Responsibiities and Management The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment establishes and maintains a DOD-wide strategic policy for WRM and PWRM. The military departments, combatant commands, defense agencies, and other DOD components are alsoresponsible for is suing component-specific guidance. Combatant Commanders (CCDRs) determine PWRM operationalrequirements in accordance with strategic guidance; the Joint Staff then reviews and validates these requirements. Each military service (hereafter service) maintains and administers PWRM to satisfy suchrequirements and meet theneeds of CCDRs. The services rely upon the Defense Logis tics Agency and contractor support to maintain PW RM. Several sections of Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.) govern PWRM, including the following: * 10 U.S.C. §2229. Requires the Secretary of Defense to maintain a strategic policy on pre-positioned materiel and to certify annually that current PW RM meet all operations plans, in both fill and readiness. The FY2014 NationalDefense AuthorizationAct (NDAA, P.L. 113-66) amended §2229 to require a one-time submissionofDOD's plan to implement its strategic policy. * 10 U.S.C. §2229a. Mandates an annualreport to Congress, submittedpriorto the submissionofthe President's budget request, on the status of pre- positioned stocks at the end of the last fiscalyear. * 10 U.S.C. §229 note. Charges the Secretary of Defense with ensuring that service secretaries have funds to reconstitutepre-positioned stocks in accordancewith the requirements under the strategy outlined in § 2229. Funding Two defense appropriations titles primarily fund PWRM: Procurement and Operations and Maintenance (O&M). For example, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2021 (Division C of P.L. 116-260) provided $324million within the Operation and Maintenance, Army account for Army prepos itioned stocks. For FY2022, DOD reques ted $381 million for PW RM within the Operation and Maintenance, Army account. Funding amounts for the other services' PWRM are typically includedwithin the Mobilization budget activity within annual O&M appropriations. Additionally, PWRM resources for the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force are included annually as part of the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), an effort to reassure U.S. allies in Europe in the wake of Russia's 2014 invasionofUkraine's Crimea region. Since FY2017, PWRM has been the single largest funding category within EDI, averaging $2.3 billion over five years. For FY2022, DOD has requested $1.2 billion for EDI PWRM. Sekected PWRM Programs Army Pre-Positioned Stocks (APS) The Army considers APS materiela cornerstone ofthe Army's ability to rapidly project power. Army Materiel Command (AMC) manages APS, while Army Sustainment Command and other AMC subordinate commands maintain the stocks through regional Army Field Support Brigades and Battalions (See Figure 1). APS contain several categories of materiel: