Military

After completion of operational requirements, forces move back to designated assembly areas (AAs). The major focus is unit integrity and accountability for units, individuals, materiel, supplies, and equipment. Operational requirements may have caused organizational changes to units after arrival in the AO. Units should return to original configurations prior to redeployment to facilitate the return to peacetime activities or movement to follow-on missions. Specific unit actions include:

• Cross-leveling personnel and equipment.
• Packing and loading containers. Planned destination and types of equipment to be redeployed determine customs and agricultural requirements.
• Inventorying and verifying documents, and coordinating movement instructions with the appropriate movement control element.
• Reporting excess materiel to the appropriate materiel management center.
• Identifying equipment shortages.

When the unit receives movement instructions, forces, individuals, and materiel move to the RAA. Upon arrival, units complete any activities required but not completed in the AA. This may include final washing of major end items, affixing placards, receiving customs and agricultural inspections, and finalizing unit movement data. The unit accountable officer ensures that property records and all related documents are properly maintained. This is especially critical if the unit is redeploying with APL equipment.

The ASCC or ARFOR commander is responsible for the movement of forces from the AA and for actions at, and in support of, the RAA. The AA and the RAA may be combined, depending on the size of the theater and the combatant commander's guidance. The redeployment sequence depends on theater constraints and the combatant commander's guidance. Intermediate steps and actions may supplement movement to the AA and RAA. RAA activities may also involve establishment of final staging area.

The HQDA goal is to issue APL equipment meeting TM 10/20 criteria, and for units to turn in APL equipment at TM 10/20 standards. Using units, therefore, return equipment to TM 10/20 standards before turn-in, within capabilities.

Prior to the start of equipment turn-in, units physically separate organic TAT/NAP equipment from the APL stocks to be turned in. They do this in the RAA. Physically separating unit and APL equipment lessens the chance that organic equipment gets mistakenly turned in or that APL materiel returns with the redeploying unit. The unit advance party for the turn-in coordinates equipment separation activities.

Deployed unit maintenance personnel, operators, crews, and supervisors conduct thorough technical inspections of equipment to be turned in. The unit with its supporting maintenance elements perform all required maintenance within their capability. All equipment requires initial cleaning. The unit uses supply and maintenance channels to requisition required repair parts and to fill equipment shortages.

Comprehensive inventories of equipment and supplies are most important at this juncture. The unit may have lost some equipment as a result of combat action. Documentation is crucial, and the unit should already have submitted requisitions to replace combat losses. One hundred percent inventories completed in the RAA help ensure that any items previously missing, but not noted, are addressed at this time. The intent is to have all APL materiel 100 percent complete for turn-in or on valid requisition.

Personnel of the unit returning equipment and representatives of the AWRSPTCMD storage facility conduct joint inventories at the APL site. In addition to the equipment, using units also turn over copies of document registers and valid requisitions for any shortages. They reconcile hand receipts and requisitions and account for all equipment. They also prepare hand receipts for equipment transfer.

Upon completion of joint inventories, all end items of equipment are brought to TM 10/20 standards. This last maintenance procedure is the responsibility of the using unit, but it does so under the supervision of LSE/AWRSPTCMD-controlled maintenance teams. The unit also does the final cleaning of equipment prior to represervation. This final cleaning is critical. Procedures depend on the type of storage the equipment is to be placed in. Site staff spot-check equipment to ensure cleaning meets AWRSPTCMD and USAMMA standards.

Property accountability for the equipment transfers to AWRSPTCMD and USAMMA accountable officers from the using unit, and responsibility for the equipment returns to the AWRSPTCMD site commander. The unit turns over all supporting documents (such as property registers, hand receipts, valid requisitions, and DA Forms 2404) as it turns in equipment. The using unit and AWRSPTCMD/USAMMA must resolve all discrepancies before the turn-in process is complete.

When issued APL equipment is being returned to AWRSPTCMD control, represervation of APL equipment is ultimately the responsibility of storage site personnel. However, AWRSPTCMD and USAMMA site personnel may need help from using units to accomplish necessary preservation activities. The unit team, similar to the advance party, becomes the trail or stay-behind party. It completes preparation (TM 10/20 maintenance and property accountability) and turn-in of equipment to AWRSPTCMD and USAMMA. For certain methods of storage and locations, units may need to assist site personnel with the removal and storage of vehicle batteries, and the removal or reduction of petroleum products. They may remove components of crew-served weapons and store them separately from end items. Some communications equipment, small arms, and vision devices may be removed, protected, and stored separately as well.

Redeployment of forces includes the movement of forces to POEs, from POEs to PODs, and from PODs to ultimate destinations back at home station or to another AO. Once turn-in of APL equipment is complete, redeployment activities continue as described in FM 100-17-5.