________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
have this, got to have that." With the Facilities Modernization Program, with all their various
components, we could say, "In this component, using the tank motor pool example, this is
how much we have as backlog. Here's how much we'll accomplish with your money this
year. We need this amount of money that will bring us, say, to 6 percent, and it'll take so
many years to finish."
That is how the Facilities Modernization Program grew over time from the Modernization of
U.S. Facilities Program to really having something--it was really a way of articulating need
and requirement in terms of kinds of things--amount done and amount remaining--for the
decision makers.
Q:
I read somewhere the program allowed the use of MCA as well as OMA funds, but it brought
more funds to bear on some of the backlog problems. Is that the way you remember it?
A:
Well, yes. MCA funds were used on the MCA things; OMA on OMA things. It was a
reflection that for many things you could use different kinds of funds to solve a broad-based
kind of problem area. You might use maintenance funds to fix up certain motor pools; you
might build new ones under MCA, which takes part of the backlog away. Both of them can
be used to address a backlog. It's not that you're using MCA for OMA kind of things or
OMA for MCA kind of things. It's you're addressing a backlog in that category, using both
kinds of funds.
Q:
Okay.
A:
You were able, then, to be able to let everybody focus on a category, "Hey, that's a good
idea. Yeah, we can do that. So, let's do it."
I'm not sure when--I suppose it happened between when I left and when I arrived back in
'87--somewhere in that time frame, I think, that it fleshed out to be the program given the
label, "Facilities Modernization Program." There was a set of facilities books, much like
probably my earlier storage set of books, that was the bible. It was an inventory of facilities
and requirements. You could say to VII Corps when they came in for a motor pool, "Is that
on your backlog in the Facilities Modernization Program? Yes or no?Yes? Okay, then you
can tie it in there."
Q:
Any other particular programs? It sounds like the POMCUS, theater reserve, and ammunition
storage programs were the ones that took up most of your time during that time.
A:
The rapid reinforcement of NATO program took a considerable amount of it. Then we'd also
have the meetings for prioritizing military construction and we'd have the NATO
infrastructure meetings. We'd fly off with many of the same players from SHAPE, AFCENT,
and people would come over from the Secretary of Defense's office, and they would all sit
and wonder why USAREUR wasn't spending money fast enough. That was right back to my
shop too, and so we had to interact there too. We were actively involved with the master
restationing plan because that had passed from where it had been under DCSOPS the year
before about, "Where do you want to have your tactical units?" to the point of coming over to
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