they   develop   into   costly   repairs.   The   CESE maintenance system of the NCF is predicated on three categories  or  levels  of  maintenance  as  prescribed  in NAVFAC   P-300   and   CONSECONDNCB/ COMTHIRDNCBINST  11200.1.  These  three  levels are   as   follows:   ORGANIZATIONAL,   INTER- MEDIATE,  and  DEPOT.  The  category  of  repairs performed are determined by the nature of the repair; level of repair parts, support, tools, equipment and time available;  personnel  capabilities;  and  the  tactical situation. An activity's range of repair parts support is keyed to the authorized level of maintenance. Organizational  Maintenance Organizational maintenance is the responsibility of and performed by the equipment operator; scheduled preventive maintenance services are performed by trained personnel. Operational maintenance consists of proper  equipment  operation,  safety  and  serviceability inspections,  lubrication,  and  minor  adjustments  and services.  Organizational  maintenance  is  divided  into operator maintenance and preventive maintenance as specified  below. 1.   Operator   Maintenance.   Each   operator   is required to perform work needed. to maintain their vehicle in a clean, safe, and serviceable condition. This includes the daily inspections before, during, and after operation. It also includes periodic lubrication and adjustments  recommended  by  the  equipment manufacturer. Operator maintenance is performed to ensure early detection of deficiencies. 2.   Preventive   Maintenance. Preventive maintenance (PM) is scheduled for the purpose of maximizing  equipment  availability  and  minimizing repair costs. PM consists of safety and mechanical inspections, fluid and filter changes, lubrication, and services   and   adjustments   beyond   an   operator's responsibility.  Operators  assist  with  the  work  unless directed otherwise. Intermediate  Maintenance Intermediate maintenance is the responsibility of and performed by a designated maintenance shop. The extent of intermediate maintenance encompasses the removal,  replacement,  repair,  alteration,  calibration, modification,  and  the  rebuilding  and  overhauling  of individual components, assemblies, and subassemblies. Although the rebuilding and overhauling of major assemblies are included, only essential repairs must be accomplished   to   ensure   safe   and   serviceable equipment. Intermediate maintenance requires a higher degree of skill than organizational maintenance. There is a larger assortment of repair parts, more precision tools, and other types of test equipment involved. Equipment  that  requires  extensive  repairs  or numerous  assembly  rebuilds  must  NOT  be  repaired without prior approval of higher authority. Field units must  request  authority  from  COMSECONDNCB Equipment   Det,   Gulfport,   Mississippi,   or COMTHIRDNCB Equipment Det, Port Hueneme, California,  before  purchasing  component  parts  in excess of $2,500. Depot Maintenance Depot maintenance is performed on equipment requiring major overhaul or comprehensive restoration to  return  an  item  of  equipment  to  a  "like-new" condition.  Depot  level  maintenance  uses  production line and assembly line methods whenever practical. At this point, you should only be concerned with organizational  and  intermediate  maintenance.  Most depot maintenance is performed by overhaul facilities located at Port Hueneme, California, and Gulfport, Mississippi. MAINTENANCE  SCHEDULING The only type of maintenance that can be performed on  a  regular  basis  is  preventive  maintenance.  A dynamic  PM  program  reduces  equipment  downtime and  prevents  unexpected  equipment  failure.  PM scheduling provides a balanced shop work load, thus reducing the size of the work force required. Once the PM schedule of an activity has been established, only the  maintenance  supervisor  can  authorize  deviations. The PM scheduling system used in the NCF is the only system discussed here. The standard interval between PMs is 40 working days. PM Groups PM groups are scheduling units into which all of the equipment  of  an  activity  is  distributed  evenly.  Each item of CESE must be assigned to at least one PM group.  The  equipment  should  be  distributed  evenly throughout the 40 PM groups, so only a minimum number of similar pieces of equipment are out of service at any one time. The normal grouping works like this: If there  are  ten  dump  trucks  within  the  inventory,  one should be assigned to every fourth PM group; if there are four water distributors, assign one to every tenth PM 1-3