CHAPTER 1 MAINTENANCE ADMINISTRATION As a nonrated person striking for an aviation rating or a new PO3, you will probably be assigned to the aircraft maintenance department of a squadron, ship, or shore station. Most of your duties will be productive maintenance, such as working on aircraft, engines, components, and support equipment. At times, you may be assigned to a support function, such as maintenance, production control, or supply. Regardless of the assignment, you should have a working knowledge of the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP), OPNAVINST 4790.2, and the organizational structure of aircraft maintenance departments. NAVAL AVIATION MAINTENANCE PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Define the objectives of the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP). An important objective of the NAMP is to achieve and maintain maximum material readiness, safety, and conservation of material. Command attention is required at all levels to meet this objective. Aviation activities base their policies, plans, programs, and procedures on the NAMP. For specific and detailed information on the programs and processes covered in this manual, you should refer to the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP), OPNAVINST 4790.2. Q1. What are the objectives of the NAMP? AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Define the purpose of the Aircraft Maintenance Department within an organization. Identify the two major types of aircraft maintenance, the three levels of aircraft maintenance, and specific responsibilities of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) concerning the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP). The aircraft maintenance department is usually the largest department in most operating units or activities. The primary effort of this department is to support the unit’s mission. The operations department carries out the unit’s mission of flight operations by naval aircraft. In support of the unit’s mission, the maintenance department must maintain assigned aircraft in a state of full mission capability (FMC). An aircraft in this category can safely perform all of its intended missions and return to its base of operations. All aircraft maintenance departments have the same basic organization; that is, they have a standard organization throughout the Navy. You can see the advantages of a standard organization if you consider what happens when you transfer from one aircraft maintenance activity to another. Because there is a standard organization, you find that the work centers in both the old and new activity have the same code numbers and names, and that the officers occupy similar billets. So, if you come from another aviation maintenance activity, you can perform in the new unit in a short time. You do not need a long indoctrination or break-in period. The standard organization of the maintenance department is not limited to the operating activity (squadron) level. Broad avenues of responsibility and certain guidelines are prescribed by the Department of Defense (DOD). They are based upon years of aircraft maintenance experience in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Q2. What is the purpose of the Aircraft Maintenance Department within an organization? MAINTENANCE TYPES, LEVELS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES The aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) is a centralized local maintenance organization. AIMDs perform aviation maintenance functions that are beyond the capability of the operating squadron or unit. Capability refers to the scope of the work assigned to an activity by the NAMP. In addition to performing maintenance work on aircraft and equipment, the AIMD maintains equipment pools and issues items of support 1-1