1,000 flying hours are logged on an F-14 Tomcat’s  engines—these engines should have been replaced after 750 hours. The USS Missouri (BB-63) fired 400 rounds of 16" projectiles in practice but deployed with only 20 rounds on board. Both  of  these  situations  were  avoidable.  The division concerned should have kept up-to-date files. You  are  aboard  a  ship  under  way  in  the  North Atlantic.  Think  about  going  on  a  lookout  watch  at midnight  in  December.  You  arrive  for  watch  at  the prescribed time to find no foul weather gear available. The person responsible for maintaining an inventory of special  gear  didn’t  do  the  inventory  because  he/she didn’t  think  it  was  that  important  last  June  in  sunny Florida. You must remember that besides your division, the entire crew and even the ship itself may depend on how well you maintain your assigned logs and files. 3-M SYSTEMS Learning  Objectives:  When  you  finish  this  chapter, you will be able to— Recognize the concepts of the 3-M Systems. Identify  the  basic  procedures  used  in  the  3-M Systems. Equipment must be cared for. One way to take care of  equipment  is  through  preventive  maintenance. Preventive maintenance is maintenance done before a problem exists. The Navy has procedures (ways to do things)  and  schedules  for  accomplishing  (doing) preventive  maintenance.  These  procedures  and schedules  are  part  of  the  Maintenance  and  Material Management   Systems—the   3-M   Systems.   The objectives of the 3-M Systems are shown below. Maintain  equipment  at  maximum  operating efficiency Reduce equipment downtime Reduce the cost of maintenance in both money and man-hours Provide data on the expenditures of spare parts, failure  rates,  man-hours  expended,  and  other information directly related to maintenance Essentially, the 3-M Systems is used to improve the material readiness of the fleet. The main feature of the 3-M Systems you will be concerned with is the planned maintenance system (PMS). PMS simplifies maintenance procedures by— Defining the maintenance required, Scheduling its performance, Describing the tools and methods to be used, and Providing  for  the  detection  and  prevention  of impending casualties. Your  department  head  uses  PMS  to  manage, schedule,  and  control  the  maintenance  of  assigned equipment. The components (parts) of the PMS are— PMS manual, Cycle,  quarterly,  and  weekly  maintenance schedules; and Maintenance requirements cards (MRCs). PMS also provides a good foundation for training in equipment operation and maintenance. As you become more  familiar  with  your  shipboard  duties  and  are assigned the responsibility for equipment maintenance, PMS will play a big part in your daily activities on the job. REVIEW 6 QUESTIONS Q1.   What type of documents would require the CO’s personal signature? Q2.   Where can you find a list of command personnel that  has  signature  authority  to  sign  command correspondence? 16-23 Student Notes: