Primary Functional Area : Life Cycle Logistics
The DoD Manual 4160.21 Volume 1, Defense Materiel Disposition: Disposal Guidance and Procedures defines disposal as “end-of-life tasks or actions for residual materials resulting from DEMIL or disposition operations.”
Demilitarization, as defined by DoD Instruction 4160.28, “DoD Demilitarization (DEMIL) Program,” April 7, 2011, is “The act of eliminating the functional capabilities and/or inherent military design features from DoD personal property. Methods and degree range from removal and destruction of critical features to total destruction by cutting, crushing, shredding, melting, burning, etc. DEMIL is required to prevent property from being used for its originally intended purpose and to prevent the release of inherent design information that could be used against the United States. DEMIL applies to material in both serviceable and unserviceable condition”.
Disposition, as defined by DoD Manual 4160.28, Volume 1, April 7, 2011, is “the process of reusing, recycling, converting, redistributing, transferring, donating, selling, demilitarizing, treating, destroying, or fulfilling other end of life tasks or actions for DoD property. Does not include real (real estate) property”.
Disposal of DoD systems has different definitions, considerations and situations depending upon your role and where you are in the Acquisition Process. Disposal is not as simple as just recycling, reutilizing, redistributing or getting rid of DoD assets. For example:
- The Product Support Manager (PSM) in support of the Program Manager (PM) should identify disposal considerations during the early design phases of the system. The estimated service life of the system, timing of the approval to dispose, the estimated cost to dispose of the system, timing of the disposal of the old system and the implementation of the replacement system are other important considerations.
- The Product Support Manager and his team of Logisticians want to know when, where, and how to get rid of the system and the product support elements attached to it. They need to know how much of the legacy system, if any, will need continued support. They also want to know how to coordinate the fielding of the replacement system.
- The Warfighter/Operator wants to know where to turn the system in and get rid of it.
The definition of "disposal" is easily confused and not always clear within DoD. The terms deactivation, disposition, demilitarization, and disposal, are easily interchanged and may not necessarily mean the same thing.
The following definitions are provided for clarity and simplification:
- Deactivation
- Decision to remove an older weapon system from the active inventory.
- Disposition
- Transferring, donating, selling, demilitarization, destroying or other end life cycle actions
- Demilitarization
- Destroying the military offensive or defensive advantages
- Disposal
- Getting rid of excess, surplus, scrap, or salvage property
Purpose:
A system shall be demilitarized and disposed of at the end of its useful life in accordance with legal requirements, regulatory requirements, and policy relating to safety, security, and the environment (DoD 5000.02, paragraph 5.14.b.(2). The Program Manager (PM) is responsible for developing and executing the Disposal Plan. Each Service will have specific guidance regarding the organizational structure and authority level that issues a system deactivation decision. The disposal planning process requires close coordination and agreement between the PMs for both the replacing and the replaced systems.
The figure below conceptually illustrates the disposal process.
Once the deactivation decision has been made by Service Specific Approval Authority, the PM must validate the disposition of the system. It may be mothballed, sold, donated, redistributed, etc. In some cases the system must be demilitarized. Finally, disposal marks the end of a system’s life within DoD. The system may be sold for scrap, sold to a foreign country or other buyer, or otherwise destroyed.
The PM should begin identifying and addressing disposal considerations early in the design, at the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) Phase. Identification of Disposal options at this phase could provide valuable input to system design. As the Program matures, the Disposal Plan will document the activities required that will address disposal situations (washouts and entire system).
The PM should review and update the Disposal Plan throughout the life of the system, as required (i.e., EMD, Production & Deployment, Operations & Support), and approximately 7 years prior to projected disposal and upon disposal decision. Reviews and updates are appropriate for the following:
- Design Changes
- Logistic Support Changes
- Joint Service Changes
- Change to End Item (e.g., modifications, enhancement, upgrades, Etc.)
- Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health (ESOH) Regulations
- New Disposal Method alternatives (e.g., exchange of assets, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), etc.)
- Demilitarization and Disposal Cost Estimates
Planning for disposal begins early in the acquisition process. The PM conducts an initial examination of various considerations and methods for disposal of the system and may consider:
- Designing for Disposal
- Demilitarization requirements
- Possible disposition methods
- Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health (ESOH)
A draft Disposal Plan is initially developed at MS B, and evolves as the system and its support are developed. The Disposal Plan is a living document that continues to be reviewed and updated, as appropriate, throughout the Operations & Support Phase.
The PM should conduct a detailed review of the Disposal Plan 6 to 8 years prior to the end of service life, or 3-5 years for a short lifecycle program (i.e. under 8 years). At this point the PM will be able to plan and budget for necessary funding requirements and begin the process of obtaining the service specific approval authorities approval to deactivate the system. For short lifecycle programs the PM should identify and plan for required disposal funding prior to fielding the system. Upon receiving the deactivation decision from the service specific approval authority the plan should be again reviewed and updated for execution. For example:
- Is the plan still executable?
- Is the system being replaced by another system?
- Are there new disposition opportunities available? (e.g., Foreign Military Sales, Exchange of assets, Recycling etc.)
- Are there new Environmental, Safety, Occupational or Hazardous considerations for disposal?
- Are there new security considerations?
- Has the plan been updated to reflect the current configuration?
- Do the estimated demilitarization or disposal costs need to be updated?
Organizations such as the International Programs Office, the Safety Office and Logistics Commands can assist with the review and validation of the disposal plan. If the system is being replaced, coordination with the PM of the replacement system is important.
The Program Manager (PM) executes the Disposal Plan once the decision to dispose of the system has been approved.
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Page Information
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34,914
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Created on
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4/19/2005
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Modified on
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10/28/2016
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Last Reviewed
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9/14/2016
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