From Excess to Readiness: I Corps Tackles ARSTRUC Equipment Challenge

The 2025 Army Transformation Initiative and ARSTRUC effort continue to reshape force design, realign capabilities, and eliminate outdated authorizations across the Army. These reforms aim to streamline the Army by reducing waste, modernizing acquisition, and restructuring units for future combat requirements. Over the past year, units across Joint Base Lewis-McChord faced an overwhelming surge in excess and broken equipment requiring disposition. The restructure left commanders with rapidly changing property-book requirements and few outlets to divest legacy or no-longer‑authorized items. The result was a growing backlog of equipment that units could neither store nor repair, intensifying the need for a streamlined, accountable turn‑in process at installation level. With Modernization Displacement and Repair Site (MDRS) no longer available, and Equipment Redistribution Divestiture Site (ERDS) operations concluded, a new installation-level solution had to be developed.
I Corps established a standardized Class VII turn‑in process at JBLM by partnering with the 593rd Corps Sustainment Command’s Supply Support Activity (SSA). This initiative began immediately following the conclusion of the Army Sustainment Command’s ERDS operations in January 2026, and JBLM units were able to utilize the 593rd Class VII yard in February 2026.

This partnership, operated and supervised by the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, responds directly to the loss of the MDRS in May 2025. This closure eliminated one of the Army’s most effective avenues for large‑scale equipment divestiture, leaving units with limited options and creating potential property-book backlogs, storage constraints, and delays to modernization efforts. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gilberto Pimentel explained, “The JBLM Class VII Yard was created to help units maintain momentum in their divestment efforts following the conclusion of MDRS and ERDS cycles, providing a streamlined path to offload excess equipment. What began as a rapid response grew into a reliable capability that supports readiness, accountability, and the Army’s ongoing transformation under ARSTRUC.”

Under the new installation-level model, units coordinate scheduled turn‑in appointments with the 13th CSSB‑operated Class VII Turn‑In Yard. This controlled process enables the SSA to assume accountability of equipment using DD Form 1348 or DA Form 2062. The formal transfer provides commanders immediate relief from the daily burden of managing excess equipment while maintaining a clearly documented accountability trail.
The 13th CSSB supports yard operations with dedicated material-handling capability, including wreckers, Palletized Load System trucks, and forklifts. These resources ensure equipment is safely recovered, transported, staged, and protected as it moves through the disposition pipeline.

SSA personnel, integrated into the yard’s operating rhythm through the 593rd CSC Multiclass Section, validate each item’s National Item Identification Number, quantity, condition code, and supporting documentation. After verification, the SSA processes the equipment in GCSS‑Army and produces the required turn‑in documentation under the SSA Routing Identifier Code. This transfers accountability from the losing unit’s property book into SSA‑managed stock, enabling redistribution, reissue, or further disposition. Staff Sgt. Jose Mart Raquino highlighted the importance of this relationship, noting that, “Partnering with the 593rd CSC’s SSA allows commanders to divest excess Class VII the right way: accountability transfers on documented, verified terms, so units get immediate property-book relief without ever losing audit-readiness.”

To preserve SSA capacity, items directed to Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services are sent directly to DLA rather than retained at the Class VII yard. This keeps the yard focused on equipment with continuing Army value and prevents long‑term storage challenges.

For commanders across JBLM, the benefits are immediate: reduced property-book complexity, fewer inventory discrepancies, more focus on mission-essential equipment, and increased space for modernization and fielding. The model reinforces the I Corps commander’s intent to maintain property accountability at the appropriate command level while supporting readiness across the formation.

The JBLM Class VII Turn‑In Yard demonstrates a practical command–sustainment partnership. Units receive an accountable and predictable path to divest excess equipment, while sustainment organizations maintain the visibility and control required to route Army assets to their proper disposition. By standardizing turn‑in procedures, I Corps is improving property accountability, preserving resources, and allowing commanders to focus on the equipment required for future operations.

All units on JBLM are authorized to use the site. So far, it has been utilized by three brigades, seven Direct Reporting Units across JBLM, USAAD Yakima, and 54 different companies within those organizations. As Sgt. Kenneth Juarez from the 24th Composite Supply Company described, “Being a 92A in the 24th CSC SSA can be challenging, but knowing that I am helping the units of I Corps with their mission readiness inspires me to be the most proficient logistics specialist I can be.”

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