American military service members deserve the right to repair

Summary

“The generator is down, and we don’t have enough ice to continue icing the remains of soldiers killed in action. How much longer, ma’am?”That’s the message I received while deployed to Balad, Iraq, as an Air Force second lieutenant. I was overseeing generators in theater, and the one powering the mortuary facility had failed. The clock was ticking. I didn’t have HVAC expertise or the necessary parts. The only viable backup generator was on the other side of the country.I had two choices: initiate a long contracting process to hire a civilian technician, or send a convoy across Iraq for the backup unit — risking lives to get it there. We chose the convoy. We got lucky.But what if we hadn’t?That question — what if — has stuck with me. Because this wasn’t a theoretical delay. This was a real moment where a failure in repair readiness jeopardized our ability to care for the fallen with dignity and speed. And I know it wasn’t the only one.That’s why I support the right to repair.I’ve lived what it means when a piece of equipment fails at a critical time. I know how far away contractors can be when you need them most. And I know what our service members are capable of — if we trust them with the tools and training to do the job.Military right to repair means giving service members the ability to fix their own gear — on base, in the field or downrange — without having to wait on outside contractors. That includes access to the tools, parts and manuals they need to do the job. Right now, private companies can put restrictions on military equipment that block troops from making even basic repairs. That slows everything down, costs taxpayers more, and in the worst cases, puts lives at risk.This year, Congress has a chance to change that.Thanks to a growing, bipartisan push — including new legislation led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. — right-to-repair reforms are being considered in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These two sena...