Conversion of Selected Military Forces to the Use of Metric Measurement Units

Conversion of the United States military to the International System of units is in the very early stages. Little formal planning has been done to articulate the management required to complete the conversion of operational army and air force units. For those operational forces tasked to provide continuous combat readiness throughout metrication, management problems associated with the conversion are particularly difficult because of the nature of these assigned missions. This is the case for the 82nd Airborne Division ready brigade force (DRB) and the Military Airlift Command (MAC) strategic airlift system operating the C-141 and C-5A aircraft. Adequate treatment of metrication management depends upon thorough preplanning and skillful resource allocation. This paper presents a descriptive and a graphic model for management of major events in the changeover process in the DRB and the C-141/C-5A system. It includes major personnel, hardware and interfacing considerations which will be critical to both combat readiness and optional measurement system conversion. Investigation shows that metrication of these forces within prescribed readiness constraints is feasible but will require centralized management and highly decentralized execution of many conversion activities. Successful integration of military metrication steps to match the pace of non-military conversion activities and thorough preparation of small unit leaders will be key factors in conducting an optimal conversion program.