The military deserves the right to repair its own gear | Seth Berglee

A 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that when repairs are outsourced to contractors, the arrangements the military is forced into are much more costly than in-house repairs would be. The real-world consequences are striking: the Navy once had to spend thousands of dollars flying in a contractor for simple repairs; Marines stationed in Japan waited months for engines sent to the U.S. for service; the Air Force paid $900 per page for upgrades to contractor-owned maintenance manuals; and in Afghanistan, soldiers had their lives put at risk when medical devices couldn't be repaired in the field.

If the military is no longer required to sole-source repairs to contractors, our service branches can shop around for more affordable options — limiting price-gouging by monopolistic defense contractors and restoring competition by requiring equal access to tools, parts, and technology.

In addition to reducing costs and enhancing competition, the Warrior Right to Repair Act will improve military readiness. At a time of escalating geopolitical tensions, all military equipment needs to be in top condition for potential deployment. The requirement for equipment to be repaired by its original manufacturer can take months and lead to significant backlogs or even shortages. Removing it entirely will help.

Any policy that ensures more gear is ready to go at any given time should be a no-brainer. Yet this right-to-repair legislation was quietly removed from the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), despite broad support. As Senator Sheehy and the bill’s cosponsor noted: "For decades, the Pentagon has relied on a broken acquisition system that is routinely defended by career bureaucrats and corporate interests. Military right to repair reforms are supported by the Trump White House, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and our brave servicemembers." Corruption, by contrast, moves in silence.

But Sen. Sheehy is not backing down. He recently sent a letter along with other lawmakers to the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees urging lawmakers to pass the Warrior Right to Repair Act through the 2027 NDAA. This is a genuinely bipartisan effort — because when it comes to military readiness and cutting wasteful spending, the issue transcends party lines.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has also been outspoken on this issue, stating that the large defense manufacturers have "conned" the military into buying costly equipment. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also released a memo pushing to include right-to-repair provisions in Army contracts to "accelerate modernization and acquisition efficiency."

As we look ahead and the geopolitical landscape continues to shift, it is critical that our military is ready for anything. Montana's Senator Sheehy knows this — and his renewed push, now with bipartisan Senate support, shows that the fight for military right to repair is far from over. Hopefully, all of Congress will follow suit and pass this legislation when the 2027 NDAA comes up for a vote. Thank you Sen. Sheehy for fighting for common sense in our military.