Automation may assist immediate damage control, but repairs after an attack still require skilled people. The worn appearance of heavily deployed destroyers can reflect limited crew time rather than indifference. A specialist maintenance organization, analogous in spirit to the Seabees, could embark on a support ship and help units complete work they cannot keep up with at sea. Concentrating that labor afloat would let a navy reinforce several deployed crews without permanently enlarging every ship's complement. The proposal makes manpower a central part of logistics.
Notable Point · 2:56:22-2:57:32
Maintenance battalions and forward upkeep
A modern depot concept could place dedicated maintenance personnel alongside deployed ships whose crews lack time for routine upkeep and post-damage repair.