Soldiers will have to make do with fewer contractors.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Defense Insider

The Army is considering taking over much of the grunt work that in recent years has been performed by contractors, such as maintaining helicopters and fixing trucks.

"Part of this is getting back in the balance of what skill sets we're going to get our great contractors to continue to do for us and what kind of skill sets are soldiers going to do," said Maj. Gen. Raymond Mason, deputy chief of staff for Army Forces Command.

Soldiers have become accustomed to using equipment and dropping it off for others to repair or maintain, Mason said. That may change as the pace of combat deployments slows down and contract spending tightens up. The goal is to have soldiers eventually prep their own ground vehicles and aircraft. By 2020, a unit may be completely responsible...