3-74. Maintaining and training Army systems is part of readiness. Operational readiness reflects the professionalism of a force able to maintain its tools. Properly maintained equipment and weapons, coupled with tough, realistic training, is what creates cohesive, adaptive, and effective teams. Leaders ensure equipment readiness and accountability through technical competence, discipline, a commitment to stewardship of resources, and the integration of maintenance into training and operations. Leaders and units must be prepared for employment before a crisis; during a crisis they will be committed to missions as they are, not as how they might wish to be.