Cannibalism was a double edge sword. Yes, it gave you the part, albeit used, that you needed almost immediately, it meant you were doing the job twice. And a vehicle could very quickly be turned in to a monument when the cannibalization wasn't properly tracked and you eventually quit ordering the replacement parts.
When I went to KAF the first time, I ran the heavy vehicle section. I inherited a short lineup of deadheads and problem vehicles on top of the continual flow of new problems from the field. Within a few months we managed to solve some of the technical issues and had most of them back in service. However, we had one zoom boom that had been cannibalized for a few rotations. I put a guy on it, and within a few days he had the hydraulic lines either re-installed on new components or capped, and was able to start the engine. Ports and lines had been wide open to the weather for extended periods of time, which was extreme dust mixed in with occasional torrential rain. We had to do a few work-arounds, particularly with some of the steel fittings on the cylinders, but in the end the work was sound and it was finally returned to service. But I knew with the contamination, it was going to be a continual problem child to some degree.
3 years after the Canadians left KAF, I saw it show up in Shilo with a fresh paintjob and upgrades. Of course, on the trip to Shilo someone had stolen it's new LED taillamps. Off it went to it's new unit. I checked on her a year or two later.....yep, she was still a problem child. It takes a long time to remove the neglect and effects of the weather on open components.
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