U.S. Army soldiers are inspecting a 20-kilowatt laser weapon system, the AMP-HEL, deployed at the U.S.-Mexico border. This deployment highlights a significant challenge for the Pentagon: ensuring junior enlisted troops can maintain and sustain complex laser weapons in operational environments. Unlike traditional vehicles, these laser systems require specialized maintenance, often involving clean rooms and expert technicians, which are unavailable in combat zones. Past attempts, like the DE M-SHORAD system, faced issues with power, heat dissipation, and wear and tear in tactical settings. These problems led to systems being returned to manufacturers for repairs, reducing availability. The Army is now working on modular designs and soldier-led maintenance for programs like E-HEL. However, the evaluation of previous systems for operational suitability has been inadequate. Defense contractors currently provide substantial support for maintaining fielded directed-energy weapon prototypes. The current AMP-HEL deployment is viewed as a crucial real-world experiment for laser weapon maintenance and sustainment. Ultimately, the military's success with laser weapons hinges on making them easily repairable by average soldiers under difficult field conditions.