(a) Policy Required.— The Secretary of Defense shall issue a single, uniform policy on the management of inventory items of the Department of Defense. Such policy shall
(1) establish maximum levels for inventory items sufficient to achieve and maintain only those levels for inventory items necessary for the national defense;
(2) provide guidance to item managers and other appropriate officials on how effectively to eliminate wasteful practices in the acquisition and management of inventory items; and
(3) set forth a uniform system for the valuation of inventory items by the military departments and Defense Agencies.
