Drug Control: Heavy Investment in Military Surveillance Is Not Paying Off
NSIAD-93-220
Published: Sep 01, 1993. Publicly Released: Oct 06, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) justification for the flying hours and steaming days used for drug detection and monitoring, focusing on contribution those resources make to drug interdiction and national goals for reducing drug supplies in the United States.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| In light of the negligible contribution that military surveillance has made to the drug war, Congress should consider reducing DOD counterdrug OPTEMPO funding in FY 1994 by at least $72 million. This would return the services' counterdrug flying hours and steaming days to approximately the level of 1990, when DOD first reported that it had achieved "the full expansion" of its mission. |
Closed – Implemented
|
The GAO report influenced the outcome of a 1993 National Security Council review of U.S. drug war policy. That study resulted in a November 1993 Presidential Decision Directive shifting the emphasis of U.S. policy away from interdiction. Because of this change in policy, Congress reduced DOD's FY 1994 counterdrug budget from $1.2 billion to $868 million. After Congress cut the FY 1994 budget, DOD instituted cost-saving measures that reduced its FY 1995 budget from a previously projected $1.2 billion to $874 million. The 2-year budget reduction from these combined cuts totalled $611 million. Therefore, no further action is anticipated on this recommendation. |
| Congress should consider reducing DOD FY 1994 OPTEMPO funding (in the defense budget, not just in the counterdrug budget) by all or part of the $72 million--that is, by the amount that DOD cannot justify retaining for training requirements related to its primary, national defense mission. |
Closed – Implemented
|
The GAO report influenced the outcome of a 1993 National Security Council review of U.S. drug war policy. That study resulted in a November 1993 Presidential Decision Directive shifting the emphasis of U.S. policy away from interdiction. Because of this change in policy, Congress reduced DOD's FY 1994 counterdrug budget from $1.2 billion to $868 million. After Congress cut the FY 1994 budget, DOD instituted cost-saving measures that reduced its FY 1995 budget from a previously projected $1.2 billion to $874 million. The two-year budget reduction from these combined cuts totalled $611 million. Therefore, no further action is anticipated on this recommendation. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD Drug Coordinator to prepare a written justification for DOD counterdrug OPTEMPO, to accompany future budget requests, that: (1) includes measurable goals and the approach for reaching those goals; and (2) identifies the associated costs of counterdrug OPTEMPO in terms of its effect on personnel, equipment, and other requirements. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD has consolidated measures of effectiveness for the international portion of its counterdrug program and submitted them to the Office of National Drug Control Policy for comment on July 29, 1994. As of August 22, 1994, DOD is still working on MOEs for the domestic portion of the program and is trying to finish those by November 1994. Because of the changes in DOD counterdrug policy and the fact that OPTEMPO budgeting and funding is no longer done by the DOD Drug Coordinator's office, GAO plans no further action on this recommendation.
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