Military Tour-Length and Tour-Curtailment Policies and Practices
NSIAD-85-114
Published: Jul 19, 1985. Publicly Released: Jul 19, 1985.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed certain aspects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) permanent change of station and tour-length policies and practices to determine: (1) how DOD develops, justifies, and changes overseas prescribed tour lengths; and (2) whether DOD has adequate systems to ensure that service members complete their prescribed tours of duty and that individual tour curtailments are justified and kept to a minimum.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Army to reevaluate its decision to shorten the first-term tour length to 18 months, taking into account changed conditions since 1980. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Based on Army analysis reported in the DOD Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Program, DOD believes that this recommendation is no longer applicable because the analysis reported that the 18-month tour: (1) had lower actual costs than initially estimated; (2) allowed the Army to establish the 2-year enlistment, a battalion rotation system; and (3) lessened support costs.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Defense cost controlMilitary operationsMilitary personnelPersonnel managementOfficial dutyOfficial travelMilitary forcesEnlisted personnelDatabasesSubstance abuse