Army Training:

Long-standing Control Problems Hinder the CAPSTONE Program

NSIAD-92-261: Published: Sep 30, 1992. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 1992.

Additional Materials:

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GAO provided information on the Army's management of the CAPSTONE program.

GAO found that: (1) the Army has no systematic means to identify unaligned units or procedures to report that information to Army headquarters organizations responsible for force planning decisions; (2) in 1991, nearly 13 percent of units eligible for a CAPSTONE alignment lacked mission guidance more than 2 years after the Army last made CAPSTONE alignments; (3) the problems that have hindered CAPSTONE effectiveness result primarily from weaknesses in the Army's system of internal controls; (4) the largest of these weaknesses is an inadequate management information system; and (5) many of the same weaknesses that GAO found in 1982 still exist.

Recommendations for Executive Action

  1. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: Army regulation 11-30 was revised to add a requirement to identify unaligned CAPSTONE units upon completion of the alignment process.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Army should require Forces Command (FORSCOM) to provide information on unaligned CAPSTONE units to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (DCSOPS) headquarters organizations responsible for force planning decisions following the completion of each CAPSTONE alignment process.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Army

  2. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The revision to AR 11-30 added a requirement for FORSCOM to report unaligned units at the end of the Time-Phased Force Deployment Data refinement cycle. The Army can then determine if unaligned units are excess and should be deactivated or reorganized.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Army should require DCSOPS to determine if unaligned units are excess to mission requirements. If so, the Secretary should: (1) consider these units for deactivation or reorganization; and (2) modify Army doctrine, the Total Army Analysis process, or both to reduce the requirement for these units in the future. If not excess, the Secretary should require the units to be aligned for training purposes.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Army

  3. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The changes to the WWMCC system have been completed.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Army should require FORSCOM to complete and implement the World Wide Military Command and Control System changes currently being developed.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Army

  4. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Army reported the CAPSTONE program as containing uncorrected material weaknesses in November 1992.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Army should identify the CAPSTONE program as containing material internal control weaknesses in the Secretary's next annual assurancce statement, as required under the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act of 1982.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Army

 

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