Lessons Learned During GAO's Reviews That Can Be Applied to the Restructuring and Training of U.S. Forces

GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) plans for restructuring and training of U.S. military forces. GAO found that: (1) despite plans for reconstruction, the Army failed to uphold its plans for validating force structure savings or productivity gains before converting units to their new designs; (2) the Army had no assurance that the converted units could accomplish their missions with their reduced manpower; (3) helicopter battalions were understaffed by about 28 percent, primarily in maintenance support; (4) the Army's full-time support program had inadequate direction and management, unsound justification for the program's personnel requirements, and the Army lacked guidance in choosing and utilizing the most cost-effective mix of full-time support personnel; (5) insufficient instruction and equipment and the ineffective use of training time and exercises resources hampered training; (6) the Army acquired additional training land for some installations without assessing its needs, examining alternatives, or establishing acquisition priorities; (7) reduced Army training funds were inhibiting full use of land the Army owned; and (8) there was no coordinated effort between the many DOD organizations building simulations, particularly from a joint war-fighting perspective.