Army Force Structure:
Attention Needed to Ensure an Ample Supply of Ready Support Forces
T-NSIAD-93-1: Published: Apr 20, 1993. Publicly Released: Apr 20, 1993.
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Contact:
GAO discussed the Army National Guard's and Army Reserve's combat service support forces, focusing on: (1) the need to maintain reserve support forces; (2) combat support forces' readiness problems resulting from equipment policy difficulties during the Gulf war; and (3) Army options that could strengthen its support forces during current defense downsizing and restructuring. GAO noted that: (1) the Army relied heavily on National Guard and Reserve support forces for supply functions during the Persian Gulf War; (2) critical functions performed by support forces included supply services, prisoner detention, transportation operations, and medical services; (3) the Army reserve and supply forces experienced mobilization delays, supply difficulties, and shortages of personnel for the most needed operations during the war's early stages; (4) the Army deployed support services personnel at a lower readiness level than combat units because of lower authorized peacetime personnel ceilings for support units and a shortage of required pre-mobilization equipment; (5) the Army procurement policies of procuring less equipment for its support services and assigning low priorities to support service needs may have contributed to readiness problems; (6) the redistribution of equipment, as a result of ongoing force reductions, would not affect the support forces' equipment shortage problem, since it is a low priority in the Army's equipment distribution system; and (7) the Army could strengthen the support forces by expanding the participation of reserve forces in its contingency force and shifting some functions from active forces to the reserves.
Feb 26, 2021
![defense icon, source: [West Covina, California] Progressive Management, 2008](https://www.gao.gov/images/rip/defense.jpg "defense icon, source: [West Covina, California] Progressive Management, 2008")
Defense Transportation:
DOD Can Better Leverage Existing Contested Mobility Studies and Improve TrainingGAO-21-125: Published: Feb 26, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 2021.
Feb 25, 2021
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Military Service Uniforms:
DOD Could Better Identify and Address Out-of-Pocket Cost InequitiesGAO-21-120: Published: Feb 25, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 25, 2021.
Feb 24, 2021
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Defense Budget:
Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Management of Defense SpendingGAO-21-415T: Published: Feb 24, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2021.
Feb 22, 2021
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Service Acquisitions:
DOD's Report to Congress Identifies Steps Taken to Improve Management, But Does Not Address Some Key Planning IssuesGAO-21-267R: Published: Feb 22, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2021.
Jan 21, 2021
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Close Air Support:
Actions Needed to Enhance Friendly Force Tracking Capabilities and Fully Evaluate TrainingGAO-21-99: Published: Jan 21, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2021.
Jan 19, 2021
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GPS Modernization:
DOD Continuing to Develop New Jam-Resistant Capability, But Widespread Use Remains Years AwayGAO-21-145: Published: Jan 19, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 2021.
Jan 14, 2021
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Columbia Class Submarine:
Delivery Hinges on Timely and Quality Materials from an Atrophied Supplier BaseGAO-21-257: Published: Jan 14, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 14, 2021. -
Department of Defense:
Actions Needed to Improve Accounting of Intradepartmental TransactionsGAO-21-84: Published: Jan 14, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 14, 2021.
Jan 12, 2021
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DOD Critical Technologies:
Plans for Communicating, Assessing, and Overseeing Protection Efforts Should Be CompletedGAO-21-158: Published: Jan 12, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2021.
Dec 10, 2020
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Climate Resilience:
DOD Coordinates with Communities, but Needs to Assess the Performance of Related Grant ProgramsGAO-21-46: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
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