Army National Guard: Officer Candidate Training Should Be Consolidated at One Site
NSIAD-94-1
Published: Mar 22, 1994. Publicly Released: Mar 22, 1994.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Army National Guard's (ARNG) officer candidate schools (OCS) to determine whether ARNG could meet its officer needs more economically and effectively.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To make the ARNG officer production system more cost-effective, especially in light of ongoing force reductions, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to transition toward using the OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia, to train new ARNG officers rather than using the individual state academies. A staged transition, such as closing the smaller academies first, could be used to capture reliable personnel and travel cost data to provide a more conclusive assessment of cost-effectiveness. Since closing state OCS academies would not involve closing down installations or facilities, there is little potential risk in moving quickly. |
DOD does not agree that the Army National Guard should transition to a single OCS at Fort Benning and eliminate the state academies. DOD says it sees no demonstrable cost benefit or enhancement of the quality of the candidates produced, and fears reduced enrollment if single-site consolidation is undertaken. DOD plans to take no action on this recommendation.
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Topics
Armed forces reserve trainingArmy personnelCentralizationCost effectiveness analysisEducation or training costsFederal agency reorganizationMilitary cost controlMilitary officersMilitary reserve personnelMilitary training