Selective Service: Cost and Implications of Two Alternatives to the Present System

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the organization and costs of the Selective Service System (SSS) draft registration program and estimates of the comparative costs and organizational structure changes of two selected alternatives: (1) a suspended registration alternative, under which most of SSS' infrastructure would remain intact, including a significant portion of its staff and all of its local, district appeal, civilian review, and national boards; and (2) a deep standby alternative, which would suspend registration, reduce a substantial portion of the workforce, and disband the local, district appeal, civilian review, and national boards.