1). The Senate report also directed  us to review DOD’s master planning effort for Guam as part of our annual  review of DOD’s overseas master plans. Overseas Master Plans Generally Reflect Changes, Challenges, and Our Prior Recommendations, but Could Be More Timely

The fiscal year 2009 master plans generally reflect recent changes in the  U.S. overseas defense basing strategies and requirements and current  challenges that DOD faces in implementation. DOD officials said that  since last year South Korea and the U.S. Air Force have taken steps to  address these training challenges. No Recognition of the Training Challenges in South Korea

While the overseas master plans have continued to evolve and have  provided more comprehensive data every year since fiscal year 2006, the  U.S. Pacific Command master plan does not describe the challenges the  command faces in addressing the U.S. Air Force’s training limitations in  South Korea even though we have recommended that it should describe  the challenges and their potential effects on infrastructure and funding  requirements. Overseas Master Plans Generally Have Been Submitted to Congress Late

DOD has recently submitted the overseas master plans to Congress several  months after the annual budget submissions even though the Senate and  conference reports accompanying the fiscal year 2004 military  construction appropriation bill directed DOD to provide updates of the  master plans with each yearly military construction budget submission. However,  DOD provided the defense committees the fiscal year 2007 plans on April  27 and the fiscal year 2008 plans on March 28. According to  DOD officials, OSD’s most recent efforts to incorporate last-minute  changes in basing plans and projects contributed to providing Congress  the plans months after the military construction budget submission. In  addition, overseas command officials commented that the lengthy review  and approval process among the commands and OSD has contributed to  the plans’ lateness. Because of continued concern over the possibility of changes to the global  defense posture, the Senate report accompanying the fiscal year 2009  military construction appropriation bill extended the requirement for DOD  to provide annually updated reports on the status of its global basing  initiative to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of  Congress. DOD Has Established a Framework for Military Buildup on Guam but Has Yet to Develop the Congressionally Required Master Plan

DOD has established various planning and implementation documents that  serve as a framework to guide the military realignment and buildup on  Guam. However, the department has not issued a comprehensive master  plan for the buildup that was initially due in December 2006, which  Congress later extended to September 2008. While the Joint Guam  Program Office is coordinating the development of a working-level plan  for DOD that is to be submitted to Congress by the 2008 deadline, this is a  onetime requirement, and DOD officials said that this plan will be a  snapshot of the status of the planning process at the time of its completion  and will not be considered a comprehensive master plan for several  reasons. First, the results of the environmental impact statement and  resulting record of decision on the proposed military buildup, which are  expected to be completed by January 2010, will influence many key  decisions about the military infrastructure development on Guam. Also,  Joint Guam Program Office officials estimate that the office could  complete a comprehensive master plan for Guam within 90 days once  these documents are completed. Third, additional time is needed to fully address the challenges  related to funding uncertainties, operational requirements, and Guam’s  economic and infrastructure requirements. Size and Makeup of Forces and Other Variables Are Not Yet Known

Although the U.S.-Japan Defense Policy Review Initiative identifies Marine  Corps units to move to Guam, plans for the detailed force composition of  units relocating to Guam, associated facility requirements, and  implications for other services’ realignments on Guam continue to be  refined. Since DOD intends to replace the overseas  master plans with annual updates of its global defense posture as DOD’s  overseas planning report to Congress, the department has an opportunity  to reexamine its timeline for producing these reports to issue them with  the administration’s annual budget submission to provide Congress with  adequate time for review.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of Defense (DOD) continues its efforts to reduce the number of troops permanently stationed overseas and consolidate overseas bases. The Senate and conference reports accompanying the fiscal year 2004 military construction appropriation bill directed DOD to develop and GAO to monitor DOD's overseas master plans and to provide annual assessments. The Senate report accompanying the fiscal year 2007 military construction appropriation bill directed GAO to review DOD's master planning effort for Guam as part of these annual reviews. This report examines (1) the changes and challenges described in the fiscal year 2009 master plans, the extent the plans address GAO's prior recommendations, and the plans' timeliness and (2) the status of DOD's master planning efforts for the proposed buildup of military forces and infrastructure on Guam. GAO reviewed the plans and other relevant documents, and visited three overseas combatant commands, various installations, and Guam organizations.

What GAO Found

While the fiscal year 2009 master plans generally reflect recent changes in U.S. overseas basing strategies and the challenges DOD faces as well as address GAO's prior recommendations, DOD provided Congress the plans in May 2008, well after the February budget submission when the Senate and conference reports require DOD to issue the plans. This year's plans contain information on current overseas basing strategies and infrastructure requirements and the challenges that DOD faces implementing the plans. The plans also generally address GAO's recommendations except that the U.S. Pacific Command plan does not provide an update of the Air Force's training challenges in South Korea, despite GAO's prior recommendation that it should describe the challenges and their potential effects on infrastructure and funding requirements. DOD officials said that since last year the South Korean government and the U.S. Air Force have taken several steps to address these training challenges. According to DOD officials, efforts to incorporate last-minute changes in basing plans and projects and the lengthy review and approval process have contributed to the fiscal year 2009 plans' lateness. While the congressional requirement for the overseas master plans expired with the fiscal year 2009 plans, DOD said that it intends to provide Congress annual updates of its global defense posture through 2014 and that these updates would replace the master plans as DOD's overseas planning report to Congress. Since DOD will continue to provide annually updated global defense posture reports, it has an opportunity to reexamine its timeline for producing future reports earlier to provide Congress with time for review. DOD has developed a basic framework for the military buildup on Guam but has not issued the congressionally required master plan that was initially due in December 2006, and which Congress later extended to September 2008. The Joint Guam Program Office, which is planning and managing the proposed military buildup, is coordinating the multi-service development of a working-level plan for DOD that is to be submitted to Congress by the 2008 deadline. However, this is a onetime requirement, and DOD officials said that the plan will be a snapshot of the status of the planning process and will not be considered a comprehensive master plan for several reasons. First, while the required environmental impact statement and the resulting record of decision will influence many key decisions about the buildup of military forces and infrastructure on Guam, these documents are not expected to be completed until January 2010. Also, officials of the Joint Guam Program Office said that they expect to complete a comprehensive master plan within 90 days after these required documents are finalized. Second, plans for the detailed force composition of units relocating to Guam, associated facility requirements, and implications for other services' realignments on Guam continue to be refined. Third, additional time is needed to fully address the challenges related to funding uncertainties, operational requirements, and Guam's economic and infrastructure requirements. However, without a comprehensive master plan, Congress may have limited data on requirements on which to make informed appropriation decisions and to carry out its oversight responsibilities.