	DOD’s 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report Met Statutory Reporting Requirements

DOD’s 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report met the statutory reporting  requirements to describe DOD’s progress in implementing its training  range sustainment plan and to describe any actions taken or to be taken  in addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of  military lands, marine areas, or airspace. DOD also provided updates to  several elements of the plan required by the Act including: (1) proposals  to enhance training range capabilities and to address any shortfalls in  current DOD resources identified pursuant to DOD’s assessment and  evaluation; (2) goals and milestones for tracking planned actions and  measuring progress in the implementation of its training range  sustainment plan; and (3) projected funding requirements for  implementing planned actions. DOD Reported on Proposals to Enhance Range Capabilities and to Address Shortfalls

In our review of DOD’s 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report, we found that  DOD reported on its proposals to enhance training range capabilities and  to address any shortfalls in resources. DOD developed these proposals  by evaluating current and future training range requirements and the  ability of current DOD resources to meet these requirements. In conducting the training range assessment, the  Marine Corps, for example, identified several training shortfalls that it is  working to remedy, such as the capability to fully exercise a large Marine  Air-Ground Task Force in a realistic training scenario. The area currently  being used is not large enough to accommodate a full-scale, live-fire  Marine Expeditionary Brigade exercise. To address this shortfall, DOD  was authorized to expand this training area by approximately 103,000  acres exclusively for military use and an additional 50,000 acres for joint  military and recreational use. Efforts are under way to acquire this  additional land. According to DOD’s report, the military services assessed the ranges’  assigned training mission areasattributes and 12 encroachment factors to evaluate their ability to support  assigned training missions. The services also described  any planned or ongoing actions to remedy the shortfalls. DOD Used Goals and Milestones to Update Its Progress in Implementing Its Training Range Sustainment Plan

In its 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report, DOD identified goals and  milestones to help address the statutory requirements to describe its  progress in implementing its training range sustainment plan. DOD has  seven shared goals in support of this plan. The goals are: (1) mitigate  encroachment pressures on training activities from competing operating  space; (2) mitigate frequency spectrum competition; (3) meet military  airspace challenges; (4) manage increasing military demand for range  space; (5) address effects from new energy infrastructure and renewable  energy effects; (6) anticipate climate change effects;excellence in environmental stewardship. Each military service has  developed its own milestones and needed actions for reaching those  milestones, using these goals as a common framework. DOD has delineated four funding categories to be used by the services to  project their range sustainment requirements: (1) modernization and  investment, (2) operations and maintenance, (3) environmental, and (4)  encroachment. Agency Comments

We are not making any recommendations in this report. In its written response,  DOD agreed with our report. Appendix I: Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003

SEC. (a) PLAN REQUIRED———(1) The Secretary of Defense shall develop a  comprehensive plan for using existing authorities available to the  Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments to  address training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military  lands, marine areas, and airspace that are available in the United States  and overseas for training of the Armed Forces. (B) Goals and milestones for tracking planned actions and measuring  progress. (C) Projected funding requirements for implementing planned actions. (5) At the same time as the President submits to Congress the budget for  each of fiscal years 2005 through 2008, the Secretary shall submit to  Congress a report describing the progress made in implementing the plan  and any additional actions taken, or to be taken, to address training  constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine  areas, and airspace. Military Training: DOD Met Annual Reporting Requirements and Improved  Its Sustainable Ranges Report.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOD relies on its training ranges within the United States and overseas to help prepare its forces for combat or complex missions around the globe.
Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (as amended) (“the Act”) required DOD to submit a comprehensive plan on its efforts to address training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, airspace, and marine areas available in the United States and overseas for training, and requires DOD to provide annual reports on its efforts to implement the plan and address training constraints. The Act also includes a provision for GAO to submit evaluations of DOD's reports to Congress within 90 days of receiving them from DOD.
This is GAO's12th report evaluating DOD's annual report. GAO assessed the extent to which DOD's 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report met the statutory reporting requirements in that it described its progress in implementing its sustainable ranges plan and described any actions taken or to be taken in addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine areas, or airspace. To conduct this work, GAO compared DOD's 2015 report to statutory reporting requirements and interviewed cognizant DOD officials.
GAO is not making recommendations in this report. DOD agreed with GAO's report.

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense's (DOD) 2015 Sustainable Ranges Report met the statutory reporting requirements in that it described its progress in implementing its sustainable ranges plan and described any actions taken or to be taken in addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine areas, or airspace. DOD's 2015 report provides updates to several elements of the plan required by the Act, including: (1) proposals to enhance training range capabilities and address any shortfalls in current resources; (2) goals and milestones for tracking planned actions and measuring progress in the implementation of DOD's training range sustainment plan; and (3) projected funding requirements for implementing its planned actions.
First, DOD's report included proposals to enhance training range capabilities and to address shortfalls in current resources. DOD developed these proposals by evaluating current and future training range requirements and the ability of current DOD resources to meet these requirements. For example, in the report, the Marine Corps identified several training shortfalls that it is working to remedy, such as the capability to fully exercise a large Marine Air-Ground Task Force in a realistic training scenario. The area currently being used is not large enough to accommodate a full-scale, live-fire Marine Expeditionary Brigade exercise. To address this shortfall, DOD was authorized to expand this training area by approximately 103,000 acres exclusively for military use and an additional 50,000 acres for joint military and recreational use. Efforts are under way to acquire this land. DOD also included in its report the results of a capability and encroachment assessment of its training ranges that evaluated the services' ability to support assigned training missions. In that section, the services described any planned or ongoing actions to remedy shortfalls identified during the assessment.
Second, DOD's report identified goals and milestones for tracking planned actions and measuring progress in the implementation of DOD's training range sustainment plan. DOD's report identified seven shared goals in support of its plan: (1) mitigate encroachment pressures on training activities from competing operating space; (2) mitigate frequency spectrum competition; (3) meet military airspace challenges; (4) manage increasing military demand for range space; (5) address effects from new energy infrastructure and renewable energy effects; (6) anticipate climate change effects; and (7) sustain excellence in environmental stewardship. Also, the report included discussion of each military service's milestones and needed actions for reaching those milestones, using these goals as a common framework.
Third, DOD's report identified projected funding requirements for each of the military services to implement their planned actions. DOD's report delineated four funding categories to be used by the services to project their range sustainment requirements: (1) modernization and investment, (2) operations and maintenance, (3) environmental, and (4) encroachment. DOD identified a total of approximately $1.68 billion in funding requirements across the services for fiscal year 2015 for these categories.