Increased Funding for Expanded Responsibilities

The Special Operations Command has received considerable increases in  funding to meet its expanded responsibilities in the Global War on  Terrorism. While the  Command has determined the number of special operations forces  personnel who are needed to increase the number of its warfighter units, it  has not completed analyses to determine (a) the number of headquarters  staff needed to train and equip these additional warfighters or (b) the  number of headquarters staff needed to plan and synchronize global  actions against terrorist networks—a new mission for the Command. Although these studies were in progress at the time of our review, DOD  has already made the decision to increase the number of military and  civilian positions for the Command’s headquarters, beginning with its  fiscal year 2007 budget request. However, until the Special Operations Command  fully completes its analyses of the personnel requirements needed to carry  out its Title 10 responsibilities and its expanded mission, it cannot provide  assurances to the Secretary of Defense and the Congress that currently  planned growth in the number of personnel for the Command’s  headquarters will meet, exceed, or fall short of the requirements needed to  address the Command’s expanded mission. Despite Progress, the Military Services and the Special Operations Command Face Challenges to Meet Planned Growth Goals

The military services and the Special Operations Command have made  progress since fiscal year 2000 in recruiting, training, and retaining special  operations forces personnel; however, the military services and the  Special Operations Command must overcome persistently low personnel  inventory levels and insufficient numbers of newly trained special  operations forces personnel in some cases to meet DOD’s plan to increase  the number of special operations forces personnel through fiscal year  2011. Without  complete information on human capital challenges, the Special Operations  Command will be unable to determine whether the service components’  human capital management approaches, including their recruiting,  training, and retention strategies, will be effective in meeting the planned  growth targets. Special Operations Command Has Established a Policy to Manage Increased Deployments, but the Policy Has Not Been Consistently or Fully Implemented

The Special Operations Command has taken action to manage the  challenge of increased personnel deployments. The policy requires the Command’s  active duty personnel to remain at least an equal amount of time at their  home station as they do deployed for operations and training. For example, the policy does not identify the  length of time for which the components must ensure that personnel  remain within the deployment guidelines. However, officials with the Command’s Army and Navy  components expressed concerns regarding the reliability of the  information they use to track the individual deployments of their  personnel. Without consistent and reliable data, the Special Operations Command  does not have the information it needs to effectively manage the personnel  deployments of special operations forces, which affects the Command’s  ability to maintain the readiness, retention, and training of special  operations forces personnel. Given the Command’s expanded  mission, however, it is critical that the Command complete its analyses of  personnel requirements and fully determine the number of personnel, who  possess the right knowledge and skill sets, for the Command to meet its  new role. Recommendations for Executive Action

We recommend that the Secretary of Defense direct the Commander, U.S.  Special Operations Command, to  1.  establish specific milestones for completing the Command’s ongoing  analyses of personnel requirements and, once completed, make any  needed adjustments to the current plans for personnel increases for  the Command’s headquarters and related future funding requests;  2.  revise the Command’s directive for its program to monitor the status of  special operations forces to include performance objectives, goals, and  measures of progress for achieving planned growth; and enforce all of  the directive’s reporting requirements; and  3.  clarify the methodology that the Command’s service components  should use for enforcing the deployment policy, and take steps to  ensure that the service components have tracking systems in place  that utilize reliable data to meet the requirements of the policy.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since the Global War on Terrorism, the Department of Defense (DOD) has taken steps to expand the role of the United States Special Operations Command (Command) and its forces. In response, the Command has transformed its headquarters to coordinate counterterrorism activities, and DOD has increased funding and the number of special operations forces positions. Given the expanded mission, it is critical that the Command has personnel with the right knowledge and skill sets. GAO was asked to assess: (1) whether the Command has determined all of the personnel requirements needed to meet its expanded role; (2) the progress and challenges in meeting growth goals; and (3) any effect of deployments on the Command's ability to provide trained forces, and the progress made in managing deployments. GAO performed its work at the Special Operations Command and its service components, analyzed personnel data against requirements, and examined policies and directives.

What GAO Found

Although DOD plans to significantly increase the number of special operations forces personnel, the Special Operations Command has not yet fully determined all of the personnel requirements needed to meet its expanded mission. While it has determined the number of personnel needed to increase its number of warfighter units, it has not completed analyses to determine (a) how many headquarters staff are needed to train and equip these additional warfighters or (b) how many headquarters staff are needed to plan and synchronize global actions against terrorist networks--a new mission for the Command. DOD plans to begin increasing the number of headquarters positions and has requested funds for these positions in its fiscal year 2007 budget request. Until these analyses are completed, the Special Operations Command cannot provide assurances to the Secretary of Defense and the Congress that currently planned growth in the number of personnel for the Command's headquarters will meet, exceed, or fall short of the requirements needed to address the Command's expanded mission. The military services and the Special Operations Command have made progress since fiscal year 2000 in recruiting, training, and retaining special operations forces personnel, but they must overcome persistently low personnel inventory levels and insufficient numbers of newly trained personnel, in certain specialties, to meet DOD's plan to increase the number of special operations forces. In addition, GAO's review of the service components' annual reports required by the Special Operations Command shows that the reports have not provided the information needed to determine whether they have enough personnel to meet current and future requirements. Without such information, the Command will be unable to determine whether the service components' human capital management approaches, including recruiting, training, and retention strategies, will be effective in meeting the planned growth targets. Since fiscal year 2000, the number of special operations forces personnel deployed for operations has greatly increased, and the number deployed for training has simultaneously decreased. The Special Operations Command has taken action to manage the challenge of increased deployments; in August 2005, it began requiring active duty personnel to remain at least an equal amount of time at home as deployed. But the Command's service components have not consistently or fully implemented this policy. This is because the policy lacks clear guidance on the length of time that the components must ensure that personnel remain within the deployment policy guidelines. In addition, officials with the Command's Army and Navy service components expressed concerns regarding the reliability of their information required to track the deployments of their personnel. Without consistent and reliable data, the Special Operations Command does not have the information it needs to effectively manage the personnel deployments of special operations forces, which affects its ability to maintain the readiness, retention, and training of these personnel.