	Background

DOD has reported to Congress since fiscal year 2004 on several items  related to its training ranges in response to section 366 of the Bob Stump  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. The act as  subsequently amended required annual progress reports to be submitted  at the same time as the President submitted the administration’s annual  budget for fiscal years 2005 through 2018. DOD’s 2017 Sustainable Ranges Report Met the Annual Reporting Requirements

DOD’s 2017 Sustainable Ranges Report met the annual statutory  reporting requirements to describe DOD’s progress in implementing its  sustainable ranges plan and any actions taken or to be taken in  addressing constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands,  marine areas, and airspace. In its 2017 report, DOD provided updates to  the plan that were required by the act. These updates included: (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 its  training range sustainment plan; and (3) projected funding requirements  for implementing its planned actions. In its 2017 report, DOD also reported on seven evolving activities and  emerging issues, all of which were reported in its 2016 report. In an April 2016 report, we evaluated the  extent to which DOD made progress in its efforts to assess the national  security risks and effects of foreign encroachment. DOD Used Goals and Milestones to Describe Its Progress in Implementing Its Comprehensive Training Range Sustainment Plan

In its 2017 Sustainable Ranges Report, DOD used goals and milestones  to address the statutory requirement to describe its progress in  implementing its comprehensive training range sustainment plan. Using these goals as a common framework, each military service  developed its own milestones and needed actions for reaching those  milestones. Agency Comments

We are not making recommendations in this report. Military Training: DOD’s Report on the Sustainability of Training Ranges  Addresses Most of the Congressional Reporting Requirements and  Continues to Improve with Each Annual Update. Military Training: DOD Needs a Comprehensive Plan to Manage  Encroachment on Training Ranges.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOD relies on its training ranges within the United States and overseas to help prepare its forces for combat and complex missions around the globe.
Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 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 in the United States and overseas for training. The act, as amended, further required DOD to provide annual progress reports on its efforts through 2018. The act also included a provision for GAO to submit annual evaluations of DOD's reports. This report assesses the extent to which DOD's 2017 Sustainable Ranges Report met statutory reporting requirements.
To conduct this work, GAO reviewed DOD's 2017 report and compared it with the statutory reporting requirements. GAO also interviewed cognizant DOD and military service officials regarding preparations made to complete the 2017 report.

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense's (DOD) 2017 sustainable ranges report met the annual statutory reporting requirements to describe DOD's progress in implementing its plan to sustain training ranges and any additional actions taken or planned for addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine areas, and airspace. DOD's 2017 report provides updates to the plan required by the act, specifically (1) proposals to enhance training range capabilities and address any shortfalls; (2) goals and milestones to describe DOD's progress in implementing its comprehensive training range sustainment plan; and (3) projected funding requirements for each of the military services to implement their planned actions. In the report, DOD used goals and milestones to address the statutory requirement to describe its progress in implementing its comprehensive training range sustainment plan. Using these goals as a common framework, each military service developed its own milestones and needed actions for reaching those milestones. The report also identifies evolving activities and emerging issues related to training range sustainability, and it includes actions taken to mitigate them.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making recommendations in this report. DOD agreed with GAO's findings without further comment.