DOD defines a joint exercise  as the interaction of joint forces and/or joint staffs conducted under a joint  headquarters according to joint doctrine that prepares forces/staffs to  respond to operational requirements. Consensus Has Not Been Reached on DOD’s Joint Urban Operations Training Strategy

Since 2002, DOD has made limited progress in developing an overall joint  strategy for urban operations training and related facility and training  requirements. In response to direction from the Senate Armed Services  Committee in May 2002, Joint Forces Command, designated as DOD’s  executive agent for urban operations training, contracted for a study,  completed in early 2005, to identify facility and training requirements. In  May 2005, the committee directed DOD to establish joint urban operations  facility requirements and a training requirements baseline by November 1,  2005. In May 2005, Joint Forces Command began working with the services  to review the study’s results and develop the detailed facility and training  requirements needed to form the basis for a joint training strategy. While  the services have identified some facility needs, Joint Forces Command  and service representatives have been unable to reach consensus on the  level or types of joint training necessary to prepare troops for urban  operations. As a result, Joint Forces Command has been unable to finalize  the strategy or the facility and joint training requirements that will form the  baseline for measuring capabilities within each service and across DOD. DOD officials told us they will not be able to deliver the baseline as  required by November 1, 2005, and instead plan to provide criteria for the  Congress to use in evaluating service facility plans. Because of the lack of consensus in the draft joint urban operations  training strategy and related requirements, DOD has not yet developed  joint training requirements to use as a baseline against which to measure  capabilities within and across the services. Despite DOD’s Goals, Few Opportunities Exist for Forces to Train Together for Joint Urban Operations

Despite DOD’s increasing emphasis on the importance of training for joint  urban operations before deployment, few opportunities currently exist for  joint urban operations training that places troops from different services on  the ground working under a joint headquarters. Various factors account for  the lack of joint urban operations training, such as the services’ focus on  training service-specific skills, and the lack of an overall strategy requiring  joint urban operations training, specific joint urban operations training  requirements, and a formal mechanism for scheduling joint urban  operations training at service-owned facilities. Without a training strategy,  defined requirements, and a joint scheduling mechanism, DOD cannot be  assured that joint urban operations training will occur or that DOD will  maximize the joint usage of urban operations training facilities. While DOD Has Incorporated Lessons Learned, Troops and Training Personnel Suggested Further Training Enhancements

While DOD has taken steps to incorporate lessons learned from ongoing  operations into its training program, training and troop personnel we  interviewed offered suggestions, based on their own operational  experience, for further enhancing training. One of DOD’s training goals is to  train as it expects to fight. Personnel identified enhancements such as the need for  additional live-fire capability, adding more civilian role players in exercises  and providing additional information gathering and cultural awareness  training, and having newly fielded equipment available to train with at the  training centers. While DOD plans  additional improvements, until it develops a strategy and specific facility  and training requirements, it will lack a solid basis to evaluate suggestions  and make improvements and investment decisions. Conclusions

DOD has continually emphasized the importance of joint training, including  to prepare U.S. forces to conduct joint military operations in urban  environments. As discussed in our report, until  Joint Forces Command develops an overall strategy for joint urban  operations training and related requirements, neither the Secretary of  Defense nor the Congress will have a sound basis for evaluating service  facility and training plans, and related funding requests.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOD emphasizes the need for joint training to prepare U.S. forces to conduct joint operations in urban terrain. It defines joint training as exercises involving the interaction of joint forces and/or joint staffs under a joint headquarters. To guide the services' plans to train forces for urban operations and construct related facilities, in May 2002, the Senate Armed Services Committee directed DOD to establish facility requirements and, in May 2005, the committee directed DOD to complete its efforts and provide a requirements baseline for measuring training capabilities within the services and across DOD by November 1, 2005. Due to DOD's focus on joint urban operations and congressional interest in synchronizing service training and facility plans, GAO, on the authority of the Comptroller General, reviewed the extent to which (1) DOD has developed a joint urban operations training strategy and related requirements, (2) exercises offer opportunities for joint urban operations training, and (3) DOD has incorporated lessons learned from ongoing operations into its training.

What GAO Found

Since 2002, DOD has made limited progress in developing an overall joint strategy for urban operations training and related facility and training requirements. In response to congressional direction, Joint Forces Command, designated as DOD's executive agent for urban operations training, contracted for a study, completed in early 2005, to identify facility and training requirements. In May 2005, the Command began working with the services to review the study's results and to develop the detailed facility and training requirements needed to form the basis for a joint training strategy. While the draft strategy identifies some facility needs, as of October 2005, the Command and services have not reached consensus on the level or types of joint training exercises needed to prepare troops for urban operations. As a result, the Command has been unable to finalize the strategy or the facility and joint training requirements that will form the baseline for measuring capabilities within each service and across DOD. DOD officials told us they will not be able to deliver the required baseline on time and instead plan to provide criteria for the Congress to use in evaluating service facility plans. Until the Command develops an overall strategy for joint urban operations training and related requirements, neither the Secretary of Defense nor the Congress will have a sound basis for evaluating service training and facility plans, and related funding requests. Despite DOD's increasing emphasis on the importance of training for joint urban operations before deployment, few opportunities currently exist for training that places troops from different services on the ground working under a joint headquarters. Joint and service doctrine both require forces to be prepared to operate jointly across the full range of military operations. Various factors account for the lack of joint training opportunities, such as the services' focus on service-specific skills, and the lack of an overall strategy requiring joint urban operations training, specific training requirements, and a formal mechanism to schedule joint training at service facilities. Without a strategy, defined requirements, and a joint scheduling mechanism, DOD cannot be assured that joint urban operations training will occur or that it will maximize the joint usage of training facilities. While DOD has taken steps to incorporate lessons learned from ongoing operations into its training program, training and troop personnel GAO interviewed offered suggestions, based on their own operational experience, for further enhancing training. One of DOD's training goals is to train as it expects to fight. Based on feedback from ongoing operations, DOD has made several adjustments, including constructing urban structures, using civilian role players, and adding training on techniques to counter emerging enemy tactics. Persons GAO interviewed cited the need for more live-fire capability, larger numbers of role players, information gathering and cultural awareness training, and training with newly fielded equipment. While DOD plans more improvements, until it develops a strategy and specific requirements as discussed above, it lacks a solid basis to evaluate suggestions, and guide its improvement efforts and investment decisions.