Geographic Combatant Commands’ Resources Have Grown Considerably over the Last Decade

Since fiscal year 2001, the number of authorized military and civilian  positions and mission and headquarters-support costs devoted to the five  geographic combatant commands that we reviewed substantially  increased. In our analysis of data provided by the commands, we found  considerable increases in the number of authorized military and civilian  positions—about 50 percent from fiscal year 2001 through fiscal year  2012—and in the costs for mission and headquarters-support—more than  doubling from fiscal year 2007 through fiscal year 2012—at the five  combatant commands that we reviewed. In addition to data on  authorized military and civilian positions, we found that the data on the  number of personnel performing contract services across the combatant  commands and service component commands varied or was unavailable,  and thus trends could not be identified. DOD Has Taken Steps to Manage Combatant Commands’ Resources, but Its Processes to Review Size and to Oversee Commands Have Weaknesses

While DOD has taken some steps to review the combatant commands’  size and structure and to identify the commands’ resources, DOD’s  processes have four primary weaknesses that challenge its ability to  make informed decisions: (1) the absence of a comprehensive, periodic  review of the size and structure of the combatant commands, (2)  inconsistent use of personnel management systems to identify and track  assigned personnel across the combatant commands, (3) lack of visibility  by the combatant commands and Joint Staff over authorized manpower  and personnel at the service component commands, and (4) lack of  transparent information identifying each combatant command’s personnel  or mission and headquarters-support funding in the military departments’  budget documents for operation and maintenance. Our prior work on  strategic human capital management found that high-performing  organizations periodically reevaluate their human capital practices and  use complete and reliable data to help achieve their missions and ensure  resources are properly matched to the needs of today’s environment. DOD’s Process for Managing Combatant Commands’ Size and Structure Is Focused on Proposed Increases and Does Not Periodically Evaluate Requirements

DOD has an ongoing process to assess the combatant commands’  requests for additional positions, but does not periodically evaluate  whether authorized positions at the combatant commands’ are still  needed to support their assigned missions. Specifically, some military service regulations that guide manpower  requirements at the service component commands require manpower to  be periodically evaluated to ensure they still meet assigned missions. Without a  comprehensive, periodic evaluation of the commands’ authorized  positions, DOD will not be able to ensure that the combatant commands  are properly sized and structured to meet their assigned missions or  ensure that the commands identify opportunities for managing personnel  resources more efficiently. The department concurred with three of our recommendations that the  Secretary of Defense: (1) direct the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  to revise Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 1001.01A to  require the combatant commands to identify, manage, and track all  personnel, including temporary personnel such as civilian overhires and  activated reservists, in e-JMAPS and identify specific guidelines and  timeframes for the combatant commands to consistently input and review  personnel data in the system; (2) direct the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs  of Staff, in coordination with the combatant commanders and secretaries  of the military departments, to develop and implement a formal process to  gather information on authorized manpower and assigned personnel at  the service component commands; and (3) direct the Under Secretary of  Defense (Comptroller) to revise volume 2, chapter 1 of DOD’s Financial  Management Regulation 7000.14R to require the military departments, in  their annual budget documents for operation and maintenance, to identify  the authorized military positions and civilian and contractor full-time  equivalents at each combatant command and provide detailed  information on funding required by each command for mission and  headquarters-support, such as civilian pay, contract services, travel, and  supplies. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

We conducted this work in response to direction from the congressional  committees to review the resources of the combatant commands. This  report (1) identifies the trends in the resources devoted to the Department  of Defense’s (DOD) geographic combatant commands and their service  component commands, and (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has  processes in place to manage and oversee the resources of the  combatant commands. Authorized military and  civilian positions and mission and headquarters-support costs for these two service component  commands are represented in Appendix IV. Appendix VI: Resources at U.S. Pacific Command and its Service Component Commands

Appendix VI: Resources at U.S. Pacific  Command and its Service Component  Commands Other includes authorized military and civilian positions in Special Operations Command Pacific,  security cooperation organizations, U.S.
Why GAO Did This Study

To perform its missions around the world, DOD operates geographic combatant commands each with thousands of personnel. In response to direction from the congressional committees to review the resources of the combatant commands, GAO (1) identified the trends in the resources devoted to DOD's geographic combatant commands and their service component commands, and (2) assessed the extent that DOD has processes in place to manage and oversee the resources of the combatant commands. For this review, GAO obtained and analyzed data on resources, to include authorized positions and mission and headquarters-support costs, for five regional combatant commands' and their service component commands, excluding U.S. Central Command. GAO also interviewed officials regarding commands' manpower and personnel policies and procedures for reporting resources.

What GAO Found

GAO's analysis of resources devoted to the Department of Defense's (DOD) geographic combatant commands shows that authorized military and civilian positions and mission and headquarters-support costs have grown considerably over the last decade due to the addition of two new commands and increases in authorized positions at theater special operations commands. Data provided by the commands shows that authorized military and civilian positions increased by about 50 percent from fiscal years 2001 through 2012, to about 10,100 authorized positions. In addition, mission and headquarters support-costs at the combatant commands more than doubled from fiscal years 2007 through 2012, to about $1.1 billion. Both authorized military and civilian positions and mission and headquarters-support costs at the service component commands supporting the combatant commands also increased. Data on the number of personnel performing contract services across the combatant commands and service component commands varied or was unavailable, and thus trends could not be identified.
DOD has taken some steps to manage combatant commands' resources, but its processes to review size and oversee the commands have four primary weaknesses that challenge the department's ability to make informed decisions.
DOD considers the combatant commands' requests for additional positions, but it does not periodically evaluate the commands' authorized positions to ensure they are still needed to meet the commands' assigned missions.
DOD tracks some assigned personnel; however, all personnel supporting the commands are not included in DOD's personnel management system and reviews of assigned personnel vary by command.
The service component commands support both service and combatant command missions. However, the Joint Staff and combatant commands lack visibility and oversight over the authorized manpower and personnel at the service component commands to determine whether functions at the combatant commands can be fulfilled by service component command personnel.
Each military department submits annual budget documents for operation and maintenance to inform Congress of total authorized positions, full-time equivalents, and mission and headquarters-support funding for all combatant commands that they support. However, these documents do not provide transparency into the resources directed to each combatant command.
GAO's work on strategic human capital management found that high-performing organizations periodically reevaluate their human capital practices and use complete and reliable data to help achieve their missions and ensure resources are properly matched to the needs of today's environment. Until DOD effectively manages the resources of the combatant commands, it may be difficult to ensure that the commands are properly sized to meet their assigned missions, or to identify opportunities to carry out those missions efficiently.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends DOD: require a periodic evaluation of the combatant commands' size and structure; use existing systems to manage and track all assigned personnel; develop a process to gather information on authorized manpower and assigned personnel at the service component commands; and require information in the budget on authorized positions, full-time equivalents, and funding for each combatant command. DOD nonconcurred with GAO's first recommendation, but GAO believes it is still needed to add rigor to the manpower requirements process. DOD concurred with GAO's three other recommendations.