	Background

The Department of Defense (DOD) has a long history of relying on contractors to support troops during wartime and expeditionary operations. As the number of contractors in the area of operations has increased, the operational force—the service men and women in the field—increasingly rely on, interact with, and are responsible for managing contractors. This finding confirms what many analysts have argued: that deployed military personnel are not sufficiently trained or prepared to manage contractors in an area of operations. DOD Efforts to Train the Operational Force to Work Effectively With Contractors During Expeditionary Operations

According to Title X of the United States Code, military services are generally responsible for training military forces. In addition, the Army is working with the joint community to include contract support into other operations. Options for Congress

		Take No Action

The National Defense Authorization Act of FY2008 ( H.R. 4986 / P.L. 110-181 ) required DOD, and especially the Army, to train military personnel who are outside the acquisition workforce but are expected to have acquisition responsibility , and to incorporate contractors and contract operations into mission exercises. As outlined above, DOD has initiated a number of steps to comply with P.L. 110-181 , including developing doctrine, developing a concept of operations, planning and introducing educational courses into the curricula of non-acquisition military personnel, and incorporating contractor support scenarios into mission-ready and other exercises. Require Military Departments to Report on Acquisition Education Courses Available for Operational Personnel

Such a requirement would be similar to section 527 of the FY2009 Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act ( P.L.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for performing a wide range of expeditionary missions, including domestic emergency operations and military operations outside of the continental United States. DOD increasingly relies on contractors during expeditionary operations to perform a wide range of services. For example, more contractors are working for DOD in Iraq and Afghanistan than are U.S. military personnel. As a result, military personnel in the field are increasingly interacting with and responsible for managing contractors. Yet many observers argue that the military is not sufficiently prepared to manage contractors during expeditionary missions. The National Defense Authorization Act of FY2008 (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181) required DOD, and especially the Army, to train military personnel who are outside the acquisition workforce but are expected to have acquisition responsibility , and to incorporate contractors and contract operations into mission exercises.
DOD, including the Army, are taking a number of steps to comply with Congressional legislation to better prepare the operational force—including servicemen and women conducting military operations on the battlefield—to work with contractors. These steps include developing doctrine for integrating contract support into expeditionary operations, introducing courses on contract support into the curriculum for non-acquisition personnel, and incorporating contract operations into mission readiness exercises. This report examines these steps being taken by DOD and options for Congress to monitor DOD's efforts to comply with P.L. 110-181. Options include requiring military departments to report on acquisition education courses available for operational personnel. This report will be updated as events warrant.