We further reported that DOD’s progress in chemical and biological research and development was slower than planned, training of Army and Marine Corps forces was inadequate, there was little evidence that joint training and exercises included chemical and biological defense elements, stocks of vaccines for biological agents were in short supply, and medical units lacked necessary chemical and biological defense equipment and training. The Congress and DOD have taken action that has improved U.S. forces’ ability to survive and operate if chemical and biological agents are used against them. Still, DOD must address remaining critical deficiencies that affect its ability to protect forces from chemical and biological attack. Moreover, DOD has insufficient quantities of biological agent vaccines to protect U.S. forces, and servicemembers deployed in high-threat areas overseas normally have no biological agent detection capability. DOD’s Program to Immunize Forces Against Anthrax

Anthrax is an infectious disease that afflicts certain animals, especially cattle and sheep. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff considers anthrax to be the greatest biological weapons threat to U.S. military forces. Prior to beginning the immunizations, DOD wanted time to (1) perform testing of the vaccine to ensure its sterility, safety, potency, and purity; (2) implement a system to track personnel who receive the vaccinations; (3) approve plans to administer the immunizations and inform military personnel of the program; and (4) have the program reviewed by an independent expert. DOD plans to vaccinate the remaining active and reserve force over the next several years. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Persian Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses and the Institute of Medicine reported problems concerning the completeness and accuracy of medical record-keeping during the Gulf War. Increased emphasis by the commanders in chief in their areas of responsibility, a DOD-wide spending increase leading to increased numbers of fielded chemical and biological detection and protective equipment, and planned procurements of equipment over the next several years will make U.S. forces better prepared to deal with chemical and biological weapons than in the past. Related GAO Reports on Chemical and Biological Defense

Gulf War Illnesses: Public and Private Efforts Relating to Exposures of U.S.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) continuing efforts to protect U.S. military forces against chemical and biological weapons, including its plan to inoculate all U.S. military forces against anthrax.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) in examining DOD's experience in preparing its forces to defend against potential chemical and biological agent attacks during the Gulf War, GAO identified numerous problems; (2) specifically, GAO found: (a) shortages in individual protective equipment; (b) inadequate chemical and biological agent detection devices; (c) inadequate command emphasis on chemical and biological capabilities; and (d) deficiencies in medical personnel training, and supplies; (3) while many deficiencies noted during the Gulf War remain unaddressed today, DOD has increasingly acknowledged and accepted the urgency of developing a capability to deal with the chemical and biological threat to its forces; (4) both Congress and DOD have acted to provide greater protection for U.S. forces; (5) their actions have resulted in increased funding, and the fielding of more and better chemical and biological defense equipment; (6) DOD must address remaining critical deficiencies if U.S. forces are to be provided with the resources necessary to better protect themselves; (7) DOD is now embarking on a major effort to protect U.S. forces from the threat of the deadly biological agent anthrax; (8) its program to immunize millions of active and reserve forces against anthrax, ensuring that each receives the prescribed vaccinations in the proper time sequence, will be a challenge; and (9) however, if DOD considers lessons learned from previous, smaller-sized immunization programs and from the medical record-keeping errors in the Gulf War and Bosnia in formulating detailed implementation plans, it can reduce the risks and improve the prospects for successfully managing the program.