Related to these concerns is a question about the ability of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) readiness reporting system to provide a comprehensive assessment of overall readiness. DOD’s current system for reporting readiness to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS). DOD’s Current Approach to Measuring Readiness Has Limitations

According to JCS and DOD officials, the definition and measures of readiness that are currently available in SORTS are no longer adequate in today’s national security environment. Finally, SORTS does not provide data with which commanders can adequately assess joint readiness. A More Comprehensive Assessment of Readiness Is Possible

To supplement data currently reported in SORTS and facilitate readiness assessments at the unit level, the military commands in all four services independently monitor literally hundreds of additional indicators. Military commanders and outside defense experts agreed that many of the indicators are not only critical to a comprehensive readiness assessment at the unit level but also have some degree of predictive value regarding readiness changes within the services. Several commanders suggested readiness indicators related to operating tempo, funding levels, and individual/unit proficiency.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effect of declining defense budgets on military readiness, focusing on whether: (1) the definition and indicators of readiness adequately reflect the many complex components that contribute to overall military readiness; and (2) there are readiness indicators that can predict positive or negative changes in readiness.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) the Department of Defense's (DOD) system for measuring readiness, the Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS), has limitations; (2) SORTS was never intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of overall military readiness; (3) SORTS only measures individual service readiness because there are no indicators available to measure joint readiness; (4) SORTS does not assess operating tempo or troop morale; (5) to supplement SORTS data and facilitate readiness assessments at the unit level, the military commands independently monitor additional indicators that are critical to a comprehensive readiness assessment at the unit level and have some degree of predictive value; and (6) DOD can improve its comprehensive readiness assessments by incorporating unit level indicators, but these indicators will require further refinement to improve their usefulness.