	Background

The Grow the Force initiative will increase the end strength of the Army  and Marine Corps collectively by more than 100,000 by 2013, as shown in  table 1. DOD projects that facility requirements associated with Grow the Force  will cost more than $17 billion, as shown in table 2. Army and Marine Corps Used a Compressed Version of the Typical Process to Determine Construction Projects for Grow the Force

The Army and Marine Corps followed all of the steps typically used to  determine construction projects when they developed the Grow the Force  construction projects submitted in DOD’s budget requests for fiscal years  2007 and 2008, but the process was compressed. As with the Army, the Marine Corps’ process for developing construction  projects generally takes about 2 years; however, the Marine Corps  completed the process in 6 months for Grow the Force projects included  in DOD’s supplemental budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. In  general, the Marine Corps’ typical process for developing construction  projects includes 6 steps: (1) Marine Corps headquarters sends guidance  on facility projects to the installations, (2) installations develop project  proposals and submit them to Marine Corps headquarters, (3) a military  construction review board prioritizes the projects and sets funding limits,  (4) the Naval Facilities Engineering Command reviews projects and  validates the cost and scope of the projects, (5) Marine Corps  headquarters reviews projects, and (6) construction projects are included  in the Department of the Navy budget for submission to Congress. Most Projects Support Grow the Force, but Some Lack a Clear Link to the Initiative

We found that nearly all of the Grow the Force construction projects  submitted by the Army and Army National Guard, and most by the Marine  Corps, in DOD’s fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008 budget requests  supported the initiative. We found that 7 of the  Marine Corps projects totaling $137 million do not support Grow the Force  because they address existing deficiencies on the installations that needed  to be addressed regardless of whether Grow the Force occurred and we  could not clearly identify that existing capacity issues these projects were  designed to address would be exacerbated by additional personnel from  Grow the Force. For example, the Marine Corps included a $7 million  wastewater system modification project at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,  which budget justification documentation indicates is needed to limit  environmental impacts and does not make reference to capacity issues  from additional personnel through Grow the Force. Additionally,  installation officials said this project would be needed regardless of  whether Grow the Force occurred and was already planned to be included  in a future budget request. While most of the Army, Army National Guard, and Marine Corps projects  were clearly linked to Grow the Force, it may be more difficult to identify  some Marine Corps and Army Reserve projects as supporting the initiative  in future budget requests. Army’s and Marine Corps’ Plans to Use Temporary Facilities

Our analysis shows that some units will arrive at installations before  facilities are constructed; however, the Army does not plan to purchase or  lease temporary facilities, while the Marine Corps plans to do so to bridge  the gap between when units are established and permanent facilities are  constructed. To bridge the gap, the  Army plans to utilize existing space, including space vacated by units  deploying overseas, to accommodate the additional personnel. The majority of new Marine Corps units established between fiscal year  2007 and fiscal year 2011 will arrive at installations before permanent  facilities are available. A Marine Corps  headquarters official expects that the Marine Corps will need additional  funding for temporary facilities in the future, but has not yet determined  the extent of the funding requirements. Concluding Observations

While most projects submitted in DOD’s budget requests for fiscal years  2007 and 2008 that were identified as Grow the Force projects showed a  clear link to the Grow the Force initiative, some future Marine Corps and  Army Reserve projects may not be clearly and appropriately identified as  supporting Grow the Force. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD stated that it disagreed with  our assessment that 1 Army project and 12 Marine Corps projects did not  support Grow the Force. To determine the extent to which Grow the Force projects submitted by  the Army, Marine Corps, and Army National Guard supported the  initiative, we analyzed budget justification documentation for projects  submitted for the fiscal year 2007 supplemental budget request, the fiscal  year 2008 Global War on Terrorism supplemental budget request, and the  President’s fiscal year 2008 budget request.
Why GAO Did This Study

In January 2007 the President announced an initiative, referred to as Grow the Force, to increase the end strength in the Army by more than 74,000 by 2013 and the Marine Corps by 27,000 personnel by 2011 to enhance U.S. forces, reduce stress on deployable personnel, and provide necessary forces for success in the Global War on Terrorism. The Department of Defense (DOD) estimates that it will need more than $17 billion for facilities to accommodate the planned personnel increases. GAO was asked to review (1) the process the Army and Marine Corps used to develop construction projects associated with Grow the Force, (2) the extent to which the projects submitted in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 support the initiative, and (3) whether the Army and Marine Corps plan to use temporary facilities while construction projects are completed. GAO reviewed the construction projects associated with Grow the Force in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, reviewed stationing documents, and interviewed officials at Army and Marine Corps headquarters and six installations on the process used to develop projects. In comments on a draft of this report, DOD disagreed with GAO's assessment that 1 Army project and 12 Marine Corps projects do not support Grow the Force but did not provide sufficient documentation that existing capacity issues would be exacerbated by additional personnel.

What GAO Found

The Army and Marine Corps followed their typical process to develop construction projects when they developed the Grow the Force projects submitted in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008; however, the process was compressed due to the short period of time between the announcement of the initiative and submission of budget requests. For example, the active duty Army took about 2 months and the Marine Corps took 6 months to develop projects submitted in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008; the typical process takes about 2 years. Nearly all of the military construction projects submitted as Grow the Force projects in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 supported the Grow the Force initiative. GAO found that 68 of the 69 projects submitted by the Army and Army National Guard, totaling more than $2.3 billion, and 37 of the 49 projects submitted by the Marine Corps, totaling more than $665 million, supported Grow the Force. However, GAO found that 1 Army project and 12 Marine Corps projects did not support Grow the Force because they addressed existing deficiencies and were needed regardless of whether Grow the Force occurred or they supported another initiative. For example, the Marine Corps included a $7 million wastewater system modification project at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in its fiscal year 2008 budget request to address environmental issues. Officials said the project was already planned for a future budget request and would be needed regardless of whether Grow the Force had occurred. Additionally, GAO determined that 3 Marine Corps projects, totaling $58 million, were to construct facilities for wounded Marines that supported another initiative, not Grow the Force. While most of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008 projects were linked to Grow the Force, it may be more difficult to identify some Marine Corps and Army Reserve projects as supporting the initiative in future budget requests because the Marine Corps may not link installationwide projects to Grow the Force and the Army Reserve plans to identify projects for a related force structure effort as Grow the Force projects. GAO's analysis shows that some units will arrive at installations before facilities are constructed; however, the Army does not plan to purchase or lease temporary facilities, while the Marine Corps plans to do so to bridge the gap between when units are established and permanent facilities are constructed. The Army plans to use existing facilities, including facilities vacated by deployed units, to bridge the gap between the time when personnel arrive and the completion date of construction projects. The majority of new units will be established at Marine Corps installations before permanent facilities are complete and will require temporary facilities. The Marine Corps requested $147 million in fiscal year 2008 for temporary facilities, including armories and trailers, to bridge the gap between the time units arrive and the completion date of construction projects. A Marine Corps official expects that additional funding for temporary facilities will be required but the extent of the funding requirements have not yet been determined.