In that report,  we did not make recommendations with regard to the potential impacts of  drawdowns on readiness and budgets. The President Has Authorized 13 Drawdowns since 2011 to Provide Security Assistance and Build Foreign Partner Capacity

Since fiscal year 2011, the President has authorized 13 drawdowns to  provide security assistance and build foreign partner capacity to France,  Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and West and Central Africa (see fig. According  to State and DOD data, the total value of articles and services authorized  for these drawdowns for fiscal years 2011 through 2015 was $321.5  million. The drawdowns of articles and services were under  Sections 506(a)(1) and 552(c)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act. State and DOD Implemented Some but Not All Steps for Planning and Executing Drawdowns

State and DOD implemented some but not all steps in their stated  processes for planning and implementing drawdowns authorized from  fiscal years 2011 through 2015, but the military departments did not  conduct required impact assessments. However, the Army and Air Force—which  provided 96 percent of the dollar amount of all articles and services for  drawdowns authorized from fiscal years 2011 through 2015—did not  assess the impact of drawdowns on readiness and budgets as required  by the guidance. State Implemented Steps in the Drawdown Planning Process

On the basis of available documentation and interviews with officials, we  found that State had implemented three steps in the drawdown planning  process for which it was responsible (see fig. In the first step of the process, State, working with DOD and other  agencies, agrees to use drawdown authorities in response to an  international crisis. For example,  DSCA officials said they work with the military departments and other  DOD entities to determine what specific assistance the military  departments will provide and which military department will provide it. In the  absence of impact assessments, DOD is not in a position to identify and,  if needed, mitigate potential negative impacts on military readiness that  could result from providing the defense articles and services under  consideration for inclusion in a drawdown package. Recommendations for Executive Action

To implement DOD guidance requiring the military departments to  prepare readiness and O&M budget impact assessments during  drawdown planning, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense take  the following two actions:
Direct the Secretaries of the military departments to develop guidance  that assigns responsibility for the preparation of impact assessments  and includes direction on how such assessments should be  conducted as part of drawdown planning. Direct the Director, DSCA, to develop an internal control mechanism  to determine whether the military departments have completed the  required impact assessments before moving forward with drawdown  planning and execution.
Why GAO Did This Study

The President has special legal authorities that allow him to direct the “drawdown” of defense articles and services to provide assistance in response to an international crisis. Examples of this aid include deliveries of vehicles, food, and medical equipment, and the use of military airlift, among other articles and services. The President may authorize up to $325 million each year in drawdowns under three authorities in the Foreign Assistance Act.
A House Armed Services Committee report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 included a provision for GAO to review drawdown authorities. This report (1) describes the use of drawdown authorities to provide security assistance and build partner capacity and (2) evaluates the extent to which State and DOD followed their stated processes for planning and implementing drawdowns. GAO reviewed guidance and documents relevant to drawdowns, analyzed drawdown data from fiscal years 2011 through 2015, and interviewed State and DOD officials.

What GAO Found

In fiscal years 2011 through 2015, the President authorized 13 drawdowns to provide security assistance and build foreign partner capacity to France, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and countries in West and Central Africa (see fig.). According to Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of State (State) data, the total value of articles and services authorized for these drawdowns was $321.5 million.
State and DOD implemented some, but not all, steps in their stated processes for planning and implementing drawdowns, but the military departments did not conduct required impact assessments. State implemented three steps in the process for which it was responsible, such as preparing justification packages for planned drawdowns. DOD implemented some parts of its stated process. For example, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is the lead DOD entity for drawdowns, worked with the military departments to identify resources for the drawdowns from fiscal years 2011 through 2015. However, the Army and Air Force—which together delivered about 96 percent of the dollar amount of drawdown aid during that time—did not conduct required impact assessments. Specifically, the two military departments had not assessed the potential impact of drawdowns on military readiness and budgets during drawdown planning, as required by DOD guidance. Neither of the military departments has assigned responsibility for conducting the assessments, and DSCA did not determine whether the assessments had been completed. Without these assessments, DOD is not in a position to identify and, if needed, mitigate potential negative impacts of a drawdown on military readiness.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that (1) the Secretaries of the military departments develop guidance that assigns responsibility for the preparation of impact assessments, and (2) the Director, DSCA, develop an internal control mechanism to determine whether the military departments have completed the required impact assessments before moving forward with drawdown planning and execution. DOD concurred with each of GAO's recommendations.