Each of the academies produces about 1,000 graduates a year. The policy proposal we examined specified that placement of academy graduates would be in an active reserve status, which includes only those in the selected reserve. Academy Graduates in the Drilling Guard/Reserve

As of October 1, 1996, the drilling guard/reserve officer corps of 109,594 included 5,014 academy graduates, or about 4.6 percent (see fig. 1). This percentage compares to academy graduates comprising about 17.4 percent of the active duty officer corps (see fig. About 424 academy graduates were on full-time active duty in a reserve component under 10 U.S.C. 12301(d) and 32 U.S.C. See appendix III for additional details on the number of academy graduates serving in the selected reserve. Feasibility of Academy Graduates Serving in the Guard/Reserve Upon Graduation

		Concerns Raised Regarding Lack of Experience and Training for Immediate Reserve Duty

DOD, the active services, and the reserve components, with the exception of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, stated that sending service academy graduates directly to the drilling guard/reserve without officer skill training or active duty experience would not enhance the capability of the reserve component. The Congress has expressed concern about ensuring an adequate payback for the cost of officer training. They cited problems regarding the absence of an employment placement process at the academies; placement of graduates into drilling guard/reserve units; enforcement of guard/reserve service obligations; development of a fair and efficient selection process for determining which academy graduates would go to the guard/reserve, additional funding to provide skill training; the need to increase Navy ROTC enrollments to take the place of the academy graduates on active duty; and limited capacity in the Naval Reserve to absorb additional officers. Sending 5 percent of academy graduates to the reserve components would require rescheduling a similar number of ROTC graduates to active service. Efforts to Enhance the Capability of the Reserve Component

The Army National Guard Combat Readiness Reform Act of 1992 provided several initiatives for enhancing the capability of the Army National Guard to deploy. ROTC graduates with 2 years of service are allowed to serve the remainder of their obligation in the Army National Guard. This program has since been consolidated into the Voluntary Early Release/Retirement Program (VERRP) under category G.
The number of academy and ROTC graduates leaving active duty before completing their initial active duty service obligation under VERRP are shown in tables 2 and 3. Those leaving active duty under category G before completing their military service obligation were required to serve out their remaining service obligation in the selected reserve. However, the program to attract academy- and ROTC-educated officers with 2 to 3 years active duty experience under the Army’s VERRP into the selected reserve appears to be relatively successful and offers the potential to access a number larger than 50 junior officers, who would be trained and experienced. Scope and Methodology

To evaluate the feasibility of sending service academy graduates directly to the drilling guard/reserve, we interviewed officials at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the service headquarters, the service academies, reserve headquarters, and the National Guard Bureau about the potential benefits and difficulties in accessing academy graduates directly into the drilling guard/reserve.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the policy and cost implications of up to 5 percent of each military service academy's graduating class serving in the reserve with a corresponding increase in the number of Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) graduates serving on active duty, focusing on: (1) the number of academy graduates serving in an active status in the reserve component; (2) the feasibility and implications of a proposal to have academy graduates serve in a drilling status in the reserve component without having served on active duty as a means of enhancing the capability of the guard/reserves; and (3) other means through which the reserve components are recruiting junior officers.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) as of October 1, 1996, 5,014 service academy graduates were serving in the active reserve components; (2) additionally, 424 academy graduates were on active duty with a reserve component performing full-time Active Guard/Reserve support functions under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 12301(d) and 32 U.S.C. 502(f); (3) about 4.6 percent of the officers in the drilling guard/reserves were academy graduates compared to 17.4 percent of the active forces; (4) Department of Defense (DOD), service, and academy officials, with the exception of those representing the National Guard, believe that sending academy graduates to the drilling guard/reserves upon graduation would be counterproductive; (5) they pointed to the need for new officers, regardless of their commissioning source, to receive skill training and experience before they can be productive guard/reserve members; (6) since the academies are the most expensive source of new officers, concerns were expressed that sending academy graduates to the reserves before they complete their active duty obligation would not produce a sufficient payback for the cost of their education; (7) DOD officials additionally cited a number of administrative and practical problems that would require policy changes at the academies and the selected reserves; (8) National Guard officials, however, noted that they have vacancies for officers in the junior officer grades and believe that the assignment of academy graduates directly to the National Guard would be feasible; (9) based on their experiences with programs for new ROTC graduate accessions, National Guard officials believe that the policy and administrative difficulties in accessing academy graduates could be managed; (10) the reserve components presently receive academy graduates through normal attrition as academy-produced officers join the drilling guard/reserves after completing their obligated active duty service; (11) in addition, efforts to downsize the active duty force have had a side benefit of enhancing the capability of the reserve component by getting more trained and experienced officers into active reserve status; (12) recently, these early release programs have been opened to graduates from the academies and the ROTC; and (13) since 1994, the Army National Guard Combat Readiness Reform Act of 1992 has allowed the Army to bring in 482 academy graduates and 108 graduates from the ROTC with 2 to 3 years of experience to serve the remainder of their military service obligations in the selected reserves.