All three functional combatant commands’ number of authorized positions  grew. However, the functional combatant commands also  increased the number of military personnel to support the headquarters. Specifically, total  authorized military and civilian positions for the service component  commands increased from about 6,675 in fiscal year 2002 to about 7,815  in fiscal year 2013. Costs to Support Headquarters Operations Have Grown for Combatant and Service Component Commands

Total costs to support headquarters operations at the three functional  combatant commands we reviewed increased substantially from fiscal  years 2001 to 2013. Our analysis of data provided by the commands  shows that the costs to support headquarters operations—including costs  for civilian pay, contract services, travel, and equipment —increased  more than fourfold in constant fiscal year 2013 dollars, from about $296  million in fiscal year 2001 to more than $1.236 billion in fiscal year 2013. Total costs in constant fiscal year 2013 dollars to support headquarters  operations increased slightly at the service component commands we  reviewed, from about $614 million in fiscal year 2008 to about $657  million in fiscal year 2013.component commands saw the greatest increase in costs to support  headquarters operations, primarily due to the establishment of Air Force  Global Strike Command, which first reported costs in fiscal year 2010. DOD’s Headquarters Reductions Do Not Include All Command Resources, Thus Affecting DOD’s Ability to Achieve Significant Cost Savings

In 2013, the Secretary of Defense set a target for reducing management  headquarters budgets by 20 percent, but we found that DOD did not have  an accurate accounting of the budgets and personnel associated with  management headquarters to use as a starting point for reductions. Our  work also found that management headquarters include about a quarter  of the personnel at the commands—of the 10,500 authorized positions at  the functional combatant commands, about 2,500 are considered to be  management headquarters. In July 2013, the Deputy Secretary of Defense announced in  a memorandum that the Secretary of Defense had directed reductions to  DOD headquarters, to include the functional combatant commands, in an  effort to streamline DOD’s management and eliminate lower-priority  activities. DOD officials reported that  each of the combatant commands developed different approaches for  identifying the population of resources on which to base reductions. On the basis of our analysis of data on authorized positions at the  functional combatant commands and their service component commands,  we found that the commands designate less than a quarter of the total  authorized positions as part of their management headquarters functions. However, the department does not have any plans to  reevaluate the baseline on which the reductions are based, in part  because it does not have an alternative source for complete and reliable  data. If DOD’s headquarters reductions do  not have a clearly defined and consistently applied starting point on which  to target savings—and reductions are only focused on what the  commands have self-reported as management headquarters activities— then the department may not be able to track its savings to management  headquarters or assure that reductions are achieved as intended. We  further noted that any consolidation initiatives must be grounded in  accurate and reliable data. Section 904 of the  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 requires that  DOD develop and submit a plan for streamlining management  headquarters, to include the combatant commands, by June 2014.plan is to include a description of the planned changes or reductions in  staffing and services and the estimated cumulative savings to be  achieved from fiscal years 2015 through 2024. 3. DOD partially concurred with the first recommendation that the Secretary  of Defense reevaluate the decision to focus reductions on management  headquarters to ensure the department’s efforts ultimately result in  meaningful savings. DOD concurred with the second and third recommendations that the  Secretary of Defense: set a clearly defined and consistently applied  starting point as a baseline for the reductions, and track reductions  against the baselines in order to provide reliable accounting of savings  and reporting to Congress. This report (1) identifies any trends in  resources devoted to the functional combatant commands and their  service component commands for fiscal years 2001 through 2013 to meet  their assigned missions and responsibilities, and (2) evaluates the extent  to which the Department of Defense’s (DOD) directed reductions to  headquarters, like the functional combatant commands and supporting  service component commands, could result in cost savings for the  department. SOCOM’s Authorized Military and Civilian Positions, Fiscal Years 2004 through 2013

	SOCOM’s Number of Authorized Military and Civilian Positions, Fiscal Years 2004 through 2013

5% Theater Special  Operations Command (23)
15% Joint Special  Operations  Command (71)
80% SOCOM  Headquarters  (373)

	SOCOM’s Service Component Commands’ Authorized Military and Civilian Positions, Fiscal Years 2002 through 2013

	SOCOM’s Service Component Commands’ Authorized Military and Civilian Positions, Fiscal Year 2013

34% Air Force  Special  Operations  Command (710)
12% Air Force  Special  Operations  Command (29.4)
7% Marine Corps  Special Operations  Command (16.2) 14% Naval Special  Warfare  Command (33.2)
67% Army Special  Operations  Command (159.7)
14% Marine Corps Special  Operations Command (304)

	Fiscal Year 2013 Authorized Military and Civilian Positions by Directorate, Subordinate Command, and Component Command U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters Directorates

		Subordinate Unified Command Total Direct Reporting Units

		U.S. Special Operations Command Grand Total

	Fiscal Year 2013 Authorized Military and Civilian Positions by Directorate, Subordinate Command, and Component Command Service Component Commands

		Service Component Command Grand Total

Appendix IV: Resources at U.S. Strategic Command and Its Service Component Commands (Part 1 of 6)

U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND (STRATCOM)
Mission: STRATCOM conducts global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, military services, and  appropriate U.S. government agencies to deter and detect strategic attacks against the United States and its allies.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOD operates three functional combatant commands, which provide special operations, strategic forces, and transportation. GAO was mandated to review personnel and resources of these commands in light of plans announced by DOD to reduce headquarters. This report (1) identifies the trends in resources devoted to the functional combatant commands and their service component commands and (2) evaluates the extent to which DOD's reductions to headquarters could result in cost savings.
GAO analyzed data for fiscal years 2001 through 2013 on authorized positions and costs to support headquarters operations for the functional combatant commands and their service component commands. GAO also obtained documentation such as guidance and budget documents and interviewed officials regarding the commands' approach for implementing reductions to headquarters.

What GAO Found

GAO analysis of the resources devoted to the Department of Defense's (DOD) functional combatant commands shows substantial increases in authorized positions and costs to support headquarters operations. Specifically, the number of authorized positions across the commands grew from 5,731 in fiscal year 2004 to 10,515 in fiscal year 2013. According to DOD officials, recent and emerging missions have driven up demands at all three functional combatant commands and driven the growth in authorized personnel. In addition, costs to support headquarters operations also increased substantially at the functional combatant commands. Data, in constant fiscal year 2013 dollars, show that the combined costs to support headquarters operations for the commands increased from about $296 million in fiscal year 2001 to more than $1.236 billion in fiscal year 2013. Authorized positions and costs to support headquarters operations at the service component commands supporting the functional combatant commands also increased. Specifically, authorized positions grew from about 6,675 in fiscal year 2002 to about 7,815 in fiscal year 2013, and costs to support headquarters operations increased from about $614 million in fiscal year 2008 to about $657 million in fiscal year 2013.
DOD's directed reductions to headquarters do not include all resources at the commands, which may affect DOD's ability to achieve significant savings in headquarters operations. In 2013, DOD directed reductions to management headquarters resources in an effort to streamline the department's management. However, GAO found that the department did not have a clear or accurate accounting of the resources being devoted to management headquarters to use as a starting point to track reductions. Officials noted that DOD relied on data self-reported by the commands, and GAO found that these data were potentially inconsistent and did not include the totality of headquarters resources. Specifically, GAO found that less than a quarter of the positions at the functional combatant commands are considered to be management headquarters even though many positions appear to be performing management headquarters functions such as planning, budgeting, and developing policies. As such, more than three quarters of the headquarters positions at the functional combatant commands are potentially excluded from DOD's directed reductions. However, the department does not have any plans to reevaluate the baseline on which the reductions are based, in part because it does not have an alternative source for complete and reliable data. GAO has also concluded that restructuring efforts must be focused on clear goals and consolidation initiatives grounded in accurate and reliable data. Section 904 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 requires that DOD develop and submit a plan for streamlining management headquarters by June 2014. Unless DOD reevaluates its decision to focus reductions to management headquarters and establishes a clearly defined and consistently applied starting point on which to base reductions, the department will be unable to track and reliably report its headquarters reductions and ultimately may not realize significant savings.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOD (1) reevaluate the decision to focus reductions on management headquarters to ensure meaningful savings, (2) set a clearly defined and consistently applied starting point as a baseline for the reductions, and (3) track reductions against the baselines in order to provide reliable accounting of savings and reporting to Congress. DOD partially concurred with the first recommendation, questioning, in part, the recommendation's scope, and concurred with the second and third recommendations. GAO continues to believe the first recommendation is valid, as discussed in the report.