By 1994,  the program was in operation in 54 states and territories across the  United States. Figure 1 shows the program funding in DOD’s Drug  Interdiction and Counterdrug Activities Account for fiscal year 2018. The responsibilities include developing and  implementing DOD’s counternarcotics policy, conducting analyses,  making recommendations, and issuing guidance regarding DOD’s  counternarcotics plans and programs. DOD Lacks a Current Strategy and Guidance for the National Guard Counterdrug Program

		DOD Counternarcotics and Global Threats Strategy Is Outdated

DOD’s 2011 Counternarcotics and Global Threats Strategy, the governing  strategy for the National Guard counterdrug program, is outdated and  does not reflect current drug threats outlined in more recent executive  branch strategies. Table 2 provides  details on national-level strategies that have been released since 2011. Without interim guidance that provides  detailed procedures and processes for the National Guard counterdrug  program, such as reissuing National Guard Regulation 500-2, states will  continue to be left without clear instructions on how to operate and  administer the program, such as how and when to provide support across  state lines and to interagency partners. DOD Could Improve Its Processes for Approving and Distributing Funds to State Counterdrug Programs DOD Has Provided Funding to State Counterdrug Programs without Approved Plans

DOD has established a process for development and review of the state  plans—an annual plan of each state’s counterdrug activities—to ensure  that state counterdrug program activities reflect DOD’s counternarcotics  strategic priorities. However, since at least 2009 DOD has not met the  statutory requirement to examine the adequacy of state plans prior to  distributing funding to state counterdrug programs. We found that that the delay in approval of  states’ plans for their counterdrug activities has worsened since 2009,  and in fiscal year 2018, approval took over 9 months (283 days) after  funding was provided at the beginning of the fiscal year. DOD  has not assessed why the steps it took to improve the state plan review  process did not result in timely approval of the state plans. Our work on results-oriented management states that strategy should  inform program activities and resourcing. Until the National Guard Bureau incorporates DOD’s  strategic counternarcotics priorities into the funding distribution process,  the National Guard Bureau risks directing funding toward lower priority  counterdrug activities at the expense of higher priority activities. Without current strategy or guidance  for the National Guard counterdrug program, it will be difficult for the  program to operate effectively. Until DOD’s process to approve state plans and the National  Guard Bureau’s process to distribute funding are improved, DOD may not  be able to ensure that resources are applied to its strategic  counternarcotics priorities. Figure 7 outlines the process to fund the National Guard counterdrug  program. Appendix VI: Comments from the Department of Defense

Appendix VII: Status of October 2015 Recommendations on National Guard Counterdrug Program

In October 2015, GAO issued a report on the National Guard counterdrug  program titled Drug Control: Additional Performance Information Is  Needed to Oversee the National Guard’s State Counterdrug Program.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since 1989, DOD has received billions of dollars to fund the National Guard's participation in a counterdrug program focused on domestic drug interdiction activities. DOD received $261 million for this program in fiscal year 2018. This program provides military support to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement organizations with counterdrug activities and operates in 54 states and territories across the United States.
Senate Report 115-125 included a provision for GAO to evaluate the National Guard counterdrug program. This report (1) evaluates the extent to which DOD has strategy and implementing guidance for the National Guard counterdrug program, and (2) assesses DOD's processes to approve states' counterdrug plans and distribute funding to the program, among other things. GAO reviewed DOD's counterdrug strategy and guidance; DOD funding and personnel data; and its processes to distribute funding.

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense (DOD) lacks current strategy and guidance to implement the National Guard counterdrug program. Although a number of key national-level strategies, such as the National Drug Control Strategy, have been updated since 2011 to address changing drug threats, GAO found that DOD's 2011 Counternarcotics and Global Threats Strategy has not been updated to reflect these changes. In addition, the National Guard lacks detailed procedures and processes for the states to implement the National Guard counterdrug program, such as how to conduct cross-state aerial reconnaissance. Without current strategy or guidance, it will be difficult for the National Guard to operate its counterdrug program effectively.
DOD's processes to approve state counterdrug plans and distribute funding to the state-level counterdrug programs could be improved. Since at least 2009, DOD has provided funding to the states without first approving state plans for counterdrug activities, as required by statute. GAO found that the delay in approval of state counterdrug plans has worsened since fiscal year 2009; in fiscal year 2018, approval took over 9 months (283 days); see figure below. In 2018, DOD took some steps to address the timely review of state plans, but GAO found that those steps did not rectify the problem.
GAO also found that the process used by the National Guard to distribute funding to the states within the program does not incorporate DOD's strategic counternarcotics priorities, such as the U.S. southwest and northern border areas. GAO's work on results-oriented management states that strategy should inform program activities and resourcing. Until National Guard's process to distribute funding to state counterdrug programs is improved, it risks directing funding toward lower priority counterdrug activities at the expense of higher priority activities.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making a total of five recommendations, including, among others, that DOD issue a strategic framework that addresses current drug threats, the National Guard issue guidance with detailed procedures on how states should administer the program, DOD assess the revised process for approving state plans, and the National Guard incorporate DOD's strategic counternarcotics priorities into its funding distribution process. DOD concurred with GAO's recommendations.