Warfighter Support: DOD Policy and Implementation Plan for Reconstitution of Forces

What GAO Found

GAO found that, as of April 15, 2014, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not established a policy or submitted an implementation plan to congressional committees as mandated by Public Law 113-66. GAO was unable to evaluate the policy and plan since they are under development in DOD. According to a senior DOD official, DOD is in the process of developing the strategic policy and implementation plan. DOD estimates completion of the policy and plan on or about November 15, 2014. GAO will continue to monitor DOD’s progress and will review the policy and implementation plan as mandated by Public Law 113-66 when they are available.

Why GAO Did This Study 

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-66, Section 324, states that the Secretary of Defense is to establish a policy setting forth the programs and priorities of DOD for the retrograde, reconstitution, and replacement of units and materiel used to support overseas contingency operations. The law also states that the Secretary of Defense is to submit a plan for implementation of the described policy to the congressional defense committees. By this same law, GAO is to review the DOD Strategic Policy and Implementation Plan for the Retrograde, Reconstitution, and Replacement of Operating Forces. To accomplish this, GAO was to describe the extent to which DOD has (1) established a policy for retrograde, reconstitution, and replacement of operating forces as described in Section 324, and (2) established an implementation plan for that policy as described in Section 324.