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Military Readiness: Readiness Reports Do Not Provide a Clear Assessment of Army Equipment

NSIAD-99-119 Published: Jun 16, 1999. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 1999.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the equipment readiness in active duty Army units, focusing on whether the active duty units: (1) have the equipment required to conduct their wartime missions; (2) are keeping their equipment in good condition; and (3) can sustain the equipment in a two major theater war as required by the National Military Strategy.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should direct the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations to reemphasize to Army commanders the requirement to identify the operational impact of essential auxiliary equipment shortages in the narrative remarks section of the Unit Status Report and to properly consider shortages of auxiliary equipment when formulating their mission accomplishment estimates. The Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations should instruct commanders to focus more broadly on unit capability, flexibility, and sustainability issues in formulating their overall unit status and mission accomplishment estimate.
Closed – Implemented
The Army Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations sent a message dated February 11, 2000, to Army commanders requiring them to identify the operational impacts of shortages of essential operational equipment.
Department of the Army To improve equipment condition reporting, the Secretary of the Army should direct the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics to submit a periodic report to Congress that highlights the Army's top equipment problems. This report should address more than just the 16 reportable Status of Resources and Training Systems and should identify major equipment readiness concerns and planned corrective actions.
Closed – Implemented
The Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics submitted an annual report to Congress through the Secretary of the Army. The report highlighted the Army's top 50 most critical items of auxiliary equipment and additional information relative to addressing the problems. The first annual report was published at the end of fiscal year 2000.

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Topics

Army suppliesCombat readinessDefense capabilitiesDefense contingency planningEquipment inventoriesEquipment maintenanceStaff utilizationLogisticsReporting requirementsSpare parts