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Open Recommendations

Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps: DOD and DHS Should Update Guidance to Evaluate Instructor Recruitment and Pay

GAO-26-107709
Jan 26, 2026
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should develop an evaluation plan, including a standardized set of metrics, to evaluate the effectiveness of JROTC instructor recruitment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should develop an evaluation plan, including a standardized set of metrics, to evaluate the effectiveness of JROTC instructor recruitment. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should develop an evaluation plan, including a standardized set of metrics, to evaluate the effectiveness of JROTC instructor recruitment. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Commandant of the Marine Corps develops an evaluation plan, including a standardized set of metrics, to evaluate the effectiveness of JROTC instructor recruitment. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Homeland Security The Secretary of Homeland Security should ensure the Commandant of the Coast Guard develops an evaluation plan, including a standardized set of metrics, to evaluate the effectiveness of JROTC instructor recruitment. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Secretaries of the military departments, should update JROTC guidance to include plans and metrics for evaluating how the JROTC instructor pay scale affects instructor recruitment and retention. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

DOD Systems Modernization: Further Action Needed to Improve Travel and Other Business Systems

GAO-26-107663
Jan 22, 2026
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13 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to document the Agile practices relevant to the Defense Travel System program. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to develop and implement clearly identifiable leadership roles and responsibilities for the Defense Travel System modernization effort, including by documenting the lead agency for this effort. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to substantiate compliance for the Defense Travel System with all statutory requirements related to the initial approval and annual certification of business systems and provide rationale on how DOD has achieved compliance. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to integrate interim milestones planned for the upcoming Defense Travel System modernization into the program's overall implementation timeline. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to develop performance metrics that clearly link to goals and milestones in program-wide documentation for the DTS modernization. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to document a consistent process for the elicitation and prioritization of non-functional DTS requirements, such as security, privacy, and system performance requirements. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Oversight and Prevent Instructor Sexual Misconduct

GAO-26-107524
Jan 20, 2026
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16 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, revises the standardized MOA with school districts to include all statutory requirements, including (1) a requirement for schools to notify the military service within 48 hours of all allegations of instructor misconduct, regardless of whether investigative or disciplinary actions are taken; (2) a requirement for schools to certify that they annually provide training to students on methods to prevent, respond to, and report sexual misconduct; and (3) a procedure for instructor certifications to expire after not more than 5 years. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and in consultation with the Department of Education, develops and publishes standardized Title IX compliance training for JROTC instructors. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should, once the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness develops and publishes standardized Title IX compliance training for JROTC instructors, implement the standardized training by administering it to new and existing instructors on an annual basis. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should, once the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness develops and publishes standardized Title IX compliance training for JROTC instructors, implement the standardized training by administering it to new and existing instructors on an annual basis. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should, once the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness develops and publishes standardized Title IX compliance training for JROTC instructors, implement the standardized training by administering it to new and existing instructors on an annual basis. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Commandant of the Marine Corps, once the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness develops and publishes standardized Title IX compliance training for JROTC instructors, implements the standardized training by administering it to new and existing instructors on an annual basis. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Navy Shipbuilding: Improving Warfighter Engagement and Tools for Operational Testing Could Increase Timeliness and Usefulness

GAO-26-108781
Jan 15, 2026
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should—in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Pacific Fleet—ensure that Navy policy, guidance, and practices provide for consistent participation in the test and evaluation working-level integrated product teams for Navy shipbuilding programs by user representatives from fleet forces organizations. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition—in coordination with the Chief of Naval Operations; Operational Test and Evaluation Force; and Director, Operational Test and Evaluation—makes a decision that outlines the Navy's plan for maintaining self-defense operational testing capability. This decision should be made in time to support the plan in future budgets and take into account, as applicable, planned actions to mitigate the effect that any gap in test ship availability will have on operational testing and evaluation. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should establish a cohesive plan for investing in the development and sustainment of digital infrastructure that will support the Navy's ability to expand the use of enterprise-wide digital test assets for operational test and evaluation of Navy vessels. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

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