Skip to main content

Department of Defense

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations (788 total)

Military Personnel: Actions Needed to Better Position the Navy and the Marine Corps to Support Expanding Unmanned Systems Operations

GAO-18-162
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Chief of Naval Personnel and the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs should assess civilian supply, demand, and wages in the commercial drone industry and use the results to inform retention approaches, including the use of special and incentive pays for UAS operators. (Recommendation 9)
Open
DOD partially concurred with this recommendation. As of August 2022, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness was working with the Marine Corps to address this recommendation within its existing "Total Force Management" policies. t that time, DOD estimated that it would complete the recommendation by June 2023. However, as of August 2023, a DOD official stated that there was no updated information to provide on the recommendation status.

Military Personnel: DOD Should Improve Its Oversight of the Exceptional Family Member Program

GAO-18-348
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should implement a systematic process for evaluating the results of monitoring activities conducted by each Service's EFMP. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DOD agreed with this recommendation. In August 2021, DOD said the family support component is monitored and evaluated through each Service's certification process which includes specific standards for the EFMP. In addition, OSN participated in monitoring site visits in December 2018 and 2019. DOD officials also noted it was in the process of formalizing monitoring standards for each Service's certification process. As of August 2021, DOD said it expects to implement this recommendation by September 30, 2022 and we will consider closing this recommendation when DOD implements a process to evaluate the results of each Service's certification process.

Operational Contract Support: Actions Needed to Enhance Capabilities in the Pacific Region

GAO-17-428
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To enable the department to enhance its visibility over contractor personnel for whom it may become responsible in the event of contingency and other applicable operations, the Secretary of Defense should, in coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, update accountability guidance clarifying the types of contractor personnel that are to be accounted for in a steady-state environment.
Open
DOD concurred with our recommendation, but as of September 2022, has not yet taken steps to implement it. DOD stated that DOD Instruction 3020.41, Operational Contract Support, is being updated, and will include guidance on the types of contractor personnel that are to be accounted for. As of April 2024, this guidance has not been updated. OSD officials estimate the issuance of the instruction to be July 2024. This recommendation will remain open at this time.

Military Service Uniforms: DOD Could Better Identify and Address Out-of-Pocket Cost Inequities

GAO-21-120
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in conjunction with the Secretaries of the military departments, develops consistent criteria for determining which uniform or clothing items are considered uniquely military across the services, in part to reduce differences in out-of-pocket costs incurred by enlisted service members across the services and by gender within a service. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. DOD provided documentation indicating that as of May 13, 2021, OUSD(P&R) continues to meet with the Military Services to focus upon defining acceptable guidance and criteria to enable the Services to determine which items are considered uniquely military clothing. DOD will work with the Services to establish acceptable guidance and criteria to enable the Services to determine which items are considered uniquely military clothing. DOD's estimated completion date for implementing this recommendation is May 25, 2022. As of February 2022, the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act included a provision (Section 571) that required DOD to establish criteria, consistent across the military services, for determining which uniform or clothing items are considered uniquely military for purposes of calculating the standard cash clothing replacement allowances, in part to reduce differences in out-of-pocket costs incurred by enlisted service members across the military services and by gender within a military service. This language reinforces GAO's findings and further compels DOD to take action on our recommendations. A December 2023 corrective action plan states that DOD will continue to work with the military services to establish guidance and criteria to enable the services to determine which items are to be considered uniquely military clothing items. Additionally, the corrective action plan stated that DOD is drafting a directive-type memorandum that is estimated to be completed by May 31, 2024.

Military Hazing: DOD Should Address Data Reporting Deficiencies, Training Limitations, and Personnel Shortfalls

GAO-22-104066
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force and the Director, ODEI, establishes a policy that addresses procedures to receive, track, and report hazing complaints by National Guard servicemembers in a title 32 duty status. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of September 2023, DOD stated that the National Guard Bureau, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (NGB-DEI) is exploring methods and processes that require the 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia to receive, track, investigate, and report hazing (and bullying) complaints by National Guard Service members in a Title 32 duty status. Additionally, NGB-DEI is looking at how commanders will be required to complete inquiries/investigations into all accepted complaints, and ensure resolutions are in writing and present it to the complainant. Further, NGB-DEI is looking at how complainants will further retain all their traditional due process rights, including the freedom to make Inspector General complaints, contact their congressional representative, or use the chain of command's open door policies. DOD estimates that these actions will be complete in February 2024.

DOD Financial Management: Additional Actions Would Improve Reporting of Joint Strike Fighter Assets

GAO-22-105002
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in collaboration with the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), should determine and document whether information on joint programs needed for reporting purposes is sufficiently maintained and whether a central data source and standard definition would be appropriate to help ensure consistent, complete, and accurate tracking, recording, and reporting of joint program information. (Recommendation 12)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation and stated that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) will research the needs for joint program information to determine the best source of obtaining accurate and complete information and define what a joint program is for this purpose. The estimated completion date for researching the need to establish joint program reporting is June 30th 2023 and to formalize the results of the research into policy is October 31, 2024 We will continue to follow-up with DOD on the status of this recommendation.

Northern Triangle: DOD and State Need Improved Policies to Address Equipment Misuse

GAO-23-105856
Show
1 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, should evaluate DOD's Golden Sentry program to identify whether the program provides reasonable assurance, to the extent practicable, that DOD-provided equipment is only used for its intended purpose and develop a plan to address any deficiencies identified in the evaluation. (Recommendation 4)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of September 2023, DOD officials said that they are collaborating with the Department of State to evaluate the Golden Sentry program. If they identify deficiencies, they will work with State to develop a corrective action plan to address them.

Defense Software Acquisitions: Changes to Requirements, Oversight, and Tools Needed for Weapon Programs

GAO-23-105867
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff collaborate to incorporate Agile principles into requirements policy and guidance for all programs using Agile for software development. This should include a Capability Needs Statement and User Agreement. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

F-35 Program: DOD Needs Better Accountability for Global Spare Parts and Reporting of Losses Worth Millions

GAO-23-106098
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with the F-35 Program Executive Office, should take steps to ensure that all spare parts in the global spares pool are categorized appropriately and are accountable under a contract. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD concurred with the recommendation. In its response, DOD stated that a Joint Working Group, including Vendor 1, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Program Office (JPO), and Defense Contract Management Agency, was established and discussed the need to modify FY21--23 contract as soon as practicable to incorporate the Government-furnished property (GFP) Attachment. The JPO sustainment contracts have always included the appropriate Government Property clauses; however, adherence and enforcement has been inconsistent. The Government team took steps to modify the current sustainment contract to add the GFP attachment through an administrative modification (no change in direct cost or Terms and Conditions). On March 10, 2023, a bilateral modification was sent to Vendor 1 to incorporate a GFP list of spare parts as Attachment 38 to the FY 21-23 Annualized Sustainment Contract. Vendor 1 rejected the bilateral modification on March 23, 2023. As of September 23, 2023, DOD stated that all GFP clauses, along with a GFP attachment, will be added to the next contract awarded. The JPO is currently entering negotiations and plan to award a contract which will include the GFP requirements for the spares pool. DOD's estimated completion date is June 20, 2024. We will continue to follow-up with DOD on the status of this recommendation.

Military Barracks: Poor Living Conditions Undermine Quality of Life and Readiness

GAO-23-105797
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of the Navy should reevaluate existing Navy policies regarding barracks manager positions for permanent party and training barracks, including whether barracks managers should be part time or full time and civilian or military and the level of training required, to ensure that the personnel structure is established at the levels necessary to accomplish mission and performance objectives. (Recommendation 27)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages