Need for Better Assessment of Interservice Training Opportunities

In August 1972 the Department of Defense established the Interservice Training Review Organization to identify opportunities and, where feasible and economical, to plan for consolidation, colocation, or joint use of courses which the services were teaching separately. Although the Organization has reviewed to some degree nearly all of the service's specialized-skill courses, relatively little consolidation has resulted. Although the Office of the Secretary of Defense has rarely participated in Organization studies, when it does, economic consolidations can result. The Secretary of Defense should expand his management role to include oversight authority and responsibility for the Organization. This management role should include: establishing a responsible focal point in his office to provide program overview to insure maximum cooperation among the services and, when necessary, to direct the Organization to initiate or accelerate studies; directing warranted consolidations not being made by the Organization; and developing improved reporting practices to show how much interservice training has increased. GAO also recommends that the Secretary reemphasize to the services the need to consider existing facilities of other services when new training facilities are required.