Actions To Improve Parts of the Military Manpower Mobilization System Are Underway

The military manpower system was reviewed. GAO was asked to: (1) examine the assumptions upon which the Department of Defense (DOD) bases its requirements of 650,000 inductees within 180 days; (2) examine the conclusion of the Director of the Selective Service System (SSS) that it can deliver 100,000 inductees by Mobilization (M)+35 days and 650,000 by M+125 days; and (3) determine whether DOD, specifically the Department of the Army, has the training capacity to absorb 100,000 inductees by M+28 days or by M+35 days, and 650,000 inductees by M+125 days.

GAO found that: (1) DOD has no documentation or calculations to support the requirement of 650,000 inductees within 180 days of mobilization; (2) the conclusion of the Director of SSS concerning postmobilization registration is optimistic, but to meet the stated timeframes, all events and procedures must work as stated which is highly questionable; and (3) DOD does not have the capability to train the 650,000 people who moved into the services after mobilization. GAO believed the capacity of the training base is at least 360,000 new soldiers by M+180 days. The Army must continue to work on improving the capacity of the training bases, the ability to expand the training force structure, the capability of the training personnel, and the availability of equipment on which to train. The Army also must continue to determine and validate its requirements for trained manpower so that demands levied on SSS can be based on needs and not constrained by limits in the training base capacity.