The Air Force Needs To Exercise More Control Over Equipment Authorizations

GAO reviewed the Air Force equipment management system to determine whether the Air Force's authorization process ensures that: (1) individual units are efficiently equipped; and (2) requirements used in the service's budget and procurement program are valid.

The effectiveness of the system is predicated on the establishment of authorizations only for equipment that is within designated allowances and supported by valid needs. The system relies on base supply offices to ensure that these conditions are met before authorization requests are approved. However, GAO found that supply offices are not adequately verifying that approved authorizations are justified. This is attributable, in part, to the shortages of supply personnel who are not only well trained in interpreting allowance tables, but who also have the experience and technical data needed to assess some of the more complex equipment requirements. Other contributing factors include the reluctance of the supply offices to assume the validation role and the fact that all major commands do not adequately ensure that the supply offices actually carry out their assigned tasks. Surveillance to ensure that authorizations are revised as requirements change is a key feature of the system. The Air Force has designed monitoring and feedback functions into the system, but efficiency measures and the failure of key participants to fully carry out assigned responsibilities have curtailed these functions. Cost-reduction efforts have reduced the number of surveys the Air Force performs to monitor equipment requirements. The system also requires that commands in the field provide the feedback needed to keep allowances current. However, the Air Force Logistics Command does not always receive the information it needs to decrease excessive allowances.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Henry W. Connor Team: General Accounting Office: Procurement, Logistics, and Readiness Division Phone: (202) 275-4141