Naval Reserves

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO outlined the Navy's methods for determining its requirements for Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) Program personnel. GAO also provided information on the expected growth of the TAR Program in future fiscal years and the Navy's reasons for such growth.

TAR personnel are reservists, including officers and enlistees, who serve on full-time active duty to administer, recruit, instruct, and train Naval Reserve personnel serving on inactive duty. GAO found that the Navy determines TAR personnel requirements by: (1) developing requirements documents for each Reserve ship, air squadron, and shore activity; (2) determining which full-time active duty positions listed on these documents will be filled by TAR personnel; (3) adding the number of TAR personnel needed for each Reserve ship, air squadron, and shore activity; and (4) making adjustments to compute the end-strength levels. GAO also found that the Navy expects: (1) a 90-percent increase in TAR enlisted end-strength by 1991; and (2) a 29-percent increase in TAR officer end-strength by 1990. The Navy attributes these increases to: (1) the addition of 26 frigates to its inventory; (2) the establishment of additional shore intermediate maintenance activities to support the frigates; and (3) its efforts to comply with congressional direction to replace Regular Navy personnel with TAR personnel on the frigates.