DOD Service Academies

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 1997 directed GAO to report on the policy and cost implications of assigning up to 5 percent of the graduating class of the military service academies to National Guard or military reserve units with a corresponding increase in the number of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduates serving on active duty. Officials of the Department of Defense, military services, and academy officials, with the exception of those representing the National Guard, believe that sending academy graduates to guard or reserve units upon graduation would be counterproductive. They pointed to the need for new officers, regardless of the source of their education, to receive skill training and experience before they can be productive guard/reserve members. Since the academies are the most expensive source for new officers, concerns were expressed that sending academy graduates to the serves before they complete their active duty obligation would not produce a sufficient payback for the cost of their education. National Guard officials, however, noted that they have vacancies for officers in junior officer grades and believe that the assignment of academy graduates directly to the National Guard would be feasible. National Guard officials believe the policy and administrative difficulties in accessing academy graduates could be managed.

GAO noted that: (1) as of October 1, 1996, 5,014 service academy graduates were serving in the active reserve components; (2) additionally, 424 academy graduates were on active duty with a reserve component performing full-time Active Guard/Reserve support functions under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 12301(d) and 32 U.S.C. 502(f); (3) about 4.6 percent of the officers in the drilling guard/reserves were academy graduates compared to 17.4 percent of the active forces; (4) Department of Defense (DOD), service, and academy officials, with the exception of those representing the National Guard, believe that sending academy graduates to the drilling guard/reserves upon graduation would be counterproductive; (5) they pointed to the need for new officers, regardless of their commissioning source, to receive skill training and experience before they can be productive guard/reserve members; (6) since the academies are the most expensive source of new officers, concerns were expressed that sending academy graduates to the reserves before they complete their active duty obligation would not produce a sufficient payback for the cost of their education; (7) DOD officials additionally cited a number of administrative and practical problems that would require policy changes at the academies and the selected reserves; (8) National Guard officials, however, noted that they have vacancies for officers in the junior officer grades and believe that the assignment of academy graduates directly to the National Guard would be feasible; (9) based on their experiences with programs for new ROTC graduate accessions, National Guard officials believe that the policy and administrative difficulties in accessing academy graduates could be managed; (10) the reserve components presently receive academy graduates through normal attrition as academy-produced officers join the drilling guard/reserves after completing their obligated active duty service; (11) in addition, efforts to downsize the active duty force have had a side benefit of enhancing the capability of the reserve component by getting more trained and experienced officers into active reserve status; (12) recently, these early release programs have been opened to graduates from the academies and the ROTC; and (13) since 1994, the Army National Guard Combat Readiness Reform Act of 1992 has allowed the Army to bring in 482 academy graduates and 108 graduates from the ROTC with 2 to 3 years of experience to serve the remainder of their military service obligations in the selected reserves.