GAO: DEFENSE INFRASTRUCTURE: Opportunity to Improve the Timeliness of Future Overseas Planning Reports and Factors Affecting the Master Planning Effort for the Military Buildup on Guam

GAO: DEFENSE INFRASTRUCTURE: Opportunity to Improve the Timeliness of Future Overseas Planning Reports and Factors Affecting the Master Planning Effort for the Military Buildup on Guam

Highlights of GAO-08-1005, a report to congressional committees
The Department of Defense (DOD) continues its efforts to reduce the number of troops permanently stationed overseas and consolidate overseas bases. The Senate and conference reports accompanying the fiscal year 2004 military construction appropriation bill directed DOD to develop and GAO to monitor DOD’s overseas master plans and to provide annual assessments. The Senate report accompanying the fiscal year 2007 military construction appropriation bill directed GAO to review DOD’s master planning effort for Guam as part of these annual reviews. This report examines (1) the changes and challenges described in the fiscal year 2009 master plans, the extent the plans address GAO’s prior recommendations, and the plans’ timeliness and (2) the status of DOD’s master planning efforts for the proposed buildup of military forces and infrastructure on Guam. GAO reviewed the plans and other relevant documents, and visited three overseas combatant commands, various installations, and Guam organizations.

What GAO Recommends
GAO recommends that DOD (1) develop the global defense posture reports earlier each year to coincide with the budget submissions and (2) provide Congress annual updates of the Guam working-level plan until a comprehensive master plan is finalized and provided to Congress. DOD agreed with the second recommendation and partially agreed with the first, which was clarified in response to comments.