GAO: DEFENSE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE - Developing Training Standards and an Awareness of Existing Expertise Would Help DOD Assure the Availability of

GAO: DEFENSE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE - Developing Training Standards and an Awareness of Existing Expertise Would Help DOD Assure the Availability of Critical Infrastructure

Highlights of GAO-09-42, a report to congressional requesters

The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on a global network of DOD and non-DOD infrastructure so critical that its unavailability could have a debilitating effect on DOD’s ability to project, support, and sustain its forces and operations worldwide. DOD established the Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP) to assure the availability of mission-critical infrastructure. GAO was asked to evaluate the extent to which DOD has (1) incorporated aspects of DCIP into its exercises in the Transportation Defense Sector and (2) developed DCIP training standards departmentwide and made installation personnel aware of existing DCIP expertise. GAO examined a nonprojectable sample of 46 critical assets representing the four military services, five combatant commands, and selected installations within five defense sectors. GAO reviewed relevant DOD DCIP guidance and documents and interviewed cognizant officials regarding DCIP exercises, training, and awareness.

What GAO Recommends
GAO recommends that DOD,
(1) develop departmentwide DCIP training standards and an implementation time frame and,
(2) develop an effective means to communicate to installation personnel the existence and availability of DCIP expertise at the combatant command and military service levels. DOD concurred with both recommendations.

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Department of Defense (DoD), GAO, Infrastructure