GAO

United States General Accounting Office

Report to the Chairman and Ranking 

Member, Subcommittee on Military 

Personnel, Committee on Armed 

Services, U.S. Senate

January 2001 MILITARY 

PERSONNEL

Full Extent of Support 

to Civil Authorities 

Unknown but Unlikely 

to Adversely Impact 

Retention

GAO-01-9

Page 1 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Contents

Letter 3

Appendixes Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 18

Appendix II: Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil Organizations 23

Appendix III: Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities 32

Appendix IV: Officer and Enlisted Retention Rates 41

Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Defense 45

Appendix VI: Comments From the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency 47

Appendix VII: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 48

Tables Table 1: Categories of DOD Assistance Provided to Civil 

Entities in Fiscal Year 1999 7

Table 2: Instances, Duration, and Staffdays of DOD Support to

Civil Entities in Fiscal Year 1999 32

Table 3: Military Occupations Most Frequently Providing 

Support to Civil Entities, Fiscal Year 1999 35

Table 4: Average Duration and Staffdays of Fiscal Year 

1999 Military Support, by Category 37

Table 5: Average and Total Staffdays of Fiscal Year 1999 

DOD Support to Civil Entities 39

Table 6: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible 

Commissioned and Warrant Officers (Combined), by 

Service and DOD-Wide (Fiscal Years 1989-99) 42

Table 7: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible 

Enlisted Personnel by Service and DOD-Wide 

(Fiscal Years 1989-99) 43

Figures Figure 1: Frequency of Civil Recipients of Military Assistance, 

Fiscal Year 1999 (Percent of Total Instances) 34

Figure 2: Consumers of Military Support, Fiscal Year 1999 

(Percent of Staffdays) 35

Figure 3: Duration of DOD Support, Fiscal Year 1999 36

Figure 4: Staffdays and Instances of Fiscal Year 1999 DOD 

Support by Range of Duration 38
Contents

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Figure 5: DOD Providers of Fiscal Year 1999 Military Support, 

by Instances and Staffdays 40

Figure 6: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement Eligible 

Commissioned and Warrant Officers by Service and 

DOD-Wide (Fiscal Years 1989-99) 41

Figure 7: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible 

Enlisted Personnel by Service and DOD-Wide 

(fiscal years 1989-99) 43
Page 3 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548 Letr

January 26, 2001

The Honorable Tim Hutchinson

Chairman

The Honorable Max Cleland

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Military Personnel

Committee on Armed Services

United States Senate

The Department of Defense (DOD) provides a variety of assistance, from 

disaster relief to translations, to federal agencies, to state and local 

governments, to private citizens, and even to other nations. Some of this 

support has been provided for decades. DOD provides this assistance while 

maintaining its warfighting capabilities and participating in overseas 

operations. These combined factors have raised concern regarding the 

extent and cost of participation in civil activities as well as their effect on 

uniformed military personnel. Consequently, you asked us to determine 

(1) the extent to which uniformed military personnel supported civil 

activities; (2) the effect on retention of using servicemembers to provide 

this assistance; (3) whether any alternative sources exist to provide this 

support; and (4) the extent to which entities have reimbursed DOD for its 

support.

We obtained information on such support from each of the military 

services, the theater commanders in chief, and selected recipient agencies. 

As agreed, we omitted DOD's peacekeeping operations and limited our 

review of the National Guard's support to that rendered under presidential 

declarations of federal emergencies. Because DOD is not required to 

centrally manage the assistance it provides to civil entities, the Department 

was unable to give us complete information. However, DOD officials told 

us that the data provided us was the best available and probably included 

all major assistance. A detailed discussion of our scope and methodology 

appears at appendix I.

Results in Brief Under a variety of statutes, DOD fairly frequently provides a wide range of 

support to numerous organizations at home and abroad. Based on the 

incomplete data we received, we estimate that, in fiscal 1999, DOD
Page 4 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

provided support in at least 7,125 instances1 to at least 345 or more entities, 

including international organizations; private citizens; and federal; state; 

local; and foreign governments.2 We estimate this support consumed more 

than 2 million military staffdays3

 (about 0.4 of 1 percent of total active-duty 

military staffdays). The total cost of this support could not be estimated, as 

DOD provided such data for fewer than 20 percent of the instances it 

reported to us. However, we conservatively estimate the cost of pay and 

allowances for this support to be about $180 million. The active force 

provided the bulk of the support, and such assistance was typically short in 

duration, with 90 percent lasting fewer than 10 days. Physical security was 

the type of support most frequently given, followed by air transport. In 

terms of staffdays of support provided, the largest amount was for 

humanitarian assistance to foreign nations.

Providing assistance to civil authorities does not appear to negatively affect 

retention. DOD data show that, overall, retention has remained relatively 

stable over the last decade. Data from the 1999 DOD Survey of Active Duty 

Personnel indicates that (1) only a small proportion of the force has been 

involved in support to civil authorities, (2) such assignments have been of 

relatively short duration, and (3) military personnel view those 

assignments as contributing to the national interest. Our discussions with 

officials from selected military units—those with high deployment rates 

and frequent participation in support to civil entities—indicated that such 

assignments have very little impact on retention. They said, in fact, that 

providing support may in some cases positively influence retention, as it 

often helps those in distress. DOD's personnel deployment data systems 

were insufficiently detailed to conduct a data-based assessment of the time 

that military personnel spend supporting civil authorities. However, 

visibility over all deployments is likely to improve as statutorily required 

changes to DOD's definition of deployments and tracking of deployments 

are implemented in fiscal year 2001.4

1

 An instance of support is one occurrence of assistance as reported to us by DOD; it may 

include many types of support, as in the case of responses to natural disasters or 

humanitarian crises. 

2

 In particular, DOD's data did not generally capture such locally provided assistance as flag 

presentations and other community-relations support. 

3

 A staffday equals 8 hours, or 1 day, of support by one service member of a DOD 

component. 
Page 5 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

There are alternatives to the use of military personnel. DOD and some civil 

entities have used contractors rather than military personnel for certain 

activities, such as construction, transportation, and medical treatment. 

There are limitations on the kinds of support that contractors can provide, 

however.

DOD does not centrally track or manage costs of and reimbursements for 

its support to civil authorities. Information we received from unit-level 

providers was insufficient to determine the extent of costs and 

reimbursements. We did find that for most of the 197 support instances we 

reviewed that occurred in 1997−99 for the State Department, the Drug 

Enforcement Administration, and the Secret Service, DOD did bill and 

collect about $31.7 million in reimbursable costs, including military pay and 

allowances. Furthermore, DOD asked its components to report outstanding 

bills and identified about $2.9 million in unpaid bills from 11 agencies. DOD 

is now collecting the late payments from these agencies.

Background DOD provides support to non-DOD entities under numerous authorities 

(see app. II). Some of these authorities, such as the Economy Act,5

 require 

reimbursement for actual costs incurred by DOD, including military pay 

and allowances. For example, the Economy Act is recognized in a 

memorandum by the President's Chief of Staff that directs reimbursement 

for certain civil officials traveling on military flights. In cases where 

military personnel are detailed to civil agencies, reimbursement may 

depend on the law authorizing the detail. Sometimes, statutorily authorized 

interagency agreements may specify what, if any, reimbursements will be 

made. For instance, under a 1999 agreement, the Department of Health and 

Human Services agreed to pay only for the incremental costs that DOD 

incurred in providing support to refugee resettlement at Fort Dix.6

 Finally, 

certain DOD support is not reimbursable. For example, DOD is authorized 

to transport, without charge to any country, on a space-available basis, 

4

 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (P.L. 106−65 sec. 586, Oct. 5, 1999, 

amended by P.L. 106-398, sec. 574, Oct. 30, 2000, codified at 10 U.S.C. 991, and section 923, 

codified at 10 U.S.C. section 487).

5

 The Economy Act (31 U.S.C. section 1535, 1536) authorizes agencies to obtain goods or 

services by interagency agreement.

6

 Incremental costs are defined as only those costs DOD would incur to provide specified 

support (e.g., food, contract personnel, equipment, utilities).
Page 6 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

supplies provided by nongovernmental sources for humanitarian 

assistance.

The approval process for support to civil entities varies. It can range from 

review and approval by the Secretary of Defense down to the local 

commander's discretion, who may provide immediate emergency 

assistance in the event of imminently serious conditions involving lives, 

suffering, or great property damage. Units are selected according to the 

needed capabilities, proximity to the incident, and current military 

obligations.

Military Support 

Frequent and Varied, 

but Full Extent 

Unknown 

In fiscal year 1999, DOD provided many types of support to civil authorities 

and organizations. This support was diverse and provided from bases all 

over the world by both the active and reserve components. Given the global 

nature of this support and the absence of a requirement for DOD to 

centrally monitor it, any records of such assistance was kept at local units; 

these were not readily available.

Some centrally managed assistance came from active and National Guard 

counterdrug programs and other support for which Congress specifically 

appropriates funding. In fiscal 1999, these types of assistance cost about 

$1 billion—about 0.4 percent of DOD's total budget. The bulk of this 

support was counterdrug activities, which totaled $941 million. These 

programs do not figure into the rest of our report.7

Because DOD did not centrally maintain the data we requested regarding 

nonspecially appropriated assistance, it directed all services and theater 

commanders in chief to gather such data from their units. The material we 

received from this effort still lacked much of the information needed, 

particularly regarding costs. Several officials said they could not account 

for all support to civil entities, especially that performed at the local 

commander's discretion. As a result, our estimates of instances, duration, 

staffdays, and costs are understated. A different picture of military 

assistance emerges depending upon which measure of extent is used—the 

number of support instances or the number of support staffdays. We 

7

 We have also omitted from this report DOD data on funeral honors, as we could not 

identify that portion of the support that was nonmilitary. In fiscal year 1999, DOD estimates 

that 37,700 instances of funeral honors were provided at a cost of about 75,400 staffdays, 

which we estimate to have cost about $13.2 million in pay and allowances.
Page 7 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

grouped the support reported to us into certain categories, as shown in 

table 1. 

Table 1: Categories of DOD Assistance Provided to Civil Entities in Fiscal Year 1999

Note: Numbers of instances and staffdays are estimates.

a

Support to foreign nations. 

b

The papal visit, the State of the Union Address, the international ski competition, and the support to 

the Secret Service for the NATO summit.

c

Contains some instances also included in the Humanitarian and refugee category. 

d

Exceeds actual instances and staffdays because some instances fell into more than one support 

category. 

e

Exceeds 100 percent due to rounding. 

Source: DOD. 

By far, the category of support most frequently provided was security, 

followed distantly by air transport. However, as also shown in table 1, a 

different picture results when military support is measured in terms of 

staffdays. For example, while security was the most common type of 

assistance, it accounted for only 2 percent of the total staffdays of support 

provided to non-DOD entities. Similarly, while 14 percent of the total 

instances of support was for air transport, only 1 percent of the staffdays 

were used for transport. From a staffday perspective, only 3 percent of all 

instances of support was for humanitarian and refugee assistance, it 

consumed about 43 percent of the total staffdays. Natural disasters 

comprised only 4 percent of the total support instances but consumed 

about 22 percent of the total staffdays. Recipients of this military support in 

Category

Instances Staffdays

Total Percent Total Percent

Humanitariana

 and refugees 190 3 864,239 43

Miscellaneous (e.g., repairs, medicine, 

ceremonial) 

616 9 556,996 28

Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, fires, 

tornadoes, in the United States) 

283 4 446,384 22

Meteorology, science, and research 354 5 71,860 4

Security (dog teams, protection, police) 4,696 65 37,200 2

Special eventsb 109 2 23,588 1

Air transportc 992 14 11,637 1

Total 7,240d 102e 2,011,904d 101e

Overall 7,125 2,009,350
Page 8 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

fiscal 1999 ranged from private citizens to 36 U.S. states and territories and 

43 foreign nations. The most frequent recipients—that is, the ones 

accounting for the most instances of support—were the Treasury 

Department (27 percent), followed closely by the State Department 

(25 percent) and U.S. city and county governments (21 percent). However, 

the non-DOD entities that received the most support in fiscal 1999 in terms 

of staffdays were the foreign nations (40 percent) and the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (21 percent). For more detail, see figures 

2 and 3 in appendix III. 

The personnel who provided military assistance in fiscal year 1999 

possessed a wide variety of military skills, ranging from weather observers 

and instructors to linguists and communications specialists. Certain events, 

such as hurricanes and earthquakes, called for support from 

servicemembers in many roles—medics, engineers, pilots, rescuers, depot 

managers, cooks, drivers, and many others. The most frequently used 

personnel (in terms of support instances) were explosive ordnance 

detection and disposal units (dog teams) and the aircrews of helicopters 

and fixed-wing aircraft. (For more information, see app. III, table 3.) Other 

support was provided year round; we received information on several such 

types of assistance, including

• meteorological and climatological information to government agencies 

and the public,

• calibration and maintenance of measurement and diagnostic equipment,

• medical treatment, and

• de-mining operations in Europe and Asia.

Military support in fiscal 1999 varied considerably in length. Nearly all the 

7,125 instances of support—90 percent—lasted 10 days or less; more than 

80 percent lasted only 1 day. (For more information on duration, see app. 

III, tables 2 and 4, and figures 2 and 3.)

The active Army was the lead provider by far. In fiscal year 1999, the Army 

expended more than 870,000 staffdays—43 percent of the total. Second was 

the active Air Force, with 565,000 staffdays (28 percent). The National 

Guard was third with nearly 250,000 staffdays (12 percent), followed by the 

active Navy (nearly 175,000, or 9 percent) and the active Marine Corps 

(88,900, or 4 percent). Total participation by the reserve components was 

nearly 1,700 staffdays (0.1 percent). (For more details, see app. II, table 2 

and figure 4.) However, the numbers for all these groupings might be larger, 

since more than 57,500 staffdays (3 percent) were reported to us as 
Page 9 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

expended by unidentified service personnel. DOD was able to provide little 

data on costs, either for the total or for pay and allowances. About 18 

percent of the support instances provided by DOD included total costs 

($459 million), and only 3 percent included pay and allowance costs ($20.4 

million). However, we were able to improve upon this data

• By using reimbursable aircraft rates and some reported billing data, we 

estimate total costs for another 9 percent of the support instances, 

yielding $508 million for 27 percent of all instances. 

• By using a generic rate for pay and allowances (that we generated—see 

app. I) for another 97 percent of the support instances, we estimated 

that the entire 7,125 instances of assistance cost about $180 million in 

pay and allowances.

• By adding estimated pay and allowances to those instances that did not 

provide total costs, we estimated the total cost in fiscal year 1999 for all 

instances was $666 million.

DOD Support to Civil 

Entities Does Not 

Appear to Affect 

Retention

At the time of our review, DOD did not maintain deployment information in 

sufficient detail to enable a data-based assessment of how support for civil 

activities relates to servicemembers' retention. However, retention has 

remained stable over the last decade, and a DOD-wide survey indicates that 

deployments to support civil entities do not appear to negatively affect 

retention. Similarly, discussions with officials from selected units that 

frequently provide support indicate that these types of deployments do not 

appear to have a negative effect on retention. Visibility over all 

deployments, including those to support civil authorities, should improve 

as DOD, during fiscal year 2001, implements changes required by the 

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000.

DOD Survey and Visits with 

Units Suggest That 

Deployments for Civil 

Activities Do Not Affect 

Retention

DOD's retention information for fiscal years 1989−99 shows that all the 

services retained about 90 percent of their officers. Retention of enlisted 

service members over the same period was also consistent but varied by 

service. Appendix IV shows officer and enlisted retention rates for fiscal 

years 1989−99. 

Survey data that we analyzed indicates that assignment to support civil 

authorities is unlikely to negatively affect retention. According to a 1999 

DOD survey administered to a random sample of 66,000 servicemembers, 

more personnel were satisfied with military life and intended to stay in the 

military than were dissatisfied and planned to leave. Frequent deployments 
Page 10 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

were only one of many factors that servicemembers cited for leaving. Pay 

was by far the most frequently cited reason for leaving or considering 

leaving. Personal and family time and job enjoyment were also cited as 

reasons for leaving. While satisfaction was lower among those who spent 

more time away from home, the majority of those surveyed—almost 82 

percent—reported spending fewer than 5 months away from their home 

station, with 45 percent away less than a month.

The 1999 survey also showed that only a small percentage of the force 

reported participating in events or deployments that could be considered 

support to civil authorities.

• 6 percent participated in humanitarian assistance; 

• 4 percent participated in domestic-disaster assistance or civil 

emergency operations; and 

• 2 percent participated in counterdrug operations. 

Of the servicemembers that participated in these deployments, most 

reported being away fewer than 3 months, and 82 percent of those that 

participated in domestic disaster assistance reported being deployed less 

than 1 month. This is consistent with the data DOD provided on the typical 

duration of instances of military support to civil entities. Since very few 

personnel have been assigned to such activities and the length of such 

assignments was generally short, we believe it unlikely that such 

assignments would negatively affect retention. The survey also showed 

that participants tended to view such domestic disaster and foreign 

humanitarian-assistance deployments as important to the national interest.

Our discussions with officials in selected DOD units that had participated 

in civil support and had high deployment rates indicated that deployments 

for these events minimally affected a servicemember's decision to leave the 

military. According to officials in the Air Force's active and reserve 

component wings that provide airlift support and the Army unit that 

provides chemical and biological weapons expertise, deployments to 

support civil activities do not impair retention. They said that while civil 

support contributes to time away from servicemembers' home stations, the 

deployments are generally of short duration and unlikely to directly 

influence decisions to leave the military. Officials noted that many 

deployments to support civil activities, such as disaster relief, humanitarian 

assistance, or special events, actually have a positive influence on 

retention. They said that a servicemember is more likely to leave the 
Page 11 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

military because of an undesirable assignment or duty station or because of 

employment opportunities in the private sector. 

Required Changes to 

Provide Better Deployment 

Visibility

Statutorily required changes to the management of DOD personnel 

deployment should result in better information about the many types of 

deployments, including those supporting civil activities. This could help 

DOD assess the effect that deployment rates and certain types of 

deployment may have on retention. Previously, each service defined and 

measured deployments differently, and their deployment categories were 

insufficiently detailed to identify many deployments, including those in 

support of civil entities.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 directed DOD 

to establish, to the extent practicable, uniform terminology and policies for 

deployments of units and servicemembers and to track and monitor 

deployments at the individual servicemember level. DOD began 

implementing these changes beginning October 2000. For example, DOD 

developed more detailed deployment categories based on the single 

deployment definition. Servicemembers engaged in civil support will be 

tracked under categories such as counterdrug, domestic civil, 

humanitarian, or law enforcement support, according to DOD officials.

Contractors May 

Provide Alternative to 

DOD Support of Civil 

Activities

To reduce the total number of military personnel needed for an operation, 

some federal organizations, including DOD, have used contractors as an 

alternative to military personnel for such functions as medical treatment, 

supply operations, housing construction, and transportation. 8

 The State 

Department, for example, is using a contractor to staff a medical clinic 

formerly run by military personnel for embassy personnel in Haiti. Also, in 

an effort to reduce costs, the Secret Service quit using military doctors to 

accompany agents overseas and instead contracted with Johns Hopkins 

University for the same service. According to Secret Service officials, this 

arrangement saved it about $230,000 per year.

8

 We issued the following reports on the use of contractors: Contingency Operations: Army 

Should Do More to Control Contract Cost in the Balkans (GAO/NSIAD−00−225, Sept. 29, 

2000) and Contingency Operations: Opportunities to Improve the Logistics Civil 

Augmentation Program (GAO/NSIAD−97−63, Feb. 11, 1997).
Page 12 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

The agencies that we reviewed tended to look to DOD for support as a last 

resort. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, requests 

DOD support only when other sources of support are unavailable. In 

addition, the Department of Justice considers DOD personnel support only 

if it is overwhelmed by the magnitude of a situation or if it needs technical 

expertise unique to the military. And while DOD has agreed to provide the 

State Department airlift for noncombatant evacuations, State prefers to use 

commercially chartered aircraft, if possible, because it provides more 

scheduling flexibility and provides cost information in advance, according 

to Department of State officials.

Although contractors can provide an alternative to military personnel 

under some conditions, there are limitations on using them. Certain 

functions related to the public interest, such as military command, criminal 

investigations, or foreign relations, cannot be contracted for because they 

are considered inherently governmental.9

 Practicality can also limit the use 

of contract support. Time requirements, for example, can make the use of 

contractors impractical, as in the resettlement of Kosovar refugees in 1999. 

After being tasked to support the Department of Health and Human 

Services in this operation, DOD decided to use military personnel instead 

of contractor support under an existing Army logistics augmentation 

contract because the requirement to establish facilities for the incoming 

refugees was under the 15 days of notice that the contract stipulated. 

Although the contractor could have done the job in the required time, the 

contract would have required modification in this case and would likely 

have cost additional money, according to DOD officials. Operating 

conditions can also make the use of contractors impractical. For example, 

while the Department of State prefers to use contract aircraft for 

noncombatant evacuations if possible, it will request DOD aircraft if hostile 

conditions exist.

Reimbursement for DOD 

Support Is Not Centrally 

Managed or Tracked

DOD units that provided support for civil activities are responsible for 

tracking costs and collecting payments for costs incurred when 

appropriate. Neither the Office of the Secretary of Defense nor the military 

departments are required to centrally manage or track reimbursements 

associated with the support. We found that DOD was sometimes slow to 

bill for the services provided. We also found that recipient agencies were 

9

 Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act of 1998 (P. L. 105−270, Oct. 19, 1998); Office of 

Management and Budget Circular Number A−76, Revised Supplemental Handbook (1999).
Page 13 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

sometimes late in making reimbursement payments. Nevertheless, DOD 

was paid for the reimbursable support it provided in most of the cases that 

we reviewed.

The Economy Act10 is often used as authority for DOD support to other 

agencies; it requires reimbursement of actual costs for the goods or 

services provided. We reviewed the records of three of the many agencies 

that DOD provided support to under this act. We selected these agencies 

because each provided lists that included many instances of DOD support 

under the Economy Act. We did not determine the universe of DOD's 

Economy Act support to all agencies. We believe the 195 agreements of 

support that we chose are representative because they are typical of the 

Economy Act support that DOD and other agencies reported to us.

DOD Does Not Always 

Promptly Bill for Some 

Reimbursable Support

DOD's financial management regulation requires components involved in 

civil activities to bill recipients for the support within 30 calendar days of 

the last month in which the support was provided. Supporting DOD units 

bill recipients directly or through the Defense Finance and Accounting 

Service. To determine whether DOD billed and collected reimbursable 

costs, we reviewed 195 instances of DOD Economy Act support for the 

Department of State, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Secret 

Service during fiscal years 1997−99. We found that DOD was in some cases 

slow in billing the three entities but collected about $36.6 million in 

reimbursable support costs for 163 of the 195 instances.

One area in which DOD acknowledged that it had not consistently 

collected reimbursements was for airlifts provided by the Air Force's 89th 

Airlift Wing for executive branch travel. As we noted in a previous report, 

reimbursements had not been collected for 63 instances of airlift support 

from 1993 to 1999.11 We estimate in our report that DOD was owed about 

$1.9 million from non-DOD agencies for these airlifts. The State 

Department and other agencies were not billed because the Air Force had 

not provided to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service the necessary 

10 The Economy Act authorizes agencies to enter into interagency agreements to obtain 

goods or services. DOD's financial management regulation requires reimbursement for 

military labor, based on the actual hours worked or assigned, and for military fringe benefits 

and temporary duty costs for support provided under the act.

11 Defense Transportation: 89th Airlift Wing Executive Branch Policies Improved, but 

Reimbursement Issues Remain (GAO/NSIAD−99−170, Aug.16, 1999)
Page 14 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

information on the airlifts. In early 1999, the Air Force reported the airlifts 

to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and it prepared bills for 

them. In May and June of 2000, the State Department received bills for 

$378,205 for 26 airlifts from 1995 to 1999. The State Department paid all of 

these bills in June 2000, according to State Department documents and a 

Defense Finance and Accounting Service official.

The Drug Enforcement Administration had not received bills for some of 

the support that DOD provided. During fiscal years 1997−99, the Drug 

Enforcement Administration had 43 support agreements with DOD under 

the Economy Act. As of November 2000, the agency had paid $19.4 million 

to DOD under 30 of the agreements. Drug Enforcement Administration 

records show that the agency had not paid for support under 13 

(30 percent) of the agreements, but agency officials said that DOD had not 

yet billed the agency for the support. In addition, DOD had not billed the 

Drug Enforcement Administration until July 2000 for support provided 

under the Economy Act in 1991 and 1992. Because the appropriation that 

was originally obligated for these agreements had expired, the agency paid 

these two bills from a current appropriation.

The Secret Service also had not received bills for some of the support that 

DOD provided during fiscal years 1997−99. The Secret Service had 126 

support agreements with DOD under the Economy Act and, as of October 

2000, had reimbursed DOD $16.8 million. Secret Service accounting 

records show that, for 19 of the 126 agreements (15 percent), 

reimbursement had not been made to DOD as of October 2000. However, 

Secret Service officials said that they had not been billed for the support 

provided under the 19 agreements. In addition, DOD has not yet billed the 

Secret Service for $65,000 in support provided under an Economy Act 

agreement from fiscal year 1992.

Supported Agencies Were 

Not Always Timely in 

Reimbursing DOD for Billed 

Support

Recipient federal agencies are not always timely in reimbursing DOD for 

the support they receive. The fiscal year 2000 and 2001 DOD appropriations 

acts12 prohibit DOD from providing additional reimbursable support to 

another agency whose reimbursements for previous support are more than 

90 days in arrears. To obtain information on late payments, the Office of the 

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) asked DOD components to 

review their records and report all the outstanding bills for support. They 

12 P.L. 106−79, sec. 8122, Oct. 25, 1999, and P.L. 106−259, sec. 8103, Aug. 9, 2000.
Page 15 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

reported that 11 departments and agencies owed almost $2.9 million of 

outstanding payments to DOD as of April 2000. The bills were dated in 1998 

and 1999, and one was dated February 1997. Letters requesting payment 

and copies of the unpaid bills were sent to each of the agencies.

DOD was most concerned about the State Department's unpaid bills 

because it owed more than half (about $1.9 million) of the total amount. In 

an April 2000 letter, the DOD Comptroller requested immediate payment. In 

a May 2000 letter, State said that it would not pay outstanding bills of about 

$1.4 million13 related to embassy security provided in Nairobi, Kenya. State 

asked for additional Marine Corps security guards after the embassy 

bombing there in August 1998. Starting in June 2000, DOD required the 

State Department to pay in advance for all routine Economy Act support, 

including airlifts. In a July 2000 letter to DOD, the State Department said 

that it would pay the $1.4 million owed for embassy security, and it made 

that payment to DOD in September 2000. Immediately after receiving the 

payment, DOD stopped requiring the State Department to pay in advance 

for all routine Economy Act support.

The remaining 10 agencies that owed about $1 million in outstanding bills 

had paid or planned to pay their bills, according to an Office of the Under 

Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) official. In some cases, payments to 

DOD had been misdirected, payments made to DOD had not been 

recorded, and DOD's bills were incorrect. Office of the Under Secretary of 

Defense (Comptroller) is continuing to receive additional information from 

DOD components on outstanding payments due from other agencies.

Agency Comments and 

Our Evaluation

We provided a draft of this report to the Office of the Secretary of Defense; 

the Secretary of State; the Secretary of the Treasury; the Attorney General; 

the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and the Director, Federal 

Emergency Management Agency. 

The Departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and Health and Human 

Services did not have comments and DOD and the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency provided written comments. None of the agencies 

13 DOD also reported an outstanding State Department bill of $484,351 for helicopter lift 

support for avalanche relief in Austria. In this case, the State Department requested DOD 

support on behalf of the government of Austria, which assumed responsibility for paying for 

it. The State Department paid the bill in May 2000.
Page 16 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

raised questions about our findings. We have incorporated technical 

comments as appropriate. 

Appendixes V and VI are DOD's and the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency's comments, respectively, in their entirety.

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Defense; the 

Secretary of the Army; the Secretary of the Navy; and the Secretary of the 

Air Force. We will also send copies to the Secretary of State; the Secretary 

of the Treasury; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Health and Human 

Services; and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

We will make copies available to others on request.

Please contact me at (202) 512-4300 if you or your staff have any questions 

concerning this report. Key contacts and contributors on this assignment 

are listed in appendix VII.

Henry L. Hinton, Jr.

Managing Director

Defense Capabilities and Management
Page 17 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel
Page 18 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix I

Scope and Methodology ApApenednxidxeiIs

To determine the extent to which DOD supported civil activities, we 

interviewed several headquarters organizations that coordinated the 

provision of goods and services to civil organizations. In particular, we 

discussed pertinent policy guidance and regulations with officials in those 

organizations. We used existing data to assess the extent of DOD's support, 

but those data generally did not demonstrate the full extent of DOD's 

support. Therefore, we limited our analysis on the extent of DOD's support 

to fiscal year 1999. We based our analysis on two major sources of 

information: 

• File copies of formal requests for support that had been received by the 

Office of the Secretary of Defense.

• Detailed support data gathered at our request by DOD from military 

providers. DOD tasked its commands and offices to gather certain 

specific data—events, dates, types of support, recipients, providers, 

staffdays, costs, billing, reimbursements, and statutes authorizing 

reimbursements or waivers—from their subordinate units. 

Most of the responses we received were incomplete, particularly 

concerning the numbers of military personnel and costs. Consequently, the 

data presented in this report are only estimates of the level of support DOD 

provided in fiscal year 1999. As agreed, we also limited our review of 

National Guard support to its participation in presidentially required 

federal support, not state-directed efforts.

To estimate the pay and allowance costs associated with the support DOD 

provided civil authorities in fiscal year 1999, we developed weighted 

average cost factors for each service. To calculate the daily cost of an 

event, we multiplied the total number of staffdays by a cost factor to get the 

daily cost of an event. Because many of the reports of support lacked cost 

data or cost factors that we could use in estimating cost, we had to develop 

reasonable cost factors ourselves. In addition to not knowing which cost 

factors by rank to use, we would usually know only the number of staffdays 

involved in the event and would not know the breakdown by rank. 

Therefore, in developing cost factors, we had to address

• which cost factor to use by grade, and 

• the grades of military personnel who participated in support efforts.

To address the first problem, we used the official 1999 DOD reimbursement 

rates (those used by the military to bill non-DOD entities). These rates 

included basic pay, retired pay accrual, basic housing allowance, and other 
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 19 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

such factors to compute, on an annual basis, the rate by grade. We 

converted the annual rates to daily rates by dividing by 365.

To address the second problem, we assumed that the breakdown for an 

event would be the same as for the service as a whole. We used a weighted 

average to develop our cost by grade. This seemed reasonable, since most 

of a service is composed of lower-ranked personnel, and it seemed likely 

that most of the support personnel would also be lower-ranked. For 

example, in 1999, personnel ranked E−1 through E−5 made up 60 percent of 

the Army. For an event supported by more than one service, we used that 

service's cost factor for its staffdays and the other service's cost factor for 

its staffdays. For the Reserves and the National Guard, we used the active 

Air Force, Army, or Navy rates, as appropriate. For those instances where 

the service was not identified, we used an average of the total cost factor 

for all the services. The daily rates we generated and used were as follows:

• U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve, $146.88.

• U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve, $128.18.

• U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve, $142.97.

• U.S. Marine Corps, $115.48.

• Generic National Guard (branch unidentified), $136.30.

• Component unidentified, $135.46.

Generally, our DOD sources gave us either the total number of staffdays for 

a support instance or the calendar duration and number of personnel. For 

15 instances, however, we were given data on the duration of the support 

and the peak number of staffdays. For these instances, we estimated the 

total number of staffdays in the following manner: 

• For 10 of these instances lasting 23 calendar days or less we estimated 

the total staffdays in each case by multiplying duration by peak 

staffdays because of their nature (6 were natural disasters) and their 

relatively short duration. For example, for 7 days in May 1999, DOD gave 

assistance for tornado recovery efforts in Oklahoma. At its peak, this 

event was supported by 11 active-duty Army personnel. To estimate the 

total staffdays for the event, we multiplied the peak number (11) by the 

duration (7 days) to arrive at an estimated total of 77 staffdays. 

• For three of the remaining five instances with durations longer than 

23 calendar days, we judged it appropriate, given their nature, to derive 

our estimates of total staffdays by multiplying duration by peak 

staffdays. 
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 20 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

• For the last two instances, which had durations of 91 and 365 calendar 

days, we assumed a period of buildup, a peak period, and a drawdown 

period. We assumed one sixth of the duration was for build-up, one sixth 

for drawdown, and two thirds for peak. For the buildup, we divided the 

peak staffdays by the number of days for the buildup. For each day of 

the buildup, we assumed that the staffday total would increase by this 

calculated number until the peak staffday was reached. We assumed the 

reverse for the drawdown. Using this assumed distribution for the 

staffdays for these two instances, we summed the staffdays to get the 

total.

To determine whether DOD support provided for civil activities has 

adversely affected military retention, we examined retention trends for the 

four military services and across DOD for fiscal years 1989−99. We 

reviewed several recent studies on DOD retention and deployments, 

including the 1999 DOD-wide survey of active-duty personnel. We identified 

units that deployed often, using DOD personnel deployment data, and 

determined, from information collected during our review of the extent of 

activity, which of these units frequently deployed for civil activities. We 

visited some of these units (see list at the end of this appendix) to discuss 

how deployments for civil support have affected personnel retention. To 

discuss changes in the tracking of deployments, we met with and reviewed 

information from DOD officials involved in developing and implementing 

the congressionally mandated changes to DOD's personnel deployment 

tracking systems.

Concerning the availability of sources other than DOD to support civil 

activities, we contacted each of the military services' logistics contract 

augmentation offices to obtain and discuss with officials the use of 

contractor support. We reviewed pertinent directives and Office of 

Management and Budget guidance on the performance of services by 

contractors. We discussed with officials from various recipient agencies 

their rationale for requesting DOD support and contacted several 

commercial contractors regarding their capabilities to provide such 

support.

To determine whether DOD charged other agencies for the support 

provided and whether these agencies reimbursed DOD, we reviewed 

statutes, directives, and regulations that provide policy and procedures on 

reimbursements. We also identified the various authorities requiring full or 

partial reimbursement or that authorized a waiver of support costs. In 

addition, we analyzed DOD's fiscal year 1999 data regarding the extent of 
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 21 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

support to determine which support was reported to be reimbursable and 

the amounts reimbursed.

For a more detailed review of billings and reimbursement payments, we 

selected 195 instances of support provided under the Economy Act by 

many different DOD components to the State Department, the Drug 

Enforcement Administration, and the Secret Service. We selected these 

agencies because they provided lists to us that included many instances of 

support from DOD under the Economy Act. Many other agencies also use 

Economy Act support, but we did not determine the universe of DOD's 

Economy Act support to these agencies. Therefore, we cannot possible to 

project our findings on billings and reimbursement to the universe. 

However, we believe the 195 instances of support we chose are 

representative because they are typical of all the Economy Act support 

reported to us by DOD and other agencies. We determined the amount the 

agencies were billed for DOD's support and the status of payments to DOD. 

We interviewed financial management officials on the timeliness of billings 

by DOD. In addition, we reviewed the efforts of the Office of the Secretary 

of Defense (Comptroller) to identify DOD bills that had not been paid by 

other agencies and to collect the amounts that were in arrears.

We did not include support services provided by the Army Corps of 

Engineers in our review because the Corps' mission involves monitoring 

contractors rather than directly supplying support. Support services 

provided to DOD by other federal agencies were also beyond the scope of 

our review.

Due to the volume and decentralized nature of the available data and the 

limited time available, we did not verify DOD data for accuracy, especially 

that on billed and reimbursed amounts. We excluded any classified support 

that DOD provided.

We performed our work at the following DOD, service, and civil agencies 

located in Washington, D.C.:

• Office of the Executive Secretary.

• Directorate for Accession Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of 

Defense, Force Management Policy.

• Director, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Manpower and Personnel), J−1.

• Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

• Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force (Comptroller).

• Director of Military Support.
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 22 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

• Army and Air National Guard.

• Director, Programs, Resources and Assessments, Drug Enforcement 

Policy and Support, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special 

Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict.

• Washington Headquarters Services.

• Director, Innovative Readiness Training, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Readiness, Training, and 

Mobilization).

• Federal Emergency Management Agency.; Department Of State.; 

Department Of Justice.; Department of Treasury.; and Department of 

Health and Human Services.

We also visited the following military units:

• Technical Escort Unit, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland.

• 437th (active) and the 315th (reserve) Airlift Wings, Charleston Air 

Force Base, South Carolina.

We conducted this review from October 1999 to January 2001 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
Page 23 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations ApendxiI

Authorities For Detaila Reimbursement

10 U.S.C. section 711. The President, with the advice and consent of the 

Senate, may appoint an officer from each of the three military departments 

as senior members of the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations.

Not mentioned.b

10 U.S.C. section 711a. Commissioned officers of the three military 

departments may be detailed for duty with the American Red Cross by the 

Secretary of the military department concerned for medical- or dentalrelated activities.

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 712. Upon application of the country concerned, the 

President may detail military personnel to various countries to assist in 

military matters.

Arrangements may be made with the receiving countries 

for reimbursement or other cost-sharing associated with 

having the detailed members perform functions under this 

section.

10 U.S.C. section 713. The Secretary of a military department, upon request 

by the Secretary of State, may assign or detail members of the armed forces 

for duty as couriers and building inspectors.

Assignment or detail may be with or without 

reimbursement. However, the member's travel expenses 

may be paid as authorized for officers of the Foreign 

Service from State Department appropriations.

10 U.S.C. section 719. Upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce, the 

Secretary of a military department may assign or detail military personnel 

for duty in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Reimbursement required.

10 U.S.C. section 1491. The Secretary of Defense shall ensure, upon 

request, that a funeral honors detail is provided for the funeral of any 

veteran.

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 3534. The President may detail not more than three Corps 

of Engineers officers to assist the Mayor of the District of Columbia. 

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 4301. The Secretary of the Army may detail Army 

members as students at educational institutions or as students, observers, 

or investigators at industrial plants, hospitals, and other places in order to 

acquire knowledge and perfect their skills.

Expenses incident to the detail shall be paid from any 

Army appropriation.

10 U.S.C. section 5983. Upon request by the Secretary of State, the 

Secretary of the Navy may assign enlisted members of the Navy to serve as 

custodians at any embassy, legation, or consulate.

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 5985. The President may detail Navy officers as 

superintendents or instructors at state or regional maritime academies that 

receive benefits under the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 

section 1295c). 

Not mentioned, but see 46 U.S.C. App. section 1295c, at 

the end this section.

10 U.S.C. section 5986. To promote naval engineering and architecture, the 

President, upon the application of any established scientific school in the 

United States, may detail a qualified Navy officer as a professor in that 

school.

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 9301. The Secretary of the Air Force may detail Air Force 

members as students at educational institutions or as students, observers, 

or investigators at industrial plants, hospitals, and other places in order to 

acquire knowledge and perfect their skills.

Expenses incident to the detail shall be paid from any Air 

Force appropriation.
Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 24 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

22 U.S.C. section 287d−1. The President, in support of United Nations 

activities specifically directed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, may 

detail to the United Nations no more than 1,000 personnel of the armed 

forces. 

Reimbursement required, but in exceptional 

circumstances, or when the President finds it to be in the 

national interest, he may waive, in whole or in part, the 

reimbursement requirement.

22 U.S.C. section 2388. The head of any U.S. agency may detail, assign, or 

otherwise make available any officer or employee to an international 

organization to serve with, be a staff member of, or provide technical or 

professional advice to such organization.

Reimbursement not required, but by agreement may be 

obtained for all or part of the detailee's compensation, 

travel expenses, and benefits and allowances. See 22 

U.SC. section 2390. 

22 U.S.C. section 2348. The President may furnish assistance to friendly 

countries and international organizations for peacekeeping operations and 

other programs carried out in furtherance of the national security interests of 

the United States.

Such assistance may include reimbursement to DOD for 

expenses incurred under 22 U.S.C. section 287d−1 except 

that such reimbursements may not exceed $5 million 

unless a greater amount is authorized by this section. 

36 U.S.C. section 2101. The President shall appoint one officer of the 

Regular Army to serve as secretary of the American Battle Monuments 

Commission. Also, armed forces members may be appointed members of 

the Commission by the President.

Not mentioned. 

36 U.S.C section 2102. On request by the American Battle Monuments 

Commission, the head of any U.S. agency may make personnel and 

facilities available to the Commission.

Reimbursement required for pay and allowances of 

personnel made available to the Commission.

42 U.S.C. section 2473. Members of the military services may be detailed to 

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under cooperative 

agreements with the service Secretaries.

Not mentioned. However, the detail of a member may be to 

the same extent as that to which he/she might be lawfully 

assigned in DOD.

42 U.S.C. section 5144. Authorizes any federal agency to temporarily detail 

personnel to emergency support teams involved in major disasters or 

emergencies.

Reimbursement may or may not be required as determined 

by the President. 

46 U.S.C. App. 1295c(e). The President may detail any of the personnel of 

the Navy, Coast Guard, or the U. S. Maritime Service to any state maritime 

academy to serve as superintendents, professors, lecturers, or instructors.

Not required.

Aurthorities for Servicesc Rembursement

8 U.S.C. section 1521. The Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement, may 

enter into arrangements with other agencies to fund and administer 

programs relating to refugee resettlement

Not mentioned.

8 U.S.C. section 1522(b)(3). The Secretary of Health and Human Services 

is authorized to make arrangements (including cooperative arrangements 

with other federal agencies) for the temporary care of refugees in the United 

States in emergency situations, including the establishment of processing 

centers. 

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 168. The Secretary of Defense may conduct military-tomilitary contacts designed to encourage a democratic orientation of other 

countries' military forces. Activities may include exchanges of military and 

civilian personnel.

Not mentioned, but appropriations authorized.

10 U.S.C. section 371. DOD may provide information collected during the 

normal course of military training or operations that may be relevant to a 

violation of federal or state law to appropriate federal, state, or local lawenforcement officials. 

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under 10 

U.S.C. section 371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.d

Continued from Previous Page

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Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 25 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

10 U.S.C. section 372(a). DOD may make available to any federal, state, or 

local law enforcement agency for law enforcement purposes any DOD 

equipment, base facility, or research facility.

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law-enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under 10 

U.S.C. section 371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.d

10 U.S.C. section 372(b). In preparation for or in response to an emergency 

involving chemical or biological agents, DOD may, in addition to equipment 

and facilities, provide appropriate material or expertise to federal, state, and 

local law-enforcement or emergency-response agencies.

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law-enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under 10 

U.S.C. section371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.d

10 U.S.C. section 373. DOD personnel can train federal, state, or local lawenforcement officials in the operation and maintenance of equipment and 

provide such officials with expert advice.

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under to 10 

U.S.C. section 371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.d

10 U.S.C. section 374. DOD personnel may be made available to maintain 

equipment made available to civilian law-enforcement agencies and may 

operate equipment for a federal and civilian law-enforcement agency with 

respect to violations of certain criminal laws, including those relating to 

controlled substances, immigration, and customs and for specified 

purposes, such as aerial reconnaissance, and interception of vessels or 

aircraft outside the land area of the United States. 

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law-enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under to 10 

U.S.C. section 371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.d

P.L. 101−510 section 1004, as amended, 10 U.S.C. section 374 note. 

Authorizes DOD, through fiscal year 2002, to provide a variety of support for 

counterdrug activities to federal, state, local, or foreign law-enforcement 

agencies, including the transportation of personnel, establishment of bases 

for facilitating counterdrug activities, and ground reconnaissance. 

Not required.

10 U.S.C. section 382. At the Attorney General's request and under jointly 

prescribed regulations, DOD may provide equipment and personnel to 

assist specified law-enforcement activities during an emergency involving a 

biological or chemical weapon of mass destruction.

10 U.S.C. section 377 requires a civilian law-enforcement 

agency to reimburse DOD for support provided under to 10 

U.S.C. section 371−382 unless support is provided in the 

normal course of training or operations or the support 

results in a benefit to DOD akin to training or operations.

P.L. 106−65 section 1023, 10 U.S.C. section 382 note. Until September 30, 

2004, the Secretary of Defense, at the request of the Attorney General, may 

assist civil authorities by deploying DOD personnel or resources in 

responding to an act of terrorism or threat of such act involving a weapon of 

mass destruction within the United States. 

Reimbursement required for DOD's incremental costs of 

providing assistance unless waived by the Secretary of 

Defense. However, if the Department of Justice receives an 

appropriation for such assistance, the Attorney General 

shall reimburse DOD, regardless of a waiver.

10 U.S.C. section 401. Authorizes DOD to carry out humanitarian and civic 

assistance activities in a foreign country in conjunction with authorized 

military operations. Examples of such activities include medical, dental, and 

veterinary care; construction of rudimentary roads; well drilling; and 

construction of basic sanitation facilities.

Not required. Expenses to be paid out of funds specifically 

appropriated for humanitarian and civic assistance.

P.L. 106−259 section 8009.c

 The Secretary of the Army may provide medical 

services at, and transportation to, Army hospitals in Hawaii for civilian 

patients from American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 

Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, 

and Guam. 

The Secretary may provide services without 

reimbursement.

Continued from Previous Page

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Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 26 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

10 U.S.C. section 402. Authorizes DOD to transport without charge to any 

country, on a space-available basis, supplies provided by nongovernmental 

sources intended for humanitarian assistance.

Not required.

10 U.S.C. section 404. Authorizes the President to direct DOD to provide 

disaster assistance outside the United States in the form of transportation, 

supplies, services, and equipment. 

Not required. Amounts appropriated for DOD's Overseas 

Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid programs shall be 

available to fund assistance.

10 U.S.C. section 2012. The Secretary of a military department may 

authorize units or individual members to provide support and services to 

designated non-DOD governmental organizations, youth and charitable 

activities, and other entities approved by the Secretary. The assistance must 

be otherwise authorized by law or incidental to military training.

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 2342. Secretary of Defense may enter into an agreement 

with NATO governments and other organizations for the reciprocal provision 

of logistic support, supplies, and services to their respective military forces. 

10 U.S.C. section 2344. Logistics support, supplies, and 

services under such agreement may be acquired or 

transferred by the United States on a reimbursement basis 

or by replacement in kind or exchange of supplies or 

services of an equal value.

10 U.S.C. section 2543. The Secretary of Defense may, with respect to 

presidential inaugural ceremonies, provide assistance to the Presidential 

Inaugural Committee and the congressional Joint Inaugural Committee.

Reimbursement required. The Presidential Inaugural 

Committee shall reimburse the Secretary for any 

assistance the Secretary deems appropriate beyond items 

specifically identified. The Committee shall also defray any 

expense incurred for the delivery, return, rehabilitation, 

replacement, or operation of loaned property.

10 U.S.C. section 2544. The Secretary of Defense, in connection with a 

national or world Boy Scout Jamboree, may lend cots, blankets, and other 

equipment; furnish services and expendable medical supplies; and provide 

transportation. 

Supplies and expendable medical supplies are provided 

without reimbursement. Reimbursement is required for the 

delivery, return, rehabilitation, or replacement of loaned 

equipment and for any actual costs of transporting Scouts 

or loaned equipment.

10 U.S.C. section 2545. The Secretary of Defense is authorized to provide 

transportation for Girl Scouts as well as their equipment and property to and 

from specified national and international meetings. 

Reimbursement required for actual transportation costs.

10 U.S.C. section 2546. The Secretary of a military department may make 

shelter and incidental services available to the homeless. Bedding may also 

be made available to non-DOD entities operating homeless shelters. 

Not required.

10 U.S.C. section 2548. The Secretary of a military department, in 

connection with an annual conference of a national military association, may 

provide limited air and ground transportation, communications, medical 

assistance, administrative support, and security support, provided that the 

services can be provided in conjunction with military training and meet other 

requirements.

Not mentioned. Services can be provided only within funds 

available to the Secretary concerned.

10 U.S.C. section 2549. Implicitly authorizes the Secretary of Defense to 

provide inpatient medical care in the United States to foreign military and 

diplomatic personnel or their dependents.

Reimbursement is required unless comparable care is 

made available to a comparable number of U.S. military 

personnel and their dependents in the foreign personnel's 

country.

Continued from Previous Page

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Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 27 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

10 U.S.C. section 2551. Funds authorized to be appropriated to DOD for a 

fiscal year for humanitarian assistance shall be used for the purpose of 

providing transportation of humanitarian relief and for other humanitarian 

purposes worldwide. 

Not mentioned.

10 U.S.C. section 2554. The Secretary of Defense may provide assistance 

for the World Cup Soccer Games, the Goodwill Games, the Olympics, and 

any other civilian sporting event in support of essential security and safety at 

such event if the Attorney General certifies that assistance is necessary. 

Other assistance may also be provided in support of other needs relating to 

such event.

Not mentioned with regard to security and safety services. 

However, other assistance must be reimbursed in 

accordance with 10 U.S.C. section 377 (discussed 

previously in connection with 10 U.S.C. section 371) and 

other applicable law.

10 U.S.C. section 2602. The President may accept the cooperation and 

assistance of the American Red Cross. Employees of the American Red 

Cross, when performing duties in connection with assisting the armed 

forces, may be furnished (1) transportation; (2) meals and quarters, at their 

expense or that of the Red Cross, except that if civilian employees of the 

armed forces are quartered without charge, employees of the Red Cross 

may also be quartered without charge; and (3) available office space, 

warehousing, wharfage, and means of communications. Also, supplies of 

the Red Cross may be transported.

Travel is at the expense of the United States in the same 

manner as civilian employees of the armed forces. Office 

space and communications are furnished without charge, 

and the transportation of Red Cross supplies is at the 

expense of the United States if it is determined that the 

supplies are necessary for the assistance offered to DOD.

10 U.S.C. section 2604. The Secretary of Defense may cooperate with and 

assist the United Seamen's Service in establishing and providing facilities 

and services in foreign areas. Personnel of the United Seamen's Service, 

who perform duties in connection with such cooperation and assistance, 

have the same benefits as assisting Red Cross personnel under 10 U.S.C. 

section 2602.

Travel is at the expense of the United States in the same 

manner as civilian employees of the armed forces. Office 

space and communications are furnished without charge, 

and the transportation of United Seamen's Service 

supplies is at the expense of the United States if it is 

determined that the supplies are necessary for the 

assistance offered to DOD.

10 U.S.C. section 2606. The Secretary concerned may cooperate with and 

assist qualified scouting organizations in establishing facilities and services 

at locations outside the United States. Personnel of the scouting 

organizations may be transported at the expense of the United States, 

provided office space, warehousing, utilities, and communications. Scouting 

supplies may also be transported.

Travel expenses are limited to those provided to DOD 

civilian employees; office space, etc., is provided without 

charge, and scouting supplies can be transported at 

government expense. No mention is made of meals and 

quarters.

10 U.S.C. section 2635. Subject to certain conditions, the Secretary of 

Defense may assist the Department of Health and Human Services and the 

Department of Transportation in providing medical emergency helicopter 

services to civilians. 

Reimbursement, if any, is to be determined by the 

Secretary.

10 U.S.C. section 2641. The Secretary of Defense may provide 

transportation on medical evacuation aircraft to transport a veteran to or 

from a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility or to transport the 

remains of a deceased veteran who died at such facility after being 

transported to the facility under this provision.

No charge may be imposed on the veteran or his survivors. 

However, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall 

reimburse DOD for any transportation costs that DOD 

otherwise would not have incurred. 

10 U.S.C. section 2641a. The Secretary of Defense may provide 

transportation on DOD aircraft on a space-available basis for American 

Samoa veterans between American Samoa and Hawaii if hospital care is 

required.

Not required.

Continued from Previous Page

Authorities For Detaila Reimbursement
Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 28 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

10 U.S.C. section 4626. The Secretary of the Army may sell aviation fuel, 

oil, and supplies for, and may furnish mechanical and other assistance to, 

aircraft operated by a foreign military or air attaché accredited to the United 

States.

Not mentioned. However, aircraft shelter may be furnished 

without charge.

10 U.S.C. section 4744. The Secretary of the Army may, on a spaceavailable basis, permit specified classes of individuals (and in some cases, 

their families) to be transported on vessels operated by the Army transport 

agencies or by any military DOD transport agency. 

Reimbursement required for the transportation of families 

and of officers and employees of Puerto Rico on official 

business.

10 U.S.C. section 7227. The Secretary of the Navy may furnish specified 

services and supplies to foreign naval vessels and military aircraft.

Generally, reimbursement is required without an advance 

of funds if foreign government provides similar services 

and supplies. However, routine port and airport services 

may be furnished at no cost if such services are provided 

by U.S. naval personnel and equipment without direct cost 

to the Navy. Also, reimbursement is not required if either 

routine service is provided U.S. naval vessels or military 

aircraft under a reciprocal agreement providing for the 

services without reimbursement by the United States.

10 U.S.C. section 9305. The Secretary of the Air Force may provide for the 

training of civilians selected from the instructional staff of civilian flying 

schools used by the Air Force to educate and train members of the Air 

Force.

Training is to be without cost to the United States, except 

for necessary training supplies.

10 U.S.C. section 9626. The Secretary of the Air Force may sell aviation 

fuel, oil, and supplies for, and may furnish mechanical and other assistance 

to, aircraft operated by a foreign military or air attaché accredited to the 

United States. 

Not mentioned. However, aircraft shelter may be furnished 

without charge.

14 U.S.C. section 141(b). The Coast Guard, with the consent of the head of 

any U.S. agency, may avail itself of the agency's officers, employees, and 

facilities in the performance of its duties.

Not mentioned.

18 U.SC. section 112 (f). The Attorney General, in enforcing a criminal 

provision prohibiting assaults against foreign officials, official guests, and 

internationally protected persons, may request the assistance of the military 

departments.

Not mentioned.

18 U.S.C. section 175a. The Attorney General may request the Secretary of 

Defense to provide assistance under 10 U.S.C. section 382 in support of 

activities relating to the enforcement of 18 U.S.C. section 175 in an 

emergency situation involving a biological weapon of mass destruction. 

Reimbursement required to the extent required by 10 

U.S.C. section 377.

18 U.S.C section 229E. The Attorney General may request the Secretary of 

Defense to provide assistance under 10 U.S.C. section 382 in support of 

activities relating to the enforcement of 18 U.S.C. section 229 in an 

emergency situation involving a chemical weapon.f

Reimbursement required to the extent required by 10 

U.S.C. section 377.

18 U.S.C. section 831(d). In connection with criminally prohibited 

transactions involving nuclear materials under section 831, the Attorney 

General may request DOD assistance in accordance with chapter 18, title 

10 U.S.C. (Military Support for Civilian Law-Enforcement Agencies).

Reimbursement may be required per 10 U.S.C. 

section 377. See discussion under 10 U.S.C. section 371.

Continued from Previous Page

Authorities For Detaila Reimbursement
Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 29 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

18 U.S.C. section 831(e). In connection with criminally prohibited 

transactions involving nuclear materials, the Attorney General may request 

DOD assistance in enforcing this section, notwithstanding the Posse 

Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C. section 1385).

The Secretary may require reimbursement as a condition 

of assistance.

18 U.S.C. section 1116. The Attorney General, in enforcing a criminal 

provision prohibiting the murder or manslaughter of foreign officials, official 

guests, and internationally protected persons, may request the assistance of 

the military departments.

Not mentioned.

18 U.S.C. section 1201. In enforcing a criminal provision against kidnapping 

a foreign official, an internationally protected person, or an official guest, the 

Attorney General may request assistance from the military departments. 

Not mentioned.

P.L. 94−524, as amended, 18 U.S.C. section 3056 note. Executive 

departments and agencies provide the Secret Service with services, 

equipment, and facilities on a temporary or permanent basis, as requested.

Reimbursement required when temporary or permanent 

assistance provided. However, DOD temporary assistance 

directly relating to protecting the President and specified 

other individuals is not reimbursable.

22 U.S.C. Section 4805. Federal agencies may provide, with or without 

reimbursement, security inspections, logistical support, and other overseas 

security functions, including protection of U.S. government personnel on 

duty abroad and U.S. missions as authorized by the Secretary of State and 

agreed to by the providing agency. 

Reimbursement depends on the terms of the agreement 

between the agencies.

31 U.S.C. section 1108(g). Amounts available under law are available for 

field examinations of appropriation estimates. The use of the amounts is 

subject only to regulations prescribed by the appropriate standing 

committees of Congress. (DOD interprets this authority as authorizing DOD 

to provide transportation for members and staff of congressional committees 

when they conduct field examinations of DOD appropriation estimates.)

Not required where DOD estimates involved. See, DOD 

Directive 4515.12, Dec. 12,1964, Nonsponsored 

Nonreimbursable Travel, para. 5.1.1.

31 U.S.C. section 1535, 1536 (The Economy Act). These provisions provide 

general authority for one federal agency to provide goods and services to 

another federal agency.

Reimbursement of actual costs required for the goods or 

services provided. 

39 U.S.C. section 411. Authorizes DOD and other executive agencies to 

furnish real and personal property and personal and nonpersonal services 

to the Postal Service.

Reimbursement, if any, is determined by agreement 

between the Postal Service and the providing agency.

42 U.S.C. section 5170a. Authorizes the President to direct any federal 

agency to utilize its authorities and resources in support of assistance 

efforts of state and local governments after a major disaster. g

Reimbursement may or may not be required as determined 

by the President.

42 U.S.C. section 5170b(a). On the President's direction, federal agencies 

are authorized to provide state and local governments various forms of 

assistance that are essential to meeting immediate threats to life or property 

resulting from a major disaster. 

The federal government is required to absorb at least 75 

percent of the eligible cost of assistance provided under 

this section. However, reimbursement may be available 

from funds appropriated for disaster relief. See 42 U.S.C. 

section 5147.

42 U.S.C. section 5170b©. Authorizes DOD to perform immediate 

emergency work to preserve life or property for up to 10 days in situations 

that may be major disasters or emergencies.

Reimbursement shall be made from funds appropriated for 

disaster relief for emergency work provided under this 

subsection.

42 U.S.C. section 5185. The President is authorized during, or in 

anticipation of, an emergency or major disaster to provide communications 

systems to state and local governments.

Not mentioned, but reimbursement may be available under 

42 U.S.C. section 5147.

Continued from Previous Page

Authorities For Detaila Reimbursement
Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 30 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

a These authorities primarily cover the detail of DOD military personnel, although some services may 

be involved.

b

 The notation “not mentioned” indicates only that the described authority does not address 

reimbursement for provided details or services. Reimbursement may be required under other authority, 

such as the Economy Act, 31 U.S.C. section 1535, 1536.

42 U.S.C. section 5192. In any emergency, the President may direct any 

federal agency to use its authority and resources to support state and local 

emergency assistance efforts.

Reimbursement may or may not be required, as 

determined by the President.

42 U.S.C. section 5197. Authorizes the Director of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency to use the services of federal agencies in connection 

with emergency preparedness.

Agencies may be reimbursed for their expenditures, 

personnel compensation, or the use or consumption of 

their materials and facilities to the extent that funds are 

available.

49 U.S.C. section 1113. The National Transportation Safety Board may use 

available services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of other U.S. 

departments and agencies. 

Use may be on a reimbursable or other basis.

P.L. 101−165, 103 as amended by P.L. 103−139, section 8131. Establishes 

the Emergency Response Fund, Defense, that the Secretary may use to 

provide supplies and services in anticipation of or in response to requests 

from other federal entities and state and local governments for assistance in 

responding to natural or manmade disasters.

Reimbursement required.

50 U.S.C. section 2312. Until the President designates another lead agency, 

the Secretary of Defense provides civilian employees of federal, state, and 

local agencies with training and expert advice regarding emergency 

responses to a use or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction or 

related materials. (DOD advises that, effective Oct. 1, 2000, the Attorney 

General will assume the Secretary's responsibilities. The Attorney General 

may then use DOD personnel and capabilities to provide training and expert 

advice under the program. Reimbursement comments remain the same.)

Not mentioned, but appropriations authorized.

50 U.S.C. section 2314. The Secretary of Defense is to develop and 

maintain at least one domestic terrorism rapid-response team, composed of 

military members and DOD civilian employees, capable of aiding federal 

and nonfederal officials in the detection, neutralization, containment, 

dismantlement, and disposal of weapons of mass destruction containing 

chemical, biological, or related materials. 

Not mentioned.

50 U.S.C. section 2333. The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 

Commissioner of Customs, shall carry out programs for assisting customs 

officials and border guards in the independent states of the former Soviet 

Union, the Baltic states, and other countries of Eastern Europe in preventing 

the unauthorized transfer and transportation of nuclear, biological, and 

chemical weapons and related materials, by providing training, expert 

advice, and the loan and maintenance of equipment and audits.

Not mentioned, but appropriations authorized.

Miscellaneous Authority Reimbursement

Memorandum from the Chief of Staff to the President. Describes basis for 

White House-directed use of DOD aircraft, including use for Presidential 

Directed Missions on a nonreimbursement basis.

Not required per memorandum.

Continued from Previous Page

Authorities For Detaila Reimbursement
Appendix II

Compendium of Major Legal Authorities 

Authorizing DOD Support to Civil 

Organizations

Page 31 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

c

 These authorities primarily involve furnishing services but may also involve details of DOD military 

personnel.

d

 10 U.S.C. section 377 provides that reimbursement, if required, should be made under the Economy 

Act, 10 U.S.C. section 1535, 1536, or other applicable law.

e

 This provision is found in the DOD Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001. Similar language has 

been enacted in prior DOD appropriations acts and can be found at 10 U.S.C. section 401 note. 

f

 18 U.S.C. section 2332c, prohibiting chemical weapons and referenced in 10 U.S.C. section 382, was 

repealed by section 201©, P.L. 105−277, 112 Stat. 2681−871 (1998). The same public law created a 

new prohibition against chemical weapons at 18 U.S.C. section 229. 

g

 E.O. 12656, November 18, 1998, as amended, assigns “lead” and “supporting” responsibilities to 

various federal agencies in connection with providing disaster relief. If DOD provides services to a lead 

federal agency or to a state or local government, reimbursement is generally expected, absent a 

presidential determination or statutory prohibition to the contrary. See 42 U.S.C. section 5147 

(providing that agencies may be reimbursed for providing disaster relief); the Economy Act, 31 U.S.C. 

section 1535, 1536; the Defense Emergency Response Fund, P.L. 101−165 (1989); and DOD 

Directive 3025−1, January 15, 1993.
Page 32 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support to 

Civil Entities ApendxiI

Table 2: Instances, Duration, and Staffdays of DOD Support to Civil Entities in Fiscal 

Year 1999

Instances

Component and service Numbera Percent of Total

Active Army 4,948 67

Army Reserve 5 0

Active Air Force 1,615 22

Air Force Reserve 5 0

Active Navy 199 3

Navy Reserve 4 0

Active Marine Corps 189 3

Army National Guard 69 1

Air National Guard 158 2

generic National Guard 4 0

Not identified 166 2

Totalsa 7,362

Overall 7,125
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 33 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Note: Figures are our estimates.

a

 Totals of instances, calendar days, and staffdays exceed true totals because in many cases more 

than one service or component rendered assistance. 

Source: DOD.

Calendar days Staffdays

Average Maximum Minimum Numbera

Percent of

Total Average Maximum Minimum Number

Percent of

Total

2 365 1 10,122 25 176 659,340 1 871,821 43

7 17 3 37 0 258 980 3 1,291 0

12 365 1 18,606 46 350 153,300 1 565,311 28

11 38 1 57 0 69 304 1 343 0

8 365 1 1,601 4 877 82,583 1 174,526 9

9 17 5 34 0 15 21 5 58 0

5 365 1 980 2 470 85,234 1 88,900 4

22 365 1 1,530 4 3,386 44,013 1 233,619 12

8 120 1 1,224 3 83 2,517 1 13,187 1

106 365 2 425 1 698 2,190 2 2,790 0

37 365 1 6,130 15 346 11,664 1 57,503 3

40,746 2,009,349

5 365 1 38,387 282 659,340 1 2,009,350
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 34 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 1: Frequency of Civil Recipients of Military Assistance, Fiscal Year 1999 

(Percent of Total Instances)

Source: DOD.

Treasury

27%

State Department

25%

U.S. City & County

Governments

21%

White House

7%

Other Federal

Agencies

11%

Foreign Nations

3%

All Others

6%
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 35 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 2: Consumers of Military Support, Fiscal Year 1999 (Percent of Staffdays) 

Source: DOD.

Table 3: Military Occupations Most Frequently Providing Support to Civil Entities, 

Fiscal Year 1999

Note: Figures are our estimates.

Source: DOD.

Instances Staffdays

Occupations Number Percent Number Percent

Explosive ordnance detection/disposal 

(dog teams)

 4,613 65 33,106 2

Aircrews 1,208 17 706,376 35

Air support (e.g., ground crews, 

maintenance)

254 4 183 0

Investigators of explosive mishaps 212 3 848 0

Linguists and translators 137 2 9,850 1

Military police and other protection 

personnel

119 2 11,875 1

Foreign Nations

40%

Federal Emergency

Mmanagement Agency

21%

Veterans Affairs

9%

United Nations

3%

Transportation

6%

Unidentified

8%

Health and Human

Services

4%

Treasury

2%

State Department

2% All others

5%
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 36 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 3: Duration of DOD Support, Fiscal Year 1999

Note: Figures are our estimates.

Source: DOD.

Table 4 provides the average duration (in calendar days) and consumption 

(in staffdays) of assistance by category of support. On average, an instance 

of support lasted about 5 days and consumed about 280 staffdays. Overall, 

the support consumed more than 2 million staffdays. Humanitarian and 

refugee assistance averaged the longest duration and accounted for the 

most staffdays of support. This category and one other—responses to 

natural disasters—together accounted for only an estimated 27 percent of 

the calendar days of assistance but about 65 percent (1.3 million) of the 

staffdays. The high number of staffdays for these categories resulted from 

the extensive responses (319 instances) that DOD made to redress the 

damage wreaked by six hurricanes that year—Brett, Dennis, Floyd, 

Francis, George, and Mitch. In all, military support to hurricane recovery 

efforts in the United States and abroad exceeded 1 million staffdays.

6,383

171 225

25 20 22 7

272

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Instances of Support

1 - 10 11 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 76 - 100 101 - 200 201 - 300 300+

Duration (Calendar Days)
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 37 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Table 4: Average Duration and Staffdays of Fiscal Year 1999 Military Support, by Category 

As figure 4 shows, nearly all instances of support in fiscal year 1999 (about 

90 percent) lasted no longer than 10 days and totaled fewer than 85,000 

staffdays. The most staffdays were expended on instances that lasted 101−

200 days and more than 300 days; the least on those lasting 26−50 days and 

200−300 days.

Duration (calendar days) Staffdays

Category Average Total Percent Average Total Percent

Humanitarian and refugees 45 8,456 22 4,549 864,239 43

Miscellaneous 15 9,175 24 2,255 556,996 28

Natural disasters 7 1,986 5 1,577 446,384 22

Meteorology, science, and research 36 12,710 33 203 71,860 4

Security 1 2,513 7 8 37,200 2

Special events 16 1,764 5 216 23,588 1

Air transporta 2 2,015 5 12 11,637 1

Totalb 38,619b 101c 2,011,904b 101c

Overall 5 38,387 282 2,009,350

Note: Figures are our estimates.

a

Contains some instances also included in the humanitarian and refugee category. 

b

Exceed the true number of calendar days and staffdays, because some instances fell into more than one support category. 

c

Adds to more than 100 percent due to rounding. 

Source: DOD
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 38 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 4: Staffdays and Instances of Fiscal Year 1999 DOD Support by Range of Duration

Note: numbers are our estimates 

Source: DOD.

However, as seen in table 5 the support instances of shortest duration 

averaged the smallest consumption of staffdays. More than 80 percent of all 

instances lasted only 1 day and averaged only 6 staffdays of personnel 

support.

84,454

259,733

25,165 37,283

250,492

691,678

2,183

658,363

6,383

272

22 7 20 25 225

171

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

1 - 10 11 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 76 - 100 101 - 200 201 - 300 300+

Duration (Calendar Days)

Mandays

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Instances
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 39 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Table 5: Average and Total Staffdays of Fiscal Year 1999 DOD Support to Civil 

Entities

Figure 5 below shows the staffdays and reported instances of DOD support 

by three broad groupings of providers: active-duty military, National Guard, 

and other (Reserves and unidentified). 

Duration Total Staffdays Average Staffdays

1 to 10 days 84,454 13

11 to 25 259,733 1,519

26 to 50 25,165 112

51 to 75 37,283 1,491

76 to 100 250,492 12,525

101 to 200 691,678 31,440

201 to 300 2,183 312

301+ 658,363 2,420

Overall 2,009,350a 282
Appendix III

Detailed Data on Extent of Military Support 

to Civil Entities

Page 40 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 5: DOD Providers of Fiscal Year 1999 Military Support, by Instances and 

Staffdays

Source DOD.

85%

94%

0.1% 0.2%

12%

3% 3% 2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Active Reserve Guard Unknown

Providers

Staffdays Instances
Page 41 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix IV

Officer and Enlisted Retention Rates ApendxiIV

Figure 6: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement Eligible Commissioned and 

Warrant Officers by Service and DOD-Wide (Fiscal Years 1989−99)

Note: Service retention rates should be viewed independently and not compared to each other 

because each service, in order to sustain desired experience levels, determines a rate of retention 

based on its mission and structure. 

Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, Active Duty Master File.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

In percent

Fiscal Year

Air Force Army Marine Corps Navy DOD total
Appendix IV

Officer and Enlisted Retention Rates

Page 42 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Table 6: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible Commissioned and Warrant Officers (Combined), by Service and DODWide (Fiscal Years 1989−99)

Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, Active Duty Master File.

Fiscal year

Service and 

DOD-wide 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Air Force

Total officers 88,288 87,234 83,090 80,326 74,924 69,606 68,020 65,633 63,814 61,911 59,789

Number 

continuing

83,581 81,982 78,636 73,769 68,081 66,081 63,388 61,646 59,732 57,649 55,509

Continuation 

rate (%)

94.7 94.0 94.6 91.8 90.9 94.9 93.2 93.9 93.6 93.1 92.8

Army

Total officers 90,019 90,191 87,715 85,755 79,040 73,950 71,349 69,481 67,057 65,985 65467

Number 

continuing

84,434 83,306 82,943 76,259 70,674 67,792 66,047 63,992 62,004 61,659 60,767

Continuation 

rate (%)

93.8 92.4 94.6 88.9 89.4 91.7 92.6 92.1 92.5 93.4 92.8

Marine Corps

Total officers 17,046 17,009 16,672 16,407 16,033 15,298 14,574 14,233 14,309 14,226 144160

Number 

continuing

15,796 15,795 15,623 15,163 14,737 13,979 13,637 13,271 13,338 13,380 13472

Continuation 

rate (%)

92.7 92.9 93.7 92.4 91.9 91.4 93.6 93.2 93.2 94.1 93.5

Navy

Total officers 57,259 56,506 58,234 57,821 56,389 53,993 50,448 48,255 46,698 45,185 44,016

Number 

continuing

53,119 52,246 54,168 53,436 51,979 48,139 45,870 44,721 43,244 41,833 40,116

Continuation 

rate (%)

92.8 92.5 93.0 92.4 92.2 89.2 90.9 92.7 92.6 92.6 91.1

DOD total

Total officers 252,612 250,940 245,711 240,309 226,386 212,847 204,391 197,602 191,878 187,307 183,688

Number 

continuing 236,930 233,329 231,370 218,627 205,471 195,991 188,942 183,630 178,318 174,521 169,864

Continuation 

rate (%) 93.8 93.0 94.2 91.0 90.8 92.1 92.4 92.9 92.9 93.2 92.5
Appendix IV

Officer and Enlisted Retention Rates

Page 43 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Figure 7: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible Enlisted Personnel by Service and DOD-Wide (fiscal years 1989−99)

Note: Personnel in this figure have 1-19 years of service. Service retention rates should be viewed 

independently and not compared to each other because each service, in order to sustain desired 

experience levels, determines a rate of retention based on its mission and structure. 

Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, Active Duty Master File.

Table 7: Retention Rates Among Nonretirement-Eligible Enlisted Personnel by Service and DOD-Wide (Fiscal Years 1989−99)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Fiscal Year

Air Force Army Marine Corps Navy DOD total

In percent

Fiscal Year

Service 

and DODwide 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Air Force

Total 

eligible

94,092 112,244 103,383 98,294 86,089 77,475 82,160 75,818 71,867 69,493 68,550

Number 

retained

59,310 69,904 66,866 57,791 52,072 48,269 46,627 48,468 44,851 42,304 41,681

Retention 

rate (%)

63.0 62.3 64.7 58.8 60.5 62.3 56.8 63.9 62.4 60.9 60.8
Appendix IV

Officer and Enlisted Retention Rates

Page 44 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Note: Personnel in this figure have 1-19 years of service.

Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, Active Duty Master File.

Army

Total 

eligible

219,680 189,257 165,105 191,929 150,859 134,914 143,562 144,793 128,167 107,290 104,364

Number 

retained

113,151 108,406 84,318 83,477 75,743 70,106 79,156 77,274 72,184 55,799 54,102

Retention 

rate (%)

51.5 57.3 51.1 43.5 50.2 52.0 55.1 53.4 56.3 52.0 51.8

Marine 

Corps

Total 

eligible

45,376 44,651 49,444 56,370 51,169 46,997 47,243 51,572 50,986 48,912 46,901

Number 

retained

18,638 22,069 19,522 20,038 17,382 17,295 19,220 21,893 20,888 18,802 17,066

Retention 

rate (%)

41.1 49.4 39.5 35.5 34.0 36.8 40.7 42.5 41.0 38.4 36.4

Navy

Total 

eligible

154,437 149,854 143,007 147,803 142,221 132,257 115,347 114,542 119,119 105,023 101,623

Number 

retained

85,090 85,759 86,429 82,402 75,593 70,004 65,980 67,425 69,745 62,739 62,415

Retention 

rate (%)

55.1 57.2 60.4 55.8 53.2 52.9 57.2 58.9 58.6 59.7 61.4

DOD total

Total 

eligible 513,585 496,006 460,939 494,396 430,338 391,643 388,312 386,725 370,139 330,718 321,438

Number 

retained 276,189 286,138 257,135 243,708 220,790 205,674 210,983 215,060 207,668 179,644 175,264

Retention 

rate (%) 53.8 57.7 55.8 49.3 51.3 52.5 54.3 55.6 56.1 54.3 54.5

(Continued From Previous Page)

Fiscal Year

Service 

and DODwide 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Page 45 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix V

Comments from the Department of Defense ApendxiV

Note: GAO comment 

supplementing those in the 

report text appears at the 

end of this appendix.
Appendix V

Comments from the Department of Defense

Page 46 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

The following are GAO's comments on the Department of Defense's letter 

dated January 9, 2001.

GAO Comments 1. DOD cited a concern about the title of the report, stating that it implied 

a complete and detailed review of military retention in general rather 

than the retention of personnel assigned to those organizations and 

agencies specifically surveyed during the course of the review. Actually, 

our assessment of the impact of military support assignments on 

retention was based primarily on DOD's 1999 Survey of Active Duty 

Personnel. That survey was administered to a stratified random sample 

of 66,000 servicemembers and can be projected to represent the views 

of the entire force. Consequently, we believe it is appropriate to 

indicate in the title that military support to civil authorities is unlikely 

to have a negative impact on retention.
Page 47 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix VI

Comments From the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency ApendxiVI
Page 48 GAO-01-9 Military Personnel

Appendix VII

GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments ApendxiVI

GAO Contacts Norman J. Rabkin (202) 512-5140

William E. Beusse (202) 512-5140

Brenda S. Farrell (202) 512-5140

Staff 

Acknowledgments

In addition to the contacts named above, Dudley C. Roache, Jr., Ken 

Adams, Albert Abuliak, Alan M. Byroade, Colin L. Chambers, Melissa 

McDowell, Charles Perdue, and Alan S. Goldberg made key contributions 

to this report.

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