10 U.S.C. § 117 (ARMED FORCES)
§ 117. Readiness reporting system: establishment; reporting to congressional committees
(a) Required Readiness Reporting System.—
The Secretary of Defense shall establish a comprehensive readiness reporting system for the Department of Defense. The readiness reporting system shall measure in an objective, accurate, and timely manner the capability of the armed forces to carry out—
(1) the National Security Strategy prescribed by the President in the most recent annual national security strategy report under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043);
(2) the defense planning guidance provided by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to section 113(g) of this title; and
(3) the National Military Strategy prescribed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(b) Readiness Reporting System Characteristics.—
In establishing the readiness reporting system, the Secretary shall ensure—
(1) that the readiness reporting system is applied uniformly throughout the Department of Defense;
(2) that information in the readiness reporting system is continually updated, with (A) any change in the overall readiness status of a unit that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 24 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status, and (B) any change in the overall readiness status of an element of the training establishment or an element of defense infrastructure that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 72 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status; and
(3) that sufficient resources are provided to establish and maintain the system so as to allow reporting of changes in readiness status as required by this section.
(c) Capabilities.—
The readiness reporting system shall measure such factors relating to readiness as the Secretary prescribes, except that the system shall include the capability to do each of the following:
(1) Measure, on a monthly basis, the capability of units (both as elements of their respective armed force and as elements of joint forces) to conduct their assigned wartime missions.
(2) Measure, on an annual basis, the capability of training establishments to provide trained and ready forces for wartime missions.
(3) Measure, on an annual basis, the capability of defense installations and facilities and other elements of Department of Defense infrastructure, both in the United States and abroad, to provide appropriate support to forces in the conduct of their wartime missions.
(4) Measure, on a monthly basis, critical warfighting deficiencies in unit capability.
(5) Measure, on an annual basis, critical warfighting deficiencies in training establishments and defense infrastructure.
(6) Measure, on a monthly basis, the level of current risk based upon the readiness reporting system relative to the capability of forces to carry out their wartime missions.
(7) Measure, on a quarterly basis, the extent to which units of the armed forces remove serviceable parts, supplies, or equipment from one vehicle, vessel, or aircraft in order to render a different vehicle, vessel, or aircraft operational.
(8) Measure, on an annual basis, the capability of operational contract support to support current and anticipated wartime missions of the armed forces.
(d) Quarterly and Monthly Joint Readiness Reviews.—
(1) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall—
(A) on a quarterly basis, conduct a joint readiness review; and
(B) on a monthly basis, review any changes that have been reported in readiness since the previous joint readiness review.
(2) The Chairman shall incorporate into both the joint readiness review required under paragraph (1)(A) and the monthly review required under paragraph (1)(B) the current information derived from the readiness reporting system and shall assess the capability of the armed forces to execute their wartime missions based upon their posture at the time the review is conducted. The Chairman shall submit to the Secretary of Defense the results of each review under paragraph (1), including the deficiencies in readiness identified during that review.
(e) Submission to Congressional Committees.—
The Secretary shall each quarter submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review under subsection (d)(1)(A), including the current information derived from the readiness reporting system. Each such report shall be submitted in unclassified form and may, as the Secretary determines necessary, also be submitted in classified form.
(f) Regulations.—
The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. In those regulations, the Secretary shall prescribe the units that are subject to reporting in the readiness reporting system, what type of equipment is subject to such reporting, and the elements of the training establishment and of defense infrastructure that are subject to such reporting.
(Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title III, § 373(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1990; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title III, § 361(d)(1), title X, § 1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 575, 774; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title III, § 371], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–80; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1031(a)(1), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1595; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VIII, § 845(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1848; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3508.)
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 117, added Pub. L. 97–295, § 1(2)(A), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1287, § 133a; renumbered § 117 and amended Pub. L. 99–433, title I, §§ 101(a)(2), 110(d)(3), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 994, 1002, required annual report on North Atlantic Treaty Organization readiness, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIII, § 1301(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1668.
heading: Amendments
text: 2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 3043)” for “(50 U.S.C. 404a)”.
2013—Subsec. (c)(8). Pub. L. 112–239 added par. (8).
2003—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 108–136 substituted “each quarter submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review under subsection (d)(1)(A)” for “each month submit to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review or monthly review conducted under subsection (d)”.
2000—Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 106–398 added par. (7).
1999—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 106–65, § 361(d)(1)(A), substituted “with (A) any change in the overall readiness status of a unit that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 24 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status, and (B) any change in the overall readiness status of an element of the training establishment or an element of defense infrastructure that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 72 hours” for “with any change in the overall readiness status of a unit, an element of the training establishment, or an element of defense infrastructure, that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system, being reported within 24 hours”.
Subsec. (c)(2), (3), (5). Pub. L. 106–65, § 361(d)(1)(B), substituted “an annual” for “a quarterly”.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–65, § 1067(1), substituted “and the Committee on Armed Services” for “and the Committee on National Security”.
heading: Defense Materiel Readiness Board
text: Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062, provided that: “The Defense Materiel Readiness Board established pursuant to section 871 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 117 note) [formerly set out below] is hereby disestablished.”
Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(b), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062, provided that: “The Department of Defense Strategic Readiness Fund established by section 872(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 117 note) [formerly set out below] is hereby closed.”
Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VIII, subtitle G, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 260, which required Secretary of Defense to establish Defense Materiel Readiness Board to provide independent assessments of materiel readiness, materiel readiness shortfalls, and materiel readiness plans to Secretary of Defense and Congress; provided for designation of critical materiel readiness shortfalls; established Department of Defense Strategic Readiness Fund; and required Secretary of military department to notify Congress with respect to determination that use of a multiyear procurement contract would address a critical material readiness shortfall, was repealed by Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(c), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062.
heading: Implementation
text: Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title III, § 373(b), (c), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1992, as amended by Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title III, § 361(d)(2), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 575, directed the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report, not later than Mar. 1, 1999, setting forth a plan for implementation of this section, and required the Secretary to establish and implement the readiness reporting system required by this section so as to ensure that required capabilities would be attained not later than Apr. 1, 2000.