Military Operations: DOD Needs to Provide Central Direction for Supporting Coalition Liaison Officers
Published: 2004-04-09T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, Congress authorized the Secretary of Defense to provide administrative services and support to foreign coalition liaison officers temporarily assigned to the headquarters of a combatant command or any of its subordinate commands. Congress required GAO to assess the implementation of this legislation. Specifically, GAO's objectives were to determine (1) what guidance the Department of Defense (DOD) has provided on the implementation of this legislation, (2) the extent to which the commands are aware of and are using this legislation, and (3) the level of support being provided by commands using this legislation and the benefits derived from it.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: GAO could find no evidence that DOD had issued any guidance to combatant commanders on how to implement this legislation. In addition, GAO was unable to identify an office within DOD that has responsibility for implementing this legislation. The DOD Office of the Inspector General, as GAO's focal point within DOD, was also unable to identify a responsible office. Although the legislation was inspired by the needs of the coalition assembled for the Global War on Terrorism, its authority is available through the Secretary of Defense to all combatant commanders. According to the results of GAO's research, the combatant commands' awareness of and need to use the legislation varied widely with Central Command being the only command using the authority to support liaison officers. Central Command, spent $17 million in fiscal year 2003 to provide administrative services and support to more than 300 coalition liaison officers from over 60 countries. As allowed by the legislation, the command also paid the travel, subsistence, and personal expenses of over 70 of these officers from more than 30 developing countries. Central Command officials stated that they could not accomplish the coalition integration planning and coordination important to the Global War on Terrorism as effectively or efficiently as they are doing without the liaison officers. They also commented that the legislation helps facilitate the participation of a developing country in the coalition if the command can pay for travel and subsistence.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has been  fighting a Global War on Terrorism with support from other countries,  such as Great Britain. The coalition partner countries participating with  the United States in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have sent more  than 300 foreign military personnel to the U.S. Central Command  headquarters to serve as liaison officers supporting U.S. planning and  operation efforts.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, Congress  authorized the Secretary of Defense to provide administrative services and  support to foreign coalition liaison officers temporarily assigned to the  headquarters of a combatant command, a component command, or a  subordinate operational command. Congress also allowed the Secretary  to pay for travel, subsistence, and personal expenses of those coalition  liaison officers from developing countries. These services, support, and  expenses may be provided with or without reimbursement from or on  behalf of the receiving coalition liaison officers. Congress required us to  assess the implementation of this legislation. Specifically, our objectives  were to determine (1) what guidance, if any, the Department of Defense  (DOD) has provided on the implementation of this legislation, (2) the  extent to which the commands are aware of and are using this legislation,  and (3) the level of support being provided by commands using this  legislation and the benefits derived from it.
To address these objectives, we used a data collection instrument to  gather information from officials serving in the headquarters of combatant  commands, component commands, and subordinate operational  commands. This instrument was designed to measure the awareness of the  legislation among these various commands, to identify the commands  using the legislation, and to obtain the costs incurred to provide support to  foreign coalition liaison officers. To assess how the commands are  implementing this legislation, we visited U.S. Central Command  headquarters and met with officials who have responsibility for tracking  costs incurred by foreign coalition liaison officers. As agreed with your  offices, we did not independently validate the costs incurred by the  command. We conducted our review from September 2003 through  January 2004 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing  standards.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: The United States prefers to conduct operations as part of a coalition  when possible. In prosecuting the Global War on Terrorism, the United  States, through the U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM), has acted in  concert with a number of other countries as part of a coalition to conduct  Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom  in Iraq. Most of these countries have sent officers to CENTCOM  headquarters—located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida—to  act as liaisons between their countries and CENTCOM commanders and  assist in planning and other operational tasks.
As coalition liaison officers began arriving to assist in Operation Enduring  Freedom, CENTCOM officials established a secure area with trailers  outfitted as offices for the officers to use. As the coalition expanded and  Operation Iraqi Freedom started, the number of liaison officers grew, as  did the need for more trailers and administrative support. CENTCOM  officials initially paid for the support from Combatant Commander’s  Initiative Funds earmarked for short-term initiatives identified by the  commander. However, as the coalitions for both operations grew and were  expected to continue into fiscal year 2003, CENTCOM requested that  Congress allow the command to use funds from its budget to pay for the  support provided to the liaison officers. Congress responded in the fiscal  year 2003 National Defense Authorization Act by authorizing the Secretary  of Defense to provide administrative services and support to those liaison  officers of countries involved in a coalition with the United States and to  pay the travel, subsistence, and personal expenses of those liaison officers  from developing countries. This legislation expires September 30, 2005.  The legislation does not direct us to assess whether it should be renewed  and we did not do so.
section_title: DOD Has Not Issued Guidance to Implement This Legislation
paragraphs: Although it is the responsibility of the Secretary of Defense to formulate  general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct and  primary concern to DOD, we could find no evidence of guidance issued by  DOD to combatant commanders on how to implement the legislation  allowing DOD to provide support to coalition liaison officers. Also, we  could not identify any office within DOD that has responsibility for  implementing the legislation and, therefore, may have promulgated  guidance on the legislation. Guidance for issues that affect all the  components originates at the DOD level. Typically, DOD will issue a  directive—a broad policy document containing what is required to initiate,  govern, or regulate actions or conduct by DOD components. This directive  establishes a baseline policy that applies across the combatant commands,  services, and DOD agencies. DOD may also issue an instruction, which  implements the policy or prescribes the manner or a specific plan or  action for carrying out the policy, operating a program or activity, and  assigning responsibilities. In our opinion, this guidance is important for  consistent implementation of a program across DOD.
To determine what guidance has been provided to the commands, we  contacted offices within DOD, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and  the Joint Staff to determine which office has responsibility for  implementing this legislation. After calls to the Offices of Legislative  Affairs and Comptroller within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as  well as the Joint Staff’s Plans and Policy Directorate and Comptroller,  neither we nor the DOD Inspector General, our focal point within DOD,  were able to locate any office having this responsibility.
In the data collection instrument we sent to the combatant commands, we  asked whether the commands had received any guidance on how to  implement the legislation. All commands replied that they had received no  guidance from any office within DOD.
section_title: Awareness and Use of the Legislation by Combatant Commands Vary Widely
paragraphs: Although the legislation was inspired by the needs of the coalition  assembled for the Global War on Terrorism, its authority is available  through the Secretary of Defense to all combatant commanders. However,  according to the results of our research, the awareness of and need to use  the legislation by combatant commands vary widely. To determine the  extent to which the combatant commands are aware of and using this  legislation, we created a data collection instrument and e-mailed it to  representatives at each combatant command. In responding to this  instrument, representatives from Northern Command, Southern  Command, European Command, Transportation Command, and Strategic  Command stated that they were not aware of nor did they have a need to  use the legislation, while representatives of Joint Forces Command,  Special Operations Command, and Pacific Command were aware of, but  had no need to use, the legislation. CENTCOM and one of its subordinate  commands were the only commands both aware of and using the  legislation.
CENTCOM is providing administrative services and support to more than  300 foreign coalition liaison officers from over 60 countries fighting the  Global War on Terrorism with the United States. In addition, CENTCOM is  paying travel, subsistence, and personal expenses to over 70 liaison  officers from more than 30 developing countries that are included in the  larger number.
section_title: CENTCOM Support to Liaison Officers Benefits Global War on Terrorism
paragraphs: In the absence of guidance from the Office of the Secretary of Defense or  the Joint Staff, CENTCOM officials established internal operating  procedures to provide the administrative and travel related support that  the foreign coalition liaison officers needed. These procedures are not  written, but they are based on existing criteria defining developing  countries, federal regulations governing travel, economies of scale, and  what appears to be prudent fiscal management.
In providing administrative services and support, CENTCOM officials  determined that each country’s delegation (limited to no more than five  foreign coalition liaison officers) would be provided a trailer for office  space with furniture, telephone, computer, printer, copier, and shredder.  Some of the smaller delegations share office space. CENTCOM pays for  the furniture, shredders, copiers, telephones, and part of the custodial  expense. MacDill Air Force Base, which is host to CENTCOM, pays for  trailer leases, utilities, external security, and part of the custodial  expense. These trailers are located on MacDill property in a fenced  compound with security guards on duty. We toured some of the trailers  and determined that CENTCOM was providing the space and equipment  typical of a small office for the coalition officers. However, CENTCOM  officials told us that some countries have spent their own funds to upgrade  the office space provided.
In determining how to pay the travel, subsistence, and personal expenses  for coalition liaison officers from developing countries, CENTCOM  officials told us they used existing criteria and federal regulations to guide  their decisions. Absent a DOD or Department of State list of what would  be considered developing countries, CENTCOM officials told us they use a  list of countries generated by the Organization of Economic Cooperation  and Development, an international organization to which the United States  belongs, and defined by that organization as “Least Developed: Other Low  Income and Lower Middle Income.” According to the officials, this list is  recognized by the Joint Staff. To determine the appropriate amounts to  provide for travel, subsistence, and personal expenses, CENTCOM  officials use the Joint Federal Travel Regulations.
CENTCOM officials established some basic standards for authorizing  travel, subsistence, and personal expenses for the coalition liaison officers  from developing countries. CENTCOM pays for one round-trip airplane  ticket from an officer’s country of origin to Tampa, Florida, where  CENTCOM is headquartered, and return during a tour of duty. Other trips  home are at an officer’s or his or her country’s expense. Meals and  incidental expenses are based on the Joint Federal Travel Regulations’  rate for Tampa ($42 per day in fiscal year 2003) paid monthly based on the  number of days the officer actually spends in Tampa. CENTCOM provides  housing for foreign coalition liaison officers through contracts it has  negotiated with gated apartment complexes offering on-site security.  Because of the number of officers needing housing (including those  officers not from developing countries, who pay for their own housing),  CENTCOM officials told us that they were able to negotiate rates for  housing between $58 and $65 per day, which are less than Joint Federal  Travel Regulations’ per diem rate for the Tampa area ($93 per day in fiscal  year 2003). CENTCOM does not pay any expenses incurred for family  members of the coalition liaison officer who might accompany the officer  to the United States. In fiscal year 2002, the first year the coalition was  formed, coalition liaison officers had to find their own housing, which was  more expensive than the contracts currently in place.
CENTCOM officials also told us that they rent cars for the coalition liaison  officers from the General Services Administration at a cost of $350 per car  per month, which is less expensive than renting from a commercial car  leasing company at a cost of $750 per month. Again, because there are so  many officers who require transportation, CENTCOM was able to  negotiate a lower rate. Officers are allowed one car for each three  members of a delegation. The officer whose name is on the car rental  agreement is allowed $60 per month for gas. The officers assigned to the  car must pay for any additional gas.
CENTCOM and MacDill Air Force Base spent a total of almost $30 million  between fiscal year 2002 and 2003 to support coalition liaison officers (see  table 1). In fiscal year 2002, CENTCOM and MacDill Air Force Base spent  $12.4 million to provide the administrative services and support and pay  travel, subsistence, and personal expenses for the coalition liaison officers  assigned to CENTCOM headquarters. The money came from Combatant  Commander’s Initiative Funds and MacDill Air Force Base funds. The  amount spent in fiscal year 2003—nearly $17.1 million—included $898,000  in Commander’s Initiative Funds to pay for travel, subsistence, and  personal expenses, which was used until the legislation to provide support  to coalition liaison officers was passed and the funds became available.  The remaining amount came from CENTCOM and MacDill funds.
In addition to CENTCOM, the Coalition Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, a  CENTCOM subordinate operating command, reported spending over  $300,000 to provide administrative support and pay travel, subsistence,  and personal expenses to 13 liaison officers assigned to the task force  headquarters. No other subordinate operating command or component  command reported spending funds to support coalition liaison officers.
CENTCOM officials stated that this legislation has benefited the coalition  by providing maximum communication and coordination for the  deployment of those forces committed to fighting the Global War on  Terrorism. They also stated that without the presence of the liaison  officers at CENTCOM, they could not accomplish the coalition integration  planning and coordination important to the Global War on Terrorism as  effectively or efficiently as they are doing. CENTCOM officials stated that  the legislation’s authority to pay for travel, subsistence, and personal  expenses for developing countries’ liaison officers also has given the  command a tool to use in negotiating with developing countries for their  participation in the coalition force.
section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: DOD-wide guidance provides uniform direction throughout the  department on how to implement programs and policies. While CENTCOM  has developed procedures for managing support to coalition liaison  officers and has taken steps to provide the support authorized by the  legislation in the least costly way, in the absence of DOD-wide guidance,  there can be no assurance that prudent procedures will always be  followed. Moreover, without DOD guidance, should other commands  choose to use the authority granted by this legislation, there is no  assurance that they will implement it in a uniform and prudent manner. As  of January 2004, there was no DOD office responsible for the  implementation of the legislative authority allowing commands to pay for  support for coalition liaison officers and no DOD-wide guidance on its use.
section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense take the following two  actions: (1) designate an office within DOD to take responsibility for this  legislation and (2) direct this designated office to promulgate and issue  guidance to the combatant commands and their component and  subordinate commands on how to implement this legislation.
section_title: Agency Comments
paragraphs: In official oral comments on a draft of this report, DOD concurred with the  report. DOD stated that it would designate the Joint Staff as the office  responsible for implementing the legislation and issuing appropriate  guidance.
We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional  committees; the Secretary of Defense; and the Director, Office of  Management and Budget. We will also make copies available to others on  request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on the GAO  Web site at http://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff have any questions, please contact me on   (757) 552-8100 or by e-mail at curtinn@gao.gov. Major contributors to this  report were Steven Sternlieb, Ann Borseth, Madelon Savaides, David  Mayfield, and Renee McElveen.