Letter dated December 3, 1971, from the Principal Deputy to the Assistant Sec- Principal officials of the Department of Defense and the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force responsible for 27 COMPTROLLER GENERAL'S EXTENSIVE USE OF MILITARY PERSONNEL IN CIVILIAN-TYPE POSITIONS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE B-146890 DIGEST WHY THE REVIEW WAS MADE Department of Defense (DOD) policy is that civilians will be used to fill The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the use of military personnel in civilian-type positions because, if DOD's policy were followed strictly, the departments could make greater use of military personnel in military positions and could hold military manpower requirements at the minimum needed to safeguard the Nation's security. Lower military requirements should make it easier to achieve the goal of an all-volunteer force. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Tear Sheet The five military installations included in the GAO review were using military personnel instead of civilians to a greater extent than that intended by DOD's policy. Installation commanders were reluctant to recommend the use of civilians in certain positions occupied by military personnel because of limitations imposed by budgetary restrictions and by civilian employment ceilings. Although the services recognize the benefits and importance of the stated policy of DOD, that is, using civilians in positions not requiring military personnel, this policy has not been followed consistently. (See p. 7.) In GAO's opinion, less than full application of DOD's policy has resulted from the failure of the military departments to determine which types and numbers of positions should be filled by military personnel and which types and numbers should be filled by civilians. Since these determinations have not been made, installation commanders must make subjective decisions concerning assignments. These decisions often are inconsistent with DOD's policy. Until the military department headquarters make these determinations and provide implementing guidelines to installation officials, there is every reason to believe that this condition will continue. (See p. 17.) The military departments have personnel survey teams which periodically review the management and utilization of personnel at military installations. The survey teams, as a general rule, have not adequately considered whether DOD's policy on the use of civilian employees is being applied properly. (See p. 7.) In GAO's opinion, to monitor compliance with DOD's staffing policy by loca commanders, internal review teams must relate personnel assignments to the guidelines provided by the headquarters. This can be done only if documentation supporting personnel assignments which deviate from the staffing guidelines is available for review. (See p. 14.) RECOMMENDATIONS OR SUGGESTIONS The Secretary of Defense should direct that each military department headquarters review all types of personnel positions, except those designated as being in deployable military units having a combat or combat-support mission, and, for each type, determine whether: --The position must be filled by military personnel. --The position could be filled by either military personnel or civilians and the circumstances in which the position would be used for military personnel, such as for rotation or for career development. --The position need not be filled by a military incumbent and should be filled by a civilian. The findings of the review should be formalized in specific guidelines for use by all military installations in designating whether individual positions should be filled by military personnel or by civilians. Moreover, when personnel assignments that deviate from these position designations are made, justifications for such actions should be documented in official installation records, and such assignments should be for only limited periods. (See p. 18.) Also all conversions of military positions to civilian positions should be As part of the scope of manpower reviews, personnel survey teams should determine whether personnel assignments comply with the policy and the guidelines. Since the survey teams' findings can provide the military department headquarters with information needed to ensure compliance with DOD's policy, the results of the teams' reviews should be reported to the headquarters. (See p. 18.) 2 AGENCY ACTIONS AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES DOD did not agree that the lack of staffing guidance at the installation level was the major restriction to full application of DOD's policy on the use of civilians. DOD said that the principal constraints had been restrictions on civilian employment and budgetary limitations. (See p. 12.) DOD believed that there were several measures which could, and should, be GAO agrees that restrictions on civilian employment and budgetary limitations are constraints on the use of civilians. The Congress considers amounts to be appropriated annually for DOD on the basis of the President's budget requests, which include estimates of military and civilian personnel requirements. Since military personnel costs and civilian personnel costs are funded in Civilian personnel ceilings usually are established by the Office of Manage- MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CONGRESS Substantial numbers of positions occupied by military personnel could be Tear Sheet |