Operation Iraqi Freedom Actions Needed To Facilitate The Efficient Drawdown Of Us Forces And Equipment From Iraq

The drawdown from Iraq is a complex operation of significant magnitude. Established drawdown timelines dictate a reduction in forces to 50,000 troops by August 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. While the Dept. of Defense (DoD) has made progress toward meeting these goals, a large amount of equipment, personnel, and bases remain to be drawn down. Moreover, escalating U.S. involvement in Afghanistan may increase the pressure on DoD to efficiently execute the drawdown. This report examined: (1) the extent to which DoD has planned for the drawdown from Iraq in accordance with set timelines; and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown. Includes recomm. Illus.

Several DOD organizations have issued coordinated plans for the execution of the drawdown, but DOD has yet to fully plan for requirements for contracted services needed during the drawdown. Since our September 2008 report, DOD created new organizations to oversee, synchronize, and ensure unity of effort during the drawdown and established goals and metrics for measuring progress. To date, DOD reports that its drawdown efforts have exceeded its goals. For example, as of January 2010, DOD reported that it exceeded its target figure for withdrawing rolling stock in Iraq?which includes wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, some construction equipment, and trailers?by over 2,600 pieces. However, a large amount of personnel, equipment, and bases remain to be drawn down. In addition, although DOD took some steps to plan for contracted services, limited operational planning for contracted support has challenged its ability to identify the full range of its needs for contracted services to support the drawdown; existing processes may not allow sufficient time for all contracted services needed to be put on contract in a responsible manner; and there exists a lack of clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of various contract validation review boards. Without addressing these issues, DOD risks not having the right contracted services in place to meet drawdown timelines, which may lead to inefficient and wasteful practices as the drawdown continues.

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Actions Needed to Facilitate the Efficient Drawdown of U.S. Forces and Equipment from Iraq

"The drawdown from Iraq is a complex operation of significant magnitude. Established drawdown timelines dictate a reduction in forces to 50,000 troops by August 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. While DOD has made progress toward meeting these goals, a large amount of equipment, personnel, and bases remain to be drawn down. Moreover, escalating U.S. involvement in Afghanistan may increase the pressure on DOD to efficiently execute the drawdown.Due to broad congressional interest in drawdown issues, GAO performed this work under the Comptroller General's Authority. GAO examined (1) the extent to which DOD has planned for the drawdown from Iraq in accordance with set timelines, and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown. To evaluate these efforts GAO reviewed documents and interviewed officials from over 20 DOD organizations in the U.S., Kuwait, and Iraq. "

The drawdown from Iraq is a complex operation of significant magnitude. Established drawdown timelines dictate a reduction in forces to 50,000 troops by August 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. While DOD has made progress toward meeting these goals, a large amount of equipment, personnel, and bases remain to be drawn down. Moreover, escalating U.S. involvement in Afghanistan may increase the pressure on DOD to efficiently execute the drawdown. Due to broad congressional interest in drawdown issues, GAO performed this work under the Comptroller General's Authority. GAO examined (1) the extent to which DOD has planned for the drawdown from Iraq in accordance with set timelines, and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown. To evaluate these efforts GAO reviewed documents and interviewed officials from over 20 DOD organizations in the U.S., Kuwait, and Iraq. GAO makes several recommendations to the Secretary of Defense regarding operational planning, the management and transition of contracts, the cost and benefits of transitioning contracts, contract oversight, and DOD's plans for the disposition of equipment. DOD concurred with all but one of GAO's recommendations. GAO revised the last recommendation accordingly.

The U.S. and Iraq have signed a Security Agreement calling for the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq. Multi-National Force-Iraq has issued a plan for the reduction of forces to 50,000 U.S. troops by Aug. 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of forces by the end of 2011. The drawdown from Iraq includes the withdrawal of 128,700 U.S. troops, over 115,000 contractor personnel, the closure or transfer of 295 bases, and the retrograde of over 3.3 million pieces of equipment. This statement focuses on: (1) the extent to which the DoD has planned for the drawdown in accordance with timelines set by the Agreement and presidential directive; and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown in accordance with established timelines. Illus.

The redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq, a process the DoD refers to as ¿reposturing,¿ will be a massive and expensive effort. As of March 2008, for ex., there were about 173,000 pieces of equipment in Iraq, worth about $16.5 billion, that will need to be returned to the U.S. The redeployment process following Operation Desert Storm in 1991, a much shorter war, lasted at least 14 months. DoD guidance emphasizes the importance of early planning for this redeployment process. This report examined the: (1) status of logistical planning for reposturing U.S. forces from Iraq and associated assumptions; and (2) extent to which DoD established roles and responsibilities for managing and executing retrograde from Iraq. Illustrations.

The United States and the Government of Iraq have signed a Security Agreement calling for the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq. Predicated on that agreement and U.S. Presidential guidance, Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) has issued a plan for the reduction of forces to 50,000 U.S. troops by August 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of forces by the end of 2011. The drawdown from Iraq includes the withdrawal of approximately 128,700 U.S. troops, over 115,000 contractor personnel, the closure or transfer of 295 bases, and the retrograde of over 3.3 million pieces of equipment. This report focuses on (1) the extent to which the Department of Defense (DOD) has planned for the drawdown in accordance with timelines set by the Security Agreement and presidential directive; and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown in accordance with established timelines.

President Obama has announced that all U.S. combat operations for the war in Iraq-also called Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)-will cease by the end of August 2010. According to the timeline described by Administration officials, the approximately 128,000 U.S. military personnel currently in Iraq would remain there through the Iraqi elections scheduled for January 2010. After that, U.S. forces would decline to no more than 50,000 troops by the end of August 2010. In accordance with the Status of the Forces Agreement signed by Iraq and the United States in November 2008, the remaining 50,000 U.S. troops must leave the country by the end of December 2011. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that to comply with that timeline, the Administration will need to withdraw military personnel from Iraq in two stages: one between the Iraqi election and August 2010, when almost 80,000 U.S. troops would be removed over a period of seven months, and the other before the end of calendar year 2011, when 50,000 troops will need to be withdrawn. CBO estimated two broad categories of costs under the Administration's plan and under several alternatives. Some of those costs-which the Department of Defense (DoD) calls operations costs-including incremental military personnel costs attributable to the war in Iraq and costs for fuel, transportation, and maintenance of equipment in Iraq, would decrease proportionately with the number of service members in the country. Such costs, therefore, would be essentially zero by fiscal year 2013 when, under the Administration's plan, no U.S. forces would remain in Iraq. CBO estimated other costs, for activities that DoD labels "equipment reconstitution," that would not decrease proportionately with the number of troops: costs to repair equipment that is used in the war and returned to the United States and costs to replace equipment lost in the conduct of the war. CBO estimates that costs for operations and equipment reconstitution under the Administration's plan would total $51 billion in 2010 and would decline to $3 billion by 2013.

The United States and the Government of Iraq have signed a Security Agreement calling for the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq. Predicated on that agreement and U.S. Presidential guidance, Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) has issued a plan for the reduction of forces to 50,000 U.S. troops by August 31, 2010, and a complete withdrawal of forces by the end of 2011. The drawdown from Iraq includes the withdrawal of approximately 128,700 U.S. troops, over 115,000 contractor personnel, the closure or transfer of 295 bases, and the retrograde of over 3.3 million pieces of equipment. This report focuses on (1) the extent to which the Department of Defense (DOD) has planned for the drawdown in accordance with timelines set by the Security Agreement and presidential directive; and (2) factors that may impact the efficient execution of the drawdown in accordance with established timelines.