National Defense

National Defense
Author: U S Government Accountability Office (G
Publisher: BiblioGov
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2013-06
Genre:
ISBN: 9781289005825

The Department of Defense (DOD) operates about 90 commercial and industrial military support activities, excluding shipyards. To determine the need for and the cost of a military presence, GAO made a case study at the Naval Weapons Support Center, Crame, Indiana. Only 23 or about one-third of the 68 military personnel were doing center-related work or were working for other military activities. The remaining 45, plus 10 civilians, were providing support services for the military complement, such as food and housekeeping, recreation, commissary and exchange stores, and health care. The Navy could not explain how the requirements for the center's military personnel were established and the number of military personnel generally exceeded authorized levels. DOD policy for staffing support activities has not been fully implemented at the center. The need for and assignment of military personnel to Crane were questioned since extensive welfare and recreation costs have been generated which would not otherwise have occurred. Because the center's functions are primarily industrial, managing them does not require military personnel. The required skilled people can be found in either the public or private sector.

Linkages

Linkages
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 94
Release: 2006-01-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309100348

Over the past two decades, the Department of Defense has been moving toward commercial-military integration for manufacturing, while at the same time, the printed circuit board industry has been moving steadily offshore. Today, many in DoD, the U.S. Congress, and the federal government lack a clear understanding of the importance of high-quality, trustworthy printed circuit boards (PrCBs) for properly functioning weapons and other defense systems and components. To help develop this understanding, DOD requested the NRC to identify and assess the key issues affecting PrCBs for military use. This report presents a discussion of how to ensure DOD's access to reliable printed circuits; an assessment of its vulnerability to the global printed circuit supply chain; and suggestions about ways to secure the design and manufacture of printed circuits. In addition, this report offers recommendations to help DoD (1) preserve existing systems' capabilities, (2) improve the military's access to currently available PrCBs, and (3) ensure access to future PrCB technology. The recommendations reflect the need to achieve these goals at reasonable cost and in concert with evolving environmental regulations.