Warfighter Support Cultural Change Needed To Improve How Dod Plans For And Manages Operational Contract Support

Warfighter Support: Cultural Change Needed to Improve How DoD Plans for and Manages Operational Contract Support

For decades, the DoD has relied on contractors to support contingency operations and recognizes them as part of the total force. In Iraq and Afghanistan contractor personnel now outnumber deployed troops. In Iraq more than 95,000 DoD contractors support 92,000 troops, and in Afghanistan more than 112,000 DoD contractors support approx. 94,000 troops. DoD anticipates that the number of contractors will grow in Afghanistan as the dept. increases its troop presence in that country. Several long-standing challenges have hindered DoD¿s ability to manage and oversee contractors at deployed locations. This testimony addresses the extent to which DoD has institutionalized operational contract support. Illustrations.

Warfighter Support

Contractors provide a broad range of support to U.S. forces deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, with the number of contractors at times exceeding the number of military personnel in each country. The DoD has acknowledged shortcomings in how the role of contractors was addressed in its planning for Iraq and Afghanistan. This report assesses DoD's development of contract support plans. It examines: (1) what progress DoD has made in developing operational contract support annexes for its operation plans; (2) the extent to which contract requirements are included in other sections of operation plans; and (3) DoD's progress in establishing a long-term capability to include operational contract support requirements in operation plans. Charts and tables.

Operational Contract Support