Selective Service; cost and Implications of Two Alternatives to the Present System.
Abstract
This report responds to your requests that we review the Selective Service System's (sss) draft registration program and other selected alternatives. We reviewed two alternatives, suspending active registration and placing the agency in "deep standby." A suspended registration alternative would eliminate the current requirement for men between the ages of 18 and 26 to register for a possible military draft. Under this alternative, most of sss' infrastructure would remain intact-including a significant portion of its staff and all of its local, district appeal, civilian review, and national boards. The "deep standby" alternative would suspend registration, reduce a substantial portion of the workforce, and disband the local, district appeal, civilian review, and national boards. Between 1976 and 1980, sss operated in a deep standby posture similar to the one detailed above. We reviewed the organization and costs of the current program, and agency estimates of the comparative costs and organizational structure changes of the two alternatives Further, assuming implementation of either of the two alternatives, we obtained estimates on how quickly and at what cost SSs could be returned to its present posture and a draft conducted upon mobilization. Ultimately, any decision to change -sss would require policy judgments that involve other considerations, some of which cannot be quantified, in addition to cost and time required to respond to a national emergency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA329393
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office