Cost of the Global War on Terrorism
Abstract
Criteria for Obligating GWOT Funds: (1) Contingency funds are to be used to pay for incremental costs -- Defined as "costs that are directly attributable to the [contingency] operation that would not have been incurred if it were not for the operation and are above and beyond baseline training, operations, and personnel costs". (2) Congress provides GWOT funding through supplemental appropriations which are provided directly into service appropriations accounts or in transfer accounts. (3) Once in the service accounts, these funds can be spent on anything that falls within the scope or purpose of those accounts (e.g. personnel and operation and maintenance). (4) GWOT obligations are incurred at dozens of locations: Individual units for many purchases; Major commands for large support categories such as airlift and logistical contracts. (5) At these locations, obligation data is entered into service financial systems and, when deemed to be GWOT related, is coded as in support of GWOT. (6) Data must be cross walked from service accounting categories to GWOT cost report categories. (7) After initial data entry, GWOT obligations are rolled up to higher and higher levels of aggregation and ultimately reported into DOD's monthly terrorist response cost report. (8) Past work has shown that at higher headquarters levels there is little knowledge of what is being bought.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 23, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA448301
Entities
People
- Bruce Brown
- Kurt Burgeson
- Steve Sternlieb
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office