Military Operations: The Department of Defense's Use of Solatia and Condolence Payments in Iraq and Afghanistan
Abstract
To assess the extent to which the Department of Defense (DoD) has established guidance for making and documenting solatia and condolence payments in Iraq and Afghanistan and to determine factors commanders consider when deciding whether to make payments and appropriate payment amounts, GAO obtained and reviewed guidance for these payment programs in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003 to the present and assessed changes in guidance over time. GAO also interviewed knowledgeable officials at commands in Afghanistan and Iraq -- including the former Commander of Multinational Corps Iraq -- as well as at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, among other organizations, regarding changes in guidance over time, processes for making and documenting payments, and the tracking and reporting of payment information. Also, GAO interviewed commanders, judge advocates, comptrollers, and civil affairs teams from selected units that were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006 regarding changes in guidance over time, processes for making and documenting payments, and the tracking and reporting of payment information. GAO selected these units for the following reasons: (1) based on their dates and locations of deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan; (2) to ensure that they obtained information from officials at the battalion, brigade, and division levels that had direct experience approving, documenting, and making payments; and (3) because unit officials had not yet redeployed or been transferred to other locations within the United States. Enclosure I describes Scope and Methodology. Enclosure II contains briefing charts for a Briefing to Congressional Requestors on February 28, 2007: "Preliminary Observations on the Department of Defense's Use of Condolence and Solatia Payments in Iraq and Afghanistan." Enclosure III contains comments from the DoD. Enclosure IV contains GAO contact information and staff acknowledgments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA472276
Entities
People
- Alissa Czyz
- Carole F. Coffey
- Jason Pogacnik
- K. N. Harms
- Kelly Baumgartner
- Krislin Bolling
- Marcus L. Oliver
- Ronald La Due Lake
- Sharon L. Pickup
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office