Defense Inventory: DOD Needs Additional Information for Managing War Reserve Levels of Meals Ready to Eat
Abstract
The military services determine their war reserve materiel (WRM) requirements for Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)-managed items based on operational plans that support warfighting scenarios and other inputs such as deployment schedules and equipment-usage data. WRM can include repair parts, construction equipment and supplies, and chemical protection suits, among other items. Service officials stated that changes to troop end strength, force posture, and force structure could over time be reflected in operational plans, but these factors are more long-term influences than the primary drivers of service WRM requirements for DLA-managed items. DLA compares service WRM requirements against its assets to identify the level of available inventory, including any potential inventory shortfalls, and communicates this information to the military services, which use it to inform their procurement decisions. DLA monitors various types of data to manage Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), but it lacks other analysis and information that could be useful for managing this category of WRM. DLA monitors data such as purchases from industry and sales to the military services and currently has a yearly purchase objective of 2.5 million MRE cases. Service officials have expressed concerns that in light of changing needs resulting from budgetary effects and reduced end strengths, it may be difficult for the services to consume MREs in the future at a rate that will prevent disposals due to expiring shelf life. However, DLA has not conducted an analysis of the MRE industry to determine the level of purchases needed annually to sustain the industrial base while retaining the ability to meet a surge in requirements. Without conducting an analysis that provides more information on industry capabilities, DLA does not have reasonable assurance that it is balancing readiness and budget priorities with the need to sustain the industrial base in the most efficient way.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA615740
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office