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By: FEDweek StaffSpecial operations troops could be hindered by unclear data from their command and control structures, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Remediating this situation is more important than ever, GAO stated in a report published this month, because U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has both increased in strength and has assumed a larger role in addressing “the nation’s most complex and sensitive security challenges.”
While the Defense Department collects and distributes significant amounts of relevant data for special-operations missions, GAO said that the information does not use standard terminology. Nor is it “complete and readily available” for those who are deployed.
The government’s top watchdog agency did credit USSOCOM for the way it addressed sizing needs, training and preparedness, and staffing, but added it is too early to tell how effective these changes have been.
Oversight of command and control (C2) structures, however, could be strengthened by incorporating more standard terminology, GAO said.
“There is not a consistent way to determine if the composition of SOF C2 structures across the enterprise and maintain accountability of personnel,” the report said. “Additionally, the decentralized data collected by the SOF C2 structures may not be maintained.”
GAO recommended that leadership from USSOCOM and the Pentagon’s office of Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict develop and use standardized and consistent terminology. The agency also advised the command, its service components, and the DoD low-intensity conflict office to “establish a centralized data collection mechanism or process.”
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