Military Readiness Briefing Room 

Thank you for your interest in delving more deeply into the unclassified information available to help determine the nature of U.S. military readiness.  Nearly all aspects of military readiness are classified, as most should be; but these public reports speak volumes about our current readiness condition.

Military "Readiness" means being prepared to fight effectively - now, and in the future - with the right people who have the right equipment and the right training to carry out their mission.  How ready we were yesterday determines how well we fight today.  How ready we are to fight today determines how well we fight tomorrow.

NOTE: For information on Congressman Ortiz's Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization/Appropriations requests, please click here.

Context for Understanding Military Readiness for 110th  

Ortiz_Abercrombie legislation addressing Readiness crisis

Unclassified National Intelligence Estimates:

Unclassified NIE - January 2007

Unclassified NIE - July 2007

Unclassified NIE - August 2007

Unclassified NIE - December 2007 

Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports of note: 

Preliminary Observations on the Army's Implementation of Its Equipment Reset Strategies

Improved Oversight and Increased Coordination Needed to Ensure Viability of the Army's Prepositioning Strategy 

National Guard readiness

Equipment shortfalls at critical levels  

Biennial suggestions for Congressional oversight  

Recruitment challenges

DEFENSE LOGISTICS: Army and Marine Corps Cannot Be Assured That Equipment Reset Strategies Will Sustain Equipment Availability While Meeting Ongoing Operational Requirements

SECURING, STABILIZING, AND REBUILDING IRAQ:  Iraqi Government Has Not Met Most Legislative, Security, and Economic Benchmarks

MILITARY TRAINING:  Actions Needed to More Fully Develop the Army's Strategy for Training Modular Brigades and Address Implementation Challenges

STABILIZING IRAQ: DOD Cannot Ensure That U.S.-Funded Equipment Has Reached Iraqi Security Forces

GUARD AND RESERVE PERSONNEL:  Fiscal, Security, and Human Capital Challenges Should be Considered in Developing a Revised Business Model for the Reserve Component

DEFENSE INFRASTRUCTURE:  Actions Needed to Guide DOD's Efforts to Identify, Prioritize, and Assess Its Critical Infrastructure

SECURING, STABILIZING, AND RECONSTRUCTING AFGHANISTAN:  Key Issues for Congressional Oversight

STABILIZING AND REBUILDING IRAQ:  Conditions in Iraq Are Conducive to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Preliminary Observations on Iraqi Security Forces' Logistics and Command and Control Capabilities

STABILIZING IRAQ:  Factors Impeding the Development of Capable Iraqi Security Forces

REBUILDING IRAQ:  Reconstruction Progress Hindered by Contracting, Security, and Capacity Challenges

RESERVE FORCES:  Actions Needed to Identify National Guard Domestic Equipment Requirements and Readiness

Congressional reports:

The Congressional Budget Office contends the troop escalation President Bush announced in Jan 07 would actually require many more troops than the 21,500 he announced. 

Congressional Research Service (CRS) review of "emergency supplemental" submitted to Congress with President's budget

CRS: Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs: FY2007 Appropriations

Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, report to Congress, March 1, 2007

Estimated Costs of U.S. Operations in Iraq

The Possible Costs to the United States of Maintaining a Long-Term Military Presence in Iraq

Replacing and Repairing Equipment Used In Iraq and Afghanistan: The Army's Reset Program

Base Closure Related/BRAC: GAO reports:

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Cost Estimates Have Increased and Are Likely to Continue to Evolve 

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Transfer of Supply, Storage, and Distribution Functions from Military Services to Defense Logistics Agency

DEFENSE INFRASTRUCTURE:  Challenges Increase Risks for Providing Timely Infrastructure Support for Army Installations Expecting Substantial Personnel Growth

MILITARY BASE REALIGNMENTS AND CLOSURES:  Plan Needed to Monitor Challenges for Completing More Than 100 Armed Forces Reserve Centers

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Observations Related to the 2005 Round

MILITARY BASE CLOSURES:  Projected Savings from Fleet Readiness Centers Likely Overstated and Actions Needed to Track Actual Savings and Overcome Certain Challenges