Defense Nuclear Enterprise: DOD Has Established Processes for Implementing and Tracking Recommendations to Improve Leadership, Morale, and Operations

The Department of Defense (DOD) has identified nuclear deterrence as its highest priority mission. In 2014, in response to several incidents involving the nations nuclear deterrent forces and their senior leadership, the Secretary of Defense directed two reviews of DODs nuclear enterprise. These two reviews identified problems with leadership, organization, investment, morale, policy, and procedures, as well as other shortcomings that are adversely affecting the nuclear deterrence mission. The reviews also made recommendations to address these problems.The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 includes a provision for us to review DODs process for addressing the recommendations of the nuclear enterprise reviews.1 In addition, Senate Report 114-49 includes a provision for us to review certain matters related to DODs approach for addressing the recommendations.2 This report describes the extent to which DOD has established processes to (1) implement the recommendations of the two nuclear enterprise reviews and (2) track the implementation of these recommendations and measure the effectiveness of the actions it has taken to address them. We briefed the congressional defense committees in February 2016. This report formally transmits updated briefing slides regarding the results of our work (see enclosure).