Summary: In response to a congressional request, GAO provided staffing data for Department of Defense (DOD) top-management headquarters organizations for the years 1975 through 1983.
In fiscal year (FY) 1982, DOD top-management headquarters organizations had a staff of 17,764 civilian and military personnel. In FY 1975, it had a total of 17,833 personnel. GAO found that the ratio of civilian and military personnel in DOD top-management headquarters organizations to DOD total civilian and military personnel has remained relatively constant. During this same period, the ratio of personnel within individual top-management headquarters organizations to the DOD total number of headquarters personnel was also relatively constant. The total number of civilians in top-management headquarters organizations decreased between FY's 1975 and 1978, but it increased by about 16 percent between FY's 1980 and 1982. However, the civilian percentage of the total number of personnel in top-management headquarters organizations declined through FY 1981 and increased slightly in FY 1982. The total top-management headquarters staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Navy and Marine Corps in FY 1982 was higher than the staffing levels in FY 1975. However, the Army and Air Force showed overall declines in the total number of top-management staff.
