Summary: Except for reversing a decline in enrollments and eliminating duplicate physical examinations, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not corrected many Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) management problems discussed by GAO in a 1973 report. GAO interviewed program managers in headquarters, DOD, the services, and the commands responsible for implementing the program which developed out of the 1973 report.
The services continue to retain ROTC units which are considered "unproductive" (having too few students in relation to cost) and vague and subjective considerations are still used to avoid closing such units. All three services use enlisted personnel to provide ROTC support which could be performed by civilians at reduced cost. Lacking a uniform cost reporting system, the services continue to report ROTC costs by using inconsistent data which cannot be used for effective management. The services have finally agreed on a legislative proposal to recover educational expenses from the thousands on ROTC scholarships who drop out of the program without incurring any active duty obligation.
