TY - BOOK ID - 135480773 TI - Military readiness : impact of current operations and actions needed to rebuild readiness of U.S. ground forces : testimony before the Armed Services Committee, House of Representatives AU - Pickup, Sharon L. AU - United States. PY - 2008 PB - [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, DB - UniCat KW - United States KW - Armed Forces KW - Operational readiness. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:135480773 AB - U.S. military forces, and ground forces in particular, have operated at a high pace since the attacks of September 11, 2001, including to support ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Between 2001 and July 2007, approximately 931,000 U.S. Army and Marine Corps service members deployed for overseas military operations, including about 312,000 National Guard or Reserve members. To support ongoing military operations and related activities, Congress has appropriated billions of dollars since 2001, and through September 2007, the Department of Defense (DoD) has reported obligating about $492.2 billion to cover these expenses, of which a large portion are related to readiness. In addition, DOD's annual appropriation, now totaling about $480 billion for fiscal year 2008, includes funds to cover readiness needs. GAO was asked to testify on (1) the readiness implications of DoD's efforts to support ongoing operations; and (2) GAO's prior recommendations related to these issues, including specific actions that GAO believes would enhance DoD's ability to manage and improve readiness. This statement is based on reports and testimonies published from fiscal years 2003 through 2008. ER -