FederalDaily - November 20, 2006
GAO Questions DoD Travel System Savings
The Pentagon’s beleaguered Defense Travel System (DTS) estimate that it would garner $56 million
in savings was based on unreliable information, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said. The
GAO report, dated Nov. 16, looked at two key assumptions used by the Department of Defense (DoD) in
making the annual net savings estimates for its department-wide electronic travel booking system. GAO
said it could not find support for the two cost components which represent the majority of the savings—personnel
savings and reduced commercial travel office (CTO) fees. In regard to the personnel savings, GAO’s
analysis found that the $24.2 million of personnel savings related to the Air Force and the Navy were
not supported. In regard to the CTO fees, the DoD analysis was based on an article in a trade industry
journal—not on information related to DTS, but rather on the experience of one private-sector
company, the report said. In addition, key senators have threatened to unplug the entire DTS, which
suffers from underutilization. To see the GAO report, go to: www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-07-208T
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Lawmaker Urges Troops-to-Teachers Reform
More schools could benefit from a program to help retiring military personnel start second careers
as school teachers under a bill introduced Nov. 15 by Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis. The Troops-to-Teachers
program—originally created in 1994 to help recent military retirees find teaching positions—would
be expanded under Petri’s bill. The Department of Education has narrowly interpreted the law
and restricted participants to teaching in schools with an exceptionally large percentage of students
from low-income families. Under the Petri bill, if there is no such “high-need” school
within 50 miles of a veteran’s home, program participants could then teach in any school receiving
federal Title I funds—which is generally any public school. “My bill ensures that veterans
teach in high-need schools first and foremost, but are not locked out of the program based on the geographic
makeup of their communities,” Petri said. To see more, go to: www.house.gov/petri/press/troops2teachers.htm
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DoD Still Needs To Improve Business Operations
Taxpayer dollars continue to leak out of the Department of Defense (DoD) because its business operations
remain plagued by ineffective performance and inadequate accountability, said a new government report.
The Government Accountability Office report dated Nov. 16 took another look at most of DoD’s
major business operations—identified in earlier GAO reports as responsible for billions of dollars
of waste each year. DoD has taken positive steps and devoted substantial resources toward making improvements,
but still has a long way to go, the report said. Overall progress by area varies widely and huge challenges
remain, the report said. According to the report, until DoD can transform its operations, it will continue
to confront the pervasive, decades-old management problems that cut across all of its major business
areas. “Much work remains for DoD to transform its support infrastructure to adequately fund
and improve operations,” the report said, “and achieve efficiencies while ensuring that
infrastructure costs no longer consume a larger-than-necessary portion of DoD’s budget.” To
see more, go to: www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-07-229T
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