Although JIEDDO spends more than $4 billion annually under these three lines of operation and reports significant progress, this study concludes that it is not clear how well the organization is accomplishing its mission. Our findings include:
♦ JIEDDO is supposed to be the focal point for all Department of Defense actions to defeat IEDs; however, JIEDDO does not actively lead all DOD C-IED efforts.
♦ JIEDDO relies on certain C-IED statistics to justify its claims of success; however, these metrics do not effectively capture or accurately reflect its performance.
♦ One of JIEDDO’s strengths is its large budget and flexible appropriations; however, considering the substantial appropriations JIEDDO receives, additional oversight would serve the mission and the nation well.
♦ The Department quickly turned an ad hoc Army Task Force into today’s multibillion dollar JIEDDO; however, despite the recent decision to institutionalize the organization, questions concerning JIEDDO’s future remain. For instance, some believe JIEDDO’s “laser-like” focus on the IED threat is essential, while others suggest that JIEDDO should expand the scope of its mission to counter other asymmetric threats.
This report examines these and other issues surrounding JIEDDO. The Subcommittee offers findings and recommendations to the Department of Defense as it continues its battle to protect service members from IEDs—the number one combat killer in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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