A number of recent and current reports from the Government Accountability Office impact not only the status of performance but also U.S. government policy in the islands of Micronesia.
The GAO is also required to produce reports for the U.S. Congress.
U.S. military performance: The GAO has previously commented on the slow speed of planning to completion at the U.S. Department of Defense, and its various branches of service, and has also mentioned a need for timely reaction to draft reports.
GAO has various reports on Department of Defense weapon systems.
In one annual report in June on DoD’s annual Weapon Systems Replacement GAO said, “While the Department of Defense … plans to invest more than $2 trillion to develop and acquire its costliest weapon programs, it continues to struggle with delivering innovative technologies quickly.”
GAO cited delays affecting various specific programs in its reporting, to include the Missile Defense System (which impacts Guam specifically) and the Air Force’s B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program.
In related news, the U.S. Navy’s Under Secretary Eric K. Raven told the Journal in May, “With respect to the construction, the deputy secretary of defense about four months ago recognized that there was a need for additional coordination not only among the Navy and Marine Corps but with our sister services — the Army and the Air Force — as well as other components of the Department of Defense that have a presence here in Guam, to make sure that we have an integrated plan for achieving the capabilities that we need on Guam.”
Raven said at the time he had two responsibilities. “I’m really focused on installations in Guam and making sure that those can move forward. In my ‘day job’ as under secretary of the Navy, the whole Indo-Pacific region is incredibly important for the Navy and Marine Corps.”
“Whether it’s quality of life or support for our operational forces — how that comes together, really relates to my duties … ,” he told the paper.
Raven resigned in July, effective August. A replacement may not be appointed until after the general election but would be overseen by an official in an acting capacity. No individual has yet been announced. See A man with missions: Navy under secretary shares the road ahead in the May 6 issue of the Journal.
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
U.S. Veteran challenges in the islands are several and are also mirrored nationwide.
In a July report on veteran disability claims, GAO said, “In 2023, the Veterans Benefits Administration processed over 2.2 million claims for disability compensation and provided about $136 billion in benefits to veterans with service-connected disabilities.
“VBA trains thousands of claims processors annually to help them correctly decide veterans' claims. In this testimony, we discuss VBA's progress on our prior recommendations to improve how it plans, designs, implements, and evaluates its training program. As of June 2024, VBA has fully implemented 6 of the 10 recommendations.
“To help ensure the quality of claims decisions for veterans, we will continue monitoring VBA's progress,” the GAO said.
The Department of Defense plays a role in the exit of service members from the armed forces.
In July, the GAO reported, “The Department of Defense's inTransition program assists service members who may need support with mental health services during transitions. It automatically enrolls members transitioning from the military who received mental health or traumatic brain injury care in the year prior to separation. In 2022, inTransition identified 85 percent of its enrollees through its automatic enrollment process (91,224 enrollees). However, GAO found that inTransition does not conduct outreach to these enrollees until two to three months after their separation. This delayed timing may leave a gap in assistance to mental health services during a vulnerable period.”
In related coverage, Juan A. Cruz-Rodriguez, department adjutant of the American Legion Department of Puerto Rico, in San Juan, told the Journal, “Puerto Rico had some success in securing an outpatient clinic for psychiatric cases, eliminating the need for veterans to travel to the continental U.S. for treatment."
However, Cruz-Rodriguez also shared his frustration concerning the slow claim process in Puerto Rico.
Anthony Taijeron, president of HMI Guam, told the Journal in March, We guide our veterans through every step of the process, from creating a VA account, filing the claim, collecting the evidence, partnering with doctors in the community who are veterans to assist with the medical portion, and even after the VA sends a decision, if they need help with an appeal, we coach them through that as well," he said.
During the process, HMI does its best to keep track of how many veterans it assists at every boot camp it holds. From the onset, Taijeron said they were assisting about 20 veterans at each boot camp. Fast forward and the last bootcamp saw just under 100, including their families. He said, " Getting those numbers will be very useful for Guam. The numbers get us a veteran's hospital, more services, and more service providers."
Taijeron said other issues include the situations of veterans in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Philippines are unique and benefits are limited. Those veterans could be assisted through a VA hospital in Guam, he said. In the meantime, such veterans often have to pay out of pocket, he said.
For the same news story, Lt. Governor Joshua F. Tenorio underscored the urgency of shifting decision-making from Hawaii to Guam.
See New year, same-old-story: Veteran challenges continue in the March 4 issue of the Journal. mbj