Special operations forces: additional oversight could help mitigate high-risk training accidents : report to the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate / United States Government Accountability Office.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office, author, issuing body.

Contributor:

United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services, sponsoring body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

U.S. Special Operations Command--Rules and practice.

U.S. Special Operations Command.

Special forces (Military science)--Training of--United States--Management.

Special forces (Military science).

Accidents--Prevention.

Accidents.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (iii, 51 pages) : color illustrations, color photographs

Other Title:

GAO-25-106321 Special operations forces

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, 2024.

Summary:

SOF personnel prepare to accomplish challenging missions by performing high-risk training activities. However, serious accidents involving SOF personnel have raised questions about the safety of these activities. This report examines trends from fiscal years 2012 through 2022 in reported on- duty, non-combat accidents, including training accidents, involving SOF personnel. The report also describes GAO's assessment of the extent to which (1) SOCOM has developed an approach to effectively oversee SOF high-risk training, and (2) the SOF service components have addressed SOCOM's oversight requirements for high-risk training. GAO is making six recommendations including that SOCOM analyze safety data to identify high-risk training areas, re- evaluate its training assessment program, and establish milestones for the four SOF service component commands to complete updates to their policies that include SOCOM's high-risk training oversight requirements.

Contents:

Background

GAO analysis shows most reported non-combat accidents involving SOF personnel occurred during training and were caused by human error

SOCOM has not performed key analysis and completed observations to effectively oversee its high-risk training program

SOF service components have not yet fully implemented SOCOM's oversight requirements for high-risk training

Conclusions

Recommendations for executive action

Agency comments

Appendices.

Notes:

"November 2024."

"GAO-25-106321."

In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Catalog and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (GAO, viewed November 25, 2024).

OCLC:

1473348967