Security Assistance; and Logistics - Federation of American Scientists

Observation 12. Iraqi Funding for Life SupportFunctions in the Iraqi MilitaryThe transition of the Iraqi Army to self-reliance in December 2007 appeared to be underfunded.The MoD had not provided Iraqi Location Command military bases with anOperations & Maintenance budget that covered the cost of life support issues (food,water, housing, sanitation). Rather, it had relied on a system whereby life support costswere included in an additional stipend in the payroll for the soldiers, which Iraqi Armyunits stationed at the base would provide to the base commander. This stipend appearedto be incapable of meeting the life support needs.Because the Iraqi life support self reliance policy was implemented without sufficientbase operating funding, the Location Commands that oversee the base support functionshave been unable to provide for some basic services. Units that were supposed to besupported by the Location Commands were either going without certain basic services orwere making up the shortfall with their own funds or other alternative means.Shortfalls in base operating support have negatively impacted operational units and havedetracted from their ability to perform their primary mission.Applicable CriteriaDoD Directive 3000.05. DoDD 3000.05, “Military Support for Stability, Security,Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations,” November 28, 2005, providesguidance on stability operations that will evolve over time as joint operating concepts,mission sets, and lessons learned develop and establishes DoD policy and assignsresponsibilities within the DoD for planning, training, and preparing to conduct andsupport stability operations.Iraqi Army Life Support FunctionsIn 2006, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense took over life support functions for the Iraqi Armyfrom the Coalition Forces. By doing so, the Iraqi government became responsible forsuch life support services as providing food, water, cleaning, supplies, security, facilitiesand equipment maintenance, morale items, sanitation and waste removal, and mortuaryservices for more than 130,000 Iraqi Soldiers. To fulfill those responsibilities, the MoDhad funded and executed contracts for the Iraqi Army’s life support operations.By 2007, the Ministry of Defense, dissatisfied with the process and cost of contracting forfood services, suspended contracting for life support services for the Iraqi Army. Instead,the MoD implemented a Life-Support Self-Reliance program for military foodpreparation and services. 21 The MoD provided initial funding to Divisional Commandersto procure basic equipment and establish local food vendor support.21 The MoD’s LSSR initiative removed food services from the mission of the Location Commands, but theresponsibilities for other basic services remained. The Location Commands were still tasked with providing89