Audit of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease–2019 on Basic Training
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Report No. DODIG-2021-069 CUI U.S. Department of Defense InspectorMARCH 31, 2021 General Audit of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease–2019 on Basic Training Controlled by: DoD OIG Controlled by: Readiness and Global Operations CUI Category: Operational Security Information Distribution/Dissemination Control: FED ONLY POC: INTEGRITY INDEPENDENCE EXCELLENCE CUI CUI CUI WORKING DRAFT CUI Audit of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease–2019 Resultson Basic Training in Brief March 31, 2021 Background (cont’d) Objective training center and all of the basic training centers for the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. The six basic training The objective of this audit was to determine centers selected for review were: whether the DoD established and the Military • U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, Services implemented procedures to prevent South Carolina; and reduce the spread of coronavirus disease–2019 (COVID-19) at their basic • Marine Corps Recruit Depots, Parris Island, Backgroundtraining centers. South Carolina, and San Diego, California; • Navy Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois; and COVID-19 is an infectious disease that • Air Force Basic Training Center Joint Base can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms. San Antonio–Lackland, Texas and Keesler On March 11, 2020, the World Health Air Force Base, Mississippi. Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak Finding a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the President declared the COVID-19 pandemic a Despite the challenges with the global pandemic, the DoD national emergency. COVID-19 can transmit and Military Services established procedures to prevent and from person to person within 6 feet when reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, we determined an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. that the Military Services did not fully implement the Basic training is the initial period of training procedures at six basic training centers. Specifically, the for new military recruits. During basic training personnel at the six locations reported that they training, recruits obtain instruction that had challenges with: teaches military principles while preparing • implementing DoD and Military Service-specific them for their careers. Disease outbreaks, guidance issued to prevent and reduce the spread such as COVID-19, can occur while recruits of COVID-19; live in close quarters during training. • the screening and testing of training personnel; Each Military Service develops and • practicing preventive measures, such as wearing executes its own basic training program face masks, washing hands, cleaning common areas, at training centers across the United States. and enforcing social distancing (6-feet); and To determine whether the Military Services • maintaining the quality of recruit training due followed guidance and implemented to basic training modifications. procedures to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, we selected six basic training (CUI) As a result, the potential for positive COVID-19 cases centers to review: the Army’s largest basic among recruits and training personnel may increase. From January through August 2020, CUI i DODIG-2021-069 (Project No. D2020-D000RL-0118.000) │ CUI Audit of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease–2019 Resultson Basic Training in Brief Finding (cont’d) Management Actions Taken (CUI) of 99,106 recruits and of 6,007 training personnel at the six basic training centers tested positive for COVID-19. Any positive COVID-19 In response to the draft report, the Military Services’ case could impact the life and safety of military training commands provided documentation that personnel and their families, as well as the DoD’s outlined actions taken during the audit that addressed ability to accomplish its mission. several recommendations made in a draft of this Recommendations report. If the documentation showed that the Military Services’ training commands took action before the issuance of a draft of this report, December 7, 2020, we We recommend that the U.S. Army Training and considered those actions as actions taken during the Doctrine Command, Marine Corps Training and audit. Specifically, the Army developed procedures to Education Command, Naval Education and Training ensure compliance with the screening and testing of Command, Naval Service Training Command, and recruits and training personnel and the use of cleaning Air Education and Training Command develop supplies necessary for basic training. In addition, the procedures to ensure compliance with the Army and Marine Corps identified additional training implementation of COVID-19 guidance at basic personnel requirements needed to support COVID-19 training centers. procedures. The Navy developed screening and testing procedures for recruits and training personnel. We recommend that the Marine Corps Training and The Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force used lessons Education Command and Air Education and Training learned to ensure compliance with the use of personal Command develop procedures to ensure compliance protective equipment. with requirements for the screening and testing of Management Comments recruits and training personnel. and Our Response We recommend that the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command develop procedures to ensure compliance with the proper use of personal protective As a result of management comments and supporting equipment (PPE). documentation, we revised and renumbered the We recommend that the Marine Corps Training and recommendations to acknowledge management actions Education Command, Naval Education and Training taken during the audit. We deleted the U.S. Army Command, Naval Service Training Command, and Training and Doctrine Command, Marine Corps Air Education and Training Command develop Training and Education Command, Naval Education procedures to ensure compliance with proper use and Training Command, Naval Services Training of cleaning supplies necessary for basic training. Command, and Air Education and Training Command from Draft Report Recommendations 1.b, 1.c, We recommend that the Naval Education and and 1.d, and renumbered these recommendations Training Command, Naval Service Training Command, as Recommendations 2, 3, 4, and 5. and Air Education and Training Command assess manpower requirements for training personnel to ensure compliance with COVID-19 procedures and take appropriate action. CUI ii │ DODIG-2021-069 (Project No. D2020-D000RL-0118.000) CUI Audit of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease–2019 Resultson Basic Training in Brief Comments (cont’d) The Commanding General, U.S. Army Center of Initial for the Commander, Naval Education and Training Military Training, U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command, agreed with the recommendation to assess Command, agreed with the recommendation to ensure manpower requirements. The comments addressed the proper use of PPE and partially agreed with the recommendation. The recommendation is resolved but recommendation to implement COVID-19 guidance will remain open. We will close this recommendation at basic training centers. The Commanding General’s once management provides documentation that the comments addressed both recommendations and actions have been completed. The Inspector General provided documentation of the actions taken to did not agree with the recommendation to implement implement them. Both recommendations are closed. COVID-19 procedures at basic training centers but the comments addressed the recommendation and The Audit Coordination and Liaison Head, Marine Corps, management provided documentation of actions taken. responding for the Executive Deputy, Marine Corps Therefore, the recommendation is closed. Training and Education Command, agreed with the recommendations to implement COVID-19 procedures The Deputy Commander, Air Education and Training at basic training centers, ensure compliance with Command, partially agreed with the recommendations screening and testing, and ensure compliance with to implement COVID-19 procedures at basic training proper use of cleaning supplies. The comments centers, ensure compliance with screening and testing, addressed all recommendations. The recommendations ensure compliance with proper use of cleaning supplies, are resolved but will remain open. We will close and assess manpower training personnel requirements. those recommendations once management provides However, the comments addressed the recommendations documentation that the actions have been completed. and management provided documentation of actions taken. Therefore, the recommendations to implement The Inspector General, Naval Education and Training COVID-19 guidance and screen and test recruits and Command, responding for the Commander, Naval training personnel are closed. The two remaining Education and Training Command, agreed with the recommendations are resolved, but will remain open. recommendation to ensure compliance with the proper We will close the recommendations once management use of cleaning supplies. The comments addressed the provides documentation that the actions have recommendation. The recommendation is resolved but been completed. will remain open. We will close this recommendation once management provides documentation that the Please see the Recommendations Table on the next actions have been completed. The Inspector General, page for the status of recommendations. Naval Education and Training Command, responding CUI iii DODIG-2021-069 (Project No. D2020-D000RL-0118.000) │ CUI Recommendations Table Recommendations Recommendations Recommendations Management