DoD structures exceed lifespan

Nearly 30 percent of the Defense Department’s roughly 550,000 structures have exceeded their lifespan, according to a new report released Jan. 31 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). At the same time, DoD has a $137B “deferred maintenance backlog.” The report was compiled at the request of the Senate Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, which requested examination of DoD maintenance cost estimates, whether it was receiving enough funding to conduct adequate maintenance, and if it has an established process for managing backlogged maintenance. The report states DoD maintenance estimates … fail to account for sustainment costs associated with aging buildings. An estimated 159,000 facilities maintained by DoD have exceeded their lifespan. As a result, DoD consistently requests and is allocated less funding than necessary to maintain these structures. The Army Corps of Engineers developed the sustainment management system (SMS) in 2013 to replace and standardize multiple DoD methods, with a 2019 target date for completion. DoD now states it will not be fully operational until “at least” 2025, making it difficult for the department to estimate, prioritize and implement maintenance. (Source: GAO 01/31/22) The report does not list all of those DoD structures. Defense Infrastructure: DOD Should Better Manage Risks Posed by Deferred Facility Maintenance | U.S. GAO