GAO Report Calls on DOD to Address $285 B Maintenance Backlog

The Government Accountability Office released a report assessing the Department of Defense's installation maintenance program and issuing 13 recommendations that bind the Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment, and the secretaries of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force. The report finds the department's real-property portfolio - over 736,000 facilities valued at $2.6 trillion - faces an estimated $285 billion maintenance backlog in fiscal year 2025.

GAO notes DOD set a goal to fund 90 percent of identified maintenance needs, yet the services collectively funded only about 80 percent. The shortfall leaves critical repairs deferred, exposing missions and personnel quality of life to risk. The agency has not fully quantified those risks or communicated them to Congress, limiting informed budget decisions.

The report also highlights persistent maintenance-workforce shortages. Hiring and retaining skilled staff is hampered by remote locations, competition with the private sector and recent federal hiring freezes. DOD has not comprehensively identified the scope of these shortages nor developed service-wide strategies to address them.

Data reliability and standardization are further concerns. Maintenance work-order systems vary across services, and the data they generate are often unreliable for assessing overall effectiveness. Without consistent standards for timeliness, quality and customer satisfaction, department-wide prioritization remains weak.

Of the 13 recommendations, DOD concurs with seven, partially concurs with five and non-concurs with one, while noting ongoing actions to address several items. GAO urges full implementation, including risk assessments for under-funded projects, workforce-shortage mitigation plans, improved data accuracy, and strengthened oversight through annual performance reporting.