General and Flag Officer Costs: Annual Cost estimates for General and Flag Officers and Supporting Personnel

This report provides cost estimates for direct and indirect costs associated with general and flag officers GFOs generally and for specific positions in support of the Secretary of Defenses congressional reporting requirement as required by section 596 of the2019 National Defense Authorization Act NDAA. RAND Corporation researchers developed a framework for calculating direct and indirect costs associated with GFOs. The framework uses existing administrative data where possible to facilitate future cost calculation while remaining consistent with the NDAA and the recommendations of the December 2017 report Defining General and Flag Officer Costs by the Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Our analysis took place between November 2018 and September 2019 and required collaboration with and support from offices across the U.S. Department of Defense DoD, the services, and the Joint Staff. Cost estimates reflect assigned GFO positions at the end of fiscal year 2018. Future costs will change as assigned GFO positions and mission demands change. This report is intended for a broad audience but was written for Congress and readers with a general background on DoD personnel and manpower management issues.