Publicly Released: September 20, 2023
Objective
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Army’s administration and oversight of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) V contract in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) was performed in accordance with applicable Federal and DoD policies. This report focuses on Ukraine-specific LOGCAP V services performed at Jasionka Airport and Mielec Forward Operating Site (FOS) in Poland; however, the report also discusses some LOGCAP V services supporting enduring missions.
Background
LOGCAP is a program designed to provide support and services during peacetime and for deployed forces supporting combatant command missions. In April 2019, the U.S. Army Sustainment Command–Rock Island selected four contractors for its $82 billion LOGCAP V services contract to support the U.S. Military worldwide.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the DoD deployed thousands of additional troops to Europe. To account for Ukraine-specific costs for LOGCAP V, the Army contracting office awarded the Assure and Deter task order that provides base and sustainment support for troop increases to certain European countries, including Poland.
Finding
Army contracting officials did not provide effective contract oversight of Ukraine-specific LOGCAP V services in southeast Poland. Specifically, for the Assure and Deter task order, officials from the 409th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB) did not:
- designate a contracting officer’s representative (COR) to perform oversight of high-risk airfield operations at Jasionka Airport because U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF), as the requiring activity, did not identify a COR in a timely manner; or
- ensure that assigned CORs conducted consistent surveillance of the LOGCAP V services at Mielec FOS because the 409th CSB did not conduct surveillance in accordance with its Quality Assurance Plan and Standard Operating Procedures.
In addition, officials from the 405th Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) did not conduct timely quarterly reviews to address contractor performance concerns. Officials from the 405th AFSB stated that this occurred because they did not have sufficient staff, and there was insufficient time to train current staff on conducting the reviews.
Although our audit scope focused on the Assure and Deter task order, we identified similar oversight issues and concerns with LOGCAP V services in other parts of Europe for the Enduring Missions task order, which supports the overall USEUCOM missions that existed before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Recommendations
We recommend that the 409th CSB Commander develop and implement a process to continuously track COR coverage for all LOGCAP V services in USEUCOM and designate CORs as applicable, and implement requirements from the 409th CSB Quality Assurance Plan for tracking completion of COR monthly surveillance, and ensuring quality assurance specialist personnel review and approve COR monthly surveillance reports.
We recommend that the Commander, Army Sustainment Command, develop and implement a process to continuously track performance management reviews to ensure reviews occur within 30 business days after each quarter, or more frequently if needed, for the LOGCAP V contract.
Management Comments and Our Response
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), responding for the Commander, 409th CSB, and the Commander, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, agreed with the recommendations and described actions taken or planned to resolve or close all the recommendations. Two recommendations are resolved but will remain open, and one recommendation is closed. W e w ill close the t wo open recommendations once we verify that the information provided and actions taken fully address the recommendations.
This report is a result of Project No. D2022-D000RH-0122.000.