Examination of the Marine Operating and Support Information System (MOSIS) as aMechanism for Linking Resources to Readiness for Marine Operating Forces

摘要

Continued downsizing efforts have imposed increasingly stringent restrictions onDepartment of Defense budgetary resources. Program and activity managers are expected to justify their budgets based on well defined quantitative measures of performance, activity level and readiness. This thesis examines the resources to readiness issues in DoD, specifically focusing on Marine Corps Operating Forces. Additionally, this thesis evaluates the Visibility and Management of Operating and Support Costs (VAMOSC) program as a mechanism for analyzing detailed operating and support cost data in order to relate resources to readiness. DoD's VAMOSC program as a whole as well as the individual Service's VAMOSC systems are described. The Marine Operating and Support Information System (MOSIS), which incorporates Marine ground combat systems into Navy VAMOSC, is evaluated with regards to its contribution to cost analysis. Currently, the MOSIS database is limited in the number of weapon systems on which it collects data and the OS cost categories it covers. In addition, it lacks critical operating tempo data needed to conduct useful cost analysis. This makes it extremely difficult to currently develop cost factors that can be effective in the formulation and justification of budgets. Ongoing efforts to expand MOSIS have the potential to enhance analysis of resources to readiness issues.