UNDERSTANDING ACQUISITION: THE COLORS OF MONEY DOD APPROPRIATIONS MAJOR FORCE PROGRAMS


1. STRATEGIC FORCES 2. GENERAL PURPOSE FORCES 3. INTELLIGENCE AND COMMUNICATION 4. MOBILITY FORCES 5. GUARD AND RESERVE FORCES 6. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 7. CENTRAL SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE 8. TRAINING, MEDICAL AND OTHER


9. ADMINISTRATION AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES ∙


10. SUPPORT OF OTHER NATIONS 11. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES


* All percentages are approximate and based on the Army budget request for the 2021 fiscal year ~$178 billion


7% 14% + 1%/−


RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION (RDT&E) appropriations finance efforts in developing equipment, materiel or computer software. They also fund developmental test and evaluation performed by government entities and contractors to develop equipment, materiel or computer application software, which includes operational test and evaluation. RDT&E efforts may include purchases of test articles, weapons, equipment, components and materials. Also included are services to develop and test systems, which could be IT systems or weapon systems. Funds may be used for both investments (e.g., laboratory test equipment) and expenses (e.g., salaries of civilian employees at research and development-dedicated facilities). This category has a two-year obligation life.


70 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2021


PROCUREMENT finances investment items, and covers all costs necessary to deliver a useful item intended for operational use or inventory. Within procurement, there are appropriations accounts that include:


a. Shipbuilding and conversion Navy. b. Aircraft procurement Air Force. c. Missile procurement Army, etc.


Procurement funds are typically used for system acquisition (production), modifications, major service life extension efforts and initial spares, often including costs of fabricating and installation of modifications to existing items, and comprise “investments.” These procurements have a three-year obligation life.


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