A new chapter after six decades

This July 1, the Defense Contract Audit Agency celebrates 60 years of auditing and financial advisory excellence with the beginning of a new decade of service. Before DCAA was established, each military branch conducted its own contract audits, each using different standards and procedures. This resulted in a duplicative and inefficient system that needed change. The DoD conducted a comprehensive review and created a solution that promoted consistency and efficiency. The solution was to consolidate all contract audit functions into one agency and on July 1, 1965, the Defense Contract Audit Agency officially opened its doors.

The earliest DCAA auditors worked with paper, pencils, calculators, and general ledgers to merge three distinct audit organizations into a single unified mission to support the DoD and the Warfighter. These pioneers were future focused and created flexible auditing principles that could adapt to the times. Thanks to their forward thinking, today’s auditors are empowered to succeed in a dynamic and technology-driven environment.  

DCAA has come a long way in 60 years and continues evolving to properly support the DoD and the Warfighter. This year marks another important part of that journey. This anniversary, DCAA retires the Corporate Audit Directorate (CAD) and regional structure and introduces a new model to better serve the mission. The Land, Sea and Air Directorates are aligned with the military’s major buying commands and reflect DCAA’s focus on excellence, efficiency and cost savings.

• The Land Directorate is mission focused on liaison with Army Buying Commands and the major corporations that manufacture land systems.
• The Sea Directorate is responsible for liaison with Naval Sea Systems Command and the major corporations operating shipyards.
• The Air Directorate works closely with Air Force Buying Commands and major corporations that manufacture Aircraft and space systems.

This strategic shift reflects DCAA’s continuing commitment to best serve the mission both in the present and the future. It further strengthens the relationship between DCAA and the Warfighter the work directly supports. This anniversary is more than a new decade of contract auditing and advisory services; it’s a reminder of DCAA’s commitment to support the Warfighter and protect the taxpayer.