As we and others have observed for several years, notwithstanding the emergence of adversaries that can use chemical and biological weapons, the fielding of collective protection equipment at both critical overseas fixed facilities and major expeditionary warfighting assets remains limited and inconsistent. Assessing the need and priority for such equipment is difficult because of the significant uncertainties in the intelligence about the nature of the chemical and biological threat. While the intelligence community recognizes the need to assess and communicate these uncertainties about the chemical warfare threat, this information has not been available to the agencies that need it. Specifically, the intelligence community, under the leadership of the Director of National Intelligence, has not been able to complete an up-to-date National Intelligence Estimate on chemical warfare in part due to changing assessment and communication policies, as well as issues surrounding the basis or evidence for the assessments. In our view, an updated chemical warfare National Intelligence Estimate is needed to provide a critical input and basis for decisions on investments in chemical warfare defenses, including collective protection. Uncertainty about the threat can lead to resources being invested in assets where they may not be needed. Conversely, not providing collective protection where it may be needed can place military personnel and operations at increased risk. In addition, allowing the current fragmented and disjointed framework for managing installation protection policies to continue without agreed-upon priorities for funding or clear requirements and service guidance on the appropriate use of collective protection, further increases the likelihood that limited DOD resources will be used inefficiently and ineffectively.