Commanders and managers in the Defense Department will get new to-do lists soon. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said they would play a key role in making the department audit ready. He delivered his message via video to 240 senior officials at a town hall meeting in Washington.

It was part of a new education effort to reach Defense employees who don't manage the books for a living. They will get new checklists for accounting transactions.

Leaders said the department also would pay for independent audits as needed.

A 2010 law requires DoD to be audit ready by 2017. The department wants to achieve partial status in two years.

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