Congress: The Schizophrenic Conscience of Defense Acquisition.
Abstract
Much has been written in recent years regarding the inept practices employed in defense acquisition programs. Beginning in the early 1970s with the notorious cost overruns the C-5A, it has become increasingly fashionable for Congress and the media to point their repective fingers at the military men and women who are charged with the responsibility of turning tax dollars into weapons. DoD has repeatedly attempted to improve its management of acquisition programs on its own initiative and by implementing Congressional legislation such as the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act. Congress, on the other hand, has not been widely criticized for its inconsistent behavior with regard to defense acquisition. While the media has repeatedly targeted the military for its inept management, the evolution of Congressional micromanagement of defense acquisition programs has tied the hands of military acquisition programs and gone relatively unnoticed. This paper is an attempt to describe the difficulties which Congressional micromanagement has created for the defense acquisition establishment in procuring reliable, maintainable, and supportable weapons for the defense of this nation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 23, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA194847
Entities
People
- Joseph M. Tirone
Organizations
- United States Army War College