Resource Allocation: The Department of Defense's Achielle's Heel
Abstract
There have been no less that 6 attempts by the civilian leadership to assist the military in their organizational efforts. Many of these attempts were evolutionary in their making, but all were due to a belief that there was a sense of urgency that the military was either unable or unwilling to police itself in both organization and resource allocation. The Defense Reorganization Act of 1947 was a step in the right direction by combining the two departments, which as a result, also combined the two separate budgets. Unfortunately, the interservice rivalry continued for resources that led to additional amendments and then finally, another major reorganization in 1958. A sense of urgency presented itself the 1980's when the failure of Operation EAGLE CLAW, the attempt to rescue of American hostages in Iran, highlighted a significant problem imbedded in the Department of Defense: the inability of the military services to work effectively together as a joint team while involved in military operations. The resulting corrective action now known as the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (GNA) was passed. Now, 17 years later, the DoD still has some unfinished business from GNA; overhauling the resource allocation process, and it is now more important than ever to ensure the DoD is structured to handle the demands of the 21st century. This paper looks at the history of defense reform/reorganization, the environment since GNA, and how once again the military services are unable to work effectively together as a joint team, only this time with respect to the resource allocation process. It focuses on the JROC's purpose and responsibilities, the PPBS, and finally on the acquisition process and its functionality in light of today's rapidly evolving technology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA424587
Entities
People
- Gary W. Holland
Organizations
- Air University