Are Purple DoD Civilians in Our Future? Completing the Joint Development on DoD
Abstract
The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 ushered in the era of jointness. It created an environment that promoted joint exchanges, training, and operations. Joint experience became a requirement for senior military leaders who wished to reach the general officer level. This forced exposure throughout the services has fostered an appreciation for each service's unique capabilities as well as the need for the further development of improved interoperable systems and procedures. This is critical in an environment of limited personnel and budgetary constraints. Despite these breakthroughs towards a joint vision for those who serve the military in uniform, the Department of Defense (DoD) civilians who proudly serve were not included in the required push towards joint operations. In addition to joint combat operations, over the past 20 years the military has continued to move forward in the development of joint operations in the areas of logistics, installation management, intelligence, and contracting. However, the structure of the DoD civilian workforce has failed to keep pace. This paper examines the current structure of the DoD civilian workforce, the efforts underway to address many of these shortfalls, and proposals to streamline the workforce to better support the military in the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 09, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449089
Entities
People
- Cynthia A. Crowell
Organizations
- United States Army War College