First DoD Reorg Underway; Strategy Boost in Policy

First DoD Reorg Underway; Strategy Boost in Policy

By Colin Clark Thursday, March 26th, 2009 10:03 pm
Posted in Policy

The OSD Policy shop, reflecting its boss’ predilections and intentions, is reorganizing and plans to elevate strategy to one of the top positions reporting to Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michelle Flournoy.

DoDBuzz got a copy of part of a larger briefing Flournoy put together on the direction her very important part of the Pentagon will take. The biggest change is Flournoy’s creation of a new position of deputy undersecretary for strategy, plans and forces. Under that person will be three deputy assistant secretaries, one dealing with strategy, one with plans and one with forces. Given Flournoy’s background as head of strategy under the Clinton Administration the pick for this position will be extremely revealing of her intentions.

Almost as noteworthy as the new deputy undersecretary is the new assistant secretary for global strategic affairs, who will lead three DASDs, one focused on counter-WMD, one on nuclear and missile defense policy, and a third on space and cyber policy.


One of the other interesting changes proposed by Flournoy is that she is making explicit the role of chief of staff in the policy shop, who will be deputy undersecretary of defense for policy integration. Traditionally, someone in the policy shop with very close ties to the Defense Secretary has had a job like this, charged with being the boss’ watchdog and chief implementer. They usually get the tag of “counsellor” to the Defense Secretary.

For several days I’ve tried to get folks in the policy shop to discuss this, but in the interests of greater transparency they have regretfully declined. But there was a short comment in Jim Miller’s written testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Miller, nominated as principal deputy undersecretary for policy, said the changes are “intended to elevate the functions of strategy development and force management to better provide policy guidance…” It’s also meant to enhance oversight of strategic issues such as nuclear deterrence, missile defense and space issues. Not much there to gnaw on so perhaps some of our readers can fill in the gaps.

In his written answers, Miller said Defense Secretary Robert Gates has approved the changes.

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David L. Fowler March 28th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

This looks like another move to put the military chiefs down the chain of command and let civilians dictate battlefield stratigies.

Chief Houston March 29th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

It might be too early to give a prognosis, but, if this is a move toward effectiveness vs. effeciency, then it is overdue. We have got to get ahead of these problems that caused or allowed bad decisions to linger within an operational context. Sometimes to cut heavy grass you have go at it from several directions to clean cut it.
Rummy’s idealism was great, but his attitude was terrible for receiving “outside his loop” feedback, or at least it appeared to me from my limited perspective. Bold direction has to be tempered with quick adjustment skills based on
benchmarks for strategic intervention.

Jack March 29th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Chief Houston, your analysis of Rumsfeld is the best and most succinct I’ve read: “Rummy’s idealism was great, but his attitude was terrible for receiving ‘outside his loop’ feedback,”

My perspective, too, is limited (as you characterized your own) but I sensed Rummy had grand plans for a 22nd-or-23rd Century technological military and he went nutz, trapped in his present timeline.
As a veteran(who grew up as a Military Brat, exposed to many levels of US Military)and father of 2 serving sons (one USAF officer, one — now out & in college –Army enlisted)I found myself in many a family dialogue attempting to “explain” Rumsfeld; I came to despise him(as more of a danger to our nation that even MacNamara proved to be) and considered him, in light of heavy history studies of leadership in many nations (AND viewing him consistently in Press Conferences)as certifiably insane. Not to say, the man can’t recover.
You did him a kind justice and have my admiration for it.

Chief Houston March 31st, 2009 at 10:04 am

Thank you Jack for your insight and feedback. It is up to us older Alpha Dogs, Jack to use this tool with the utmost sincerity and provocational wisdom.

I can only surmise that most of Rumsfeld’s emotional intelligence never left the Carrier deck. It seemed that his pilot superiority complex overshadowed his tactical logic gates leaving his flanks and our flanks exposed.

Our love of this republic, as evidenced by your family commitment and mine are what motivates us to focus and analyse our times in comparison to other eras.

Reactionary rhetoric may have it’s place but, it is limited in solution capability. Deeper thought with expressive activism is one of our best weapons to fight those who might subvert the ideals that our nation bled for in the
past. So I say to you, thank you for your family discussions, for your’s is one of the best examples of “participatory citizenry”

We do not have a choice but to get this era done right, so keep up the good work. So often it is the focus of an issue spoken with clarity that leads to decisive action.

Rock April 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 am

Well folks, get used to more Blackhawks going down, more shipand embassey bombings with not a dam thing being done about attacks on our sovereign soil. Just like Bill only more of it in, well I can’t say it.….……

Grandpa April 2nd, 2009 at 1:00 am

Time to stock up on body bags and toe tags.
We’re gonna need A LOT of both!

ClairemontWhooska April 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 am

i don’t have a clear fix on what the article is about except a beter coordination with advisors specialists and foreign affairs at the Pentagon. Eye worry about whats commin through the front door…and have u ever wondered and of course u have whats slidin under around and through America? America is lambasted as the biggest cocaine consumer nation on earth..but statitics lie..well they can be made to lie. Some of the nastiest axist power nuclear biological and chemical warefare made leaps in WWII. Over 60 years later of WMD evolution and delivery is running non stop. i believe what we have all been seeing there is a conspiracy to break the back of the Yankee green back. There is always the looming threat of a sudden surprise attack, series of attacks that come outta nowhere and a whole dominoe stack begins falling about the world. Every pillar of our country is tested. We have smugglers pushing dope into our country. Citizens with 3k a day coke habits requiring luxuries they are accustomed to requires an empire of cash. Addicts will sell anything out anything. Nazi S.S. books would spell out how to take down a country. The missions to harm a country with a black market underground etc are diabolical. Yes, we do need the cutting edge of satellite technology in control by DOD. Many things can go wrong with politcians barking the shots when they are not well versed on military science. Caution.

Militor April 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am

Why worry about policy when you owe more money than you can pay back in two generations. And who do we owe that money to. 1. Chinese. 2. British.
So tell me how to argue with those people. One of the problems we have now is the Chinese. They refused to agree to the way the USA wanted to adjust the inflation rate of the dollar to yen exchange. The USA basically wanted to screw the Chinese for about a trillion dollars. They wouldn’t sit still for it. The Chinese stopped buying Treasury bonds. And you see what happened. Oh, and the Iraq war ran the bill up too. The Pentagon is run by the creditors. GE Capitol. Bank of Britain, Chase, J.P.Morgan. And a few others. By the way. ONE of GE’s divisions owns BAE. That is who runs the pentagon. US and British corporations. Not the USA.

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