I really doubt that it’s #1. The motivated and smart people all go for the combat services, because that’s what they WANT to do. What we need is a civilian acquisition corps in the DoD–but to do that, we need for the services to admit that there’s a world beyond the USAF/USN/USA/USMC. Good luck with THAT.

It doesn’t help that when a long-time service member transfers his knowledge and experience to a contractor, we’re told that it’s just another money-grubbing pork addict feathering his own comfy bed at the poor broke-down taxpayer’s expense.

Why is the DoD so incapable of getting anyrhing accomplished effectively and efficiently? The last time it was able to that I recall is the F-117 program. Credit the AF and Lockheed for that success story. Contrast that to the Boeing program that received $1 billion to build two new spysats that only flew into the shredded sat recycle dumpster behind their production facility.

Happy Birthday tomorrow.

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

Although congress has to share the blame for the current mess the military is not blameless. The careerism that call for two year tours and moving is destructive at all levels of the military from Company Commanders to Battalion Commanders, Regimental commanders etc. At he staff officer levels it is little more then a revolving door, with officers jumping from job to job, solely for the benefit of a new mentor for their careers, sometimes with only a few months on their previous job.

I would thing that one solution to this problem is a min. of four years in a command slot and three years in a staff assignment before a transfer would be considered and retirement of 07 or higher of officers at 65. Set the only permanent rank for retirement before 65 as 06. General/Admiral who put in for retirement before reaching 65, in effect all Flag officers would be brevet officers. If they chose to retire before age 65 would have his/her retirement pay reverted to 06.

There are solutions to these problems but with Congressmen like John Murtha and an entrenched system of promotions, nothing will ever get done. Even in time of war to many if not most military officers their own career is out above duty, honor and country.

To Cynical Employee, it is regrettable that you had to lose your job especially after so long of a run at NG. I would say that you are the victim of several things including a buy out by a venture capital group who could care less about national defense and more about return on equity, and unfortunately older longer serving employees such as yourself earn more money, it is unlikely that any consideration at all was given to you experience or depth of knowledge, and thus are the first cost cuts. The big losers of course are the American people and the taxpayer. Good Luck in finding another job.

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

Let’s see separating manufactures of weapon systems form owning think tanks that are little more then thinly disguised lobbyists to Congress and the DoD.

The ultra secret NRO is surly big enough to have its own staff of experts on the public payroll that know what their project needs are and the state of technology. If outside consulting is required that certainly should come from a company that doesn’t have a vested interested in any future contracts to produce hardware, software. courseware or any other purchased services or products.

Did I miss something here, why is this not good?

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner