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Valour-IT Challenge: 11 Nov Update
(11 NOV) UPDATE: Final Day for the drive has been pushed to the right — now 12 NOV! While there has been good-natured snarking aplenty between and betwixt the four teams, we still shouldn’t lose sight of what this is all about. Quoted below is a letter received today which elegantly drives the point home. …
Traveling With The Scribe
While WE aren’t with him on this trip, we thought you’d like a little perspective on SJS as lead driver… – SJA #1 & #2 (click on picture to enlarge) You guys are going to be in so much hot water when the boss gets back…. SJA#3
Airplan: 5-11 Sep
Several years back I had the extraordinary privilege to get to know a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack who had been assigned to one of the gun turret crews onboard the USS Nevada (BB-36). As a junior "hinge" (O-4/LCDR) I was both captivated by the re-telling, first hand, of the accounts of that morning, and…
Ouch…
БУДЕТ наукой ракеты! (h/t Exile in Portales)
Perspective…
…at least Blue Ridge’s take on it: Now – about those sonar exercises…
Project VALOUR-IT
So , here’s the deal. We are now about a week out from the start of the Fall 2008 campaign for VALOUR-IT which will run from 28 Oct through Veterean’s Day, 13 Nov. Since nothing breeds success like success – here we are again this year with new goals: This year’s goal is $240K –…
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All kidding aside, what is the decision-making process like for something which is feasible, needed ASAP, and is cost-effecitve? Would the path to a final decision still be so convoluted?
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
I think the first thing would be smelling salts for the procurement officers! I worked in the DOD world many years it’s extremely rare to find all of those in the same package. If it’s needed ASAP it normally costs more, if its feasible we still have to investigate the non-feasible alternatives (sole-source justification), and if it’s cost effective we have to investigate for some months or years to make sure it’s really what they say so that means you can’t get it ASAP. By the time it’s justified, researched and approved it’s no long feasible as there has been a work around found or a new and better technology available.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, sir. Basically, it appears that absolutely no one benefits except, of course, the………..well, I don’t really know what to call them………..paper-pushers who invent these mazes to make something which should be perfwectly clear and easy exceedingly complex!
Well, in the meantime, we “shortest path from A to B” folks must keep plugging away and not become discouraged. Either that or come into a great deal of money so that we may overhaul this process…….it could be done, and that’s not just wishful thinking.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
The system is the system. Many different SecDef’s have tried many different methods of acquisition reform but none has had the kind of impact that would lead to a “sensible” process by your expectations. And don’t forget Congress is involved too, they have to pass TWO bills, one to authorize the budget for purchases and one to FUND that same authorization. Those bills can be seriously different. So even IF there was a fast-track process (which there sorta is but its still slow by civilian standards) the money has to be there from Congress to buy the items or has to be taken (and moved..which requires more paper) from other areas. The areas that lose the $$ can put up a fight within the system or via their CongressCritters. Case in point was body armor and up-armored HUMVEEs for the troops in Iraq, that process kicked off close to 2 yrs ago, Congress gave DoD the money pretty fast and the needs are just now getting filled. You can’t turn the Titanic on a dime.