Interesting proposal in the most recent Joint Forces Quarterly centers on abolishing the position of Secretary of Defense and OSD. The full article is here. Salient points include:
What it is all about: Cooking with the Troops is a 501(c)(3) charity that supports U.S. and Allied troops, their families, and caregivers worldwide. Our mission is to provide comfort, nutrition, and hope through four major programs: Food Events provide a culinary change of pace — particularly for the wounded, injured, and ill — to…
From comments posted to an article in Foreign Policy (online) yesterday against changing the USNI’s mission statement: As you are aware, since last summer I have had many misgivings about the direction of our board actions. I was skeptical about the ‘advocacy’ word going into the mission statement from the first. With the way this…
Today’s post examines the first major response at sea, to the invasion by Allied forces on Guadalcanal a couple of days earlier. Our guest author for this article is CDR Bill Bullard, USN. CDR Bullard has just completed his CO tour as the 70th Commanding Officer of Old Ironsides, where Age of Sail…
From the good folks at the Naval Institute:
October 15, 1962: The imagery taken on the 14th of October overflight of Cuba by U-2 reconnaissance aircraft provide the first evidence of deployment by the Soviets of nuclear-capable missiles: More on the story behind the imagery here.
More from Norman Polmar on the USNI: THE NAVAL INSTITUTE IN CRISIS Dear Friends and Colleagues, As you know, the Board of Directors–for now–has withdrawn the proposed change to the mission statement that would have made the Naval Institute an advocacy organization. Unfortunately, the battle is not over. The majority of the Board still seeks…
Comments are closed.
Eliminate the OSD and SecDef – would equal more power to the White House staff, even less chance of differing opinions reaching the President’s ear.
Not if the Service Secretaries were re-instated as full up cabinet members as they were prior to the 1947 National Security Act which created the position of SecDef and OSD organization. Some valid concerns that may be raised by such a move, however, would include JCS morphing into a General Staff, concerns over what to do with the plethora of agencies that operated under SecDef (DIA, MDa, etc.) and their role, or potential role as Combat Support Agencies and, of course, inter-service rivalries, though one can argue that aspect has been and always will be with s in one form or another forever.
The author’s point, if I got it right, was that the current office has ill-served the Presidency since its inception and too often overrides advice and recommendations from the JCS, especially in a time of war.
– SJS
Why should we fear a General Staff? JCS is for all intents and purposes that-without the ability to herd the CINCS. As a result we have a subordinate flag officer being publicly featured at Congressional hearings while his boss is no where to be found.
Maybe the solution is to keep Secdef and reform the COCOM system. Also a 30% cut in the number of flag officers across the board would be a good thing.
Everyone else is being downsized, what makes them so special?