The War in DOD

DEFENSE LOGISTICS
DOD Has Begun to
Improve Supply
Distribution
Operations, but
Further Actions Are
Needed to Sustain
These Efforts
Report to the Subcommittee on
Readiness, Committee on Armed
Services, House of Representatives
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05775.pdf

Problems in the supply distribution
system dating back to the Persian
Gulf War have impeded the ability
of the Department of Defense
(DOD) to provide effective and
timely logistics support to the
warfighter.

What is the hangup? The DPO and the Defense Logistics Executive each claim final authority and responsibility (think final Word) for the Logistics organizational construct. Why? It is basically a bureaucratic battle between the military command of DPO and the Civil Servant Civilians of the Army Undersecretary's office. The Secretary of Defense will not clearly outline responsibility for political reasons: This area is the precise location of Patronage in the DOD. The DPO wants improvement in Supply distribution, utilizing the best seeming Contractors of the moment. The Defense Logistics Executive buys political support for the Administration, and buys lucrative employment for Defense Civil Servants once they leave Government Service. Military personnel, on the other hand, show no less affection for purchase of lucrative employment upon retirement from military service.

The SOD (Secretary of Defense) refuses to clarify roles of accountability, because the Defense Logistics Executive is under his direct domination, while he must get Military Command to convene a military review board to remove any element of the DPO. He can still utilize the DPO to pressure the Defense Logistics Executive, and he can review actual Deployed Troop Supply needs from DPO demands. The entire matrix complicates as the President and White House demand the SOD attain certain levels of political support from the award of Supply Contracts. The GAO (General Accounting Office) serves the U.S. Congress, and must present a Report detailing the most efficient Working system devisable; themselves knowing full well their Superiors are equally demanding of political support from Contract awards--working with either the DPO, the Defense Logistics Executive, or the SOD. It's a Wonderful Life--see the movie.

It still doesn't accomplish supply of Troops in the field. lgl