Obama to name Carter to No. 2 Pentagon post

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

The White House announced Tuesday that the president would nominate the Pentagon’s head of weapons acquisition to be the agency’s No. 2 official.

In selecting Ashton B. Carter to be deputy secretary of defense, the White House signaled the importance it places on finding savings and cuts in the Defense Department’s budget.

Carter, if confirmed, would take over from William J. Lynn III, who announced his resignation last month. The Senate is expected to confirm Carter with little opposition.

The deputy defense secretary has traditionally worked behind the scenes, overseeing the Pentagon’s vast bureaucracy. Carter’s tenure probably will be consumed by a need to begin cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from the military’s budget over the next decade. The Pentagon faces cuts estimated up to $1 trillion.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/obama-to-name-carter-to-no-2-pentagon-post/2011/08/02/gIQA8RKZqI_story.html

[MADem]

1. Good pick. He could probably find a trillion in savings just through efficiencies.

I'd rip off at least one staffer from every directorate--the best, not the worst--to spend a year chasing those efficiencies down. There's just so much money being spent on pure bullshit. I'd put a close eye on the contracts and contractors, first and foremost.

Someone who understands the acquisition process is well-suited to doing this job.

[Lurks Often]

3. Look at Congress too

both parties are spending money on things that the military neither wants or needs, just so the member of Congress can say he/she brought jobs back to the district/state.

Here's an example: http://www.courant.com/business/hc-senate-armed-services-defense-20110617,0,1372935.story

"$850 million in development funds to replace the KC-46A tanker with an aircraft that will be powered by Pratt & Whitney engines."

The KC-46A hasn't even entered service yet and we're going to piss away $850 million dollars on developments funds for a replacement?

[MADem]

4. It's a good idea, but DOD isn't gonna poke that with a stick.

They might suggest efficiencies...but they won't directly confront.

They know what side their bread is buttered on, and who does the buttering.

The best way to deal with that kind of "Pentagon Wars" crap is from behind--start at the bottom and expose it at that stage, not at the Congo level.

I absolutely HATE "development" and "exploratory" money. It is so misused, it is often pure graft.

I really think we need an "Oversight Asshole" who is as apolitical as possible and appointed for a long period of time to ride herd on that crap.

I also hate that "Bring Home The Bacon" culture that Congress touts, and the voters (who work at the Bacon Factories) support. I don't have an answer as to how to stop that crap, though....

[tsuki]

2. Ashon B. Carter to be deputy secretary of war...FIFY nt