The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard by James G. Burton

From the Publisher

This book examines the small band of military activists who waged war against corruption in the Pentagon from the late 1960s through the mid-1980s. It describes how the system responded to their criticisms and efforts to change accepted practice and entrenched ways of thinking.

Publishers Weekly

Former Air Force colonel Burton spent 14 years as a Pentagon specialist in weapons acquisition and testing before his retirement in 1986. In this angry, controversial, convincing brief, he testifies that the process of selecting and purchasing weapons for our armed forces is ``ethically and morally corrupt from top to bottom,'' with few checks and balances. The most scathing and damning portions of the expose illustrate how Pentagon procurement officers routinely give more consideration to satisfying defense contractors than to the safety of the troops who will use a given weapon on the field. Burton recalls the fuss he raised over the Bradley Fighting Vehicle's vulnerability to anti-armor weapons, and though (reluctantly made) design changes improved the safety of the vehicle, Burton suffered both personally and professionally for his boat-rocking, as he shows here. Ultimately, he is not optimistic: the flaws in weapons procurement are probably permanent, Burton concludes, since the reforms he and others forced were only temporary. Photos. (Sept.)

BookList

Written by a former high-ranking Defense Department civilian, this history of the last decade of Pentagon procurement scandals focuses on the acquisition of Navy fighter planes but also covers various abortive reform efforts, including the Goldwater Act, and the reasons for their comparative failure, so far, to make the Pentagon a worthwhile locus of efficient strategic decision making. Burton argues strongly, too, for a number of reforms of his own, particularly independent outsider review of major programs. A concerned insider's view, the book requires of the reader some background in military matters. For the serious student of defense decision making, it's invaluable.

Booknews

Burton, a retired US Air Force colonel who specialized in the acquisition and testing of weapons systems and worked in the Pentagon for 14 years, was part of a small band of military activists waging war against corruption in the Pentagon. He examines the movement and its proponents and describes how the system responded to their criticisms, and he presents an insider's view of the Defense Department, exposing serious flaws in the military policy-making process. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents