Retired and all that.
E-Ring offices throughout the Air Force corridors of the Pentagon are vacant. There is no undersecretary, no acquisition chief and no deputy weapons buyer.
One of the new guys up near the top office--General Davis--is there to help things move. It was his over-optimism as head of the DOD Joint Strike Fighter office just a few years ago, that helped prolong the jet's woes. Even back in 2008, some of us knew there was trouble. Instead of acting brutally honest, Davis went native to the program, trying to help it in for the big win.
I guess this is how one gets promoted. Can't pick up an extra star or two saying the F-35 is a big fat failure. Props to his career planning and all that.
This is a common DOD disease in that line of work.
All this, and there is a change-over in top leadership with Schwartz going out soon and Welsh coming in.
Anyway, should be interesting the next few years. A deskilled acquisition leadership, budget woes, and a sick-elephant on their back known as the F-35.
Audible--"Duwup!...Duwup!....sink-rate...sink-rate..."
2 comments:
That's how systems fail, empires fail. But it begins at the top, and in the U.S. with the fact that there is a nearly complete disconnect atween political leadership and all things military.
Having been in a few of Gen Welsh's commands, I believe in this man and have the deepest professional respect for him. I don't think anyone can save this AF sinking ship, but if there's one man I'd want at the helm as we ride it down to the bottom, it's him.
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