The FY2021 Defense Budget Request: A Dysfunctional Set of Strategic Blunders

[rangerrebew]

The FY2021 Defense Budget Request: A Dysfunctional Set of Strategic Blunders
By Anthony H. Cordesman

February 13, 2020

 

The President’s defense budget request for FY2021 does have some important virtues. It does contain a wide variety of important initiatives to improve the readiness and effectiveness of important elements pertaining to each military service, invest in force modernization, and support military personnel. At the same time, however, the Defense Budget Overview begins with the statement that the FY2021 request is a “Strategy Driven Budget” – but few things could be further from the truth.

The only “strategy” that is clearly reflected in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) FY2021 request is an effort to provide a justification for the separate spending goals of each military service. The end result turns the budget request into little more than an “Oliver Twist Strategy,” in which each military service asks for more money – a major component of the DoD’s defense-wide efforts – without meaningfully addressing the major strategic problems and challenges that the United States will face over the coming decade.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/fy2021-defense-budget-request-dysfunctional-set-strategic-blunders

[EdinVA]

The Silo Mentality as defined by the Business Dictionary is a mindset present when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce efficiency in the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2013/10/02/the-silo-mentality-how-to-break-down-the-barriers/#47143f128c7e

This is not just a DOD problem, it is government wide.  I spent 35 years consulting to many federal agencies, DOD groups, NCUA, SEC, GSA, FAA etc., and without fail, their number one complaint was the silos.  The feds have focused to much on credentials and not enough on leadership and mission goals.  It will take more than criticism to fix this, we have to re-prioritize the operational goals of the management structure from "ME" to "US".  We reward "managers" by promoting them when they increase their organization staff and responsibilities rather than efficiency and goal accomplishment.