Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Senators today that President Bush has decided to constitute an Africa Command. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Administration’s 2008 defense budget request, Gates said the current construct—dividing responsibility among three unified command—is an “outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War.” The Pentagon plans to work with Congress and allies on setting up the new command.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…


