Various news reports quote departing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as declaring that the Administration would create an Africa Command within a couple of months. He made the remark during an awards ceremony in which he praised Theresa Whelan, deputy assistant for African affairs, for her work on the implementation planning group.
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.