The Government Accountability Office says the Pentagon needs to improve its global posture strategy by reporting more to Congress and addressing management and funding issues. In its latest defense management report, GAO says that DOD has only addressed three of six characteristics GAO feels are vital to producing an “effective national strategy.” The three yet to be seen in any of four DOD restructuring documents are: establishing goals and performance measures; identifying resources and methods of managing risks; and defining organizational roles and responsibilities. While the Pentagon agrees to some extent with GAO, it says that it “remains concerned” that “GAO’s view of how major initiatives should be executed” is at odds with DOD’s basic approach of centralized planning that has made a “success of global defense posture.” In other words, we agree to disagree.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
