Tough decisions during tough times

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Kevin Heckle
  • 48th Force Support Squadron commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  The combat efforts in Iraq are waning, while the war efforts in Afghanistan continue to intensify, and our economy at home sees glimpses of improvement followed by continued hints of recession. Economic times in America continue to be lackluster and there are varied indications as to when things will turn upward. In this tough economy, corporations at home and abroad aren't the only ones who need to tighten their financial belts.

Our military must take it upon itself to do the same in this less than recession proof economy. Managing a multibillion dollar organizational budget, such as the Department of Defense's, requires special finesse to balance the intricacies of fighting a war when the nation's economy is hitting tough times.

On, Aug. 9, 2010, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates delivered a statement on the Department Efficiencies Initiative. Secretary Gates suggests that being fiscally savvy within the department is needed now more than ever. He laid out eight initiatives within the DoD. These initiatives include: 30 percent reduction in service support contracts over three years, freezing Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Agency, and Combatant Command positions for the next three years, cut a least 50 flag officer and 150 senior civilian executive positions over two years, consolidate IT infrastructures, processes, and application-ware, reduce reports and studies, reduce boards and commissions, reduce intelligence advisory and assistance contracts funding by 10 percent and eliminate organizations that duplicate functions or have outlived their purpose. These organizations include: J6 organizations, Business Transformation Agency and U.S. Joint Forces Command.

These are not just random process improvement changes used as eyewash to politicians, taxpayers, and department employees in the DoD's long term evolution. These are calculated business measures aimed at making quick and decisive changes to keep a bloating department from continuing on a path of no return. Just as Ford last year declined federal bailout money, transformed itself, and returned itself to profitability on its own terms, Secretary Gates takes aim at the very things in DoD that any CEO would do to keep his company's competitive edge razor sharp: increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, eliminate waste and maximize the budget.

What makes Secretary Gates' statement so compelling is that it targets the fact that too much overhead exists within the department; particularly within the department above the service levels. There are excess people, leadership and organizational structure in our department's highest headquarters. His vision goes beyond process changes; it's about eliminating entire organizations, with huge budgets, who write unneeded reports telling us we are either joint, or should be more joint, to justify their existence. This is not a reason to keep these organizations.

A ripple effect throughout the department is inevitable. These efficiency demands will be ordered all the way down to the Air Force's base level. However, these initial efficiency initiatives, taking aim at the joint levels, will hopefully benefit the lowest levels within the DoD. As the annual defense budget is expected to plateau in the coming years, these initiatives should help shift ballooning budget dollars away from headquarters levels and into the hands of our base level units.

Tough decisions are necessary sometimes. This is the truest form of leadership whether it's during hand to hand combat or in the halls of the Pentagon. One must always consider the costs and benefits quickly and decisively. In this case, we should understand that the Secretary's initiatives benefit DoD more than they undermine the economic, military and political support outside the department. Nobody can argue that these initiatives won't come with political backlash; particularly in the area of consolidating redundant programs and closing organizations that have outlived their purpose like USJFCOM. However, it is these gutsy leadership initiatives that show the DoD is ready to make tough calls to stretch its budget, reduce costs and eliminate overheads that will strengthen its ability to acquire weapon systems that support the war fighter.

Our government and department are full of inefficiencies. Living in fear of being politically correct is not a reason to keep things the way they are. Secretary Gates made one great leadership quote in his statement. He said, "The way to make sure something gets done is to set short deadlines and provide visibility and oversight from the very top." The genius of this quote will surface in the results of the department's efficiency initiatives.

We have a responsibility to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. In tough times, tough decisions must be made. These efficiency initiatives are long overdue and we cannot wait any longer. We should embrace this challenge and offer our suggestions on how to fix our department. The Department of Defense needs our help. The time to make the tough call is now.