Event Recap: America’s Ever-shrinking Fighting Force

On July 29, Maj. Gen. Arnold L. Punaro (ret.) delivered a keynote address on his new book, “The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force” (Punaro Press, 2021), arguing that Congress and defense leaders must curb swelling bureaucracies across the Department of Defense. He discussed how streamlining processes throughout the Pentagon will help the US military get more “bang for its buck” by refining, clarifying, and concentrating responsibilities for how the Defense Department spends its money.

Following his address, Maj. Gen. Punaro joined a panel discussion with AEI’s Mackenzie Eaglen and former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO). The panelists agreed that previous reform efforts within the Defense Department have made progress, including operational efficiencies generated by the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act. However, layers of bureaucracy and unclear roles have resulted in an acquisition system that causes the department to spend more, take longer, and get less.

Maj. Gen. Punaro advised fixing what he terms the management chain of command by concentrating greater responsibility with service chiefs. This would involve coordinating disparate elements of weapons-system budgeting and procurement. The panelists also discussed bringing Congress on board with reform efforts and increasing the competency of civilian agencies and departments to relieve pressure on the US military.

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Or watch the event video on YouTube.