Shrinking the Pentagon

Seeking to bring more efficient business practices to the Pentagon, Defense Secretary William Cohen has unveiled a reform plan that would cut about 31,000 civilian jobs over the next five years, virtually eliminate paperwork associated with weapons purchases and turn over many of the military’s housekeeping chores to outside companies. It also, bravely though surely vainly, seeks approval for two more rounds of base closings, knowing that Congress can only shrink in political horror from such a proposal.

Fully implemented, the reform plan would save about $6 billion annually within five years. But denied the political likelihood of shutting down redundant facilities, the Pentagon can expect to save about one-third less. That’s $2 billion that could be used to buy the stuff needed to fight wars, should that be necessary.

Military personnel have been reduced by nearly one-third since the Cold War’s end, but the number of bases supporting them has shrunk by far less. Given the adamant opposition to further base closings in Congress--ever conscious of politically negative job losses--that costly disequilibrium seems likely to continue well into the coming millennium.

The reform initiative would eliminate about 27,000 jobs, through attrition or layoffs, from the 15 Pentagon agencies that handle everything from commissaries to defense intelligence to overseas weapons sales. Two out of 11 assistant defense secretary positions would be eliminated, and the 3,000-member civilian staff of the Office of Secretary of Defense would be cut by about one-third. The Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would lose about 250 jobs. Computers would replace paperwork in contracts and financial services.

The idea of “developing a corporate vision for the Defense Department,” as Cohen put it, is by no means new. More than 40 years ago the Eisenhower administration also tried to bring to the management of that behemoth the practices that worked well in the private sector. The military downsizing of the last six years offers a fresh chance to shake up the Pentagon bureaucracy. A Congress that talks endlessly about its interest in achieving smaller and more efficient government ought to be totally supportive.