Dramatic Military Changes Unlikely, Aide Says

The secretive policy reviews that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld undertook three months ago to begin modernizing the military are likely to result in less radical change than commonly believed, his spokesman said Tuesday.

“I think there was a widespread perception that there would be many more near-term announcements of dramatic change than what we’re actually going to see,” Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said.

In fact, there have been no dramatic changes yet. Even for one of President Bush’s highest national security priorities--missile defense--Rumsfeld has yet to come up with specific program changes.

Rumsfeld on Tuesday held the first in a series of meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on how to approach the quadrennial defense review that is required by law and is due to Congress by Sept. 30.

The last such review, in 1997, was based on a strategy that Bush has criticized for getting the U.S. military involved in too many peacekeeping and other noncombat missions. Bush directed Rumsfeld to come up with another strategy, but so far the Defense secretary has not said publicly what that plan will be.

Adding to the uncertainty is the Democratic takeover of the Senate, although Rumsfeld said last week that he saw no reason to expect that that would necessarily affect his relations with Congress.

Quigley said Rumsfeld has not yet presented Bush with a final version of his defense strategy.

The air of uncertainty in which the Pentagon has operated since Rumsfeld took office has frustrated and even angered some senior military leaders, although they have kept their concerns mostly private. Many have said that Rumsfeld consulted them less than they would have liked on important issues affecting the future of their service branches.