Re-forming Acquisition Reform

Jackson is a branch chief in Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command. He teaches economics and management at the University of Phoenix Cincinnati campus. Silence falls upon the audience as the houselights dim. Three figures appear center stage. Demanding greater accountability, an aggravated politician lambastes bureaucrats for operating in a maze of outdated policy. A baron of business extols the virtues of a market economy and explains that with stable requirements, industry could deliver cutting-edge weapon systems on schedule and budget. In response, a contrite, high-ranking military member acknowledges past mistakes but focuses attention on the lessons learned. The military member explains they are proactively reforming their acquisition processes based on these lessons. The three characters continue to speak, now inaudibly. The curtain falls. The audience sits in the bewildered confusion often accompanying performance art.