Defense acquisition chaos.

• Position: READERS'FORUM - Letter to the editor

* The May issue of National Defense was especially cogent to me. Most of my adult life I have been employed in some way or another as part of the circle supporting DoD acquisition. First while on active duty, then as a contractor supplying materials to the DoD and finally returning as a contractor employed to manage contacting actions for a military acquisition organization. I especially felt the article, "The False Promises of Acquisition Reform," written by Professor Sapolsky. His article should be the guide by which all Prophets of Acquisition Reform must temper their action. His concise description of the interrelationships vying for attention clearly describes the chaos we call acquisition.

After 20 years in this field, I left the job to new hires our current politicos believe will fix the problems. Those with any experience know larger problems are now on the horizon as the inexperience of the newly hired is manifest in schedule and cost overruns.

Somehow we must clearly codify the rules needed to remove the politics, contractor manipulation and capture knowledge to be passed on so the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Even with experienced acquisition teams, pressures from outside influences always seem to derail programs that are on time and under budget. Thanks to Professor Sapolsky for the concise description of chaos.

Kenneth Cates

Waco, TX

* I enjoyed your June 2010 editorial, "Can the Pentagon Be Liberated From Bureaucratic Stranglehold?" I am a civil service retiree who worked as an engineering manager at the White Sands Missile Range for 33 years.

I was doing government procurement when I had to get DoD's permission to buy components from England, Germany, France, South Africa and other nations because of the "Buy American Act" that Congress loaded on us.

That was the first of the congressional handicaps with which we had to...