In military acquisition, civilians rule.

• Position: WASHINGTON PULSE - Brief article

It is rare these days to find green-suit officers in charge of major procurement programs. That has to change, says Lt. Gen. N. Ross Thompson III, director of the Army Acquisition Corps.

"Our acquisition workforce is 97 percent civilian," he says. "It's out of balance."

By comparison, 88 percent of the Navy's and 65 percent of the Air Force's weapon buying workforces are made up of civilians. An independent commission led by former...