The Pentagon must act now to address vulnerability in its enterprise
Tara Murphy Dougherty and Billy Fabian
4 days ago
U.S Air Force Airman 1st Class Jimmy Ogletree, front, and Staff Sgt. Morgan Petter find aircraft parts for an order request at RAF Mildenhall, England, on Aug. 8, 2018. (Airman 1st Class Alexandria Lee/U.S. Air Force)
Learning and adaptation create successful military organizations. From the Revolutionary War through Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. armed forces have demonstrated a remarkable ability to absorb and adapt to combat’s harsh lessons. Peacetime adaptation and innovation have proved more difficult and infrequent, but it is necessary to meet the challenges that China and Russia pose to U.S. security. To achieve the “urgent change at significant scale,” called for by the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the Department of Defense must learn lessons from peacetime experiences and adapt quickly.