In two messages released to the Armed Forces since Jan. 1, Sec. Esper has highlighted “aggressive reforms” in the Pentagon, including shifting up to $5 billion from non-service defense agencies. Defense policy analyst Mackenzie Eaglen wrote in a Defense One column that these changes show Esper’s “intention to change how the Pentagon uses its money, people, and time.”
Eaglen, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote that the memos have a variety of significance for the National Defense Strategy. Along with broader reform goals compared to his predecessors Robert Gates and Chuck Hagel, Sec. Esper is publicizing the Pentagon’s decision to retire weapons and gear to allocate the funding for other utilizations, particularly for investing in future research and development.
“Secretary Esper is also showing due diligence that could be used when making future arguments to boost defense top lines to fully resource the defense strategy,” she wrote.
ADC photo of Mackenzie Eaglen, left, by Will Noonan