Open Letter on Defense Reform
Read the Open Letter on Defense Reform, signed by Arnold Punaro and other former top Defense Department officials and retired top-ranking military leaders.
Statement from Arnold Punaro on Army Commission Report
Statement on the National Commission on the Future of the Army
By Major General Arnold Punaro, United States Marine Corps Reserve (Retired)
Jan. 28, 2016
Background
The National Commission on the Future of the Army was mandated by Congress in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act to examine the structure of the Army and policy assumptions related to the size and force mix. The Commission, composed of eight distinguished members, presented its final report on Jan. 28, 2016 in its final meeting. The report and other information on the Commission can be accessed at: http://www.ncfa.ncr.gov/
Brief Statement by Arnold Punaro
I commend the National Commission on the Future of the Army for its hard work in carrying out its mandate from the Congress. Their recommendations, if adopted after thoughtful analysis, will have considerable positive impact on the Reserve Components.
I am pleased to see that the commission considered, and is advocating for, better integration among the Army components through the use of Multi – Component force structure models. These models can more effectively integrate and consolidate active and reserve units, streamline the Total Army Force, reduce cultural barriers between the components, enhance cost saving and keep critical combat experience in the Army. The new Army leadership, Secretary Eric Fanning and Gen. Mark Milley, can make this work where prior leaders would have turned a deaf ear.
Full Statement by Arnold Punaro
I commend the National Commission on the Future of the Army for its hard work, thoughtful and comprehensive analysis in carrying out its mandate from the Congress. They were charged with the daunting task of conducting a comprehensive study on the structure, size and force mix of the Army in an era of significant strategic risk with an uncertain fiscal future. I applaud the distinguished members of the Commission for their continued service to the Nation in support of this important effort. As both Chair and a member of a number of Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) boards and commissions over the years, I strongly support their recommendation to bring FACA into the information age and significantly reduce the red tape, bureaucracy, and counter-productive processes by which current FACA bodies are constrained.
The commissioners and their staff considered many inputs including existing statutes, policies, strategies, plans, force structure, and resources. They held numerous meetings with key officials of the Department of Defense, civilian federal and state leaders, defense experts and thousands of Soldiers to identify and discuss challenges facing the Army and to find innovative solutions. Their recommendations, if adopted after thoughtful analysis, will have considerable positive impact on the Reserve Components.
I am pleased to see that the commission considered, and is advocating for, better integration among the Army components through the use of Multi – Component force structure models. These models can more effectively integrate and consolidate active and reserve units, streamline the Total Army Force, reduce cultural barriers between the components, enhance cost saving and keep critical combat experience in the Army. The new Army leadership, Secretary Eric Fanning and Gen. Mark Milley, can make this work where prior leaders would have turned a deaf ear.
I extend my deep appreciation to the Commission and to Congress for recognizing the important role of our reserve components in our national defense strategy as has been borne out in 14 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and in multiple national disasters at home. The Reserve Forces Policy Board will examine the report in detail, will deliberate upon the report’s potential impacts in open forum in March, and will make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on those aspects of the report, relative to the Reserve Components, that it feels should be implemented.
Major General Punaro is a recognized expert in the defense community and a strong advocate of defense reform. He served with the Senate Armed Services Committee for 24 years; 14 years as the Staff Director; 35 years in uniform in the US Marine Corps; 14 years as a senior executive of a Fortune 500 ® Company; 3 years as a small business owner; and as either chair or member on a number of defense advisory boards and commissions analyzing defense issues. His comments are those of a private citizen and do not represent the Reserve Forces Policy Board, on which he is a member and chair, nor do they represent the Defense Business Board, on which he is also a member.
