Pentagon chief wants streamlined, more nimble U.S. military structure

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Politics | Tue Apr 5, 2016 3:45pm EDT

Pentagon chief wants streamlined, more nimble U.S. military structure

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday called for changes in the U.S. military that would cut inefficiencies, streamline the acquisition process and improve the ability to respond quickly to threats such as Islamic State.

The proposals by Carter, speaking to an audience at Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, cut across all branches of the Defense Department because they affect its top leadership and service chiefs.

He said some of the measures could be put in place "over the coming weeks" under existing authority while others will require legislative action.

Some of the proposals aim to overcome organizational inefficiencies within the vast U.S. military that Carter believes do not allow it to best address transregional threats like the one from the Islamic State militant group, which stretches from Afghanistan to Africa.

Carter's proposals, which did not go into specifics, follow a review of the Goldwater-Nichols law of 1986, which made sweeping changes to the structure of the U.S. military and has been criticized for being outdated.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pentagon-reform-idUSKCN0X22IG

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1. I thought that's what we've been doing for decades now? nt