Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 500th episode premiering this week, we are revisiting some of our most impactful stories from the archives. Whether you are hearing it for the first time or the fifth, this episode represents the foundation of what we’ve built together over the years. Thank you for being part of this journey to 500. Enjoy this look back.
The joint force has long depended on the private sector to provide necessary goods and services to support and sustain the warfighter. This has been true since the days of the American Revolution, but reliance on contracted support has steadily increased over time. Business interests, emergence of dual-use technologies and commodities (e.g., tents), and political pressures have shaped this relationship. Has the promise been realized of cost savings due to contracting under conditions of private sector competition? Or, has the dependence on the private sector caused overall costs to increase? Addressing these and other questions are Dr. Jennifer Mittelstadt of Rutgers University and former U.S. Army War College faculty member, and Dr. Jacqueline E. Whitt, Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College.
The promise of much of this outsourcing was to reduce cost. … but the total costs [of all contracts] have gone up. So contracts are not cheaper
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Jen Mittelstadt is Professor of Political and Military History at Rutgers University and former Harold K. Johnson Chair of Military History at the U.S. Army War College.
Dr. Jacqueline Whitt is the Director of the Organizational Learning Unit in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She was the second Editor-In-Chief of WAR ROOM and remains an associate editor on the team. Follow her on Twitter @notabattlechick.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of War.
Photo Description: Scene from the 2014 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting.
Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.