The Pentagon released the executive summary of the study on acquisition review led by retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish in December with little public flourish. It now joins the ranks of some 128 previous so-called acquisition reform studies that have cited various problems and recommended numerous fixes—all basically to no avail. For as the Kadish report points out, the current review revealed many of the same situations documented by earlier reviews, citing in particular the Packard Commission review of 20 years ago. As Norm Augustine points out in the foreword to the new report, it will be judged not by problem identification or proffered solutions, but by what it “actually makes happen.”
We looked back on the past 12 months to find the stories that resonated the most with you, our audience, and these 10 topped the list. Maybe you missed one the first time around, or perhaps you’d like to revisit a favorite.