Call us now:
Rack ET – Defense Transformation
Aisle E — Defense Enterprise
Library: Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)
Defense Enterprise (E): Organization of DoD (EA) — Defense Business Area (EB) — Civil-Military Relations (EC) — Interagency Operations (EI) — Risk Management (EK) — Enterprise Leadership (EL) — Global Context (EN) — Strategic Planning (ES) — Defense Transformation (ET)
Disclaimer: The inclusion of resources here is for informational, historical, and research purposes only and is provided as a service for US Army War College faculty, students, and graduates to support their educational and professional requirements. These may include outdated or superseded materials. The inclusion of these materials does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
This rack is focused on business transformation efforts at Defense, joint, and service levels. By “transformation” in this context, it is meant to cover changes to business practices within the Pentagon or holistic service-wide transformations from one enterprise design to another. There will be some overlap with materials in Aisle F – Force Structure.
This shelf provides resources about the theory and practice on military transformations in general, including both operational transformations (large-scale changes in the core military capabilities) and enterprise or “business” transformations (large-scale changes in the business practices of the military).
Faculty Publications:
- Hill, Andrew and Charles D. Allen, “Military Innovation Through ‘Brilliant Mistakes’,” Army (July 2014): 28-30, https://lscpagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=213587
- Filiberti, Ed. “Transformation: In Search of Conceptual Clarity” (faculty paper, Carlisle, PA: Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, 2009).This paper was labelled as a draft version and is available on request.
- McCrea, Michael V. “Defense Management and Business Transformation” (faculty paper, Carlisle, PA: Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, 2012). Available on request.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
- Army, Enterprise Task Force Charter, 2012.
Strategies and Reports:
- Army Futures Command, Future Operational Environment: Forging the Future in an Uncertain World: 2035-2050 (Austin, TX: Army Futures Command, 2019).
- Daggett, Stephen. Preliminary Assessment of Efficiency Initiatives Announced by Secretary of Defense Gates on August 9, 2010 (memorandum, Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, August 12, 2010).
- Elmendorf, Douglas W. (director), An Analysis of the Army’s Transformation Programs and Possible Alternatives (Washington, DC: Congressional Budget Office, 2009).
- England, Gordon, Statement for the Record on DoD Management, Before the House Armed Services Committee (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2007).
- Government Accountability Office, HIGH-RISK Series: An Update, GAO Report #GAO-13-283(Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office, 2013).
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
- Bates, Latashia. “Army Readiness and Modernization in 2022,” Land Warfare Paper #146 (Washington, DC: Association of the United Army, 2022), https://www.ausa.org/publications/army-readiness-and-modernization-2022
- Brook, Douglas A., and Philip J. Candreva. “Business management reform in the Department of Defense in anticipation of declining budgets.” Public Budgeting & Finance 27, no. 3 (2007): 50-70, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36730505.pdf
- Carter, Ashton B. “Running the Pentagon right: How to get the troops what they need.” Foreign Affairs 93, no. 1 (2014): 101-112, https://www.jstor.org/stable/23526940
- Fastabend, David A. and Robert H. Simpson, “Adapt or Die”: The Imperative for a Culture of Innovation in the United States Army, White Paper (Washington, DC: U.S. Army, 2004).
- Field, Elizabeth. DEFENSE MANAGEMENT: Observations on DoD’s Business Reform Efforts and Plan, Report #GAO-19-666 (Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office, 2019).
- Fiore, Uldric R. “Defense Secretariat Reform,” Joint Force Quarterly (Autumn/Winter 2000): 76-82.
- Hoffman, Frank G. and Michael P. Noonan. “Defense Reform Redux,” Foreign Policy Research Institute, February 25, 2016, https://www.fpri.org/article/2016/02/defense-reform-redux/
- Kamara, Hassan M. “Tenets of Army Modernization,” Land Warfare Paper #153 (Washington, DC: Association of the United States Army, 2023), https://www.ausa.org/publications/tenets-army-modernization
- Korb, Lawrence and Laura Conley, “Blueprint for Defense Transformation,” The American Interest (September/October 2009): 64-72, https://www.the-american-interest.com/2009/09/01/blueprint-for-defense-transformation/
- Krieger, John and Ray L. Wood, “Breaking the Camel’s Back: If Only DoD Operated as a Business,” Defense AT&L (July-August 2009): 9-13.
- Lamb, Christopher J. and Irving Lachow, “Reforming Pentagon Strategic Decisionmaking,” Strategic Forum No. 221 (Washington, DC: Institute for Strategic Studies, 2006).
- Levine, Peter, “Ten Rules for Defense Management Reform,” War on the Rocks, July 9, 2019, https://warontherocks.com/2019/07/ten-rules-for-defense-management-reform/.
- Locklear, Roye. “Army National Guard 4.0: A Transformation,” Land Warfare Paper #150 (Washington, DC: Association of the United States Army, 2022), https://www.ausa.org/publications/army-national-guard-40-transformation
- Rocke, Mark D. and David P. Fitchitt, Establishing Strategic Vectors: Charting a Path for Army Transformation (Washington, DC: Association of the U.S. Army, 2007), https://www.ausa.org/sites/default/files/SR-2007-Establishing-Strategic-Vectors.pdf
This shelf contains resources related to the Defense Innovation Initiative since its establishment in 2014.
Faculty Publications:
- None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
- DoD, memorandum, The Defense Innovation Initiative, November 15, 2014.
- Also see DEFENSEWERX, https://defensewerx.org for a listing of innovation websites across the Department of Defense; and the National Security Innovation Network, https://nsin.mil
Strategies and Reports:
- Picucci, P. M., Robert Angevine, Max Roberts, and Dave Sparrow, “Categorizing Defense Innovation,” DAU News (blog), Defense Acquisition University, March 9, 2021, https://www.dau.edu/library/defense-atl/blog/Categorizing-Defense-Innovation
- Williams, Edie and Alan R. Shaffer, “The Defense Innovation Initiative: The Importance of Capability Prototyping,” Joint Force Quarterly 77 (2nd Quarter 2015): 34-43.
- Zember, Christopher and Peter Khooshabeh, “Defense Innovation is Falling Short,” War on the Rocks, September 25, 2020, https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/defense-innovation-is-falling-short/
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
- None
This shelf contains a number of resources associated with a holistic effort to transform the Defense Department in the mid-2000s.
Faculty Publications:
- Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, “Defense Transformation” (faculty presentation, Carlisle, PA: Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, 2007).
- Note: It is not presently known who delivered this presentation in Bliss Hall during the “JPLD” (Joint Processes and Landpower Development, predecessor to Defense Management) course in AY07.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
- DoD, Elements of Defense Transformation, Office of Force Transformation, 2004.
- DoD, DoD Enterprise Transition Plan, Volume I: Defense Business Transformation Overview, September 30, 2005.
Strategies and Reports:
- Bolkcom, Christopher. “Air Force Transformation,” Report #RS20859 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2006).
- Defense Science Board, Summer Study on Transformation: A Progress Assessment, Volume I (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2006).
- Defense Science Board, Summer Study on Transformation: A Progress Assessment, Volume II: Supporting Reports (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2006).
- Department of the Air Force, The U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan (Washington, DC: Department of the Air Force, 2004).
- Department of the Army, 2004 Army Transformation Roadmap (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2004).
- Department of the Army, 2006 Army Modernization Plan (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2006).
- Department of Defense, Transformation Planning Guidance (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2003).
- Department of Defense, Joint Transformation Roadmap (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2004).
- Department of Defense, Annual Report to Congressional Defense Committees: Status of the Department of Defense’s Business Transformation Efforts (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2008).
- Department of the Navy, Naval Transformation Roadmap 2003: Assured Access & Power Projection … From the Sea (Washington, DC: Department of the Navy, 2003).
- Feickert, Andrew. “U.S. Army’s Modular Redesign: Issues for Congress,” Report #RL32476 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2006).
- O’Rourke, Ronald. “Naval Transformation: Background and Issues for Congress,” Report #RS20851 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2006).
- O’Rourke, Ronald. “Defense Transformation: Background and Issues for Congress,” Report #RL32238 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2006). February 2006 Version | November 2006 Version | January 2007 version
- Pickup, Sharon. DEFENSE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION: Achieving Success Requires a Chief Management Officer to Provide Focus and Sustained Leadership, Report #GAO-07-1072 (Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office, 2007).
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
- Gray, Colin S., Transformation and Strategic Surprise (Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, 2005).
This shelf contains resources related to the deployment of the Lean Six Sigma system in Department of Defense during the mid-2000s.
Faculty Publications:
- None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
- Department of the Army, Army Lean Six Sigma: Deployment Guidebook (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2007).
- Department of Defense, Continuous Process Improvement / Lean Six Sigma Guidebook, Revision 1 (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2008).
Strategies and Reports:
- None.
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
- Matchette, Daniel R. “Six Sigma for the DoD,” Defense AT&L (July-August 2006): 19-21.
Title image credit: U.S. Army photo from Army.mil, public domain.
Defense Enterprise (E): Organization of DoD (EA) — Defense Business Area (EB) — Civil-Military Relations (EC) — Interagency Operations (EI) — Risk Management (EK) — Enterprise Leadership (EL) — Global Context (EN) — Strategic Planning (ES) — Defense Transformation (ET)
Library: Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)