Bad Idea: Paying Servicemembers More to Do the Same Amount of Work →

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From CSIS's Bad Ideas in National Security Series:

Because military pay is tied to the ECI, civilian wage increases drive commensurate increases in military pay. This helps retain an all-volunteer force that may be more inclined to leave military service if civilian wages were to increase at a faster rate. But, real increases in civilian pay reflect productivity growth. If the military matches those wage increases without commensurate increases in military productivity, we end up paying more each year for the same amount of output.

Defense Reform Consensus →

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Yesterday, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosted a forum to discuss the letter issued by a consortium of think tanks encouraging defense reform. Many speakers mentioned the need for data. It is time for Defense to have a Chief Data Officer and Chief Economist. In addition, DoD needs to remove many of the IT bottlenecks that prevent information gathering and sharing.

CNAS commentary on DoD FY14 Budget →

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CNAS has posted a critique of the President's 2014 Defense Budget:​

The U.S. defense establishment today faces severe credibility challenges. Internationally, American defense budget cuts have shaken confidence in the U.S. military’s ability to achieve the nation’s security goals. The dysfunctional manner in which the U.S. government imposed the cuts has sapped faith in the ability of the American political system to provide steady, long-term support for U.S. security objectives. Domestically, the Department of Defense (DOD) has failed to accomplish its top political goal, averting sequestration, and has struggled to mobilize political support for its preferred strategy, the Defense Strategic Guidance. It is now being led by a defense secretary who suffered through a contentious nomination process and was confirmed by the smallest vote margin in the history of the job.

All of the think tanks are uniting in their displeasure with DoD's handling of its resource allocation under sequestration.