The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Flagpole to Front Lines: A Warfighter-Driven Requirements Process
English Summary
RAND proposes the Flagpole to Front Lines (F2FL) framework to replace the outdated JCIDS military requirements process, emphasizing problem-centric innovation over technology-driven acquisition. F2FL traces national security objectives through operational tasks to specific capability requirements using iterative agile sprints (conceptualize, build, finalize), creating transparent linkage and reducing bureaucratic complexity. By identifying operational problems first and enabling early industry collaboration, the approach accelerates capability delivery while maintaining strategic coherence. This is particularly relevant to the complex security environment the U.S. faces, including Indo-Pacific deterrence and homeland defense priorities outlined in the 2025 National Security Strategy.
中文摘要
蘭德公司提出「旗桿到前線」(F2FL)框架，以取代過時的JCIDS軍事需求流程，強調以問題為中心的創新，而非技術驅動的採購。F2FL通過迭代敏捷衝刺（概念化、構建、最終化）將國家安全目標與作戰任務聯繫到具體的能力需求，建立透明的關聯並減少官僚複雜性。通過優先識別作戰問題並促進早期行業合作，該方法加快了能力交付，同時保持戰略一致性。這對美國面臨的複雜安全環境特別相關，包括2025年《國家安全戰略》中概述的印太威懾和本土防衛優先事項。
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