MRAP Acquisition

The process the U.S. Army utilizes to fill the units they design with personnel to fight and win the nation's wars, equipment to own the air and the night, money to put fuel into the vehicles and bullets in the weapons, and facilities to house the soldiers and their families in is the Acquisition process. The army cannot continue without new soldiers to fill its ranks or weapons and bullets to destroy the enemy, this phase is the building block for the Army Organizational Life Cycle Model and helps dictate training and the rest of the model forward.

Zakheim and Kadish explain two decades ago, there were more than twenty prime contractors competing for defense contracts while today the government relies on just six contractors to build its defense systems. Zakheim and Kadish state, “The system largely forgoes competition on price, delivery and performance and replaces it with a kind of “design bureau” competition”. The report explains that firms such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin have operated in collaboration on several projects such as the Air Force’s next generation bomber (Zakheim & Kadish, 2008). Collaboration of this nature suggests cooperative equilibrium between the firms to enhance their mutual payoff of outbidding competitors. With the defense market on the downturn pending major budget cuts over the next several years, more collaboration strategies are possible for firms to remain competitive. The existing procurement system encourages bargaining among the government and bidding firms. When budgets are allocated generously, demand is high and firms can set their prices higher. Budget cuts decrease demand and increase bargaining between buyer and seller. Security Industry reports budget deficits subject contracts to greater

Federal Acquisitions Regulation (2005). General Services Administration, Department of Defense. Retrieved from http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/pdf/FAR.pdf 21 June 2014.

In addition, leadership itself can be described in various forms and through the highlight of different skill sets, but the one thing that all definitions have in common is that “leadership involves influencing the attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and feelings of other people” Spector’s work (as cited in Curtis, de Vries, & Sheerin, 2011, p.306). When the skill set of a leader is compared to that of a manager, true differences are noted. Some of these key differences are apparent even in the approach utilized to reach the desired goals. While a manager directs, a leader transforms, a manager sustains and a leader improves, a manager controls, a leader motivates, a manager’s focus is on short-term goals and a leader’s is long-term based, managers ask how and when, while

With Trump’s election this year, his rhetoric of “Making America Great Again” and therefore revitalizing our military will soon become a reality. Trump has formally requested a reappropriation of funds; around $54 Billion, towards the US military. Part of Trump’s campaign promises had to do with making the military more robust; ensuring America’s title of militarily strongest in the world. In order to achieve this goal. Trump’s federal government has the option of many different aspects of the military to focus on. Of these, funding weapons of mass destruction, cyber security, and further military research and development prove themselves as most relevant in the contemporary military.

Our nation’s military continuously evolves to ensure success in future operations. This change is only be possible if our top leaders work in concert towards a common goal. The purpose of this document is to highlight how General Stanley McChrystal changed the manner in which the U.S. Military operates and communicates in an ever-changing environment.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has been serving the U.S. armed forces and their dependents for many years. This military exclusive grocery chain is conveniently located on many bases, even having a store right here in Misawa. The Misawa commissary like many other grocery stores, sells various products including a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, regional foods, health and beauty supplies, wellness products, pet supplies, and cleaning supplies. Specialty departments at the Misawa commissary include a deli, meat department, fresh sushi, rotisserie, and bakery. All of these products are offered at prices usually equal to or cheaper than their off base counter parts.

The Armed Forces of the United States stand at an inflection point. Fourteen years of sustained combat forged a seasoned force capable of success across the range of military operations from military engagement to joint and multinational major combat operations. Today, this seasoned force is tasked to reset from a decade plus of counterinsurgency operations and evolve capability and capacity to defend the Nation from an increasingly complex security environment. Furthermore, this transformation must be completed in the face of a stark fiscal federal budget.

Observers do not need to look far for the signs of a military-industrial complex that has become too powerful and involved in politics. The Army has repeatedly attempted to halt the production and spending on new tanks. The Air Force has spent almost $400 billion on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, nearly double the initial estimate. If the relationship between civilian and military leaders is to be mended, leadership decisions must not be influenced by the military-industrial

"Today's Military-Industrial Complex." U.S. News Digital Weekly 3.2 (2011): 13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

The current session and all the discussions about the very old Power Games, Gen Odierno’s brief and Chuck Spinney’s Statement take me inside the political process of Washington along with the discussion of the changes over the past decade and in the present network, and then explain how all different parts fit together in the current acquisition process. To understand the way Government works, it is necessary to understand the power games of Washington politics. All these articles and reports dissected and analyzed how political networks influence big power players starting from lobbyists to the highest-ranking government officials and influence the relationship between the Pentagon and the Congress. Some of the key points that were

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was not deployed using a rapid acquisition process which delayed fielding of MRAPs and should not be repeated for critical needs. Three primary processes drive the current Department of Defense (DoD) Major Defense Acquisition Programs. They are requirements, acquisition, and funding. The requirements approval process within the existing Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) was the greatest factor in the MRAP delay.

For any country, military spending is a big part of the national budget. Over time this business transaction has formed into a relationship between the nation’s armed forces and these private defense industries.

Strict adherence to formal procedures characterizes sealed bidding which attempts to provide a “level playing field” or as a multitude of references point out equal footing to all bidders who compete for a contract. Competitive negotiation is a more flexible process that enables the agency to conduct discussions, evaluate offers, and award the contract using price and other factors. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), whose origins can be traced back to the ASPA of 1947 was codified at Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations and became effective 1 April 1984. The FAR contains the uniform policies and procedures for acquisitions by all federal agencies to date. It addresses nearly every procurement related statute or executive policy; and subsequently encompasses every stage of the acquisition process. In a nutshell, FAR appears to have modernized and thus enveloped the aforementioned three acts.

3. Participative Leadership: This style of Leadership behavior gives a better outcome when the subordinates believe that they control their own destiny i.e. internal locus of control.