Bureaucracy in The Pentagon Wars

Alejandra Guillen Federal Government 2305-65002 Rubavichute

The Pentagon is responsible to check the development of new projects and control each projects excessive spending. Starting from the late 1960s until 1986, a small group of military activists waged into a large controversial dispute against an atmosphere of corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies in the Pentagon, confronting a system they believed wasted public trust and too much money. The Pentagon Wars clearly depicts a heroic bureaucratic battle with the Armed forces over infantry transportation units, especially the testing of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle which was a lightly armored, speedy and safe vehicle with the best technology possible to the American soldiers and was described as a death trap in its beginning models. With the aspect of checks and balances, The House Armed Service Committee couldnt do so much to dominate the investigations of the Bradley for congress, although the service committee always found a way to stop or manipulate the investigation results to make the vehicle seem like it was in perfect conditions for war. In addition to checks and balances, much of the aspects of bureaucracy are also integrated into the movie in the actions and personalities of its characters. Bureaucracies are everywhere. Any organization that has regulation or polices to be enforced has a bureaucracy. There are four main models of bureaucracies having each different behaviors and different features. Examples of these models of bureaucratic behaviors are revealed among the movie, The Pentagon Wars, in the characters actions, behaviors, and personalities. Air Force colonel Burtons character well exemplifies the Weberian Rational model through his expertise and efficiency to any task. Colonel Burton spent 14 years as a Pentagon specialist in weapons acquisition and testing before he was forced to retire in 1986. He was called from congress to investigate and test how ready the weapons were for combat, especially the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Portrayed as innocent, Burton quickly becomes disappointed and disillusioned by the actual way the development process works as he finds out

that the Pentagon officers gave more consideration to satisfying the defense contractors rather than to the safety of the troops who will use the weapons for combat. In disbelief, burton insists on many tests on the Bradley but they were each sabotaged by General Partridge and his officials. Colonel Burton went through many crucial struggles revealing the Bradleys many flaws to the defense department but he always played by the rules. His task-oriented, rational, and analytical skills were very effective to not give up on forming an efficient administration of policy for the safety of the troop ready to go fight. In Burtons investigation he witnessed generals including General Partridge, who was in charge of the House Armed Service Committee. General Partridge can best represent the Monopolist Model of Bureaucracy through his resistance for change and his belief that the Bradley was efficient enough and no other ways of improving it existed. Partridge was responsible for the success of the Bradley project under the supervision of Congress which is why he did anything he could to stop Colonel Burton from saying it was unsuccessful. In burtons calls for testing of the Bradley, Partridge and his loyal officials, Colonel Bock and Major Sayers, manipulated every test result, for example: by taking away a cartload of sheep that Burton had bought for testing which were killed by toxic fumes inside the Bradley when its hull combusted, filling the fuel tanks with water instead of gasoline, and filling the ammunition with sand instead of propellant. General Partridge ran rigid and complex standard operating procedures in his conquest for winning the Bradley. General Partridge was the manager of the Bradley project but he wasnt the only one to contribute in it. Colonel General Robert L. Smith was in charge of its product planning and development for 11 years. Colonel Smith didnt really agree with the actions of General Partridge and the risky innovations they were planning for the Bradley. In its beginning models,

The Bradley was an infantry troop carrier vehicle that could hold up to 11 men. Overtime the Bradley was subjected to a lot of changes from the demands of a group of army generals. Smith became frustrated because nothing seemed to please them. The demanding changes werent very precautious to the safety of the troops which Smith did not agree with also. With the new renovations, the Bradley transformed from a troop carrier that held 11 soldiers to an amphibious troop carrier/ tank that could only hold 6 scouts. These innovations defeated the purpose of what the Bradley was supposed to be originally- a troop carrier, not a tank! like colonel Smith stated in the film. With Colonel Smiths disagreements, he secretly helped burton in his inquires by giving him information about the Bradleys flaws at the same time trying not to ruin his appearance in the system. Colonel Smith can best represent the Machiavellian model because he wanted to give the appearance of Rational model and wanted to influence the Bradley project in a positive way by contributing to Burtons investigation. The Pentagon Wars went on for quite a long time wasting over 14 billion dollars in just the Bradley vehicle. Thanks to Burton and his supporters determination and compassion for the safety of soldiers, they accomplished to prove that the Bradley was a dangerous and unsafe vehicle and as well as accomplishing a new efficient transformation for the vehicle. The Defense Department as a whole played an important part in the film withholding a system that was highly complex, inefficient, and resisting change for a more effective administrative policy. It can best denote the Monopolist model for its disorganized and indispensable system. The Pentagon Wars clearly brushes up on the aspects of Bureaucracy demonstrating the 4 different types of models that are diffused in its characters and by that showing that bureaucracies can be found everywhere.

Ginsberg, Benjamin. Texas Politics and Government. We The People: An Introduction to American Politics 8th ed. (2008). The Oragization of Bureaucracy. Ushistory.org. Retrieved 25, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/gov/8b.asp (2012, 12). The Pentagon Wars. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 25, 2013, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Pentagon-Wars-1304150.html