With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Pentagon quiet on ‘military-industrial complex’ 50th anniversary

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Pentagon likes to put up huge commemorative posters and placards reminding Defense Department employees to celebrate things like Black History Month, Asian-American Diversity Week, even Holocaust Remembrance Day – pretty much name it, and they’ve got a sign for it.

Not appearing on any Pentagon hallway: a call to remember the 50th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell speech, warning of the “military-industrial complex.”

The poster makers missed an opportunity. The buzzword around Secretary of Defense Robert Gates heading into 2011, his last year of service, is “efficiencies.” That is, Gates has ordered everyone to save money across the DOD and service branches by cutting or stopping programs, reducing the numbers of four-star generals, and eliminating thousands of contractors.

Just don’t call them defense “cuts,” Pentagon press staff constantly reminds reporters, because those DOD offices are planning to reinvest whatever savings they found back into their own budget. It’s complicated, so read about it here....
Read entire article at Stars and Stripes