Jacques S. Gansler was sworn in last week as under secretary of Defense for acquisition and technology, the top DoD procurement policy position.
Gansler was executive vice president of TASC, Inc., an Arlington, Va.-based information technology company, prior to his appointment. He has also served as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for materiel acquisition and as an assistant director of Defense Research and Engineering.
Gansler was a senior consultant to the Packard Commission in the late 1980s. The commission's recommendations led to the creation of the under secretary of Defense for acquisition position.
At a symposium in Phoenix, Ariz., last week, Gansler voiced his support for DoD's recent efforts to reduce logistics and support costs to fund military modernization.
"There must be a significant shift of DoD resources from support to modernization and combat--a conversion of 'tail' to 'teeth,'" Gansler said. "The key elements in this reduction of support costs can come from widespread application of commercial technology and products, advanced information technology, and competitively sourcing all non-inherently governmental functions."
Gansler also called for increased training of the Defense acquisition workforce. "It is no longer adequate to simply assume that someone who once took an acquisition or a logistics course is currently up to date," he said.
Gansler also said the defense industrial base needs to be broadened to include more commercial companies.
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