Justin Johnson

Stories by Justin Johnson

Budget Fight At The OCO Corral

Budget Fight At The OCO Corral
Budget Fight At The OCO Corral

Should war funds be used to help the military patch gaps in its regular budget? It sounds like a technical issue, but the ongoing debate has turned into a battle royale, with a new scuffle breaking out just last week. It’s a slugfest featuring bad ideas, even worse ideas and a healthy dose of hypocrisy,…

The Military’s Real Readiness Crisis; Petraeus & O’Hanlon Are Wrong

The Military’s Real Readiness Crisis; Petraeus & O’Hanlon Are Wrong
The Military’s Real Readiness Crisis; Petraeus & O’Hanlon Are Wrong

It’s no news to Breaking Defense readers that the U.S. military faces a readiness crisis. But retired Gen. David Petraeus apparently disagrees. Yes, the military’s budget has been cut by 25 percent in real terms since 2011—much of it coming from accounts used to maintain and build combat readiness. Yes, leaders from the Army, Navy,…

Rep. Thornberry Tries To Fix Pentagon Buying: The Kitchen Approach

OK, Justin Johnson is a Republican, a committed one who works at the Heritage Foundation. And you can sort of expect him to support things the GOP is doing. But in this op-ed he’s addressing one of the fundamental policy issues with which the House, Senate and Pentagon are grappling: how to speed acquisition and better…

Budget Deal Shows Obama Hypocrisy On NDAA Veto

Budget Deal Shows Obama Hypocrisy On NDAA Veto
Budget Deal Shows Obama Hypocrisy On NDAA Veto

This week Congress should pass the 2016 defense authorization bill –again. It will be virtually identical to the one that President Obama vetoed just weeks ago.  The only change: a $5 billion reduction in costs so it complies with the budget deal reached last week. But passage of the up-dated authorization is no done deal. If Mr.…

Hey Pentagon, Don’t Stop Reforming Now

Hey Pentagon, Don’t Stop Reforming Now
Hey Pentagon, Don’t Stop Reforming Now

Defense reform has gotten a lot of attention around Washington—from members of Congress and senior Pentagon leaders as well as the usual policy mavens and influencers. Lately, though, whispers wafting from the Pentagon have suggested that perhaps defense reform has peaked, that Congress won’t support meaningful reform. Bushwah! Defense reform is far from dead in…

Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage

Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage
Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage

Monday marks the beginning of the Army-centric Space and Missile Defense Symposium, an annual conference in Huntsville, Ala.  Here are a few topics likely to generate conference buzz. Missile Defense The Obama administration’s 2016 budget request for missile defense investments went up slightly to $9.6 billion for missile defense development and operations, of which $8.1 billion is for the Missile Defense…