THE PENTAGON UNDERGROUND

Reviewed 12/30/1997

The Pentagon Underground, by Dina Rasor

THE PENTAGON UNDERGROUND
Dina Rasor
New York: Times Books, 1985

Rating:

5.0

High

ISBN 0-8129-1249-7 310p. HC/GSI $16.95

Starting out as a reporter gave Dina Rasor an advantage in her crusade to expose and eliminate waste and fraud in defense spending. She understood the constraints on reporters and could effectively buffer unreasonable demands from sources — her "underground" — for instant press coverage. But more important was her dedication to protecting the identity of those sources, since any "whistle blower" who went public ran grave risks of losing their job (at a minimum). It was vital for the credibility of her fledgling Project on Military Procurement that it always have documentation for its reports, and never allow any hint of political or philosophical agenda to enter its activities. The entire purview of her organization consisted of two questions: Does this weapon work? Is it fairly priced?

She began to study defense spending in August 1979 as an employee of the National Taxpayers' Union. When that organization shifted its stance and cozied up to the Reagan administration, she went out on her own, setting up the PMP on a shoestring with her husband Thom, a forestry consultant, helping out. It still nearly drained their savings before she was able to secure funding with no unwelcome strings attached.

Her first big success was exposing the abysmal performance of the Abrams M-1 tank which Chrysler was building to replace the Army's then-current battle tank, the M-60. This battle is described in Chapter 1 of the book. The M-1 was supposed to run for 2,000 miles without a major power train overhaul. (The requirement stated that 50% of the tanks be able to go 4,000 miles without needing such repair.) At the time of the second operational test (OT-II), the percentage was 22%. By OT-III, about 18 months later, the percentage was 15%. Yet, all along, the Army brass insisted that performance was acceptable. Ms. Rasor was able to get Senators Stevens and Rudman interested, and the Army invited them down to Fort Hood for some hands-on experience. (However, it took Congressional intervention to get them to tell Ms. Rasor, who was flying commercially, where the nearest airport was.) In the event, she... Hell, read the book. I don't want to be a spoiler.

Some other problems with the "acceptable" M-1 design (which, despite the efforts of the PMP, went into production):

This list is by no means complete. It added up to a logistics nightmare. And even when an M-1 was in good condition, it under-performed its predecessor M-60 in important respects. The underlying problem is deep, and systemic, and the system actively resists change. About all that can be done is to chop away at it. This Ms. Rasor and her associates have done with admirable dedication. The book describes their efforts with several specific problems: Cost overruns on the C-5A cargo plane, the ineffective Maverick missile, and the notorious spare-parts scandal. It was this last debacle that really made an impact on the public. It takes an expert to understand whether fixing a cargo plane's wing roots is over-priced, but anyone can grasp the outrage of a simple hammer that costs the Pentagon hundreds of dollars.

Attention is also given to the problems of those insiders who dare to go public when revealing instances of corruption. They never have it easy. Indeed, Ms. Rasor mentions more than once that the bureaucrats expend more energy covering up the problems and harassing those who reveal them than it would take to put things right in the first place. But such is the culture of the "puzzle palace". Ms. Rasor devotes one chapter to a brief account of her experiences between college and the establishment of the PMP. The relationships with funders, sources, the press, and the Congress are also discussed in separate chapters. Despite a few typos and curiosities of grammar, it is a well written work. And it is, of course, well-documented. No individual, no single group can turn this immense problem around. But Ms. Rasor and her Project have certainly made a dent, and everyone concerned about the performance of U.S. military forces (that is to say every American) should read her story.

Though it feels like a cheap shot, I will mention some of the errors I found:

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