Word: reform
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Such an appeal is hardly necessary as long as most Filipinos are caught up in the euphoria of what they call liberation. But the confetti and adoring crowds cannot last forever. "This government is sincerely committed to reform," says one Western diplomat. "But they will learn that this is easier said than done." There will be a honeymoon, perhaps six months, after which 56 million Filipinos will expect to see results from their new leaders. "No matter how good she is," observed Senator Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat, "she is almost incapable of meeting the expectations of the Philippine people...
...graduate and respected professional who took Ver's place, says he plans to change that. One of his first acts last week was to retire 22 generals, including Ver himself and the chiefs of the major branches of the armed services. It was the first step in a military reform program long urged by the U.S. The Reagan Administration was delighted with Aquino's choice for Chief of Staff. "When you talk to Ramos about the problems of the Philippines," said a senior Pentagon official...
...reduce interservice rivalry in strategy and budget decisions, the commission would reform the Joint Chiefs of Staff and strengthen the role of the Chairman. The Joint Chiefs are the uniformed heads of the four services and are supposed to advise the President and Secretary of Defense on military needs. Under the existing system, the Chiefs are torn between looking out for their own services and shaping a coherent national-defense strategy, while the Chairman has an impressive title but no staff or real authority. The Packard commission would make him the President's principal uniformed adviser in fact as well...
Congress is currently wrestling with various proposals to reform the JCS structure. The House last fall passed a bill to strengthen the role of the Chairman, and the Senate Armed Services Committee is about to do likewise, despite howls of protest from the current service Chiefs. The Navy, traditionally the most independent of the services, is making an all-out blitz to block the legislation, which would "make a hash of our defense structure," according to outspoken Navy Secretary John Lehman. Nonetheless, Weinberger has signaled that he will not oppose the legislation, and passage of some version seems likely...
Clarion calls for Pentagon reform have been heard before. Since World War II, at least 35 groups have been impaneled to study the Pentagon. "Few of these countless proposals and recommendations have been taken seriously, and an even smaller number have actually been adopted," noted a Senate Armed Services Committee study on defense organization last fall. Needless to say, merely rearranging boxes on an organization chart hardly guarantees success. Still, even among the Pentagon's staunchest allies, a search for meaningful reform is under way. Increasingly, the question is becoming not just whether to spend more on defense...