Despite a renewed effort by senior Pentagon officials to regularly involve combatant commanders in deliberations about future weapon systems, the top brass overseeing U.S. forces around the world are not availing themselves of the chance to weigh in on everything from key performance parameters to the minutia associated with the initiation of complex acquisition efforts. However, another group of influential leaders is weighing in. Since August, combatant commanders responsible for so-called "functional" commands are regularly participating in the deliberations of...