The Top 25

Talk of the Pentagon's goal of institutionalizing the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization flared back up again this week on Capitol Hill, where Bradley Berkson, director for programs, analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, assured lawmakers that the Pentagon has increased its base budget funding for JIEDDO in the future years defense plan, among other steps. (Transcript here.)

Institutionalizing JIEDDO is, of course, one of the "top 25" transformation priorities laid out over a year ago by Defense Secretary Gordon England.

In his Aug. 9, 2007, memo, he said the objective was "to complete or advance to a major milestone each of these initiatives and also to have them institutionalized by December, 2008" -- right before the new administration comes in.

England added that "(c)ompleting these initiatives by the end of next year will be greatly beneficial to the next management team and to our military forces."

Other goals included in England's memo were rapidly fielding Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles --- for which the last anticipated contract was awarded earlier this month; strengthening cultural awareness and language capabilities; and pursuing targeted acquisition reforms like the Configuration Steering Boards now in place.

Read the memo and judge for yourself how many goals have been met.