[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 24 (Monday, March 1, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E263-E264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SECOND HALF OF THE SPEECH BY DR. ARCH BARRETT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN M. SPRATT, JR.

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 1, 2004

  Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, today I am submitting for the record the 
second half of the graduation address given by Arch Barrett at the 
Naval Postgraduate School Joint Professional Military Education Course 
in June, 2003. I submitted the other half for the Record on February 
24. I commend Arch's speech to all those with an interest in the 
founding of the Goldwater-Nichols legislation, and I am proud to enter 
it into the Record.

    Reflections on Leadership in Defense and Professional Military 
                            Education Reform

       As you well know, White's retirement did not end Congress's 
     involvement in correcting the problems Jones identified. A 
     large part of the credit for keeping the issue alive and 
     finally succeeding in enacting fundamental changes must be 
     credited to the then little-known, and very junior, 
     Representative from Missouri, Ike Skelton.
       Congressman Skelton was about 50 years old at the time; he 
     was and is, tall and slim, and has a studious air. He also 
     has the gift of quickly conveying to even the briefest 
     acquaintances his interest in, and respect for, them as human 
     beings. An avid reader of military history, Skelton was one 
     of the first members of Congress to grasp the significance of 
     Jones' criticisms of the existing organization. Although he 
     was not a member of White's subcommittee, Skelton probably 
     attended more of the hearings than any member except White. 
     He sat on the dais, listened to testimony, and patiently 
     waited his turn to ask penetrating questions. In 1983, 
     Skelton introduced his own legislation for revamping the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was

[[Page E264]]

     based on his conversations with Gen. Maxwell Taylor. Skelton 
     testified in support of his bill before the Investigations 
     Subcommittee. He continued to attend almost every hearing for 
     the next three years even though was never a member of the 
     Subcommittee. During mark-ups and floor debates he defended 
     the proposed legislation. He played a pivotal role in shaping 
     the final outcome.
       I will tell you what happened as a consequence of White, 
     Skelton and Jones's efforts in a few minutes.
       First, however, I would like you to ponder a few questions.
       Why did Jones and White put so much effort into defense 
     reform when they knew nothing could happen in 1982 and that 
     they would not be in office after that year?
       Why did White, a former Marine and very conservative 
     Democrat who had a solid record of supporting higher defense 
     budgets and Pentagon legislative proposals, choose to take on 
     the Pentagon in his last nine months as a legislator? It must 
     have taken a lot of soul searching for him to reverse course 
     and oppose the Pentagon. He could just as easily have 
     sidestepped the issue and quietly retired from public 
     service.
       Why did Skelton, also a strong advocate of the Department 
     of Defense, spend so much time over a period of more than a 
     decade wrestling with defense organization matters? As a 
     junior Congressman, Skelton had to be concerned with his 
     reelection prospects. Defense reform probably never garnered 
     one vote for any congressman.
       Finally, Why did Jones knowingly incur the wrath of the 
     military community that had anointed him with such success? 
     He soon became more vilified by his former colleagues than an 
     American Idol contestant that Simon decides to ridicule.
       The answer to these questions, in my opinion, is that 
     General Jones and Representatives White and Skelton were 
     leaders in the best sense of the word. Their behavior reveals 
     four essential characteristics of leadership.
       First, Leaders select their goals and steadfastly pursue 
     them. We followers must hope that the goals our leaders 
     choose are worthy. In this case they were. These leaders 
     chose the harder right rather than the easier wrong.
       Second, Leaders shoulder their responsibilities. Both White 
     and Jones readily accepted their responsibilities even though 
     they involved personal hardship. Skelton chose to assume 
     added responsibilities because he recognized the need for 
     leadership.
       Third, Leaders sometimes have to show the way by going 
     first, acting as a guide to others. As you will see, White, 
     Skelton, and Jones's efforts eventually led to a fundamental 
     reordering of the entire Armed Forces of the United States.
       Fourth, Leaders must constantly prepare themselves. They 
     must be knowledgeable, and be perceived by others as 
     knowledgeable. Representatives White and Skelton were 
     unschooled in the defense reorganization issues. 
     Consequently, they dedicated untold hours to gaining 
     knowledge and understanding of the issues that confronted 
     them. Because White prepared himself, he garnered the support 
     of the committee and the House of Representatives. Because 
     Skelton prepared himself, he was able to shape the final 
     outcome.
       What happened after Jones and White retired in 1982? Were 
     they vindicated? Yes. But it took four more years of effort. 
     Other legislators saw what White had accomplished and 
     considered his efforts ``unfinished business.'' These leaders 
     included Republican Senators Barry Goldwater, Bill Cohen, and 
     Strom Thurmond, Democratic Senators Sam Nunn and Carl Levin, 
     and Representatives Bill Nichols, Les Aspin, and, of course, 
     Ike Skelton. To a man, these Congressmen possessed strong 
     pro-defense records. All took a stand against the Pentagon 
     and the White House. All were strongly criticized. As 
     leaders, they exemplified the traits first demonstrated by 
     Jones, White, and Skelton.
       The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization 
     Act of 1986 rewarded their efforts. The legislation attempts 
     to ensure that when America goes to war the services work 
     together as joint integrated teams of land, sea, and air 
     forces. It strengthened field commanders like Gen. 
     Schwarzkopf in the Persian Gulf War and Gen. Franks in 
     Afghanistan and Iraq today. It also streamlined and unified 
     the chain of command to the field commanders, elevated the 
     chairman above the parochial Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 
     ensured that talented and qualified service officers like you 
     in this audience are assigned to the multi-service staffs.
       Representative Skelton was responsible for a fundamentally 
     important amendment that gives the Vice Chairman of the Joint 
     Chiefs of Staff the powers he enjoys today. He was selected 
     as one of the seven conferees on the Goldwater-Nichols Act. 
     He negotiated wording with Sen. Nunn that gives the unified 
     commanders some of the extraordinary command authorities they 
     enjoy today. Finally, he headed the Panel on Military 
     Education that I spoke of earlier that was largely 
     responsible for much of the architecture of military 
     education today.
       I would be the last to claim that the Goldwater-Nichols Act 
     has been the sole reason for the turn-around in U.S. military 
     performance since 1986. Nevertheless, it has played a 
     significant role in the string of successful military 
     operations since then including Operation Just Cause in 
     Panama, the Persian Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, 
     Afghanistan, and Iraq. Observing these results, the defense 
     establishment long ago reversed itself and embraced the 
     principles of joint military command and operations 
     established in the Goldwater-Nichols Act. This record of 
     success is a tremendous pay-off for the efforts of Gen. 
     Jones, Chairman White, and Representative Skelton--not only 
     for themselves but also for the nation they served.
       This record of success is also a credit to you in this 
     audience and the entire armed forces of the United States. It 
     is a privilege for me to have a formal opportunity to express 
     my gratitude to you. As an older person, I long ago left the 
     ranks of defenders and joined those who must be defended. I, 
     for one, very much appreciate the sacrifices you are prepared 
     to make for me, and for all of your fellow citizens.
       At the beginning of my remarks, I admitted asking myself 
     why I would choose to speak about leadership. Having thought 
     about my experience observing White, Jones, and Skelton, I 
     soon realized precisely why I chose to talk to you on that 
     subject on the occasion of your graduation from JOINT 
     professional military education. I chose to speak about 
     leadership because it would allow me to remind you graduates, 
     as you rejoin your service comrades and assume ever-greater 
     responsibilities, that you have an opportunity to be genuine 
     leaders--leaders writ large. You have an opportunity to 
     choose to attempt to make a difference, as did White, 
     Skelton, and Jones, to select worthy goals and make a 
     dedicated effort to achieve them. You will encounter 
     opportunities to shoulder responsibilities that you can 
     easily evade, to choose the harder right rather than the 
     easier wrong. You will face the choice of whether to continue 
     to prepare yourself to the best of your ability by dint of 
     hard work and study to be a competent leader. I firmly 
     believe that if you are to be satisfied with your life in 
     general, and your performance in the profession of arms in 
     particular, you will choose to assume the burden and reap the 
     rewards of leadership.

                          ____________________