Letter to Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney on the Report on the Defense Management Review

Dear Mr. Secretary:

The Report of the Defense Management Review you submitted to me provides a blueprint for significant improvements in the management of the Department of Defense and in the Defense acquisition process. You will have my strong support in implementing its recommendations.

The American people need strong, capable armed forces that can protect our country, our allies, and our interests around the world. The American people also need to be sure that the tax dollars they devote to the Nation's defense are spent wisely. The reforms identified in your Report will help achieve these requirements through a stronger and more efficient Department of Defense.

I know you will ensure that the recommendations of the Defense Management Review are quickly and effectively implemented. The principal recommendations of the Report should be incorporated into my Management by Objectives (MBO) Program and you should propose specific actions that will be achieved in specified timeframes. I will look forward to quarterly reports and to periodic discussions to assess progress, and to identify additional actions that may be desirable. We should also move forward quickly with proposals to the Congress that are needed to implement the Report's key recommendations.

Successful implementation of the Report's recommendations will be a major step forward in fulfilling our promise to the American people to maintain our nation's strength and bring greater efficiency to government.

Sincerely,

George Bush