For decades, I served this nation in uniform, rising through the ranks to witness firsthand the extraordinary capabilities, and the often-maddening inefficiencies, of our military-industrial complex. I saw the courage and ingenuity of our troops, but I also saw waste on a scale that defies comprehension, nowhere more glaringly than in the Defense Department’s budgeting process. That is why I am so encouraged that, as of Feb. 20, the Pentagon has begun working with the Department of Government Efficiency to root out waste and demand accountability for the taxpayer.
The Pentagon’s budget is massive: $886 billion for fiscal 2025, more than the gross domestic product of most nations. Yet, despite this staggering sum, it remains the only primary federal agency that has never passed a clean financial audit.
