Commandant Wants To Be More Involved in Acquisition.

President Eisenhower warned about the "military-industrial complex" four decades ago. Today, however, the United States should worry about not having one, said Gen. James L. Jones, commandant of the Marine Corps.

"One thing I worry about is the lack of a military-industrial complex that is diverse and robust enough," Jones told a recent gathering of defense industry executives.

Another source of concern for Jones is the current Pentagon acquisition process for new weapon systems, which he criticized for not allowing more participation by the service military chiefs. That is particularly a sore subject for Jones, who has had to testify to Congress about the safety problems plaguing the V-22 Osprey aircraft.

The service chiefs typically are involved in setting the requirements for weapon systems, but often stay out of the acquisition process, which is overseen by civilian leaders and military program managers.

In the case of the V-22, Jones said he would have preferred to have been more involved. Early participation in the acquisition process would make sense, he said, "if I am going to be held accountable when it [the program] goes bad." In retrospect, Jones also said he wished he could have worked closer with the V-22 con tractors, Bell Helicopter and Boeing. "I am critiquing myself for not having reached out proactively to industry before it was too late," said Jones.

Jones' counterpart in the Army, Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, appears to share the commandant's views on expanding the role of the chiefs in the acquisition process. A senior Army acquisition official said that Shinseki is "actively" involved in acquisition matters.