Clip Library

Budget Maximizing Bureaucrats in "Pentagon Wars"

Budget maximizing bureaucratic behavior is also implied by a clip from 1998’s “Pentagon Wars.” Air Force Col. Burton (portrayed by Cary Elwes) is appointed by Congress to oversee development of the Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Although Col. Burton tries diligently to do his job, he encounters a Pentagon bureaucracy that is more interested in pushing the Bradley into development than in building a weapons system that is effective and protects the soldiers who will use it. This specific clip, illustrating the rapidly escalating development costs of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle as it goes from being a light scout vehicle to an armored personnel carrier could also be used to discuss budget maximizing bureaucrats.