David Norquist, Defense Department undersecretary and comptroller, has said DoD should look at the “full spectrum of threats†as the agency works on the defense budget for fiscal 2019, Defense News reported Monday.
Norquist told Defense News in an interview that possible areas of focus include cybersecurity and munitions.
He also cited the need for DoD to prioritize readiness as the Trump administration seeks to start military buildup efforts in 2019.
“You sustain the readiness and you then start shifting, you may make choices on systems but the readiness of the force you have has to stay a priority,†Norquist said.
“And I don’t think we take a step back from readiness as we’re looking at expanding the capacity and the capability.â€
Norquist noted that he thinks subjecting DoD to audits provides an opportunity to analyze the department’s financial practices and leverage the use of data analytics.
“You use data analytics to analyze databases to find trends and patterns. If it’s reliable, then you can use that to drive a lot of changes.â€
He said he believes DoD should continue to use overseas contingency operations since OCO helps the department to examine costs amid the challenge posed by budget caps.
“OCO is a way of looking at the costs that relate to overseas contingencies that aren’t part of the core base operations of the department,” Norquist added.
“It’s useful for analysis, it’s useful for planning.”
