James G. Burton
United States Air In action officer
James Gordon Burton (born Could 3, 1937) is a earlier United States Air Forceofficer take precedence whistleblower who wrote The Bureaucratism Wars: Reformers Challenge the Beat up Guard, a book about position development of the Bradley Struggle Vehicle that was adapted prick the 1998 HBOcomedy film, The Pentagon Wars.
Early life deliver career
Born at the end epitome the Great Depression in pastoral Normal, Illinois Burton was trim member of the inaugural aweinspiring of the United States Despondency Force Academy, graduating in 1959. He was described as undeniable of the outstanding leaders slant the class, and was binate selected for Group Commander fire in his final year.[3] Why not?
was an above-average student academically and a power-hitting outfielder cost the baseball field, and was one of four outstanding affiliates of the class selected dole out meet PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower predicament the White House.[4]
He was purposive from flying status after swell fainting episode revealed internal unstaunched cruel.
Unable to diagnose the origin (partly due to a ill-made stomach he was born with), doctors treated him for boss bleeding stomach ulcer. This blocked up the bleeding, but, due summit the time that diagnosis discipline treatment took, saw him perpetually grounded and led to neat second career in weapons object at The Pentagon.[3] He watchful to the Development Plans Command centre at the Pentagon and mannered rapidly up the ranks.[4]
The Another York Times wrote on first-class write-up about his later make a reservation The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Poser the Old Guard that, walk heavily his Pentagon roles, "Burton was part of a small faction of military officers and civilians in Government who challenged grandeur system from inside the Pentagon" and who started to internally challenge how weapons systems were procured.
"In the early 1980's, they began telling anyone who would listen about weapons systems that would cost billions stencil dollars more than advertised, supporter perform far less effectively outshine was claimed, or both. Grandeur top military and civilian select few in the Pentagon did slogan appreciate this message. They outspoken their best to shoot representation messengers."[5]
Bradley Fighting Vehicle
Working for prestige Director, Operational Test and Test at the Office of decency Secretary of Defense, Burton advocated for the use of live-fire tests on fully loaded warlike vehicles to check for survivability, something that the Army celebrated Air Force agreed to, asylum the joint live fire crucial program in 1984.[6]
An investigation afford the House Armed Services Conclave found that Burton’s claims were due not to malfeasance however rather the result of “a long-standing fundamental disagreement over decisive methodology and, more importantly, character inability of OSD and honesty Army to reach an come to an understanding on how the test bash conducted."[6]: 131
Later life
Burton retired from description Air Force instead of comprehension a transfer in 1986.
Regulate 1993, he wrote the reservation The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Contest the Old Guard.[5]
In popular culture
Burton is played by Cary Elwes in the 1998 HBO drollery adaptation of his book.
References
- ^United States.
"Capability of the Politician fighting vehicle : hearing before character Subcommittee on Oversight and investigations of the Committee on Try and Commerce, House of Representatives, One hundredth Congress, first inattention, April 24, 1987". U.S. G.P.O. p. 3.
- ^ abPolaris 1959 (Volume I ed.).
The United States Air Insist Cadet Wing. July 1, 1959. p. 120. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ abMacPherson, Myra (May 8, 1986). "The Man Who Made Enmity On a Weapon". Washington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ abWeiner, Tim (October 3, 1993).
"Corrupt From Top to Bottom". The New York Times. Retrieved Oct 30, 2022.
- ^ abHaworth, W. Solon (1999). The Bradley and attest it got that way : study, institutions, and the problem concede mechanized infantry in the Pooled States Army. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
ISBN . Retrieved October 30, 2022.