Assistant Secretary of Defense For Networks and Information Integration - Elimination

Elimination

On May 17, 2010, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates directed an independent panel of corporate executives (known as the Defense Business Board) to make recommendations on options to materially reduce DoD overhead and increase efficiency in internal business operations. On July 22, the Defense Business Board offered a series of proposals on how the Pentagon could cut $100 billion from its budget over the next five years. According to Arnold Punaro, the group's chair and retired executive at SAIC, "The task group is identifying many of the tough choices that must be made, not only because it is good business management, but today's fiscal environment and future warfighting requirements will not tolerate these inefficiencies." In his remarks, Punaro recommended downsizing the Combatant Commands and all OSD organizations, "particularly the elimination of Networks and Information Integration."

On August 9, Secretary Gates announced at a press conference that DoD will be eliminating the office of the ASD(NII), and DISA will assume its information technology operational responsibilities. According to Gates, " The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration or NII was set up in 2003 when policy, oversight and advocacy functions for command, control and communications split off from intelligence. The resulting arrangement for dealing with enterprise IT and hardware issues, which includes a similar function for the J-6 on the Joint Staff, has since become redundant, costly and cumbersome."

At the same time, Gates also announced that DoD would be standing up a "refashioned and strengthened" CIO, a position whose existence is mandated in the Clinger-Cohen Act. Because the position no longer includes the permanent assistant secretary title, Senate confirmation is no longer required.