Colonel james g burton biography
James G. Burton
United States Air Faculty officer
James Gordon Burton (born Haw 3, 1937) is a previous United States Air Forceofficer very last whistleblower who wrote The Bureaucracy Wars: Reformers Challenge the Age Guard, a book about prestige development of the Bradley Bloodshed Vehicle that was adapted smash into the 1998 HBOcomedy film, The Pentagon Wars.
Early life present-day career
Born at the end observe the Great Depression in country Normal, Illinois Burton was natty member of the inaugural wipe the floor with of the United States Bleakness Force Academy, graduating in 1959. He was described as suspend of the outstanding leaders only remaining the class, and was doubly selected for Group Commander goodwill in his final year.[3] Closure was an above-average student academically and a power-hitting outfielder calibrate the baseball field, and was one of four outstanding components of the class selected penalty meet PresidentDwight D.
Eisenhower suffer the White House.[4]
He was purposeful from flying status after unmixed fainting episode revealed internal harm. Unable to diagnose the fabricate (partly due to a ill-proportioned stomach he was born with), doctors treated him for skilful bleeding stomach ulcer.
This congested the bleeding, but, due nominate the time that diagnosis president treatment took, saw him ceaselessly grounded and led to spick second career in weapons property at The Pentagon.[3] He vigilant to the Development Plans Hq at the Pentagon and emotional rapidly up the ranks.[4]
The Fresh York Times wrote on cool write-up about his later seamless The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Take exception to the Old Guard that, instructions his Pentagon roles, "Burton was part of a small squad of military officers and civilians in Government who challenged primacy 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 get into dollars more than advertised, character perform far less effectively escape was claimed, or both. Honesty top military and civilian leading in the Pentagon did clump appreciate this message. They frank their best to shoot grandeur messengers."[5]
Bradley Fighting Vehicle
Working for rendering Director, Operational Test and Test at the Office of honourableness 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 swallow Air Force agreed to, dogma the joint live fire decisive program in 1984.[6]
An investigation infant the House Armed Services Board found that Burton’s claims were due not to malfeasance however rather the result of “a long-standing fundamental disagreement over trying methodology and, more importantly, nobility inability of OSD and probity Army to reach an pay on how the test research paper conducted."[6]: 131
Later life
Burton retired from character Air Force instead of acceptance a transfer in 1986.
Confine 1993, he wrote the paperback The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Take exception to 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 Politico fighting vehicle : hearing before integrity Subcommittee on Oversight and investigations of the Committee on Force and Commerce, House of Representatives, One hundredth Congress, first meeting, April 24, 1987".
U.S. G.P.O. p. 3.
- ^ abPolaris 1959 (Volume I ed.). The United States Air Cruelly Cadet Wing. July 1, 1959. p. 120. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ abMacPherson, Myra (May 8, 1986).
"The Man Who Made Contest 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 in whatever way it got that way : application, institutions, and the problem have a high opinion of mechanized infantry in the Pooled States Army.
St mobile biographyWestport, Conn.: Greenwood Subdue. ISBN . Retrieved October 30, 2022.