Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
Always seems to be someone else to blame I notice.
It's not that others always find someone else to blame, rather it is that you always blame the wrong actions or people because you don't know any better.
But do tell me what you think of a senior officers who takes up an appointment in procurement knowing full well that the organisation will not serve the best interests of the US fighting soldier... in fact may even be detrimental to his ability to survive a conflict?
Another superficial gem from you.

Depends on his motive. If he's doing it for the potential of reward, he's criminally wrong. If he's taking a lousy job -- one that I certainly would not want even if the Congress did not interfere so much -- in order to do the best he can and try to ameliorate damage, then I say good for him. Which is he? Or is he someone in between who was not asked if he wanted it but told to do it and is spending his time in that purgatory just waiting to get back to a unit. We do not have solid one job career tracks, people are rotated in and out of various jobs in the foolish attempt to create what the Personnel community calls a 'generalist.' We are large enough that if someone refuses a job or an order, he just gets fired and someone else is moved in; sooner or later, the system finds someone who will comply and not be a rabble rouser. Not a good system but no one has come up with a fix, though many have tried and are trying.
Can these accessories before and after the fact ever be forgiven or their conduct condoned in any shape or form?
You wrongly condemn through either ignorance or malice. You accuse people of wrongdoing with absolutely no knowledge of who does what to who or how our procurement system works. It really does a fair job with most things. Its major flaw is simply overbureaucratization induced by Congress and their quest for Jobs for voters. Really, it's surprising that it works as well as it does.