From chapter 10: contracts of mass prevention

The first case file that landed on my desk when I started in defence procurement wasn't a contract; it was a VHS tape. The title: The Pentagon Wars, based on the book of the same title by Col. James G. Burton, USAF. My boss slid it across the table and said, "Watch this. It's the only training you'll ever need."

He wasn't wrong. This so-called comedy is the most brutally honest documentary about a dysfunctional procurement process ever made. It's a masterclass in how institutional arrogance, scope creep, and a fear of the truth can create a monster. For a rookie detective, it was a glimpse into the shadows of the profession.

Here are the key lessons I took from that first briefing - intel that has saved me from more than one disaster in my career.

Key Lessons from the Case File

The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good

The generals in this story wanted a single vehicle that could do everything: a troop transport, a scout vehicle, an amphibious attacker. In their pursuit of the "perfect" all-in-one weapon, they created a multi-billion dollar machine that was a master of nothing. A detective knows that a good, focused solution that solves the real problem is always better than a perfect, theoretical one that never arrives.

Follow the Money (The Right Money)

The project was kept alive not by its performance, but by its budget. It was too big to fail. The money trail wasn't about delivering value; it was about protecting careers and congressional funding. A detective learns to be skeptical of any project where the primary justification for its existence is the amount of money already spent on it. That's the sunk cost fallacy, and it's a trap that has buried countless good intentions.

The Power of a Single, Stubborn Voice

The hero of the story, Lt. Colonel Burton, wasn't a charismatic deal-maker. He was a stubborn, by-the-book investigator who simply insisted on seeing the evidence. He demanded that the weapon do what the contract said it would do. His persistence in the face of immense pressure is a lesson for every procurement professional. Sometimes, the most powerful move a detective can make is to simply stand their ground and say, "Show me the proof."