Let's Do Roles and Missions: The 2008 defense authorization bill conference report would require the Defense Department to conduct a roles and missions review every four years. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), chairman of the Armed Service Committee and a key proponent of the review, said it would enable DOD to take "
significant strides" toward posturing itself to "address new threats" and examining whether it is "truly developing core competencies and capabilities" in the "most joint and efficient way." In a separate
statement specific to the roles and mission provision, Skelton recalled that it has been nearly 60 years—the Key West Agreement of 1948—since the Pentagon has conducted a "major internal review of roles and missions" that may discover "missions going unaddressed" or find "possible duplication of effort." Lawmakers expect a first report next year and the next review in 2011 and every four years thereafter. Of note, the conference report states the controversial Joint Cargo Aircraft program should remain a joint program office "pending a roles and missions review."