James Jacobson
Role at the time: Writer and former federal contractor supporting defense, diplomatic and law-enforcement facilities
Condemned
Statement summary
Jacobson criticized using a fixed percentage to cut senior military positions. He supported removing unnecessary positions after reviewing mission requirements and urged Congress to examine the effects on readiness.
“percentage reductions alone are an inadequate substitute for manpower analysis.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)The military may be top-heavy. Don't make things worse with hasty cuts.Paragraph beginning "The answer may differ considerably among the services" and the surrounding discussion of mission requirements
Why we used this label
Jacobson criticizes the percentage-based approach in Hegseth's new order and warns against meeting a numerical target at the expense of mission needs. His support for removing unnecessary positions does not endorse the fixed 20% target.