Defense Department revisits its acquisition history

The department is seeking a fact-checker and editor to undertake major revisions of a book series titled "History of Acquisition in the Department of Defense."

Defense officials want a historian of their department's acquisition work.

The Defense Department intends to edit its history books going back to the 1960s to understand how defense acquisition has changed through the years since then.

The fact checker and editor would do major revisions to volumes II and V of "History of Acquisition in the Department of Defense." Volume II focuses on purchasing during the 1960s, and Volume V details the post-Cold War transition in acquisition from 1989 to 2000. Defense officials also want to assess draft chapters in the series that concentrate on 1970s and '80s acquisition.

In addition, the editor would have to draw on special historical knowledge and understanding of defense acquisition from the mid-1940s through the 1990s to correct errors of omission, interpretation and logic of the current series.

DOD also wants the editor assist in developing new content for an updated version of the Defense Acquisition History Project website. The project was put on hold because it lost its funding, although it still has a live website.