Ben Freeman, Ph. D.
TweetInvestigator
Year Started At POGO: 2011
Areas of Expertise: Military contracting, foreign lobbying, Star Creep (i.e. rank inflation in the military), military procurement, military whistleblowers.
Freeman specializes in Department of Defense personnel issues, weapons procurement, and the impact of lobbying by foreign governments on U.S. Foreign policy. Additionally, he has utilized his expertise testifying before the Senate and as an instructor in the School of Security and Global Studies at American Military University, where he teaches research methods and analytics.
Prior to joining POGO, Freeman earned a Ph.D. in political science from Texas A&M University, where he was also an instructor in the Political Science Department and the Bush School of Government and Public Service. He recently completed a book on lobbying by foreign governments in the U.S. titled The Foreign Policy Auction, which is scheduled for release this spring. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, on National Public Radio, and in numerous other media outlets.
POGO highlights:
- Testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel on Star Creep – the rising proportion of Generals and Admirals in the U.S. military.
- Spearheaded POGOs Propaganda Project Database, which this Spring will release more than 1,000 previously unpublished communications from lobbyists working on behalf of foreign governments.
- Project Manager of the POGO/Taxpayers for Common Sense report “Spending Less, Spending Smarter: Recommendations for National Security Savings FY 2012 to FY 2021”
Video: POGO's Ben Freeman Talks About the LCS Problems at a CATO Institute Event
POGO's National Security Investigator Ben Freeman spoke at the CATO Institute on May 21 at the Future of the U.S. Navy SUrface Fleet event. Ben highlighted the problems with the Navy's newest ship, the Littoral Combat Ship, which POGO has been investigating for problems of cracking, corrosion and engine failures.
Americans are tightening their belts, and it’s time for the U.S. government to do the same. In light of the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the subsequent failure of the “Super Committee,” Congress is still desperately seeking ways to reduce spending. To this end, the Project On Government Oversight and Taxpayers for Common Sense have closely examined the proposed national security budget. We found nearly $700 billion in savings over the next ten years, including cuts to wasteful weapons systems as well as limits on out-of-control contract spending.
POGO Releases Navy Documents Showing Problems with the Littoral Combat Ship
POGO has obtained a number of Navy documents showing that Lockheed Martin’s USS Freedom (LCS-1, the first LCS ship) has been afflicted by flawed designs and failed equipment since being commissioned, has at least 17 known cracks, and has repeatedly been beset by engine-related failures.
Videp: A Top-Heavy Military is Costing You Money and Hurting Defense
The ratio of generals and admirals to enlisted soldiers in the U.S. military is higher than ever before. As more generals and admirals are added with less troops under them, the taxpayers are forced to foot the bill for more private jets and entourages while the military is slowed down by the added layers of bureaucracy. Read more about the top heavy military and the problem of star creep on the POGO blog.
The increasing proportion of officers relative to enlisted personnel, as well as the tendency for higher ranking officers to do work that could be done by lower ranking officers, is known as brass creep or as officer or rank inflation. The pace of brass creep has accelerated in the 20 years since the Cold War ended, culminating in today’s unprecedented top-heavy force structure.
