BRACE YOURSELVES: What to Expect from the Pentagon’s First-Ever Audit.

Hopefully its findings will also expose some of the waste, fraud, and abuse that Congress cites as problematic. The Department of Defense is a government agency and bureaucracy—a highly respected and exalted institution—but prone to the same inefficiencies that plague the EPA and Department of Interior, for example. Until now, the DOD successfully evaded opening its books, with critics citing concerns that such scrutiny could expose national-security secrets. Others warn that an audit could undermine our troops by compelling them to divert attention away from core missions.

The first argument—that an audit could expose sensitive material—is weak. Congress already publicly debates the defense budget down to the line item level on a near-constant basis. Those of us outside of the bureaucracy are also invited to critique and contribute to that debate. What none of us currently know, however, is the other half of the equation. When taxpayer dollars are appropriated for a particular program, how are those dollars actually spent, and what is our return on investment? These answers should help policymakers increase national security, not compromise it.

The second argument assumes that soldiers and civil servants shouldn’t bear the burden of fiscal responsibility because they’re too busy safeguarding our liberties. Granted, most people working in government don’t think they should be exempted from oversight in that way—they try to go about their jobs in the most efficient way possible. It is telling that Comptroller Norquist is treating the audit as an opportunity to show that, by and large, the billions the DOD spends every year is spent wisely. The only way you get that assurance is with a comprehensive audit of the accounts.

The military does an amazing job, but we don’t get nearly as much defense as we pay for.