A report published Wednesday revealed that the vast majority of four-star U.S. military officers who have retired over the past five years went to work for the arms industry, a revolving door that drives soaring profits and near-record military spending.<\/p>\n
The report<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 entitled March of the Four\u2013Stars: The Role of Retired Generals and Admirals in the Arms Industry<\/em> \u2013 was published by William D. Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and intern Dillon Fisher. They found that 26 of 32 four-star generals and admirals who retired between June 2018 and July 2023 “went to work for the arms industry as board members, advisers, executives, consultants, lobbyists, or members of financial institutions that invest in the defense sector.”<\/p>\n Fifteen of the retired officers were hired as board members or advisers for small and medium\u2013sized weapons contractors, while five took similar jobs at one of the top 10 arms companies. Five retired four\u2013star officers became arms industry consultants, five were hired as lobbyists for weapons companies, and four joined financial firms that invest in the arms sector.<\/p>\n “Employing well-connected ex-military officers can give weapons makers enormous, unwarranted influence over the process of determining the size and shape of the Pentagon budget, to the detriment of our national security,” Hartung said in a statement. “Too often when it comes to military spending and policy, special interests override the public interest. The revolving door is a major contributor to this process.”<\/p>\n Bill Hartung \/The Military Revolving Door\u2014March of the Four\u2013Stars: The Role of Retired Generals and Admirals in the Arms Industry – Quincy Institute https:\/\/t.co\/J2AzXrHAkJ<\/a><\/p>\n — Katrina vandenHeuvel (@KatrinaNation) October 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n