War is waged not only on battlefields. In the mid-1980s a high-stakes
struggle to redesign the relationships among the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the secretary of defense, and the president
resulted in the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986.
	
    Author James R. Locher III played a key role in the congressional effort
to repair a dysfunctional military whose inter-service squabbling had cost
American taxpayers billions of dollars and put the lives of thousands of
servicemen and women at risk. Victory on this front helped make possible
the military successes the United States has enjoyed since the passage
of the bill and helped to prepare the armed forces for the challenges they
must still face.

    Victory on the Potomac provides the first detailed history of how
Congress unified the Joint Chiefs and does so with the benefit of an
insider's view. In a fast-paced account that reads like a novel, Locher
follows the bill through congressional committee to final passage, making
clear that the process is neither abstract nor automatic. His vivid
descriptions bring to life the amazing cast of this real-life drama, from the
straight-shooting chairman of the Armed Forces Committee, Barry
Goldwater, to the peevishly stubborn secretary of defense, Casper
Weinberger.

    Locher's analysis of political maneuvering and bureaucratic infighting
will fascinate anyone who has an interest in how government works, and
his understanding of the stakes in military reorganization will make clear
why this legislative victory meant so much to American military capability.

_________________________________________________________

JAMES R. LOCHER III, a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business 
School, began his career in Washington as an executive trainee in 
the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He has worked in the White 
House, the Pentagon, and the Senate. During the period covered by 
this book, he was a staff member for the Senate Committee on Armed 
Services. Since then, he has served as an assistant secretary of 
defense in the first Bush and the early Clinton administrations. 
Currently, he works as a consultant and lecturer on defense matters. 


Number Seventy-nine: Texas A&M University Military History Series


What people are saying about this book

"Victory on the Potomac is a comprehensive and masterful book 
providing invaluable background on the legislative Goldwater-Nichols 
process . . . For any military historian—or military officer serving in 
today's joint environment—this is a must read."—H-War, May 2006

"I wish I could have read this book before I became JCS Chairman. 
. . . a goldmine of insights on the American military . . .  provides a 
fascinating and enlightening account of the push and pulls of U.S. 
defense policy. Unquestionably an important book for those who want to 
better understand American military policy, history, and direction for the 
future."—Adm. William J. Crowe, Jr., former Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff

"The 1986 Defense Reorganization Act has made a dramatic 
improvement in how our armed services work together in peace and war. 
These changes would not have been possible without the efforts of Jim 
Locher. . . . a must read for anyone who is interested in bringing about 
changes in large bureaucratic organizations."—Gen. David C. Jones, 
former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

"Locher’s chapter on Beirut reveals for the first time a true account of 
the circumstances of this tragedy and the crippling consequences of 
organizational defects. Every joint officer must know and every 
American will want to understand this pivotal history."—Gen. Bernard W. 
Rogers, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe

"For twenty years as a Marine and nine more in the White House . . . 
I watched with growing anguish the pointless loss of life caused by 
dysfunctional Pentagon decision making. The best tribute to Jim 
Locher’s role in passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act—so well 
recorded in Victory on the Potomac—lies in the lives saved 
throughout future generations."—Robert C. “Bud” McFarlane, National 
Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan

"Locher had a ringside seat at the most important change in the U.S. 
military establishment since the 1947 creation of the secretary of 
defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff. His insights into the Goldwater-
Nichols Act provide an unparalleled view of a critical instance in 
history—one which contributed significantly to success in the Gulf 
War!"—Gen. Edward C. “Shy” Meyer, former Army Chief of Staff

". . . the first comprehensive account of the how and why of the 
historic Goldwater-Nichols legislation. Uniquely, this important book 
offers the insight of an individual who was there at the creation and 
served to bring it to life. This is a classic work not to be missed."
—Sean O’Keefe, former Secretary of the Navy

"This volume is of immense historical interest; but it also has 
everything the most demanding mystery reader could hope for: a plot 
with many twists; diverse, interesting, well defined characters; 
intrigue at the highest (and sometimes the lowest) levels; and a 
satisfying ending (though as the book suggests, there is still much 
to do)."—William K. Brehm, former Assistant Secretary of Defense

"Locher weaves contemporary events into a rich tapestry of insights 
on the constitutional separation of powers, military history, legislative 
politics, and civil-military relations. This authoritative account of how 
a good idea became public law must be read by every military officer 
and student of government."—Michael B. Donley, former Assistant 
Secretary of the Air Force

". . . a masterful and exciting story, the stunning denouement of 
which was passage of the long overdue 1986 Goldwater-Nichols 
legislation—to the dismay of those who had long opposed such 
measures and to the benefit of the United States and the armed 
forces that serve it."—Lt. Gen. John H. Cushman, Sr., former 
Commander of I Corps Group in Korea

"Jim Locher gives us his thoroughly researched, well-thought-out, 
insider’s view of the hard-fought struggle in Congress and the 
Pentagon to shift power from the military departments to a Joint 
Chiefs chairman and a reinvigorated Joint Staff under his control."
—Gen. W. Y. Smith, former Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. 
European Command

"Generations of historians will consider Jim Locher’s book the 
authoritative record of one of the most important defense laws in 
the nation’s history. But this important book speaks to a much 
broader audience of scholars, students, and citizens. The book, 
showing Congress in one of its finest hours, provides a much-needed 
counterpoise to the negative perspective of Capitol Hill held by many 
citizens."—Archie D. Barrett, senior House of Representatives staffer 
for the Goldwater-Nichols Act

". . . a comprehensive account of the battle to make the GNA a
reality. Skillfully bringing to life not only the players but also the
issues, Mr. Locher, who was a prime mover in framing the 
legislation that resulted in Goldwater-Nichols, has written the 
definitive history of the Act."—Washington Times

". . . a monumental Washington battle in prose that is both exciting 
for experts and informative for novices . . . offers a unique 
historical lesson in rational decision making and civilian control 
of the military, and reminds us that the United States never pauses 
on the path to perfection."—William S. Cohen, former Secretary of
Defense

". . . a tale of the careful preparation and tenacity required to 
overturn an entrenched bureaucratic position . . . lays out the 
manner in which a handful of senior officers, vigorously supported 
by farsighted members of Congress, managed to overcome bitter 
institutional resistance to pass the Goldwater-Nichols Act—which 
embodied a veritable organizational revelation."—James R. 
Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense

". . . provides superb insight into how the system works in the marble,
stone, and cement battlefields of Washington . . . should make the
participants of future battles within our defense establishment more
knowledgeable about how the system works so they can be the
masters of change—and not its victims."—Proceedings

"Locher's involvement at every step enables him to accurately recreate
this legendary legislative story, which has made a deep imprint on
America's military capability."—Sen. Sam Nunn, from the foreword

". . . probably the best informed book we are ever going to get on this
critical chapter in the history of U.S. military policy. As such, it is must
reading for military professionals and civilian defense-policy experts
alike."—Air & Space Power Journal