While policy makers are perpetually conceptualizing new reform packages, the actual enactment of those reforms is typically more challenging. Remarkably, the one public institution that is able to meet that challenge is also the largest. The United States Department of Defense, which employs over 600,000 people and deals with $500 billion in funding, has proven itself quite capable of successfully implementing reforms in an ever-changing environment. The impacts of those reforms are being felt far beyond the walls of the Pentagon.

The Handbook of Military Administration is the first work...