[nascarnation]

Good post.

And also the phenomenon of bidding low on the intial contract to win the bid knowing you will “get healthy” on the service parts down the road.

[Chances Are]

We did a rather large program that was known as “Spares”. I didn't have much interface with it (my contracts were elsewhere), but I do know the program, which was ongoing and periodically updated, was quite profitable.

It was also a bit onerous, and other administrators I knew who worked on it weren't all that keen on administering the program.

I handled a few smaller programs that were not subject to the phenomenon you speak of (those were the kind the Pentagon wanted research and development to keep going on, regardless), but most of what I was concerned with were really huge contracts, the kind where entire floors were taken up for administering these leviathans.

As I said, Defense work entails a lot. While I enjoyed the work, there was considerable stress involved, and writing proposals (when weren't we writing proposals?) often entailed long hours and long weekends. And sometimes long travel.

But it was all good.

CA....