 Under the directive, commanding officers were obligated to use the economic power of the military to influence local businesses in their treatment of minorities and women.With the approval of the Secretary of Defense, the commanding officer could declare areas off-limits to military personnel for discriminatory practices.Toward the end of his term McNamara also opposed an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system proposed for installation in the U.S. in defense against Soviet missiles, arguing the $40 billion "in itself is not the problem; the penetrability of the proposed shield is the problem."