From the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) attempted to enforce software standards for the development of its defense systems. The history if this efforts played out as a struggle for control between the DoD and its contractors in the software and aerospace industries. The industry did not oppose software development standardization per se, but often objected to the specifics of the military's standards. Many software developers, however, resented the software development standards imposed by the DoD, which they felt violated the principle of professional judgment. In addition to highlighting the role that software standards played in debates about professional independence, this story also calls into question the image of a monolithic military-industrial complex. The ultimate failure of the military to get its way reflected, in part, the growing independence of software developers from the military market.