Defense

  • The Defense Department cut 37 billion dollars in seven months during the 2013 sequester. The Pentagon says in some cases, automatic budget cuts cost DOD more money in the long run than they saved. But the Government Accountability Office says the Pentagon could do more to learn from the past so it doesn\'t repeat the same mistakes. Johana Ayers is the director of defense capabilities and management issues at GAO. She tells In Depth with Francis Rose, what the Pentagon has done so far, to learn about the impact of sequestration.

    June 05, 2015
  • More than 70 years have passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor, where more than 2,000 sailors and Marines lost their lives. Only 35 were properly identified; the rest were buried as unknowns. But the military wants to change that, and recently announced it plans to exhume and attempt to identify the rest. Dr. Deborah Prince Zinni is a forensic anthropologist and laboratory manager at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. On the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, she tells Federal News Radio\'s Lauren Larson why they launched the recovery efforts now.

    June 05, 2015
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has made significant gains over the past several months in paying its health care vendors on time. Providers tell a different story, and say the department routinely fails to comply with the Prompt Payment Act.

    June 05, 2015
  • In the Defense budget debate, $38 billion is on the line. It could end up in the Overseas Contingency Operations budget, or it could end up in the base budget, and it could get cut. If the money stays, one place or another, most of it would go to operations and maintenance programs. Cameron Leuthy, a senior budget analyst with Bloomberg Government, tells In Depth with Francis Rose who could win big in the budget stakes.

    June 04, 2015
  • Two senior Veterans Affairs officials in the Philadelphia office are suspended. The move comes after an audit found they charged subordinates money to attend a work-related party featuring psychic readings. Both are on the VA payroll while an internal review determines any disciplinary action. Cheri Cannon is a partner at the law firm Tully Rinckey. In this week\'s Legal Loop, she joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on this case.

    June 04, 2015
  • Commentary: No metric can really capture the essence of any object or program, or the people\'s dedication to it, says Federal Drive host Tom Temin.

    June 04, 2015
  • The F-35 fighter jet takes part in a major military exercise this week, and the Defense Department wants to buy about 450 F-35s in three years -- starting in 2018. DOD says it sees some progress with the program. Defense Undersecretary for Acquisition Frank Kendall says the program is performing better and costs will stay down. Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group, tells In Depth with Francis Rose where the program stands now, and whether confidence from DOD is improving.

    June 03, 2015
  • The problem of research laboratories mistakenly receiving shipments with live samples of Anthrax is much worse than the Pentagon first thought. Dozens of labs in the U.S. and three other countries are suspected of having received the vials - and defense officials say that number is likely to grow in the coming days. More from Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu.

    June 03, 2015
  • The Pentagon\'s cyber teams have a new standard now, thanks to the work of the Marine Corps\' first National Cyber Protection Team. The 81 CPT built cyberspace training, technology and mission planning toolkits. The team has a group of experts who can respond to cyber incidents and analyze vulnerable networks across any government agency. The 81 CPT wins a Government Information Security Leadership Award from ISC(2). Capt. Robert Johnston is the team leader of the 81 Cyber Protection Team. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about some of the innovative cyber techniques that the team is developing.

    June 03, 2015
  • Sotera Defense Systems President and CEO Deb Alderson sat with the Women of Washington radio show to discuss her career in defense, both inside the government and as a contractor.

    June 03, 2015
  • The administration criticized the House appropriations framework that would implement sequestration funding levels for non-Defense agencies, while using Overseas Contingency Operations funds to pay for base Defense spending.

    June 02, 2015
  • The Partnership for Public Service has announced the 33 finalists for this year\'s Service to America Medals (SAMMIES). Among them is Charles Milam, the principal director for military community and family policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He\'s credited with improving the lives of millions of service members, by instituting programs that help the deployed stay in touch with loved ones. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to review the programs he helped create, and the ones his department oversees.

    June 02, 2015
  • The latest example of mismanagement at the Veterans Affairs Department comes once again from the Philadelphia regional office. Two senior officials charged their employees to attend a work party and gave their profits to one of the official\'s wives. But the VA\'s mission should be the one incentive all of its employees can agree on. Stewart Liff, a fellow at the Performance Institute, is a former director of the Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Regional Office. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about two approaches managers can take to leave a lasting impact on their employees.

    June 01, 2015
  • The Joint Chiefs of Staff added their own recommendations on military retirement reform and sent them to Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Most of their recommendations are similar to proposals in both the House and Senate National Defense Authorization Acts. But the recommendations from the chiefs may throw a wrinkle into the congressional debate. Todd Harrison, a senior fellow for defense studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, tells In Depth with Francis Rose what the Joint Chiefs are proposing.

    June 01, 2015