Defense

• Baker saves $4B on purchase of Air Force rockets

  Jonathan Baker, deputy chief engineer of the Delta IV Launch System at the Air Force Space and Missile Center Launch Systems Directorate in El Segundo, California, helped save the Air Force billions of dollars and a lot of stress on its satellite launches.

  Defense

  May 29, 2014
• Hagel delivers commencement advice

  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addressed Naval Academy graduates last week during their commencement ceremonies and he gave them three pieces of advice. One, "connect with people on a personal level", two, "try to understand perspectives that are different from yours" and three, "be humble". He also cautioned them about pressure saying, "Once you take up your duty stations and the responsibility of leadership, you will find yourselves under tremendous pressures you've never experienced."

  Defense

  May 23, 2014
• Nuclear missile base flunked security drill

  According to an internal Air Force review obtained by The Associated Press, armed security forces at a nuclear missile base failed a drill last summer that simulated the hostile takeover of a missile launch silo because they were unable to speedily regain control of the captured nuclear weapon. The AP's Robert Burns writes, "the previously unreported failure, which the Air Force called a `critical deficiency,' was the reason the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana flunked its broader safety and security inspection."

  Defense

  May 22, 2014
• Third Navy officer pleads guilty in bribery scheme

  U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Layug pleaded guilty in an alleged bribery scheme involving Singapore-based defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

  Defense

  May 22, 2014
• Aegis Ashore test successful

  The Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Navy, and sailors at the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex and Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) successfully conducted the first flight test involving components of the Aegis Ashore system. During the test, a simulated ballistic missile target was acquired, tracked, and engaged by the Aegis Weapon System. The primary purpose of the test was to confirm the functionality of Aegis Ashore by launching a land-based SM-3.

  Defense

  May 22, 2014
• Federal HR reforms demand an inside/out strategy

  Several agency chief human capital officers say wholesale changes to the federal hiring, recruiting, retaining and firing processes are needed now more than ever. It's no longer just a matter of using the authorities available, they say.

  Defense

  May 22, 2014
• Insider threat programs must find the right ‘trust but verify’ balance

  NSA, State and nearly every other agency are developing "fixes" to protect unauthorized employees from taking data. Experts say employees need to understand why the rules are in place and how they benefit both the organization and worker. OMB says one way to improve the situation is by reducing the number of federal employees with security clearances-an initiative that already is underway.

  Technology

  May 21, 2014
• Larry Allen, President, Allen Federal Business Partners

  The Air Force will shift Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's five-year plan to reduce headquarters staff into overdrive. The Federal Times reports the branch wants to cut more than 20 percent of its HQ workforce by next summer. Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners and publisher of the Week Ahead newsletter, talks to In Depth with Francis Rose about the Air Force hitting the gas pedal on its workforce reduction goals.

  All News

  May 20, 2014
• Despite increased reporting of sexual assaults, DoD still struggles to tackle issue

  It's been 23 years since the Tailhook scandal rocked the Navy, and the Pentagon is still struggling to eliminate sexual assaults from the military. The number of reported cases is on the rise, but is counting cases alone solving the problem?

  Federal Drive

  May 20, 2014
• Inside the DoD Reporter’s Notebook: Air Force budget cuts, military readiness, DoD mobility

  Inside the DoD's Reporter's Notebook is biweekly feature focused on news about the Defense Department and defense community as gathered by Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu. Submit your ideas, suggestions and news tips to Jared via email.

  Congress

  May 19, 2014
• Richard Rast finds cost-effective method to detect space debris

  If only Sandra Bullock's character in "Gravity" had known Richard Rast, she might've avoided a space collision. The Partnership for Public Service named Rast as a 2014 Science and Environment Medal finalist for his innovated work.

  Defense

  May 16, 2014
• Air Force wants its fingerprints on DoD’s Joint Information Environment

  The Air Force thinks it's in a unique position with regard to the military's difficult migration into a shared IT infrastructure. It just went through the same exercise internally and believes those lessons can shape the Defense Department's Joint Information Environment.

  Defense

  May 15, 2014
• Halvorsen named as acting DoD CIO

  Terry Halvorsen, who has served as the Navy Department's chief information officer since 2010, will become the acting DoD CIO next week.

  Defense

  May 14, 2014
• Alternative jet fuel prices reported

  The Government Accountability Office said a recent report that the Department of Defense paid $150 per gallon for alternative jet fuel HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) which is made from algae. That's more than 64 times the current market price for standard carbon-based fuels. The report indicated only a small amount of the fuel was purchased for testing.

  Defense

  May 09, 2014