Defense
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Jennifer Mattingley, director of government affairs with Shaw Bransford and Roth, will discuss the federal pay raise, changes to the retirees cost of living program and other issues affected feds, and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici will talk about phased retirement and possible changes in defense per diem rates. March 4, 2015
March 04, 2015 -
Troubled by a lack of women and minorities at the Air Force's higher levels, its leaders are rolling out nine initiatives focusing on recruitment, promotions and retention. "This is not just about how we look. It's about our readiness and capabilities today and in the future," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said.
March 04, 2015 -
The Defense Department will close 15 sites in Europe over the next two years. The Department expects the European Infrastructure Consolidation to save $500 million a year. Katherine Hammack is assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she shared the details on this and DoD's other cost-saving plans.
March 04, 2015 -
Nearly a quarter of the military's facilities are rated as in "poor" condition; another 7 percent are failing. Officials say their 2016 budget would begin to dig out of billions of dollars in backlogged maintenance needs.
March 04, 2015 -
The budget the Defense Department is pushing for in 2016 will help the agency start to dig out of a big backlog of deferred maintenance on military bases. But Pentagon officials say even their own plan isn't a complete solution to deteriorating facilities, and if sequestration returns next year, things will likely get much worse. Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu has the details.
March 03, 2015 -
Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are fighting back against the Pentagon's cost-cutting plan for employees who travel for work.
March 03, 2015 -
The State Department hopes to tap into veterans' overseas experiences with a new program. The Veterans Innovation Partnership launched last month. The goal is to apply service members' skills to foreign policy and international affairs. Drew O'Brien is the Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the State Department. He joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to explain more about the program.
March 03, 2015 -
All morning we've been talking about acquisition, and how to improve and modernize it. Sometimes it's easy to forget that acquisitions aren't just for their own sake; they support programs. So good program management is part of the mix of success. Paul Gregory, the vice chancellor of the Program Management School at the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy, joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive from the ACT-IAC Acquisition Excellence Conference with more on that perspective.
March 03, 2015 -
The House on Monday approved a bill allowing the Veterans Affairs secretary to force senior executives to repay bonuses if the employees engaged in misconduct.
March 03, 2015 -
The list of recommendations to change DoD's benefits system from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission have been getting their first hearings on Capitol Hill over the last few weeks. That list details a new healthcare system and a hybrid retirement plan for the four out of five troops who don't serve at least 20 years. The panel's ideas haven't sparked an open revolt in Congress so far, but some outside groups are warning that some of the changes might do more harm than good. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan is president of the Military Officers Association of America. MOAA's doing its own analysis of the recommendations, and shared some ways they could hurt retention with Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu on In Depth with Francis Rose.
March 02, 2015 -
The Defense Department has a plan for improving and extending the live of its existing weapons system. It involves replacing microelectronic subassemblies, and DoD has set aside a lot of money for it. A new multiple award contract (MAC) worth billions is coming from the Defense Microelectronics Activity. Daniel Snyder, a contract specialist for Bloomberg Government, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the MAC and DoD's plan.
February 27, 2015 -
He vows, "We will not do more with less. Those days are over." With the shadow of shutdown looming, the Commandant gave his State of the Coast Guard address this week. He said aging platforms and crumbling infrastructure threaten mission success. He also vowed to take decisive action to alleviate the strain. Adm. Paul Zukunft is the 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to review the state of the Coast Guard.
February 27, 2015 -
Defense technology officials told House lawmakers that progress toward a Joint Information Environment would be delayed by two-to-three years if budget caps remain in place.
February 27, 2015 -
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said he's open to considering changes to the retirement plans for members of the military. The military compensation and retirement modernization commission has submitted its recommendations to the the secretary's office. Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Jack Klimp is president and CEO of the National Association for Uniformed Services. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said the commission's work may be a good starting point for the discussion.
February 26, 2015 -
The Defense Business Board said the Pentagon can reduce its spending by $125 billion by getting rid of contracts, offering early retirements and modernizing its business operations. The Board is looking specifically at large commercial firms like Lockheed Martin and Pepsi Co. as inspiration for how to modernize DoD's business portfolio. Steve Grundman is M.A. and George Lund Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and former DoD assistant secretary for industrial affairs and installations. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said the Pentagon should be wary of following examples from those large firms.
February 26, 2015