Defense
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House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller wants new ways to punish SES members accused of misconduct, including possible pension reductions, limits on paid leave. He also wants to curtail VA's bonus award system.
January 23, 2015 -
VA will seek at least $1.1 billion from Congress to rescue a Denver hospital project that was supposed to cost $600 million. The final price tag won't be known for several more months. VA also asked the Army Corps to conduct a complete examination of its major construction programs across the country.
January 23, 2015 -
When the Department of Veterans Affairs started building a new state-of-the-art hospital in Denver, it was supposed to cost $600 billion and be finished by 2014. Today, it's less than half complete, the price tag has doubled and it's likely to go even higher. As Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu reports, the VA is turning to the Army Corps of Engineers to help avoid similar blunders in the future.
January 22, 2015 -
Army scientists and engineers are advancing sensors research in hopes of giving future soldiers enhanced situational awareness. Soldiers of 2025 and beyond may wear sensors to help detect and prevent threats like dehydration or elevated blood pressure. Dr. Donald Reago is the director of the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the possibilities.
January 22, 2015 -
Michael Vickers, the undersecretary of Defense for intelligence, said cybersecurity and terrorism are his top two short- and long-term concerns. He said protecting space-based systems is becoming more important than ever. Vickers also wants to continue to transform the military intelligence community to meet ever-changing threats.
January 22, 2015 -
Almost all the pieces are in place to move some meaningful defense acquisition reform. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) are the new chairmen of the Armed Services committees in Congress, and they both have a body of work in that subject. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Frank Kendall, are on board with an acquisition overhaul. And the likely nomination of Ash Carter as the new Defense Secretary puts the man behind the Better Buying Power concept at the top job of the Pentagon. Alex Ward is assistant director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council. He's also my guest for Pentagon Solutions today. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said the anticipation for reform is mostly just hype.
January 21, 2015 -
A collection of new House bills aim to slash the federal workforce, let go of 120,000 civilian employees at the Pentagon and take back top secret security clearances for contractors in the intelligence community.
January 21, 2015 -
Despite bipartisan support and years of experience in the Defense Department, Ash Carter's confirmation hearing to be Defense secretary might not be smooth sailing.
January 21, 2015 -
Hearings on the nomination of Ashton Carter to be the next Defense Secretary will get underway next month. They'll be much more than a discussion of Carter's qualifications. The 2016 budget proposal will also be out then, so the hearings will likely cover wider ground. So will it be smooth sailing for President Barack Obama's nominee, or a bumpy road? Defense analyst Nora Bensahel, a distinguished scholar-in-residence at American University, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to offer some insight.
January 21, 2015 -
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says defense acquisition reform is an essential element of his agenda. But the approach will be slow and steady.
January 21, 2015 -
Veterans Affairs whistleblowers reclaimed their jobs and reputations after supervisors tried to downplay claims of falsified performance reports, a delayed response to rape allegations against a VA employee and low staffing levels at VA medical centers.
January 20, 2015 -
Dr. Jack Midgely, director with Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting in Tokyo, discusses defense priorities and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. January 20, 2015
January 20, 2015 -
A lead Inspector General will now keep tabs on the fight against the Islamic State group. That means oversight of programs from the Defense Department, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The new IG is Jon Rymer. He's the current DoD Inspector General. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain why a separate IG was needed to oversee Operation Inherent Resolve.
January 20, 2015 -
Defense officials say they want to hear from big and small companies alike as the department hunts for breakthrough technology that will ensure the military's dominance well into the future. It's a grand initiative that resembles ones from the past that led to nuclear weapons and precision-guided munitions. This one — the third offset strategy — could have more to do with big data, robots or 3-D printers. Jonathan Aberman is the managing director of Amplifier Ventures and founder of the non-profit Tandem NSI. He joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss where the small companies will fit in.
January 20, 2015 -
Sequestration, cyber attacks and terrorism are just a few of the concerns that top the list for the 114th Congress. In anticipation of tonight's State of the Union address, the American Enterprise Institute will hold a "congressional roadmap for rebuilding our nation's military" at 10 a.m. Former Sen. Jim Talent is an AEI senior fellow; Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. They joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive with a sneak peak at the event.
January 20, 2015