Defense
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Veterans service organizations say despite attempts at improvement, the Department of Veterans Affairs' verification process for veteran-owned small businesses is still barring legitimate firms from contracts with the department, while doing little to deter actual fraud.
March 20, 2013 -
The Associated Press is reporting, the top U.S. military commander in Europe says NATO is making contingency plans for possible military involvement in Syria. And he says American forces would be prepared if called upon by the United Nations and member countries. Adm. James commander of U.S. European Command, told a Senate panel that the United States is "looking at a variety of operations."
March 20, 2013 -
The chief of naval personnel says the Navy wants to keep the service's tuition assistance program funded through the remainder of this fiscal year.
March 20, 2013 -
The Defense Department released an updated time table on civilian employee furloughs, including dates when furlough notices will go out and when furloughs are set to begin.
March 19, 2013 -
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed senior Pentagon officials to re-examine the U.S. military strategy approved last year to see how priorities may need to be adjusted due to budget cuts that took effect on March 1, U.S. officials said. According to the Associated Press, "the decision, made on Friday, comes as the Pentagon is struggling to cut $46 billion from this year's defense budget and faces the prospect of an additional $50 billion per year in reductions to projected spending for the next nine years."
March 19, 2013 -
The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles. In announcing the decision, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he is determined to ensure protection of the U.S. homeland and stay ahead of the North Korean missile threat. He acknowledged that the interceptors already in place to defend against potential North Korean missile launches have had poor test performances.
March 18, 2013 -
Officials aim to redefine operational series codes for civilian cybersecurity workers and offer more pay for additional expertise. The Air Force would like to create an elite cadre of civilian cyber warriors.
March 18, 2013 -
Veterans groups are asking President Barack Obama to step into a dispute over a new medal for remote warfare troops that was ranked higher than traditional combat medals like the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups sent a letter to Obama on Thursday asking him to keep the medal ranked below the Purple Heart. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has already ordered a review of the new medal, which is for drone operators and cyber warfighters.
March 15, 2013 -
DoD said it is tightening-up governance over its large business IT systems, looking for indicators of future failure and forcing resource sponsors to justify their needs before projects begin. Elizabeth McGrath, DoD's deputy chief management officer, told House lawmakers the Pentagon is working on data quality and changing business processes to avoid previous problems.
March 15, 2013 -
The awakening arrives in Afghanistan. Villagers in southern Afghanistan -the birthplace of the Taliban 20 years ago have staged what's being called a first-of-its-kind uprising. Army Maj. Gen. Robert B. Abrams says it's a promising development in Kandahar province and it could spread to other districts. This comes while U.S. and allied forces are taking a back-seat role in fighting the insurgency.
March 14, 2013 -
Jim Craft, the CIO of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), said the culture of taking appropriate risk to get technology to soldiers is making a huge difference in saving lives. March 14, 2013 (Part two of interview airs March 21, 2013)
March 14, 2013 -
The Army expects to mostly finish the migration to enterprise email by the end of this month. The Air Force and the Navy begin pilot tests using the cloud applications.
March 14, 2013 -
Military pay is exempt from the automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, that went into effect earlier this month. But scores of military programs that impact service members in their everyday lives, such as tuition assistance and family programs, are not protected from the across-the-board budget reductions. Officials from the Defense Department and the military services testified before the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel on the impact of the budget cuts on training, retention and family-assistance programs.
March 13, 2013 -
The director of National Intelligence says a cyber-storm is growing. The Defense Department is establishing a series of cyber teams charged with carrying out offensive operations to combat the threat of an electronic assault on the United States that could cause major damage and disruption to the country's vital infrastructure, a senior military official said Tuesday.
March 13, 2013 -
U.S. Cyber Command is putting together dozens of groups to defend the military's network, to work with combatant commanders on offensive tactics and to respond to attacks against the nation. Gen. Keith Alexander, however, said budget cuts will delay DoD's ability to recruit and train team members.
March 13, 2013