Defense
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Congress has told the Pentagon to stem the tide of suspected counterfeit parts that ultimately end up in military technology systems. First though, DoD has to come to grips with the fact that it can't simply mandate change to an industrial base it once controlled.
September 27, 2012 -
The Energy and Homeland Security departments are working with companies in the electricity sector to come up with a baseline set of cybersecurity standards. Michael Daniel, the White House cyber coordinator, said the framework is making a difference in how owners and operators secure their networks. But Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said without liability protections expansion of these efforts isn't likely.
September 27, 2012 -
The Defense Department's undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller), Robert Hale, told a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week that Defense officials have only "limited flexibility" to handle the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts, known as sequestration, that go into effect next year.
September 26, 2012 -
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force to improve the quality of sexual assault prevention training for their prospective commanders and senior enlisted leaders. DoD press secretary George Little said the goal is to make training better and more uniform among the services. The services also will review policies on all military training of enlisted personnel and commissioned officers.
September 26, 2012 -
The Associated Press is reporting, the "leader of U.S. Army forces in Asia and the Pacific says his soldiers will be able to conduct more exercises with other nations in the region, as the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan and the military refocuses its attention." Lt. Gen. Francis J. Wiercinski, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific, wants U.S. soldiers to undertake more exercises with Indonesia, Malaysia and India. The Army will also be able to have more active duty soldiers, instead of reserves, participate in exercises with allies such as Japan.
September 25, 2012 -
Six senators sent a letter to their Senate leaders asking for a bipartisan effort to end the threat of automatic, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect in January.
September 25, 2012 -
Reuters is reporting, "Iranian hackers have repeatedly attacked Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc over the past year, as part of a broad cyber campaign targeting the United States." The attacks, started in late 2011 and escalated this year. The attacks disrupted the banks' websites and corporate networks by launching denial of service attacks. Iran's nuclear program has been attacked repeated by viruses that U.S. is believed to have authored.
September 24, 2012 -
Federal prosecutors said the company submitted misleading test certificates concerning the design and construction of a 911 emergency response system in Iraq.
September 24, 2012 -
The money will pay for a pedestrian tunnel from the National Institutes of Health metro station to Walter Reed. The two federal facilities face each other across a busy Bethesda road.
September 24, 2012 -
Secretary Leon Panetta announced the change as he concluded a tour of Asian and Pacific countries. But New Zealand's Defense Minister said U.S. ships still may not enter its waters.
September 24, 2012 -
For the first time, review panels will question not just new IT projects, but also money spent on maintaining older technologies. The changes are part of an overhaul Congress ordered the Pentagon to implement with regard to how it handles investment review boards, the internal overseers that federal agencies use to greenlight spending for business IT systems.
September 24, 2012 -
High level three-way talks between the U.S., Pakistan and Afghanistan could be coming. The goal is to fix counterterrorism problems. Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Foreign Minister told several media yesterday senior officials from the three countries have been instructed to come up with a strategy for repairing cooperation that has suffered since U.S.-Pakistani relations collapsed a year and half ago.
September 21, 2012 -
Robert Hale, the military's CFO, said reductions in force would cost more money than the Defense Department would save. But hiring a freeze and involuntary unpaid furloughs would be likely for civilians.
September 21, 2012 -
Prof. Charles O'Brien of the University of Pennsylvania talks about a report on binge drinking in the military. Jacob Pankowski of Greenberg Traurig and David Childs of Management Analysis Incorporated offer insight on inherently governmental procedures.
September 20, 2012 -
Officials say one in six service members and vets suffer from PTSD. The research will focus on spotting symptoms, prevention and treatment.
September 20, 2012