National & World Headlines

• Air Force says readiness problems will last through 2023

  Air Force officials say their service already was facing readiness issues because of the high operational tempo of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But sequestration worsened the problems, and continuing the budget caps will set back a readiness recovery.

  Budget

  March 17, 2014
• Educating and training the next generation of Marines

  Marine Corps University President, Brigadier General Thomas Weidley and Retired Brigadier General Thomas Draude, president of the Marine Corps University Foundation, will talk about the University's education and training programs. March 14, 2014

  Fed Access

  March 14, 2014
• What can USPS learn from TRICARE in funding retiree health care costs?

  As lawmakers consider efforts to shore up the Postal Service's financial footing, there's still widespread disagreement over whether the current requirement for the agency prefunding requirement is fiscally responsible, as Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) argued during a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing Thursday, or an "onerous mandate" only required of the Postal Service, as Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) contended.

  Congress

  March 14, 2014
• Cyber Command headed toward unified command status

  Gen. Keith Alexander, who will soon retire as the first commander of U.S. Cyber Command, said his organization has matured to the point that it should join the club of unified commands that report directly to the President.

  Defense

  March 14, 2014
• Jared Serbu, DoD Reporter, Federal News Radio

  A higher slot on the military's organizational chart for U.S. Cyber Command.

  All News

  March 13, 2014
• Staff Sergeant Alexandra Springman, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

  The Air Force celebrates the retirement of one of its own - doggie style.

  Federal Drive

  March 13, 2014
• For the Marines, solving the BYOD puzzle is all about cost savings

  Rob Anderson, the chief of the Vision and Strategy Division in the Marine Corps Command, Control, Communication and Computers (C4) office, said reducing the monthly data and voice fees for even 50 percent of the current employees using BlackBerrys could mean as much as $5 million that the Marines could transfer to readiness and operations and maintenance accounts. March 13, 2014

  Ask the CIO

  March 13, 2014
• Military facilities get shorted as part of DoD’s tough 2015 budget choices

  The Pentagon's 2015 budget request includes sharp cuts in funding for construction and maintenance on military bases, which congressional appropriators immediately denounced. But Defense officials say they could do a better job of maintaining military bases if they were allowed to close they ones they no longer need.

  Budget

  March 13, 2014
• Service members should be worried about FY 2015 budget

  Vice Admiral Norb Ryan, president of the Military Officer's Association of America, was Francis Rose's guest for Pentagon Solutions.

  Federal Drive

  March 12, 2014
• On DoD: Army Fit

  Lt. Col. Daniel Johnston, an Army physician and the program manager for Army Fit, talks to DoD Reporter Jared Serbu about the Army's technology platform that it hopes will take the service's comprehensive resilience effort further.

  On DoD Podcasts

  March 12, 2014
• Who are the winners and losers in the 2015 budget?

  Cameron Leuthy, senior budget analyst at Bloomberg Government, will give us his take on the President's 2015 budget request. March 11, 2014

  Off the Shelf

  March 11, 2014
• U.S. urges China to split with Russia over Ukraine

  The Associated Press says President Barack Obama is pressing China's to support the U.S. plan to isolate Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. The AP reports, "With official comments from China appearing studiously neutral since the Ukraine crisis began, President Barack Obama spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping late Sunday in a bid to get Beijing off the fence."

  Defense

  March 10, 2014
• The Pentagon engages Ukraine’s military

  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had his first conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby says Hagel reaffirmed U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.. He said the goal was to keep dialogue between to two militaries as strong as possible well into the future.

  Defense

  March 10, 2014
• The U.S. steps up joint training in eastern Europe

  Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. was stepping up joint aviation training with Polish forces. The Pentagon also is increasing American participation in NATO's air policing mission in its Baltic countries, he said. This and U.S. diplomatic efforts have come about since Russia's incursion into Ukraine

  Defense

  March 10, 2014