On DoD
-
The aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford will be the first ship of the Navy's new carrier design. The Defense Department will use the Ford for shock tests instead of waiting for the second ship in the series — the John F. Kennedy — to be complete in about five years. Bryan Clark is senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and former Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose what the Pentagon's decision means for the ship and for the whole carrier fleet.
August 12, 2015 -
Outgoing Army chief of staff Gen. Ray Odierno warns today, as he leaves his uniform behind, the military is risking its long-term viability to meet short-term demands. He’s worried about the Army’s readiness to engage in complex fights — its overall size — and a continuing squeeze on acquisition funding. More from Federal News Radio’s DoD reporter Jared Serbu.
August 12, 2015 -
The Air Force is forming partnerships with the communities surrounding its bases to share support services and facilities. It's called the Air Force Community Partnership Program, and it's proving valuable for both the service and the local communities. Steve Zander is the program's director. For his work, he's been named one of the 33 finalists for this year's Service to America Medals. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to share more about the program.
August 11, 2015 -
The Navy believes it finally has the major structural problems of the Littoral Combat Ship behind it. The program executive officer for LCS Mission Modules -- Captain Casey Moton -- says the program is making strides. Retired US Navy Captain Jerry Hendrix is senior fellow and director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose where the program stands and what the obstacles may be.
August 05, 2015 -
GSA and the Naval Sea Systems Command released a blanket purchase agreement and the first task order under that contract vehicle to provide a host of credit monitoring and identity protection services for those affected by the OPM data breach. The number of potential victims increased to 28 million.
August 05, 2015 -
The Army Reserve wants to make sure its soldiers aren’t relegated to the military’s B-team – called on only in case of emergency. But to do that, it needs to make sure its servicemembers are constantly training in their specialties, something that’s increasingly difficult under constrained budgets. As Federal News Radio’s Jared Serbu reports, the Reserve is looking to dramatically lower its training costs through public-private partnerships.
August 04, 2015 -
President Obama wants to build one of the fastest supercomputers ever in the next 15 years. The exascale computer would run about 30 times faster than today's fastest supercomputer. It's part of the National Strategic Computing Initiative in collaboration with the Energy Department, Pentagon, and National Science Foundation. Simon Szykman is the chief technology officer for Attain's federal services division and former chief information officer at the Commerce Department. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose that the project might not live up to all the hype.
August 04, 2015 -
In this episode, Women of Washington hosts Aileen Black and Gigi Schumm interview Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Army Reserve.
August 03, 2015 -
The Defense Department's nuclear forces arsenal is getting a close look for affordability. Think tanks like the Government Accountability Office and even the Pentagon itself are all looking at how much money the agency should spend on nuclear stock. Todd Harrison is senior fellow for defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose why he thinks it's important to look at nuclear forces in the context of the whole weapons inventory.
July 31, 2015 -
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford will be the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He'll begin his term October first when the current chairman — Army Gen. Martin Dempsey — retires. Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2005. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the challenges he walked into on his first day as chairman and how they might compare to what Dunford has on his plate.
July 31, 2015 -
The General Services Administration signed its third MOU with a large federal organization to use the professional services governmentwide acquisition contract known as OASIS. In return for its pledge to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year, DHS receives a lower fee.
July 30, 2015 -
After nearly 20 years of development, the Marine Corps said its first squadron of F35B joint strike fighters is just about ready for combat. It's the first joint strike fighter model to reach initial operational capability and the Defense Department spends nearly $100 billion in the process so far. Jim Hasik is a senior fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose what the Pentagon could have spent its money on instead.
July 29, 2015 -
The DoD 5000.ac will detail a better, agile process for the military to buy services.
July 29, 2015 Federal overseers charged with monitoring the government’s biotoxin safety programs made clear Tuesday that the Army research laboratory which mistakenly sent dozens of batches of live Anthrax to research facilities should have known years ago…
July 28, 2015-
The Army laboratory that sent dozens of batches of live Anthrax to research facilities by accident should have known for years that something was wrong with their protocols for handling biotoxins. The Department of Health and Human Services has identified at least four serious safety violations by Dugway Proving Ground over the last decade and issued several citations. More from Federal News Radio’s DoD reporter Jared Serbu.
July 28, 2015