Wednesday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Ruben Gomez Edited by Suzanne Kubota This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has formally ordered the crea...

Written by Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has formally ordered the creation of a new military cyber command. It’ll coordinate the Pentagon’s efforts to defend military networks and conduct cyberwarfare. The Pentagon says the new command will be located in Fort Meade, Maryland and will be ready to go by the end of next year. The military has about 15,000 networks and 7-million computers.

The Army’s Future Combat System Brigade Combat Team has been cancelled. In a memo obtained by FederalNewsRadio, the Pentagon says the Army will transition to a new modernization program made up of several seperate acquisition programs. FCS was the Army’s largest modernization program. DOD will launch a new acquisition program in 2010.

The clock is ticking for governmentwide pay reform. Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry says that by February he’ll have a new proposal for the 2011 budget. GovernmentExecutive says Berry wants Congress to pass a bill by next year’s mid-term elections. Berry has previously called for a governmentwide pay-for-performance system.

The Metro train crash hits close to home for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. GovernmentExecutive reports that some NOAA employees were on board the trains involved in Monday’s collision. They escaped with minor injuries. NOAA’s main campus is located in Silver Spring, one train stop from the crash site.

The Office of Personnel management plans to ask agencies to stop forcing job applicants to fill out complicated questionnaires. OPM Director John Berry tells FederalTimes that agencies should instead rely on resumes to decide whether someone is qualified. Berry says scrapping the knowledge, skills and abilities form would be part of a broader attempt to overhaul federal hiring.

Other Stories We’re Following

Members of Congress get ‘generous’ health plans (USAToday)

Investigators seek why automated train didn’t stop

Employer use of E-Verify program on the rise (USAToday)

Registered-traveler programs shutdown catches fliers off guard (USAToday)

DHS to Cut Police Access to Spy-Satellite Data (WashingtonPost)

Interior Secretary optimistic about Flight 93 land

Cornell probes theft of laptop with personal data

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