Defense Department
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"Efficiency and Effectiveness" — we hear that phrase all the time in government. At the Defense Department, it's taking on a new meaning. DoD can no longer spend more of its time worrying about the effectiveness of its acquisition programs at the expense of efficiency. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller explained to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp how DoD is addressing its long muted focus on efficient buying. Read Federal News Radio's related article.
April 11, 2014 -
A group of functional domain experts are reaching out to the military services and agencies to look at service contracting spending across 12 areas. The Defense Department's goal is to use strategic sourcing to improve how it buys in these categories. The Army created a governance board to bring together all stakeholders during specific points of the acquisition process to find opportunities to collaborate.
April 11, 2014 -
Sixteen black female members of Congress are pushing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to change Army regulations that ban hairstyles frequently worn by minority women in the military. The Associated Press reports the members of the Congressional Black Caucus signed a letter Thursday to Hagel, stating that the changes are "discriminatory rules targeting soldiers who are women of color." They say that references in the rules calling hairstyles worn mostly by black women "unkempt" and "matted" are offensive and show a lack of "cultural sensitivity."
April 11, 2014 -
The Naval Air Systems Command's acquisition practices are laden with so much unnecessary costs that its commander worries about its ability to meet its mission to the fleet a few years from now. NAVAIR's commander said it's time to rethink the way it engages the acquisition system and with industry.
April 10, 2014 -
From health records to rubber gloves, the Defense Health Agency is streamlining health care at the Pentagon. In this week's Agency of the Month radio show, host Lauren Larson speaks with Navy Capt. James Poindexter, acting division chief of Medical Logistics Shared Services, and Dave Bowen, director of health care IT and chief information officer at the Defense Health Agency.
April 10, 2014 -
The leader of the Naval Air Systems Command says his service needs to make dramatic changes to the way it acquires planes, helicopters and other aviation systems. Otherwise, he says, the Navy faces a future in which it can't afford the weapons systems it needs. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu reports on the upcoming changes at NAVAIR.
April 09, 2014 -
The Defense Department's overall budget will shrink by a combined $900 billion by fiscal year 2021, according to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno. He tells the Senate Armed Services Committee how the Army will absorb more than $260 billion in cuts during that span. On Pentagon Solutions, Odierno says the Pentagon is creating a Total Army Solution for the looming budget cuts.
April 09, 2014 -
The military's commissary system is in line for cuts in the Fiscal 2015 budget request from the Pentagon. Those cuts, like a lot of other cuts, have some pretty strong opponents. But in the case of the commissaries, the opponents aren't necessarily obvious. On Pentagon Solutions, Todd Harrison, senior fellow for defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, explains why the commissary system is generating some much heat.
April 09, 2014 -
On this week's On DoD, Jared Serbu talks to Eric Jeffries, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Exelis; Zachary Hearn, the deputy director for benefits at the American Legion; and Alan Chvotkin, vice president at the Professional Services Council.
April 09, 2014 -
The latest edition of the Defense Department's effort to buy more capability without more money will emphasize the idea of bringing outside innovation into the military acquisition process.
April 09, 2014 -
The Defense Department says it's in the very early stages of creating a "3.0" version of its ongoing Better Buying Power initiative. There's nothing on paper yet, but Federal News Radio DoD reporter Jared Serbu reports, the new version will focus on making sure the U.S. military doesn't fall behind on technological superiority. Read Federal News Radio's related article.
April 08, 2014 -
The Navy has a unique way it approaches the health and wellness of its sailors. All food aboard ships is developed and approved by a triad of people. The special group consists of an executive chef, a dietitian, and a subject matter expert. Danny King, commander of the Supply Corps for the Navy and director of the Navy Food Service, spoke with Federal Drive Host Emily Kopp at the Sea Air Space Exposition. View photos and listen to more of our interviews from the expo.
April 07, 2014 -
Fast, austere, lethal — those are the goals of a new set of concepts from the Marine Corps. Expeditionary Force 21 debuts today. It charts how the Marine Corps will be organized, trained and postured for the next 10 years. It may not change what the Marines do, but it will change how they will do it. Lieutenant General Kenneth Glueck, deputy commandant of Combat Development and Integration, and head of the Marine Corps' Combat Development Command, spoke with Federal Drive Host Emily Kopp at the Sea Air Space Exposition. View photos and listen to more of our interviews from the expo.
April 07, 2014 -
The Navy continues to change the way it thinks about energy consumption. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus recently outlined several energy goals for the next six years. They include reducing petroleum used afloat and increasing alternative energy use ashore. Much of the responsibility for that plan falls to Vice Admiral Philip Hart Cullom, the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics. He spoke with Federal Drive Host Emily Kopp at the Sea Air Space Exposition. View photos and listen to more of our interviews from the expo.
April 07, 2014 -
On any given day, the Department of the Navy is the size of the largest two or three companies in the United States. With hundreds of thousands of people and a network of installations and other assets worldwide, it's a real challenge to manage. Right now, that job falls to Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of Naval Operations. He spoke with Federal Drive co-host Emily Kopp at the Sea Air Space Exposition. View photos and listen to more of our interviews from the expo.
April 07, 2014