Defense Department
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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 -
After dealing with a bid protest, meeting the timeline will require the Navy and its prime vendor to move quickly. The new schedule accelerates the original transition schedule by several months.
April 07, 2014 -
"Inside the DoD's Reporter's Notebook" is biweekly feature focused on news about the Defense Department and defense community as gathered by Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu.
April 04, 2014 -
The Defense Department has just made a pretty significant change to the way it's going to buy products and services from GSA's schedules program. Instead of relying on GSA's determination that the government's already getting a good deal from the vendors in the program, the new rules appear to require DoD's own contracting officers to do the same thing. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu was a guest on In Depth with Francis Rose. to talk about that change.
April 03, 2014 -
The Pentagon's current proposals for wringing savings out of its health care system involve additional fees for beneficiaries, but also try to induce them to use less-costly treatment options.
April 03, 2014 -
The next version of cloud security standards is under development, even as agencies race to comply with current ones. The General Services Administration and the departments of Defense and Homeland Security are kicking off FedRAMP 2.0 by incorporating new NIST guidance. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp to explain how the agencies are keeping different standards aligned. Read Federal News Radio's related article.
April 03, 2014 -
"For the first time, you have an operational level organization that can directly interface with all the services — get their input, organize themselves, really solicit and collaborate with the services — so we can build a better military health system," Major General Richard Thomas, chief medical officer and director of DHA Healthcare Operations, told Federal News Radio.
April 03, 2014 -
DoD CIO Teri Takai clarifies the Pentagon plans to use the FedRAMP baseline. DHS and GSA are working together to ensure the continuous diagnostics and monitoring program and FedRAMP are aligned. But questions remain around how other cyber initiatives fit into the cloud security program.
April 03, 2014 -
The U.S. government wants to offload old military equipment in Afghanistan and nearby countries so it doesn't have to pack it up and take it home. Pentagon officials say selling 800 mine-resistant armored vehicles, for example, could make hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and save $500 million in shipping. For more on the ins and outs of selling military hardware, Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp spoke with Kevin Brancato, a defense analyst for Bloomberg Government.
April 02, 2014 -
A public affairs program for international students is helping the Pentagon meet its strategic defense goals. The Defense Information School is helping students from six different countries develop military communications strategies that are unique to their home countries. DoD says it's part of an overall military-to-military engagement plan. Col. Jeremy Martin, commandant of the Defense Information School, and one of his students, Capt. Rebecca Callas in the El Savladoran Air Force, were guests on In Depth with Francis Rose for Pentagon Solutions.
April 02, 2014 -
The Department of Veterans Affairs believes it is on track to end its disability claims backlog by 2015. It's an uphill fight, considering that more than half of its claims have been waiting for at least four months, and appeals take an average of more than two years.
April 02, 2014