Defense Department
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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 -
A tight budget is forcing the Army to cut its ranks by at least 70,000 people over the next five years. The Army also has to let go of some weapons programs to keep its spending levels down. Those plans could come at the cost of military readiness.
April 01, 2014 -
The Littoral Combat Ship program is in turmoil as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel sets up a task force to look at alternatives to the LCS. That task force's recommendations could include a modified LCS system, an alternative system or continuing with the LCS as-is. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, heard from leaders across the Navy and Marine Corps. In our Congressional Spotlight, he explains his concerns about the LCS.
March 31, 2014 -
The Army is the first service to begin an analysis of its excess real estate after a Congressional prohibition against even studying the subject expired. Early results show up to a quarter of its stateside infrastructure isn't being used right now, and the Army will need even less as it shrinks in size.
March 31, 2014 -
In this week's Inside the Reporter's Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller explores how DoD is developing its cloud security standards and Treasury is filling a financial management void.
March 28, 2014 -
Military officials say overseas contingency operations dollars are vital to ongoing operations around the world, even after the wars end. All the services tell the House Armed Services Committee that OCO funding is helping with readiness and maintenance challenges.
March 28, 2014