Defense Department
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The Defense Department starts a new fiscal year Wednesday without a final budget in place, just like the rest of the government. But department leaders are working under the assumption that Congress will eventually reject up to $70 billion worth of proposals the department made to find cost savings in its 2015 budget. Federal News Radio's DoD Reporter Jared Serbu has more.
September 30, 2014 -
President Barack Obama is going it alone for the time being. He's sending military resources to drop bombs and shoot missiles at the Islamic State line in Iraq and Syria. He's working largely without the counsel, much less consent, of Congress. Is there a big vacuum in Washington with Congress gone until after the mid-term elections? Or is there a streamlined operation without too much distraction? Justin Sink, White House correspondent for The Hill Newspaper, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.
September 30, 2014 -
The Defense Department is proposing stricter lending protections for service members who take out short-term loans. The department says the move would close several loopholes in current regulations that are supposed to protect service members from predatory lenders. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details from his DoD Reporter's Notebook.
September 30, 2014 -
A space tracking website maintained by the Defense Department is getting a makeover. Space-track.org is a hub for organizations that conduct space operations to see where space debris may, or may not, be floating around endangering satellites. Maj. Gen. David Thompson is director of Plans and Policy for Strategic Command. He tells Tom Temin on the Federal Drive how many objects are currently on STRATCOM's radar.
September 29, 2014 -
The leader of the Army's new Cyber Center of Excellence says his job is not merely to build the cyber workforce, but to integrate that up-and-coming capability with the Army's existing signals and intelligence disciplines.
September 26, 2014 -
The fifth annual Warrior Games kick off this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado. More than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans will compete for their branch of the armed forces. The sports include wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball. James Rodriguez, Deputy Secretary of Defense for Warrior Care Policy, provided a preview of the games on the Federal Drive.
September 26, 2014 -
The Pentagon is dropping a plan to make the Defense Information Systems Agency the cloud computing broker for the Defense Department. Instead, defense components will buy their own services. That said, DISA will still be making a lot of deals with communications and technology firms in fiscal year 2015. Afzal Bari is a senior technology analyst for Bloomberg Government. He shared a list of the big deals to watch for on the Federal Drive with guest host Emily Kopp.
September 26, 2014 -
Cyber operations is about the only area of the DoD budget that hasn't been subject to cuts. But the new leader of the Army's Cyber Center of Excellence says that doesn't mean the Army can grow its newest military discipline in isolation. Federal News Radio DoD reporter Jared Serbu has the details.
September 25, 2014 -
Franz Gayl's seven-year Whistleblower Protection Act complaint case against the United States Marine Corps has come to an end. On top of preserving Gayl's position, the deal also appoints Gayl to a new team tasked with developing guidelines for whistleblower rights.
September 25, 2014 -
The Defense Department says its forthcoming purchase of a commercial-off-the-shelf electronic health record system is the best way to bring it into line with modern health IT practices and make its data more interoperable. But even after the system is deployed, DoD will be living with legacy data and paper records for years to come.
September 25, 2014 -
By next summer, the Defense Department plans to make an award for a new off-the-shelf electronic health record system that meets modern health IT standards. But the system won't be a silver bullet for DoD's challenges in exchanging medical data with VA, or within the department itself. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu has details on the legwork DoD will be doing over the next couple years to make its existing data more interoperable.
September 24, 2014 -
The Army needs big solutions if it wants to generate as much energy as it consumes by 2020. It's using the Fort Carson Army base in Colorado Springs as a testing ground for the Net-Zero Energy Initiative. The General Services Administration identifies four ideas that could help Fort Carson reach big energy breakthroughs. It's also partnering with the Army and Energy Department to measure Fort Carson's progress so far. Ken Sandler is the sustainability and green building advisor within the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings at GSA. He told In Depth with Francis Rose what Fort Carson has done so far.
September 24, 2014 -
The F-22 Raptor made its combat debut against the Islamic State in Syria this week. The F-22 project cost about $70 billion over a decade. The Pentagon expects the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to be combat-ready in four years, and it's already the most expensive weapon system in Defense Department history. Cary Russell, director of Defense Capabilities and Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, estimates the cost of running the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. He told In Depth with Francis Rose after DoD activates the F-35 for combat, the cost could reach about $1 trillion.
September 24, 2014 -
Elaine Rogers, CEO of USO Metropolitan Washington, has worked for the organization serving America's troops since she was 24 years old. Rogers is this week's guest on the Women of Washington radio show.
September 24, 2014 -
The Center for Army Lessons Learned is calling for soldiers who want to serve a yearlong tour in a hot spot such as Afghanistan, Kuwait or Africa. As an Embedded Liaison Officer, they would report back on what they observed. Colonel Paul Reese, director of the Center for Army Lessons Learned, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss what the Army is calling a great opportunity.
September 24, 2014