Defense Department
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The Director of Naval intelligence, Vice Adm. Ted Branch, is now in his ninth month on the job with no access to classified information. Last November the Navy announced that Branch was one of the officials they were investigating in the fraud and bribery scandal involving ship husbanding. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss this story, which he covered in this week's edition of Inside the DoD Reporter's Notebook.
August 19, 2014 -
Shrinking force size and changing force structure are two reasons the Defense Department continues to push for another round of base realignment and closure. The Army will likely shrink the most of any of the services, and they are already returning 21 locations to their home countries in Europe. But most members of Congress still oppose another BRAC round in the States. Katherine Hammack is Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she said the Pentagon is making some progress.
August 18, 2014 -
The Army has thousands of personnel working full-time on cyber, but so far, those soldiers have no dedicated career path. That may be about to change.
August 15, 2014 -
Terry Halvorsen, DoD's acting chief information officer, is planning to change the way the military uses and manages its network. The Joint Information Environment is driving many of the modernization efforts across DoD.
August 14, 2014 -
The Defense Department has mine detectors and satellites to watch for threats around the world. Now troops have an injury detector that can scan for brain trauma nobody can see. Jeffrey Rogers is program manager of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He's a finalist for a Service to America medal in the Science and Environment category for inventing a traumatic brain injury sensor. He explained how it works on In Depth with Francis Rose. Read a Q&A with Rogers.
August 13, 2014 -
Assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, Katherine Hammack, is back from a round of visits to Army bases to see how they're dealing with climate change. She says readiness is dependent upon how they prepare for a future of limited energy resources. She explained what she saw on In Depth with Francis Rose.
August 13, 2014 -
Big data success at the Army's Enterprise Management Decisions Support earns that team an honor. Lt. Col. Bobby Saxon receives the 2014 GOVTek GTRA Executive Technology Award for Excellence in Big Data. Saxon is system program manager for the EMDS. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he explained how big data will impact decision making in the military.
August 11, 2014 -
Move over MRE's, the Army is developing 3D food printers for soldiers in the field. If successful, soldiers will instantly have access to their food of choice by pressing the print button. The new technology could save money, avoid wasted food and give soldiers more food choices. Lauren Oleksyk is the food leader at the Army's Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center. She joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the new project.
August 08, 2014 -
When it comes to lowest price, technically acceptable policies, the Defense Department wants more than "acceptable" for its acquisition services. Even with looming sequestration forcing DoD to stretch financially, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of Defense acquisition, technology and logistics, said the department must incentivize contractors to provide better value as well as best prices.
August 06, 2014 -
The Defense Department adds its own voice to a growing list of associations and members of Congress with ideas on how to improve the military's acquisition process. DoD's ideas center less on what Congress can do and more on what it shouldn't do. Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss what DoD is looking to change. Read Jason's related article.
August 06, 2014 -
Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, sent a letter to Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) back in June detailing how Congress can help DoD improve its acquisition outcomes. The list includes stopping sequestration, continued support of workforce training and simplifying rules and regulations.
August 06, 2014 -
David Bennett, the agency's Chief Information Officer and Alfred Rivera, the vice director for strategic planning join us to talk about DISA data center consolidation strategy and the path ahead.
August 05, 2014 -
The General Services Administration plans to have draft governmentwide policies for reusing and recycling used electronics by the end of this fiscal year. Kevin Kampschroer, deputy senior sustainability official for GSA, announced the agency's efforts at the release of the updated national strategy for sustainable electronics.
August 04, 2014 -
Nearly three-quarters of a million civilian Defense Department employees will enter a new, three-tiered employee appraisal system. The Pentagon included the new system in its six-month Congressional update on personnel systems. The update is a requirement of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act that killed the National Security Personnel System. Pat Tamburrino is director of business development at LMI and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said comparing the new system to NSPS might take a while.
August 04, 2014 -
Most members of the military become steeped in ethics and professionalism from the outset. But in an organization as large as the Defense Department, bad apples will sometimes turn up. Recently, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel appointed Navy Rear Adm. Peg Klein as his senior advisor for military professionalism, looking across all of the armed services. She gives Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive an inside look at her job.
August 04, 2014