Teachers in the Defense Department schools for military families face up to 11 days of furloughs, just like most other civilian employees. But school officials vow that will not affect the quality of education. Marilee Fitzgerald, director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, joins the Federal Drive to discuss how DoD teachers are planning for the furloughs.

The Defense Department is the single largest energy consumer in the world. And the Air Force takes the biggest piece of that pie. It spent $9 billion on fuel and electricity in 2012. It’s a big number, but much smaller than it could have been. That’s thanks to Kevin Geiss, the deputy assistant secretary for energy at the Air Force. His efforts have earned him a nomination for a Service to America Medal.

Click here to learn more about his nomination

The Coast Guard is most visible when it performs daring sea rescues. Less visible is the work it does to stop cocaine and other illegal drugs from coming into the United States. That’s the mission of the Joint Interagency Task Force South. But sequestration might be harming that mission, according to Coast Guard Rear Adm. Charles Michel.

Spending Cuts Devastate Cocaine Interdiction, Admiral Says (related link)

While you enjoy a hot, sunny weekend, thousands of computer nerds will be inside, hacking on their computers. But in a good way. June 1 is the National Day of Civic Hacking. Events are taking place in 95 locations. Participants will develop apps that use government data sets. The event has the backing of the White House plus several corporate partners. Kevin Curry, a civic hacker and the director of The Brigade, Code for America’s Volunteer Engagement Program, joins the Federal Drive with a preview of the event.

The Smithsonian is trying a new way to raise money for an upcoming show: crowdfunding. It is asking the public to give small amounts of money and use social media to ask others to do the same. The Smithsonian is testing the method on an exhibit about the history of yoga. Katie Ziglar, director of external affairs for the Smithsonian Institution, joins the Federal Drive with more.