Jared Serbu covers the Department of Defense for Federal News Radio. Jared's reports can be heard Monday - Friday on the Federal Drive and In Depth.

Hagel: Accountability breakdown was leading factor in sexual assaults

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he's taken several steps to improve the military's response to and prevention of sexual assaults, but that the problem can't be solved by policy directives alone. On the matter of sexual assaults, he said he believes the military's chain of command has suffered an accountability breakdown.

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In fight over intelligence IT system, Army prioritizes access to data

The Army says hard-won lessons on the battlefield have taught it that stovepiped IT systems have no place in the business of intelligence collection and sharing. It also acknowledges that enforcing a single set of common standards comes with some tradeoffs.

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DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices

In the past, DoD's security review process took so long that devices were off the market by the time the Pentagon allowed them on government networks. This week, DoD approved a secure, commercial version of Android before its manufacturer even released it.

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Hagel makes 'difficult choice,' civilian furloughs to begin July 8

The Defense Department reduces the number of furlough days from 14 to 11. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said it's possible the number could drop further, but he offered no promises.

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DoD's military construction budget appears safe from sequestration cuts

Funding reductions in 2013 appropriations act are sufficient to protect military construction accounts from further sequestration cuts, but funds used for upkeep on existing buildings are severely impacted.

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DoD eases rules for health care approvals after contractor 'failure'

Citing unacceptable delays by its contractor, the Pentagon waives the requirement for preauthorization of specialty care for military members, families and retirees in TRICARE's western region.

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DoD's budget reprogramming won't help with sequestration

Pentagon says it will use its limited budget flexibility to compensate for unexpected war costs, not to blunt sequestration. Services continue to warn Congress about how budget cuts are impacting readiness.

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DoD's BRAC wish hitting brick wall on Capitol Hill

The Pentagon insists it is paying to maintain much more military base infrastructure than it needs, and the problem will only get worse as the Defense Department shrinks due to budget reductions. Congress, however, remains unsympathetic.

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DoD grants network access to Android, BlackBerry 10 devices

The Pentagon's mobile plan includes device approvals that will involve some up-front costs. The expectation is those costs will be quickly offset by eliminating the inefficiency of the slow, stovepiped and outdated approaches that have characterized DoD mobility up until now.

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Sequestration already biting Navy, Marines readiness

Currently deployed units and those behind them are fully trained and equipped, the services say. But those next in line "aren't doing much." The fiscal 2013 budget also may be too little, too late in some ship repair and maintenance efforts.

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Budget turmoil creates hurdles for DoD auditability

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Tex.) is a certified public accountant who chaired a year-long series of hearings on DoD audit readiness for the House Armed Services Committee. He spoke with Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu for this week's On DoD.

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Tightening budgets force DARPA to alter course for R&D

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative technologies ever created — including the Internet. But as budgets tighten, the agency's director says she's trying to figure out how to deal with an increasingly complex threat environment as less money flows into the research and development pipeline.

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DoD acquisition managers told to think for themselves

The Pentagon's top acquisition official released guidance this week to implement the Defense Department's latest iteration of the Better Buying Power program. The plan tells acquisition managers their first priority should be to use their own expertise in making decisions.

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Army could lose 100,000 soldiers due to sequestration

Army leaders say the belated passage of a 2013 budget helped this year's fiscal picture, but the service still is more than $15 billion short of funds. If sequestration continues, the service will shrink by at least 100,000 soldiers.

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Internal watchdog blasts DoD's health IT efforts

A memo obtained by Federal News Radio points to a split in thinking inside the Pentagon's efforts to achieve interoperability with VA's electronic health record system. An assessment by the Pentagon's office of operational test and evaluation, an internal acquisition watchdog, finds DoD's project to build a new electronic health record is "likely to be detrimental to the President's goals" for interoperable health IT.

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Military groups fight to stop DoD budget proposal

Advocacy organizations are criticizing the Pentagon's proposed fee increase for TRICARE as unfair and discriminatory.

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Sequestration already taking toll on DoD's research and development

Defense agencies and services are pulling back hundreds of millions of dollars worth of grants and contracts. Impending furloughs will further impair DoD's ability to get money out the door.

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Hagel orders DoD to 'restructure' path toward integrated health record

The Pentagon delays its RFP for a new electronic health record system. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says a revised approach is coming soon.

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DoD makes auditability a priority, but will likely miss 2014 deadline

The Defense Department's attitude toward the importance of auditability has undergone a marked change, but experts believe compliance with its next legal deadline will be a stretch.

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DoD makes slow progress towards clean 2017 audit

Mark Easton, DoD's deputy chief financial officer, says the challenges toward a clean audit are significant but the Pentagon is still optimistic.

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