DoD News 
Top News
- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
Pentagon to pare back military pay increase request for 2014
DoD's 2014 budget will ask Congress for a 1 percent increase in military pay, down slightly from previous projections.
DoD, VA accelerate schedule for integrated health record
The two departments are looking for "quick wins" in their integrated health-record strategy, aiming to bring the most important capabilities online three years early.
AP sources: Pentagon extending benefits for gays
AP sources: Pentagon to extend some benefits to same-sex partners of military members
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 6, 2013
Forrest Morgeson, director of research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index, has some good news for some agencies. Agriculture Department official Kevin Concannon says USDA is claiming victory in its battle against fraud. Jordy Yager of The Hill newspaper explains why some on Capitol Hill are talking about Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Tom Day, USPS' chief sustainability officer, shares news of the Postal Service's successful conservation efforts.
Same-Sex benefits to be extended
A little more than 15 months after the Pentagon repealed its ban on openly gay service members, the military is on the brink of extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of service members, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hasn't made a final decision on which benefits will be included, but the Pentagon is expected to allow same-sex partners to have access to the on-base commissary and other military subsidized stores.
Congress considers putting limits on drone strikes
Uncomfortable with the Obama administration's use of deadly drones, a growing number in Congress is looking to limit America's authority to kill suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens.
US Navy sends message to North Korea
The Associated Press is reporting, South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon follow through on a threat to conduct its third atomic test. The region has also seen a boost in diplomatic activity since last month, when North Korea announced it would conduct a nuclear test to protest U.N. Security Council sanctions toughened after a satellite launch in December that the U.S. and others say was a disguised test of banned missile technology.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 5, 2013
Robert Litan discusses a Bloomberg Government study about rule-making in the Obama administration. Michael Tinsley, CEO of NeoSystems Corp., offers insight on how furloughs might affect federal contractors. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo weighs in on a a 2012 Supreme Court case that could come back to bite federal agencies facing budget cuts under sequestration. Gregory Wilshusen discusses a new GAO report on how prepared agencies are to fend of online assaults. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service talks about sequestration and the threat of furloughs.
Army seeks better mental health coordination
Army leadership is looking to improve coordination among its mental health programs and other soldier-resilience efforts, acknowledging Monday that a patchwork system of tools is often confusing for both commanders and soldiers.
AFRICOM stays put
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has decided against moving the U.S. military's headquarters overseeing Africa from Germany to the United States, concluding the benefits of staying in Europe closer to African hot spots - are worth the extra cost, officials say. Reuters is reporting, the Pentagon notified Congress of its decision this week. Some lawmakers had been pushing for Africa Command to move stateside, with South Carolina and Georgia promoted as possible locations.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 4, 2013
Terry Weaver, president of Weaver Consulting, discusses an overhauled version of Section 508 regulations. Jamison Cush, chief editor of TechTarget's Technology Guide, talks about the new BlackBerry Z-10. Tom Lee, director of Sunlight Labs, explains what's behind "Docket Wrench," a new tool to make it easier to track actions related to proposed rules.
By year's end, troops will be unable to respond to crises, Pentagon says
Shortfalls in operating accounts would mean military units would be undertrained, underequipped and unable to deploy by the end of fiscal 2013, senior DoD officials predict.
Panetta says politics at play in Hagel questioning
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said "the political knives" came out when Chuck Hagel faced fellow Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to be Pentagon chief.
Another GOP senator backs Hagel for defense post
A second Republican senator says he will back former Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next Pentagon chief.
Marine survey lists concerns on women in combat
Male Marines listed being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault as a top concern in a survey about moving women into combat jobs, and thousands indicated the change could prompt them to leave the service altogether.
Hagel defends himself
Senator Chuck Hagel on himself. "No one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me." He made the statement during a day of tough questions in his quest to be the next Secretary of Defense. He was challenged over his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Sen. Lindsey Graham was harshly critical of Hagel for failing to sign letters in past years designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization and backing Israel.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 1, 2013
Sharon Roth of the Merit Systems Protection Board discusses a new survey on federal management. Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan of the Navy Office of Women's Policy talks about the new DoD decision to open up combat jobs to women. Greg Kutz, a senior audit executive with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Audit, talks about a new report his agency released. Keith Lucas, vice president for AFGE Council 228, discusses a new contract his union signed with the Small Business Administration.
DoD slow to codify some interagency contracting standards
Despite a big policy push from the administration, some agencies have lagged in implementing guidance dealing with interagency contracting, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. Still, GAO said the creation of a policy framework by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy had gone a long way toward ameliorating some of the issues that landed interagency contracting on the watchdog agency's high-risk list eight years ago, such as duplication and unclear lines of authority between agencies.
APNewsBreak: Afghan massacre trial set for Sept.
A military judge has scheduled a Sept. 3 court martial for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier accused of massacring 16 Afghan villagers during nighttime raids last year, his lawyer said Thursday.
Joint Chiefs: Looming cuts would 'hollow' military
The military's top leaders are warning Congress that automatic spending cuts looming in March would force the Pentagon to slash operating budgets, weakening the armed forces and possibly forcing furloughs of 800,000 civilian employees.
