Navy finds billions of dollars in under-the-radar IT expenses
As the Navy scours its IT systems to determine exactly what it owns, it's discovered it operates double the data centers and tens of thousands of servers and applications more than it previously thought. The findings come more than a decade after the Navy implemented its Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, which was supposed to reduce the number of disparate systems run by the agency and eliminate stovepipes. All told, Navy's IT budget could be as much as $4 billion more than it initially thought.
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.
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 moves meetings online, but IT systems can't keep pace
Spending on conferences is among first casualties as various defense components make cutbacks. DoD's online meeting service is suffering from its own popularity.
Sequestration effects becoming clear for DoD
DoD's operations and maintenance accounts will likely be hit first if sequestration goes into effect. Unlike its procurement and research and development activities, which can continue to function on funds obligated in prior years, O&M dollars generally get spent right away. In preparation for sequestration, the Pentagon has already let go of tens of thousands of temporary hires and is drawing up a contingency plan for one-day-a-week furloughs. Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter says the unpaid furloughs would begin in April and continue through the remainder of the fiscal year if sequestration is not avoided.
Navy: Random alcohol tests for sailors in US
The Navy said Wednesday it will conduct random blood-alcohol tests on its sailors in the United States starting next month, a sign of how concerned the service's leaders have become about the effects alcohol abuse is having on the force.
Navy Undersecretary Robert Work to leave post
Robert Work, the Navy's undersecretary, will not serve a second term under President Obama.
Navy living out its 'heyday,' but rough seas ahead
Robert Work, the undersecretary of the Navy, says forget about the Reagan-era aspirations of a 600-ship fleet. Even with a smaller Navy, things are better than ever, he says, even if they're about to get worse due to smaller budgets and the threat of sequestration. "Yes, things might get worse. In fact, they probably will get worse. But this is the heyday of the U.S. Navy. And, if you're not excited, you ain't breathing," he said at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium this week.
Navy reducing IT spending ahead of schedule
The Department of the Navy is finding real dollar savings by moving to enterprise software licenses, managing mobile devices and services better and reducing the number of printers and the amount printed. Terry Halvorsen, the DoN CIO, said they are on track to meet the goal of cutting 25 percent of their IT budget in five years.
January 17, 2013
Begin saving cash now, Air Force tells commanders
The Air Force orders commanders to start cutbacks in advance of the next budget emergency.
Navy begins installing common IT architecture for entire fleet
The first Navy ship is undergoing an overhaul to implement the CANES system, one of up to 23 authorized under Pentagon's go-ahead for limited deployment.
Double-digit increase in reported sexual assaults at military academies
Reports of unwanted sexual contact increased sharply in the past academic year. The Pentagon believes the spike shows more reporting, not more crimes.
Official: Navy SEAL died of apparent suicide
U.S. military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan.
Joint Chiefs to crack down on military IT stovepipes
A new process promises more advance word on what the Pentagon wants from its military services, but demands they comply with common architectures. DoD said it is learning from development mistakes of the past.
Changes in federal acquisition environment taking toll on vendors
Preliminary results from a Grant Thornton survey of contractors show profits, revenues and overall participation in the government market is down. The pressure from the administration's steps to reign in high risk contracts and reduce spending is having an impact on most contractors. The Navy, for example, is trying to be more disciplined in how it buys goods and services.
Navy SEAL killed in rescue was from Pennsylvania
A Navy SEAL killed during a weekend rescue mission in Afghanistan was identified by the Pentagon on Monday as Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque of Monroeville, Pa.
Navy Cyber Forces command to move to Suffolk
Navy Cyber Forces will begin moving from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach to the former Joint Forces Command headquarters in Suffolk in August.
Navy, Air Force CMOs decry 'blunt, formulaic' cuts to civilian workforce
Senate-passed annual authorization bill for DoD would require a 5 percent cut in non-uniformed employees. Chief management officers from two military services say mathematical cuts to a workforce that's "under siege" would be unwise.
Crowds, vets recall deadly attack on Pearl Harbor
As crew members lined the edge of the Navy guided-missile destroyer, the ship's whistle sounded. It was 7:55 a.m., the exact time the Japanese began bombing Pearl Harbor 71 years earlier.
VetNet: Helping veterans find jobs
Host Derrick Dortch hosts a roundtable discussion of a new initiatiave to help transitioning veterans find jobs once they leave the military.
December 7, 2012(Encore presentation December 21, 2012 & December 28, 2012)




