Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m.

Hosted by Francis Rose, Pentagon Solutions is a deep-dive conversation series that calls on defense experts both inside and outside of DoD to share ideas to solve the big challenges the defense community faces.

Retiring Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Schwartz talks F22 safety during final press conference

Outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz, who retires in August, spoke to reporters during his last press conference at the Pentagon about the challenges facing the branch amid tensions with Congress and new geo-politics that pose security threats.

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Defense company executives warn of layoffs if cuts go through

A slate of defense industry executives lined up to testify before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday, telling lawmakers that the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration would be devastating to their businesses and could lead to mass layoffs. The lack of action by Congress, so far, to avert the cuts has led to a "fog of uncertainty" even now, five months away from when sequestration would take effect, the CEO of Lockheed Martin testified.

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Author of 'The Admirals' discusses how the war at sea was won

Author and historian Walter Borneman joined Pentagon Solution to discuss his book, "The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King--The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea."

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Sequestration worries uniformed leaders, Congress

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, in a visit to the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, discussed the challenges facing the Defense Department. Also, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) discussed the challenges of sequestration in a keynote address at a Brookings Institution event.

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Pentagon Solutions: Panetta warns of 'disaster' from defense cuts

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pleaded with Congress last Wednesday to avoid the disaster of automatic defense cuts even as he criticized lawmakers' affection for protecting aging ships and aircraft. Ramping up the pressure, Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, painted a bleak picture of the military and its power if the across-the-board reductions, known as "sequestration," go into effect beginning Jan. 2.

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Lt. Gen. George Flynn on Joint Force Development

Lt. Gen. George J. Flyn, the Joint Staff's director of Joint Force Development, delivered the keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' conference "Challenges to Access and the U.S. Response: The Joint Operational Access Concept."

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Odierno: Sequestration threatens 'agile' force

In a Defense Department briefing Wednesday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said service officials are closely examining the issue of women in infantry and armor ranks. Oiderno also said sequestration would thwart the Pentagon's existing plan for a streamlined force.

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Senate committee mulls F-35

The Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Airland, which oversees issues related to the Army, Air Force and, Navy and Marine Corps tactical aviation programs, heard testimony this week on the F-35 Lightning II program.

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Dempsey: DoD mission relies on partnerships

The Pentagon's new strategy shifts the focus of the military's attention, and calls for more partnerships with countries around the world.

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Renewable energy, repurposing buildings priorities for Army's Hammack

Katherine Hammack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment, joins Pentagon Solutions to discuss the Energy Initiatives Task Force, which focuses on creating large renewable energy projects on military bases.

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GAO examines DoD's audit stance, weapons portfolio

Asif Khan, the director of financial management and assurance at GAO, and Mike Sullivan, the director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues, joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss two recent GAO report.

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NDU financial management course aims to build leaders

Ricardo Aguilera, the Defense Department Comptroller Chair at the Chief Financial Officer's Academy at the National Defense University's iCollege joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss the course and the leadership skills it aims to enforce.

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GAO finds competition lacking in some DoD contracts

Michele Mackin, the assistant director for Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues at GAO, joined In Depth with Francis to discuss a recent report by GAO that found competition in some defense contracts lacking. Bill Woods, the director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues, discussed efforts to create a streamlined system for federal contracting data.

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Budget, financial management key DoD issues

Al Tucker, the executive director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers, joined Pentagon Solutions for an hour-long discussion of the Defense Department's accounting, budget and financial matters.

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What are the implications of 2013 defense budget request?

David Berteau, the senior vice president and director of the CSIS International Security Program, and Ryan Crotty, a CSIS research associated with the group's Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss the 2013 budget.

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Defense think tank calls for shifting military bases in Middle East

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the influential defense think tank, has called on the U.S. military to redraw the map of military bases scattered throughout the Middle East. Mark Gunzinger, a senior fellow at CSBA, and his colleague Chris Dougherty joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss the report.

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Pentagon Solutions: NDU iCollege team on getting beyond checklist approach to cyber

Prof. Gilliam Duvall, Dr. John Saunders and Dr. John Hurley of the National Defense University joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss a cybersecurity workshop they hosted that focused on identifying and combating cyber threats.

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Is defense sequestration rhetoric overblown?

David Berteau, senior vice president and director of the International Security Program and Ryan Crotty, a research associate with the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, joined Francis Rose for Pentagon Solutions. According to their research, the effect of sequestration on the defense budget may not be as catastrophic as Pentagon leaders have conjectured.

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Is DoD workforce ready for financial management improvements?

In this week's "Pentagon Solutions," host Francis Rose brings highlights from the House Armed Services Committee Panel on Defense Financial Management and Auditability Reform hearing, "Is the Financial Management Workforce Positioned to Achieve DOD's Financial Improvement Goals?"

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Pentagon Solutions: Fixing contingency contracting, improving acquisition workforce

GAO's John Hutton and Belva Martin highlight conclusions from two recent reports.

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