AFSA objects to Amin's characterization of Foreign Service
Daniel Hirsch, state vice president of AFSA, took exception to comments from Kirit Amin, the chief information officer of the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affair, about Foreign Service Officers.
Foreign Service Association calls for program, not people, cuts
An organization representing Foreign Service members says cuts to the State Department's international affairs should come in programs and not people.
Foreign Service braces for budget cuts, the likelihood of USPS health plan proposal
Mike welcomes Susan Johnson of the American Foreign Service Association and Steve Losey and Sean Reilly of the Federal Times.
October 5, 2011
State's Amin leaving CIO role temporarily
Kirit Amin stepped down suddenly after four years as the CIO of the Bureau of Consular Affairs to take a 120-day reassignment with the State Department CIO. He decried "cronyism and nepotism" at the State Department and said the bureau has entered into bad contracts. "The duplication and waste in government is phenomenal, and I was not going to put up with that crap nor will I put up with contractors who will rip off the government," Amin told Federal News Radio.
Thanksgiving: Whose heads will roll?
The Thanksgiving turkeys delivered to the White House may have a much happier holiday than many federal workers, who could be getting a very big dose of bad news, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Top 10 agencies with telework issues
How does your agency compare to others when it comes to allowing employees to telework? The latest Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey gives some insight.
IT reforms moving to optimization stage
Nine months since OMB issued its 25-point plan to improve how agencies oversee technology, the tone is changing. Lisa Schlosser, the federal deputy CIO, said the goal is to make sure agencies are using their people, money and other resources as best as possible. Agencies are finding some early success with the IT reforms, especially around acquisition.
Future of Foreign Service
Ronald Neumann, former ambassador to Afghanistan, describes what must happen to build the next generation of the Foreign Service.
After 9/11, State's embassies balance security and aesthetics
The Sept. 11 attacks came years after a mandate to standardize security at embassies worldwide. The result was prison-like structures. The State Department is now trying to make more embassies appear more attractive and inviting without sacrificing security.
DoD tries to increase access to bases in Australia
There will not be new U.S. bases in Australia, but the department will have easier access to Australian facilities.
Sammies finalist helped create U.S.-Russian nuclear treaty
Paul Dean drafted portions of a new treaty that would help them get on the same page. Dean is an attorney-adviser in the Department of State's office of the Legal Adviser.
Muslim feds faced discrimination, saw an opportunity
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks turned all eyes on Muslims in America. Those who worked for the federal government were attacked in the blogosphere and worried about being scapegoated or simply misunderstood. But they also saw an opportunity.
Report: Widespread waste, fraud in war spending
As much as $60 billion in U.S. funds has been lost to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade through lax oversight of contractors, poor planning and payoffs to warlords and insurgents, an independent panel investigating U.S. wartime spending estimates.
Pentagon, scarred by 9/11, adapts to new fight
he Sept. 11 attacks transformed the Pentagon, ravaging the iconic building itself and setting the stage for two long and costly wars that reordered the way the American military fights.
Panetta: Bigger defense cuts would 'weaken' US
Large new cuts in defense spending would "terribly weaken" U.S. national security, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday as he and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used a rare joint interview to argue that the nation cannot afford to keep playing partisan chicken with its finances.
GAO: State Department still has gaps in cybersecurity
The GAO found the State Department had improved real-time awareness of cyber vulnerabilites, however it still has some areas to cover, according to the watchdog agency's latest report.
Staying connected to D.C. -- when you work 7,000 miles away
Ambassador Ronald Neumann is the President of the American Academy of Diplomacy, and former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bahrain.
Making the move back to D.C.: State employee shares her experience
Lisa Kurtz served at embassies around the world, and now she's working here in Washington.
GAO: State leaving security holes unplugged
The Government Accountability Office says a State Department program designed to help its managers mitigate IT risks fails to provide a complete view of those risks.
Hackers hit DoD contractor Mantech
Government defense contractor Mantech is the latest victim of the hacking group Anonymous.




