9:34 am, June 19, 2013
DoD News 
Top News
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- Senator: IRS to pay $70M in employee bonuses
- Furlough song: Laugh or you'll cry
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- Does security clearance process need a makeover?
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- NASA engineer, 29, recognized for improving aeronautical testing
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NIH tops list of best companies for baby boomers
- Latest postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery
- Wednesday federal headlines - June 19, 2013
FederalNewsRadio.com - Purpose of Comments statement Click to show
Hubbard Radio, LLC encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comment boards following articles, blog posts and other content can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior here. We encourage your thoughtful comments which:
Hubbard Radio, LLC reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.
You are reading comments on the story:
Talks with the Taliban set to begin
The U.S. is going to meet with the Taliban this week, but is managing its expectations. The talks are designed to achieve peace in Afghanistan. The Taliban opened an office in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Tuesday. U.S. officials say the talks will start in Doha on Thursday, but President Barack Obama says don't expect any quick progress, because the process won't be easy.
Comment
Iraq officials say suicide attack kills politician
Iraqi officials say a suicide attack has killed a local political leader and four of his relatives in northern Iraq.
3
Military plans would put women in most combat jobs
Military has schedule for women to move into combat jobs, including SEALs, other commandos
1
Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
Navy department's second large enterprise licensing agreement will save an estimated $60 million over five years. Navy and Marine Corps components are required to use it for all of the Oracle database products it covers.
Comment
Details on women in combat expected
Later today, the military is going to add some clarity on its plan to start moving women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in special operations forces. The Army is expected to develop standards within the next two years to let women train and possibly serve as Rangers. By March of 2016, women could begin training as Navy SEALS. U.S. Special Operations Command is working on deciding what commando jobs could be opened to women, and when the transition would take place.
Comment
Trouble looming for West Point head
The Superintendent at West Point West Point is in hot water. Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, according to the Department of Defense Inspector, improperly allowed subordinates to give driving lessons, didn't properly compensate those who worked at a charity dinner and accepted gifts of services from subordinates. The report was released to The Associated Press on Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
Comment
House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
The House bill containing the provisions on sex-related crimes that the Obama administration supports as well as the detention policies that it vigorously opposes must be reconciled with a Senate version before heading to the president's desk.
3
Punishment for sexual assault formalized
The House of Representatives has endorsed a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for a member of the armed services convicted of rape or sexual assault in a military court. The Associated Press reports, "by voice vote, the House approved the additional punishment as part of a series of steps lawmakers have taken to tackle the growing problem of sexual assault. The provisions are contained in a sweeping defense policy bill for the 2014 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1."
Comment
DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition from Congress
Amid nearly unanimous congressional opposition, the Defense Department says it needs to stop operating military facilities it no longer wants or needs.
Comment
House OKs 2-year sentence for military sex assault
House backs mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison for sexual assault in the military
Comment
DISA collapsing wired networks, expanding wireless
Dave Bennett, the DISA chief information officer, is reducing the number of classified and unclassified networks to reduce costs and improve capabilities. At the same time, he's ready to expand the use of wireless capabilities across Fort Meade, Md.
June 13, 2013
Comment
Benghazi story disputed
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that four members of Army special forces in Tripoli were never told to stand down after last year's deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, disputing a former top diplomat's claim that the unit might have helped Americans under siege. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey said timing and the need for the unit to help with casualties from Benghazi resulted in orders for the special forces to remain in Tripoli.
Comment
Al Qaida has missiles
The Associated Press says it's recovered a 26 page document in Arabic from a building that was occupied by Al Qaida in Timbuktu Mali that strongly suggest they have acquired surface-to-air missiles. The recovery also seems to confirm that the al-Qaida cell is actively training its fighters to use the weapons, also called man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS. It's believed they came from the arms depots of ex-Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
Comment
DoD assures Congress contractors will share in the pain of sequestration
The Defense Department is examining all of its contracts as part of the reductions necessary under automatic budget cuts. Reductions to contractors, not civilians, will make up "the majority" of the cost savings.
12
New BRAC round hits dead end
The Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee approved legislation rejecting the Pentagon's request to shutter installations and facilities in the United States that are no longer needed.
2
Hagel: Budget forces review of outside contracts
Hagel says budget forces review of outside contractors such as NSA leaker
Comment
Booz Allen fires employee involved in NSA leaks
Booz Allen Hamilton announced Tuesday it has fired Edward Snowden, the contractor employee who admitted leaking details about classified National Security Agency programs to reporters. The company said Snowden was fired June 10 because he violated company policies, including its code of ethics.
Comment
AUMF repeal-attempt looming
Should the President and Congress take a second look at using the military in the war against terrorism? Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence committee, plans to introduce legislation today to repeal Authorization for the Use of Military Force. He's suggesting the law is outdated. He says, "A lot of troops that we have on the battlefield now were on playgrounds" when the law was passed. He linked the timing to when U.S. combat forces will be out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014.
Comment
DoD using flawed approach to calculate $1.1B in improper payments
The Defense Department reported making just $1.1 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2011, a small fraction of the Pentagon's total outlays of more than $1 trillion. But, in a new report, the Government Accountability Office said those estimates are neither reliable nor statistically valid because of "longstanding and pervasive" weaknesses in DoD financial-management practices as well as specific deficiencies in the department's procedures for estimating improper payments.
1
WikiLeaks trial shifting to Afghan war video
The court-martial of a U.S. Army private who gave troves of classified material to the website WikiLeaks is shifting in its second week to specific items he sent.
Comment