Posted by Dave Kilcullen at Small Wars Journal blog, on August 29, 2007
Some aspects of the war in Iraq are hard to fit into “classical” models of insurgency. One of these is the growing tribal uprising against al Qa’ida, which could transform the war in ways not factored into neat “benchmarks” developed many months ago and thousands of miles away. I spent time out on the ground during May and June working with coalition units, tribal leaders and fighters engaged in the uprising, so I felt a few field observations might be of interest to the Small Wars community.
More at http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/08/anatomy-of-a-tribal-revolt/
David Kilcullen has just completed a tour in Iraq as senior counterinsurgency adviser to the Multi-National Force. These are his personal opinions.
Friday, August 31, 2007
DoD official sets goals for rest of Bush term
By John T. Bennett - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Aug 31, 2007 7:27:16 EDT
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England has put a list of powerful military officials on notice, writing in an Aug. 9 memo they must make substantial progress on 25 wide-ranging goals.
But some Pentagon observers say the objectives should be prioritized, and they wonder about the absence of several major acquisition programs.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_defensegoals_070830w/
Posted : Friday Aug 31, 2007 7:27:16 EDT
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England has put a list of powerful military officials on notice, writing in an Aug. 9 memo they must make substantial progress on 25 wide-ranging goals.
But some Pentagon observers say the objectives should be prioritized, and they wonder about the absence of several major acquisition programs.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_defensegoals_070830w/
Reservist leave ruling favors civil servants
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2007 17:44:10 EDT
An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 current and former reservists employed as federal government civilians may be able to recoup money for leave days that were improperly charged to them dating back to 1980.
The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Jose Hernandez, a retired Air Force civilian aircraft mechanic, was entitled to be considered for reimbursement for leave that was charged to him from 1980 to 2001, and sent his case back to the federal Merit Systems Protection Board for reconsideration.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_reservistpay_070829w/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2007 17:44:10 EDT
An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 current and former reservists employed as federal government civilians may be able to recoup money for leave days that were improperly charged to them dating back to 1980.
The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Jose Hernandez, a retired Air Force civilian aircraft mechanic, was entitled to be considered for reimbursement for leave that was charged to him from 1980 to 2001, and sent his case back to the federal Merit Systems Protection Board for reconsideration.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_reservistpay_070829w/
Gang activity on the rise in the ranks
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Aug 30, 2007 13:27:43 EDT
Recent reports by the FBI and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command show that gang-related activity in the U.S. military is increasing. The FBI report concludes the increase poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.
Read the FBI report
Some experts point to looser recruiting standards, implemented in recent years as the Army struggles to meet recruiting goals, and the increase in waivers given to recruits with criminal records as a factor behind gang presence in the ranks.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/army_gangs_reports_070828w/
Posted : Thursday Aug 30, 2007 13:27:43 EDT
Recent reports by the FBI and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command show that gang-related activity in the U.S. military is increasing. The FBI report concludes the increase poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.
Read the FBI report
Some experts point to looser recruiting standards, implemented in recent years as the Army struggles to meet recruiting goals, and the increase in waivers given to recruits with criminal records as a factor behind gang presence in the ranks.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/army_gangs_reports_070828w/
Further delays for wounded warrior bills
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2007 6:23:49 EDT
Although Senate Democratic leaders talked in July about the importance of quickly passing legislation to improve the treatment and benefits for wounded combat veterans, that now appears unlikely to happen.
When Congress returns to work next week after a month-long recess, the package of improvements will not be ready for them to pass.
Enactment of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act requires the House and Senate to reach agreement on a compromise between their vastly different versions. The Defense Department also plays a role, with some defense staff members meeting Tuesday with House and Senate aides to discuss disability benefit alternatives. But aides, speaking on the condition of not being identified, said very little has been done to reconcile differences and that it could take weeks for a compromise to be reached.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_woundedwarrior_delays_070828w/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2007 6:23:49 EDT
Although Senate Democratic leaders talked in July about the importance of quickly passing legislation to improve the treatment and benefits for wounded combat veterans, that now appears unlikely to happen.
When Congress returns to work next week after a month-long recess, the package of improvements will not be ready for them to pass.
Enactment of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act requires the House and Senate to reach agreement on a compromise between their vastly different versions. The Defense Department also plays a role, with some defense staff members meeting Tuesday with House and Senate aides to discuss disability benefit alternatives. But aides, speaking on the condition of not being identified, said very little has been done to reconcile differences and that it could take weeks for a compromise to be reached.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_woundedwarrior_delays_070828w/
Executives list obstacles to outsourcing HR services
By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com
August 29, 2007
According to a new study, federal personnel executives are willing to consider alternative sources of human resources services, but face significant hurdles in transitioning to new systems.
The report, from EquaTerra, a Texas-based consulting firm, said those challenges include a lack of adequate standards, incomplete information about services offered and shortfalls in funding to implement new programs.
EquaTerra researchers interviewed more than 25 executives, all of whom told the firm that a lack of good cost and performance data for HR services was hurting their sourcing efforts. None of the executives said they felt that they had "meaningful benchmarks for measuring the cost of HR services," or a sense of what governmentwide standards for what those costs ought to be.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/082907ar1.htm
August 29, 2007
According to a new study, federal personnel executives are willing to consider alternative sources of human resources services, but face significant hurdles in transitioning to new systems.
The report, from EquaTerra, a Texas-based consulting firm, said those challenges include a lack of adequate standards, incomplete information about services offered and shortfalls in funding to implement new programs.
EquaTerra researchers interviewed more than 25 executives, all of whom told the firm that a lack of good cost and performance data for HR services was hurting their sourcing efforts. None of the executives said they felt that they had "meaningful benchmarks for measuring the cost of HR services," or a sense of what governmentwide standards for what those costs ought to be.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/082907ar1.htm
Monday, August 27, 2007
"Hybrid" Sailors: Patrol coastal crew setup to be used with LCS
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 25, 2007 9:03:32 EDT
The Navy will be trying many new things with its much-anticipated Littoral Combat Ships, including multiple-mission modules, smaller ship designs and novel, high-speed seaframes. What won’t be new are the ships’ “hybrid” crews, in which sailors have multiple tasks, meaning crew members constantly will work outside their ratings.
***
According to Lt. Cmdr. Khary Hembree-Bey, now the chief staff officer of the patrol coastal squadron at Little Creek, being a hybrid sailor means a lot of hard work but great opportunities. Hybrid sailors often extend their deployments, he said, and when they move on to other ships, they excel. “Traditionally, we do very good at making chiefs and we do very good at advancement,” he said. “The sailor you get that comes from the PC Navy is a higher level of quality. They outperform their peers. They are leaders.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_hybridsailor_070825/
Posted : Saturday Aug 25, 2007 9:03:32 EDT
The Navy will be trying many new things with its much-anticipated Littoral Combat Ships, including multiple-mission modules, smaller ship designs and novel, high-speed seaframes. What won’t be new are the ships’ “hybrid” crews, in which sailors have multiple tasks, meaning crew members constantly will work outside their ratings.
***
According to Lt. Cmdr. Khary Hembree-Bey, now the chief staff officer of the patrol coastal squadron at Little Creek, being a hybrid sailor means a lot of hard work but great opportunities. Hybrid sailors often extend their deployments, he said, and when they move on to other ships, they excel. “Traditionally, we do very good at making chiefs and we do very good at advancement,” he said. “The sailor you get that comes from the PC Navy is a higher level of quality. They outperform their peers. They are leaders.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_hybridsailor_070825/
Brooke AMC Steps Up Care for ‘Warriors in Transition,’ Families
By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 24, 2007 – Since June, Brooke Army Medical Center here has implemented a series of sweeping changes designed to improve the quality of care for “warriors in transition” and their families.
The changes are driven by the Army Medical Action Plan, an Army initiative designed to eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks for warriors in transition so they can focus on recovery and have a smooth transition back to military duty or civilian life.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47175
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 24, 2007 – Since June, Brooke Army Medical Center here has implemented a series of sweeping changes designed to improve the quality of care for “warriors in transition” and their families.
The changes are driven by the Army Medical Action Plan, an Army initiative designed to eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks for warriors in transition so they can focus on recovery and have a smooth transition back to military duty or civilian life.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47175
Managers urged to give forward-looking performance advice
By Elizabeth Newell enewell@govexec.com
August 23, 2007
When it comes to enhancing employees' job performance, federal managers should take a comprehensive approach and not rely solely on annual evaluations, a new IBM Center for the Business of Government report recommended.
With the private and public sectors renewing their emphasis on performance management, federal agencies should take broad steps to better coach employees, the report's authors, Howard Risher and Charles Fay, concluded. Risher is a consultant; Fay is a professor and chairman of the Human Resource Management Department at Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37845&dcn=todaysnews
Report at http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/RisherFayReport.pdf
August 23, 2007
When it comes to enhancing employees' job performance, federal managers should take a comprehensive approach and not rely solely on annual evaluations, a new IBM Center for the Business of Government report recommended.
With the private and public sectors renewing their emphasis on performance management, federal agencies should take broad steps to better coach employees, the report's authors, Howard Risher and Charles Fay, concluded. Risher is a consultant; Fay is a professor and chairman of the Human Resource Management Department at Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37845&dcn=todaysnews
Report at http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/RisherFayReport.pdf
US Public Service Academy - Opinion Column
Good Intentions, Bad Idea
By David Van Slyke and Alasdair Roberts letters@govexec.com
August 27, 2007
It's not easy to knock H.R. 1671 and S. 960, the House and Senate bills that would establish the U.S. Public Service Academy.
The bills have drawn bipartisan support and endorsements from two presidential candidates -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Joseph Biden. And the proposal addresses a real problem: the shortfall in talented people interested in working for federal, state and local government. Still, it's a badly flawed concept.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/082707ol.htm
By David Van Slyke and Alasdair Roberts letters@govexec.com
August 27, 2007
It's not easy to knock H.R. 1671 and S. 960, the House and Senate bills that would establish the U.S. Public Service Academy.
The bills have drawn bipartisan support and endorsements from two presidential candidates -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Joseph Biden. And the proposal addresses a real problem: the shortfall in talented people interested in working for federal, state and local government. Still, it's a badly flawed concept.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/082707ol.htm
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Constitution Day Proclaimed: September 17, 2007
Proclamation by the President: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2007
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2007, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2007, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that celebrate our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and responsibilities as citizens of our great Nation.
Full text at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070822-5.html
It's not too early to prepare to celebrate Constitution Day!
Check out http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/ConstitutionDay/default.htm
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2007, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2007, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that celebrate our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and responsibilities as citizens of our great Nation.
Full text at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070822-5.html
It's not too early to prepare to celebrate Constitution Day!
Check out http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/ConstitutionDay/default.htm
OPM unveils technology to speed security clearance processing
By Brittany R. Ballenstedt bballenstedt@govexec.com
August 21, 2007
Completed background investigations for security clearances will be sent via electronic transfer under a pilot project initiated by the Office of Personnel Management.
Under the pilot, OPM, which conducts 95 percent of background investigations, will electronically deliver the results of such reviews to the Army Central Personnel Security Clearance Facility for adjudication of the applications under its jurisdiction. If the test is successful, OPM expects to extend electronic transfer to all agencies by Oct. 1.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37823&dcn=todaysnews
August 21, 2007
Completed background investigations for security clearances will be sent via electronic transfer under a pilot project initiated by the Office of Personnel Management.
Under the pilot, OPM, which conducts 95 percent of background investigations, will electronically deliver the results of such reviews to the Army Central Personnel Security Clearance Facility for adjudication of the applications under its jurisdiction. If the test is successful, OPM expects to extend electronic transfer to all agencies by Oct. 1.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37823&dcn=todaysnews
Big Contracts, Big Problems
By Robert Brodsky, Zack Phillips and Katherine McIntire Peters
Government Executive August 15, 2007
Lead systems integrators are in the hot seat as major programs flounder.
What a difference a few years make. Five years ago, with great optimism, the Coast Guard let the largest contract in the agency's history to overhaul its fleet of aircraft, boats and cutters, and tie all those assets together with a communications system that would promote efficiency and effectiveness. The same year, the Army let an equally expansive contract to develop suites
of ground, air and robotic weapons, linked by a communications system that would lift the fog of war and dramatically improve battlefield operations.
Today, both the Coast Guard's Deepwater contract and the one for the Army's Future Combat Systems are under fire for cost and schedule overruns and performance problems. In both cases, the agencies turned to lead systems integrators to manage complex multibillion-dollar programs that were to extend over decades. While the programs have very different technical requirements and different contractors - Deepwater is managed jointly by a consortium created by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. called Integrated Coast Guard Systems; Future Combat Systems is managed jointly by Boeing Co. and SAIC - they've experienced similar problems. In both cases, government auditors say the agencies have failed in their oversight roles and given contractors too much leeway in determining requirements, selecting suppliers, managing subcontractors and validating performance, things traditionally done by government employees.
More at http://www.govexec.com/features/0807-15/0807-15s1.htm
Government Executive August 15, 2007
Lead systems integrators are in the hot seat as major programs flounder.
What a difference a few years make. Five years ago, with great optimism, the Coast Guard let the largest contract in the agency's history to overhaul its fleet of aircraft, boats and cutters, and tie all those assets together with a communications system that would promote efficiency and effectiveness. The same year, the Army let an equally expansive contract to develop suites
of ground, air and robotic weapons, linked by a communications system that would lift the fog of war and dramatically improve battlefield operations.
Today, both the Coast Guard's Deepwater contract and the one for the Army's Future Combat Systems are under fire for cost and schedule overruns and performance problems. In both cases, the agencies turned to lead systems integrators to manage complex multibillion-dollar programs that were to extend over decades. While the programs have very different technical requirements and different contractors - Deepwater is managed jointly by a consortium created by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. called Integrated Coast Guard Systems; Future Combat Systems is managed jointly by Boeing Co. and SAIC - they've experienced similar problems. In both cases, government auditors say the agencies have failed in their oversight roles and given contractors too much leeway in determining requirements, selecting suppliers, managing subcontractors and validating performance, things traditionally done by government employees.
More at http://www.govexec.com/features/0807-15/0807-15s1.htm
CBO Issue Brief: Assessing Pay and Benefits for Military Personnel
August 15, 2007
Summary
Are the members of the U.S. military paid enough? The answer depends in part on the measure used to assess military compensation. In terms of basic cash pay, enlisted personnel fall in the middle of the earnings distribution for civilian workers of similar ages and education levels. With the military’s cash allowances for food and housing included (as well as the tax advantage that service members receive because those allowances are tax-exempt), enlisted personnel earn more than at least 75 percent of comparable civilians, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates. Members of the military also receive more-extensive benefits than most civilian workers do.
More at http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/85xx/doc8550/08-15-MilitaryCompensation_Brief.pdf
Summary
Are the members of the U.S. military paid enough? The answer depends in part on the measure used to assess military compensation. In terms of basic cash pay, enlisted personnel fall in the middle of the earnings distribution for civilian workers of similar ages and education levels. With the military’s cash allowances for food and housing included (as well as the tax advantage that service members receive because those allowances are tax-exempt), enlisted personnel earn more than at least 75 percent of comparable civilians, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates. Members of the military also receive more-extensive benefits than most civilian workers do.
More at http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/85xx/doc8550/08-15-MilitaryCompensation_Brief.pdf
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Shape up in style: Navy’s first PT uniform approved by CNO
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 20, 2007 13:04:24 EDT
Posted : Monday Aug 20, 2007 13:04:24 EDT
For the first time in the service’s history, an official physical training uniform has been approved. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen gave the green light to the new ensemble Aug. 15 after two weeks of deliberation. Officials from Task Force Uniform presented their recommendations to the CNO on July 31.
The move brings the Navy in line with the other military services, all of which have such a uniform for fitness tests and command physical training.
“The goal of this effort was to provide the sailors in the fleet with workout gear that was suitable for unit PT,” said Vice Adm. John C. Harvey, the Navy’s chief of personnel and head of the uniform board. “What we are going to provide is high-end, high-quality gear that is suitable for the widest variety of people and workout styles.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_ptuniform_070820/
Financial Times: US military in dogfight over drones
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Published: August 19 2007 21:40
While Predator and Global Hawk drones cross the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan looking for insurgents or hunting for Osama bin Laden, thousands of kilometres away in Washington they have been dragged into a vicious turf battle.
Resurrecting tensions over US airpower that have lingered since the Korean war, the air force is pushing to become “executive agent” for drones – unmanned aircraft – that fly above 3,500 feet. The army, navy and marines oppose the move, which would make the air force responsible for the acquisition and development of unmanned aerial vehicles such as the army’s Sky Warrior.
As Gordon England, the deputy defence secretary, prepares to make a decision, air force and army officers are furiously lobbying Congress in preparation for a possible legislative battle. The stakes have risen dramatically as the use of drones has ballooned. Central Command, which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now operates about 1,000 UAVs.
More at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/78317cc4-4e93-11dc-85e7-0000779fd2ac.html
Published: August 19 2007 21:40
While Predator and Global Hawk drones cross the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan looking for insurgents or hunting for Osama bin Laden, thousands of kilometres away in Washington they have been dragged into a vicious turf battle.
Resurrecting tensions over US airpower that have lingered since the Korean war, the air force is pushing to become “executive agent” for drones – unmanned aircraft – that fly above 3,500 feet. The army, navy and marines oppose the move, which would make the air force responsible for the acquisition and development of unmanned aerial vehicles such as the army’s Sky Warrior.
As Gordon England, the deputy defence secretary, prepares to make a decision, air force and army officers are furiously lobbying Congress in preparation for a possible legislative battle. The stakes have risen dramatically as the use of drones has ballooned. Central Command, which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now operates about 1,000 UAVs.
More at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/78317cc4-4e93-11dc-85e7-0000779fd2ac.html
Monday, August 20, 2007
DoD Press Briefing on USNS COMFORT Humanitarian Mission
With Dr. Ward Casscells, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; Navy Capt. Bruce Boynton, Medical Treatment Commanding Officer; and Mr. Robert Leitch, Director of Project Hope Aboard USNS Comfort.
On USNS Comfort's Four-Month, 12-Country Humanitarian Mission To South America, Central America and the Caribbean from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington Va.
BRYAN WHITMAN (Pentagon spokesman): Well, good afternoon and welcome. Midway through -- or midway into their 120-day, 12-country deployment to the Caribbean, Central and South America, USNS Comfort medical provides have conducted more than 170,000 consultations seeing patients in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Peru, and just this week arrived in their seventh port of service, Manta, Ecuador.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4024
On USNS Comfort's Four-Month, 12-Country Humanitarian Mission To South America, Central America and the Caribbean from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington Va.
BRYAN WHITMAN (Pentagon spokesman): Well, good afternoon and welcome. Midway through -- or midway into their 120-day, 12-country deployment to the Caribbean, Central and South America, USNS Comfort medical provides have conducted more than 170,000 consultations seeing patients in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Peru, and just this week arrived in their seventh port of service, Manta, Ecuador.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4024
Family protests rescinding of ROTC scholarship
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Aug 20, 2007 5:31:21 EDT
FARMINGTON, Mo. — An eastern Missouri teen thought her college tuition was taken care of when the Navy presented her with a mock check for $180,000, but the Navy has now rescinded the scholarship, saying she can’t be a ROTC student because of an old back injury.
Danielle Littrell, 18, turned down scholarships from several schools to enlist with the Navy’s ROTC program.
The Navy presented Littrell with a check for $180,000 in November, but the military later pulled the funds, citing a back injury that Littrell suffered in a 2005 basketball game. The herniated disc didn’t keep the 6-foot Littrell from playing basketball at Farmington High School last year. She also earned a black belt in karate.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_rotcscholarship_070819/
Posted : Monday Aug 20, 2007 5:31:21 EDT
FARMINGTON, Mo. — An eastern Missouri teen thought her college tuition was taken care of when the Navy presented her with a mock check for $180,000, but the Navy has now rescinded the scholarship, saying she can’t be a ROTC student because of an old back injury.
Danielle Littrell, 18, turned down scholarships from several schools to enlist with the Navy’s ROTC program.
The Navy presented Littrell with a check for $180,000 in November, but the military later pulled the funds, citing a back injury that Littrell suffered in a 2005 basketball game. The herniated disc didn’t keep the 6-foot Littrell from playing basketball at Farmington High School last year. She also earned a black belt in karate.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_rotcscholarship_070819/
DOD Service Contracts: The Task Order Iron Curtain
By Bob Brewin bbrewin@govexec.com August 20, 2007
The Defense Department spent well over $400 billion in 2006 and likely will again in 2007. The department has asked for another $481.4 billion for fiscal 2008. It's getting harder to figure exactly what a lot of that money buys.
That's particularly true with services contracts, the favorite vehicle for information technology procurements, whose collective price tag has doubled over the past three years.
The Government Accountability Office reported in 2003 that services contracts totaled $79 billion that year. By 2006, the value of those contracts had jumped to $126 billion, with little or no visibility into the contracts, as the House Appropriations Committee said in its report on the 2008 Defense appropriations bill.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37808&sid=1
The Defense Department spent well over $400 billion in 2006 and likely will again in 2007. The department has asked for another $481.4 billion for fiscal 2008. It's getting harder to figure exactly what a lot of that money buys.
That's particularly true with services contracts, the favorite vehicle for information technology procurements, whose collective price tag has doubled over the past three years.
The Government Accountability Office reported in 2003 that services contracts totaled $79 billion that year. By 2006, the value of those contracts had jumped to $126 billion, with little or no visibility into the contracts, as the House Appropriations Committee said in its report on the 2008 Defense appropriations bill.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37808&sid=1
HHS secretary pushes new health IT advisory panel
By Aliya Sternstein, National Journal's Technology Daily
Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt said Friday that the government's existing advisory body on health information technology needs to be replaced with an entity that acts more like a corporate democracy than a political democracy.
Amid controversy over an HHS proposal to privatize the American Health Information Community, Leavitt led a public informational session to encourage collaboration among private and public organizations in forming the successor organization.
HHS is heading the creation of a new entity, as required under AHIC's 2005 charter. The current body counsels HHS on advancing the adoption of health IT. The replacement body would be an independent and sustainable public-private partnership, under the agency's proposition.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37806&dcn=e_gvet
Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt said Friday that the government's existing advisory body on health information technology needs to be replaced with an entity that acts more like a corporate democracy than a political democracy.
Amid controversy over an HHS proposal to privatize the American Health Information Community, Leavitt led a public informational session to encourage collaboration among private and public organizations in forming the successor organization.
HHS is heading the creation of a new entity, as required under AHIC's 2005 charter. The current body counsels HHS on advancing the adoption of health IT. The replacement body would be an independent and sustainable public-private partnership, under the agency's proposition.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37806&dcn=e_gvet
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Comptroller General Remarks to Federal Midwest HR Council
Transforming Government to Meet the Demands of the 21st Century, Federal Midwest Human Resources Council and the Chicago Federal Executive Board, Chicago, Illinois, August 7, 2007
GAO-07-1188CG at http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d071188cg.pdf
See also http://www.gao.gov/21stcentury.html
GAO-07-1188CG at http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d071188cg.pdf
See also http://www.gao.gov/21stcentury.html
Hotline set up to help immigrants in uniform
Posted : Monday Aug 13, 2007 15:25:27 EDT
Troops who need help with immigration issues now have a new tool available — a toll-free help line courtesy of the federal government.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced Monday the establishment of a phone hotline where non-U.S. citizens serving in uniform and their families can go for help with immigration services and benefits.
The number is 877-CIS-4MIL (877-247-4645) and is dedicated for the exclusive use of military personnel, according to a press release.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/army_immigrants_070813w/
Troops who need help with immigration issues now have a new tool available — a toll-free help line courtesy of the federal government.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced Monday the establishment of a phone hotline where non-U.S. citizens serving in uniform and their families can go for help with immigration services and benefits.
The number is 877-CIS-4MIL (877-247-4645) and is dedicated for the exclusive use of military personnel, according to a press release.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/army_immigrants_070813w/
Monday, August 13, 2007
DARPA Completes Autonomous Airborne Refueling Demonstration
NEWS RELEASE - August 9, 2007
System Performs “Better Than a Skilled Pilot”
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed its Autonomous
Airborne Refueling Demonstration program this month, showing that unmanned aircraft can
autonomously perform in-flight refueling under operational conditions.
More at http://www.darpa.mil/body/news/2007/aard.pdf
System Performs “Better Than a Skilled Pilot”
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed its Autonomous
Airborne Refueling Demonstration program this month, showing that unmanned aircraft can
autonomously perform in-flight refueling under operational conditions.
More at http://www.darpa.mil/body/news/2007/aard.pdf
Navy plans perks to keep valued sailors
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 13, 2007 5:39:27 EDT
With the end of the latest drawdown in sight, officials are now looking to shore up retention and recruiting to get and keep the best sailors in Navy blue.
The time to sweeten the pot is now, officials said, and not 2013, the year the service will reach a final end strength of 321,000 active-duty sailors.
Manpower planners said that if they don’t provide tangible incentives now to hold on to their best and brightest sailors, they’ll risk sinking the Navy of the future.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_drawdownretention_070811w/
Posted : Monday Aug 13, 2007 5:39:27 EDT
With the end of the latest drawdown in sight, officials are now looking to shore up retention and recruiting to get and keep the best sailors in Navy blue.
The time to sweeten the pot is now, officials said, and not 2013, the year the service will reach a final end strength of 321,000 active-duty sailors.
Manpower planners said that if they don’t provide tangible incentives now to hold on to their best and brightest sailors, they’ll risk sinking the Navy of the future.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_drawdownretention_070811w/
Navy plans to land pilotless drones on carriers
By Robert Brodsky rbrodsky@govexec.com
August 10, 2007
Within the next four years, Northrop Grumman plans to land an unmanned robotic drone, equipped with precision-guided bombs, on the deck of a Navy aircraft carrier, a revolutionary strategy that company officials say they hope will bring significant changes in naval aviation.
* * *
"This is a big deal," said Scott Winship, the X-47B program director, at a briefing Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington. "The day this happens . . . naval aviation . . . changes forever."
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37716&dcn=todaysnews
August 10, 2007
Within the next four years, Northrop Grumman plans to land an unmanned robotic drone, equipped with precision-guided bombs, on the deck of a Navy aircraft carrier, a revolutionary strategy that company officials say they hope will bring significant changes in naval aviation.
* * *
"This is a big deal," said Scott Winship, the X-47B program director, at a briefing Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington. "The day this happens . . . naval aviation . . . changes forever."
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37716&dcn=todaysnews
World War II Navajo Code Talkers Visit Pentagon, Meet With Pace
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today met here with a group of Marine veterans who used their native Navajo language to baffle the Japanese during World War II.
“You all are legends of our corps and Marines who demonstrated the resilience and capacity that made an enormous difference during the course of the war,” Marine Gen. Peter Pace told five “Navajo code talkers” and their families during a morning meeting in his Pentagon office.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47020
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today met here with a group of Marine veterans who used their native Navajo language to baffle the Japanese during World War II.
“You all are legends of our corps and Marines who demonstrated the resilience and capacity that made an enormous difference during the course of the war,” Marine Gen. Peter Pace told five “Navajo code talkers” and their families during a morning meeting in his Pentagon office.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47020
Column: What's Brewin': Organizational Chaos?
By Bob Brewin bbrewin@govexec.com
August 13, 2007
JIEDDO "Mired in Organizational Chaos" -- That's the title line of an insightful paper on JIEDDO, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, done by three students at the Joint Forces Staff College.
The paper says the organization lacks the "agility to quickly react" to an enemy, which develops new IEDs and tactics much faster than the United States can develop countermeasures.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37722&sid=1
August 13, 2007
JIEDDO "Mired in Organizational Chaos" -- That's the title line of an insightful paper on JIEDDO, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, done by three students at the Joint Forces Staff College.
The paper says the organization lacks the "agility to quickly react" to an enemy, which develops new IEDs and tactics much faster than the United States can develop countermeasures.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37722&sid=1
Sunday, August 12, 2007
NY Times Book Review: He Lived to Tell the Tale (and Write a Best Seller)
By MOTOKO RICH
Published: August 9, 2007
On June 7 Marcus Luttrell was discharged from the Navy, having served with the elite Seals, survived a fierce battle in Afghanistan and earned a Navy Cross for combat heroism. Less than a month later “Lone Survivor,” Mr. Luttrell’s memoir of the 2005 battle and his rescue, became a best seller.
More at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/books/09seal.html?_r=1&8bu&emc=bu&oref=slogin
Published: August 9, 2007
On June 7 Marcus Luttrell was discharged from the Navy, having served with the elite Seals, survived a fierce battle in Afghanistan and earned a Navy Cross for combat heroism. Less than a month later “Lone Survivor,” Mr. Luttrell’s memoir of the 2005 battle and his rescue, became a best seller.
More at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/books/09seal.html?_r=1&8bu&emc=bu&oref=slogin
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Transcript: DOD News Briefing from USNS COMFORT
Presenter: Commodore Bob Kapcio, Mission Commander; Captian Bruce Boynton, Commanding Officer, Medical Treatment Facility
August 07, 2007
R. WHITMAN: Good afternoon and welcome. I think most of you know that USNS Comfort is on a 120-day humanitarian assistance mission deployment to South America and the Caribbean and is providing medical assistance to patients in more than a dozen countries. It has been seeing patients in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua and El Salvador, and now has arrived off the coast of Peru. While in Peru, U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service, as well as Canadian forces and nongovernmental organizations, such as Operation Smile and Project HOPE, will continue to be providing to the people of South America health care services, including adult and pediatric primary care, dental care, optometry and other services.
Today, to talk to us about what USNS Comfort has been doing and the types of humanitarian assistance they've been providing along the way, I have the three individuals that are on the screen.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4020
Also see COMFORT Humanitarian Mission website (courtesy of SOUTHCOM) at http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/factFiles.php?id=6
August 07, 2007
R. WHITMAN: Good afternoon and welcome. I think most of you know that USNS Comfort is on a 120-day humanitarian assistance mission deployment to South America and the Caribbean and is providing medical assistance to patients in more than a dozen countries. It has been seeing patients in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua and El Salvador, and now has arrived off the coast of Peru. While in Peru, U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service, as well as Canadian forces and nongovernmental organizations, such as Operation Smile and Project HOPE, will continue to be providing to the people of South America health care services, including adult and pediatric primary care, dental care, optometry and other services.
Today, to talk to us about what USNS Comfort has been doing and the types of humanitarian assistance they've been providing along the way, I have the three individuals that are on the screen.
More at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4020
Also see COMFORT Humanitarian Mission website (courtesy of SOUTHCOM) at http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/factFiles.php?id=6
Minneapolis shows why it's rated No. 1 in volunteerism
The city's large pool of experienced volunteers helps aid recovery after the bridge collapse last week.
By Ben Arnoldy Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Minneapolis / As Dave Scharnhorst drove the final spans of the I-35W bridge last week he saw a construction worker run, then seem to shoot, into the air. In reality, the road underneath Mr. Scharnhorst's car had given way.
* * *
As the scenes in Minneapolis played out on TV, people across Minnesota and the world would have the same urge to help.
Offers of aid spike after disasters, but first-response agencies sometimes struggle to accommodate these goodwill offers because the initial need is for trained, experienced volunteers. Minneapolis, however, leads the nation in volunteerism, providing a deep pool of veteran helpers when tragedy struck.
"Having a large corps of people who are trained and prepared has helped enormously," says Courtney Johnson, spokesperson for the Minneapolis-area American Red Cross.
More at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0808/p01s03-ussc.htm
By Ben Arnoldy Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Minneapolis / As Dave Scharnhorst drove the final spans of the I-35W bridge last week he saw a construction worker run, then seem to shoot, into the air. In reality, the road underneath Mr. Scharnhorst's car had given way.
* * *
As the scenes in Minneapolis played out on TV, people across Minnesota and the world would have the same urge to help.
Offers of aid spike after disasters, but first-response agencies sometimes struggle to accommodate these goodwill offers because the initial need is for trained, experienced volunteers. Minneapolis, however, leads the nation in volunteerism, providing a deep pool of veteran helpers when tragedy struck.
"Having a large corps of people who are trained and prepared has helped enormously," says Courtney Johnson, spokesperson for the Minneapolis-area American Red Cross.
More at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0808/p01s03-ussc.htm
In much of Asia and Africa, nomadic traditions permeate modern societies
By Ilan Greenberg
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
ALMATY, Kazakhstan: Every summer for the past eight years, Michael Frachetti has come to the desert steppe that rolls like endless yellow waves across this expansive Central Asian nation searching for evidence of a vast, connected nomadic society.
With each new excavation, Frachetti, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis, hopes to complicate received notions of the lives and societies of the nomads who once thrived in this region.
Frachetti's work concerns Bronze Age nomads, and his scholarship is aimed purely at a historical understanding of how a pre-literate society functioned more than 3,000 years ago. But his work coincides with a geopolitical reality that has important implications for American foreign policymakers: many of the countries that most trouble the West - such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - have government institutions that reflect a nomadic past.
"Take Afghanistan, where politics are much more dispersed," said Frachetti, while sitting in an upscale Almaty café in July, a few days before trekking to the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert to conduct that remote area's first archeological survey. "I think some of our foreign policy complications derive from our inability to locate a nomadic dynamic within contemporary political structures."
More at http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/08/news/kazakh.php
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
ALMATY, Kazakhstan: Every summer for the past eight years, Michael Frachetti has come to the desert steppe that rolls like endless yellow waves across this expansive Central Asian nation searching for evidence of a vast, connected nomadic society.
With each new excavation, Frachetti, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis, hopes to complicate received notions of the lives and societies of the nomads who once thrived in this region.
Frachetti's work concerns Bronze Age nomads, and his scholarship is aimed purely at a historical understanding of how a pre-literate society functioned more than 3,000 years ago. But his work coincides with a geopolitical reality that has important implications for American foreign policymakers: many of the countries that most trouble the West - such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - have government institutions that reflect a nomadic past.
"Take Afghanistan, where politics are much more dispersed," said Frachetti, while sitting in an upscale Almaty café in July, a few days before trekking to the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert to conduct that remote area's first archeological survey. "I think some of our foreign policy complications derive from our inability to locate a nomadic dynamic within contemporary political structures."
More at http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/08/news/kazakh.php
Seabee earns Bronze Star for IA duty in Iraq
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writerPosted : Wednesday Aug 8, 2007 8:27:03 EDT
SAN DIEGO — For several years, Utilitiesman 1st Class Joshua Hullsiek saw fellow Navy Seabees go oversees to serve in the combat zone of Iraq.
Then, Hullsiek volunteered for a combat tour as an individual augmentee. “It’s just my duty to my country,” Hullsiek said.
For his year-long tour in Iraq as team sergeant of an Army-led civil affairs unit, the 30-year-old sailor from Minneapolis earned the Bronze Star medal for “exceptionally meritorious service.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_seabee_bronzestar_070807w/
SAN DIEGO — For several years, Utilitiesman 1st Class Joshua Hullsiek saw fellow Navy Seabees go oversees to serve in the combat zone of Iraq.
Then, Hullsiek volunteered for a combat tour as an individual augmentee. “It’s just my duty to my country,” Hullsiek said.
For his year-long tour in Iraq as team sergeant of an Army-led civil affairs unit, the 30-year-old sailor from Minneapolis earned the Bronze Star medal for “exceptionally meritorious service.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_seabee_bronzestar_070807w/
Tricare boon for Guard, reserves due in Oct.
Change will reduce monthly premiums
Staff reportPosted : Tuesday Aug 7, 2007 19:46:44 EDT
Starting Aug. 11, drilling reservists and National Guard soldiers and airmen can sign up for a Tricare health insurance plan that will reduce their monthly premiums by hundreds of dollars, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Reserve said Tuesday.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/tricare_guardreserve_070807/
Staff reportPosted : Tuesday Aug 7, 2007 19:46:44 EDT
Starting Aug. 11, drilling reservists and National Guard soldiers and airmen can sign up for a Tricare health insurance plan that will reduce their monthly premiums by hundreds of dollars, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Reserve said Tuesday.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/tricare_guardreserve_070807/
SECNAV Winter: 'Battle Stations 21 Develops the Right Skills for the Fleet'
Story Number: NNS070804-03
Release Date: 8/4/2007 1:10:00 PM
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Rhonda Burke, Navy Region Midwest Public Affairs
GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Donald C. Winter saw just how the Department of Defense’s most cutting-edge trainer, Battle Stations 21, is preparing recruits for life at sea as he toured Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes on Aug. 3.
More plus pix at http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30993
Release Date: 8/4/2007 1:10:00 PM
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Rhonda Burke, Navy Region Midwest Public Affairs
GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Donald C. Winter saw just how the Department of Defense’s most cutting-edge trainer, Battle Stations 21, is preparing recruits for life at sea as he toured Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes on Aug. 3.
More plus pix at http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30993
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
HENAAC 2007 Engineering & Science Winners Announced
August 6, 2007 For Immediate Release
HENAAC is proud to announce the 2007 HENAAC Award Winners in Engineering & Science. Winners in each category represent the nation's best and brightest engineers and scientists. They were selected by the HENAAC Selection Committee, an independent group of representatives from industry, government, military and academia. The Selection Committee convened in San Diego, CA on July 20, 2007, and was chaired by David T. Hayhurst, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Engineering at San Diego State University, HENAAC's 2007 Academic Host. The winners will be honored at the HENAAC Awards Show on October 12, 2007, and throughout other events at the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center in San Diego, CA during the 19th Annual HENAAC Conference, October 11-13, 2007.
Of note:
Award for Executive Excellence:
William Antonio Navas, Jr.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Manpower & Reserve Affairs
Department of the Navy
Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award
CAPT Kathlene Contres
U.S. Navy
Commandant, Defense Equal Opportunity
Management Institute
U.S. Department of Defense
More at http://www.henaac.org/
‘Lusty’ is a refined carrier, U.S. pilots say
By Vago Muradian - Staff writerPosted : Tuesday Aug 7, 2007 11:36:29 EDT
ABOARD THE HMS ILLUSTRIOUS — What’s the definition of heaven if you’re a Marine Harrier pilot? Why, spending two weeks on one of Britain’s aircraft carriers, of course.
“What’s not to like? The flying’s awesome, the food and quarters are great, and you can get a drink at the end of the day,” said Maj. Stephan “Poppy” Bradicich, the executive officer of Marine Attack Squadron 542 who helped plan the unprecedented embarkation of 16 Harriers and 200 Marines aboard HMS Illustrious, known as “Lusty” to its crew.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_lustymain_070805/
House backs full collective bargaining rights at Defense
By Brittany R. Ballenstedt
The House on Saturday approved a bipartisan spending bill amendment that would protect the collective bargaining and appeal rights of civilian employees as the Defense Department overhauls its personnel system.
The amendment, offered by Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was added to the 2008 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3222) and passed without objection by voice vote.
The provision would block funding for portions of the Pentagon's National Security Personnel System relating to employee collective bargaining and appeal rights. Inslee and other lawmakers have opposed NSPS and other personnel overhauls championed by the Bush administration on the grounds that such systems could lead to the appointment and promotion of workers based on their political views rather than merit.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37679&dcn=e_gvet
The House on Saturday approved a bipartisan spending bill amendment that would protect the collective bargaining and appeal rights of civilian employees as the Defense Department overhauls its personnel system.
The amendment, offered by Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was added to the 2008 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3222) and passed without objection by voice vote.
The provision would block funding for portions of the Pentagon's National Security Personnel System relating to employee collective bargaining and appeal rights. Inslee and other lawmakers have opposed NSPS and other personnel overhauls championed by the Bush administration on the grounds that such systems could lead to the appointment and promotion of workers based on their political views rather than merit.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37679&dcn=e_gvet
Monday, August 6, 2007
Huge Purple Heart mowed into N.Y. field
Artist honors medal’s 75th anniversary
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Aug 6, 2007 7:54:23 EDT
HAMPTONBURGH, N.Y. — An artist has mowed an 850,000-square-foot rendering of a Purple Heart into a park field to honor the 75th anniversary of the medal that commends U.S. service members killed or wounded in action.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_purpleheart_field_070805w/
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Aug 6, 2007 7:54:23 EDT
HAMPTONBURGH, N.Y. — An artist has mowed an 850,000-square-foot rendering of a Purple Heart into a park field to honor the 75th anniversary of the medal that commends U.S. service members killed or wounded in action.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_purpleheart_field_070805w/
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart
NPPD Delivers New GMT on Diversity
Story Number: NNS070802-07
Release Date: 8/2/2007 12:28:00 PM
From Naval Personnel Development Command Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- A new General Military Training (GMT) topic titled, “Diversity is Our Strength” was launched July 18 by the Center for Personal and Professional Development.
Commands will begin receiving compact discs around Aug. 17, and the training is currently accessible on Navy Knowledge On-line (NKO)."Diversity is Our Strength" introduces Sailors to diversity in the Navy, highlighting what diversity is and why it is important.
“Diversity is a strategic imperative and a readiness issue for our Navy,” said Director, Chief of Naval Personnel Diversity Directorate Capt. Ken Barrett. “The strength of our country, and our Navy, comes from embracing the individual uniqueness of our people. Each and every Sailor needs to understand the importance of recruiting and retaining a diverse Navy force.”
More at http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30948
Release Date: 8/2/2007 12:28:00 PM
From Naval Personnel Development Command Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- A new General Military Training (GMT) topic titled, “Diversity is Our Strength” was launched July 18 by the Center for Personal and Professional Development.
Commands will begin receiving compact discs around Aug. 17, and the training is currently accessible on Navy Knowledge On-line (NKO)."Diversity is Our Strength" introduces Sailors to diversity in the Navy, highlighting what diversity is and why it is important.
“Diversity is a strategic imperative and a readiness issue for our Navy,” said Director, Chief of Naval Personnel Diversity Directorate Capt. Ken Barrett. “The strength of our country, and our Navy, comes from embracing the individual uniqueness of our people. Each and every Sailor needs to understand the importance of recruiting and retaining a diverse Navy force.”
More at http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30948
Air Force, Navy Hold 'Warfighter Talks'
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 — Air Force and Navy top uniformed leaders gathered Aug. 2 in Washington for "Warfighter Talks" to discuss ways the two services can improve upon their legacy of cooperation and interdependence as the strategic striking arms for the nation. "The Air Force and Navy are complementary strategic forces who do things on a global scale for our nation," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
More at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123063199
More at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123063199
CBO Testimony on Navy's 2008 Shipbuilding Plan
July 24, 2007
Testimony before the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/83xx/doc8342/07-20-Shipbuilding_Testimony.pdf
Testimony before the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/83xx/doc8342/07-20-Shipbuilding_Testimony.pdf
GAO Federal Disability Policy Forum
Highlights of a Forum: Modernizing Federal Disability Policy GAO-07-934SP, August 3, 2007
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07934sp.pdf
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07934sp.pdf
GAO Report on ANG Personnel Data
Military Personnel: Air National Guard Has Taken Steps to Improve the Reliability of Personnel Strength Data, but More Needs to Be Done GAO-07-1138R, July 31, 2007
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071138r.pdf
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071138r.pdf
New RAND Publication: The Cost of a Military Person-Year
[Release from RAND dated 3 Aug 07]
We have just published The Cost of a Military Person-Year: A Method for Computing Savings from Force Reductions.
The Department of Defense strives to only use military personnel for military-essential tasks and has consistently recommended the civilianization of ever-more military functions and positions. This guidance also stems from the belief that military personnel cost more than comparable civilians. As a policy, civilianization can only be properly applied when it is an integral element of a broader personnel-management strategy. This work presents a new method of estimating the cost of a military person-year that focuses on the actual cost of the retirement benefits that the federal government must provide to military personal. It provides a better foundation for the development of a broad, force-shaping strategy than previously available measures that focused only on annual retirement-fund accrual costs. A major implication of this alternative calculus is that truly effective force management-using strategic human-resources principles to identify the proper mix of age and experience in the personnel inventory-requires an increased focus on the cost of personnel.
You can download a searchable PDF through the link on our product page at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG598/ .
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Visit us on the web at www.rand.org. Copyright (c) 2007 RAND Corporation. 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208. RAND(r) is a registered trademark.
We have just published The Cost of a Military Person-Year: A Method for Computing Savings from Force Reductions.
The Department of Defense strives to only use military personnel for military-essential tasks and has consistently recommended the civilianization of ever-more military functions and positions. This guidance also stems from the belief that military personnel cost more than comparable civilians. As a policy, civilianization can only be properly applied when it is an integral element of a broader personnel-management strategy. This work presents a new method of estimating the cost of a military person-year that focuses on the actual cost of the retirement benefits that the federal government must provide to military personal. It provides a better foundation for the development of a broad, force-shaping strategy than previously available measures that focused only on annual retirement-fund accrual costs. A major implication of this alternative calculus is that truly effective force management-using strategic human-resources principles to identify the proper mix of age and experience in the personnel inventory-requires an increased focus on the cost of personnel.
You can download a searchable PDF through the link on our product page at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG598/ .
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Visit us on the web at www.rand.org. Copyright (c) 2007 RAND Corporation. 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208. RAND(r) is a registered trademark.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
CNO Nominee: ADM Gary Roughead
Bio at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=253
Excerpt: Tours ashore include assignments as Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; the Surface Warfare Analyst at the Navy's Office of Program Appraisal; Administrative Aide to the Secretary of the Navy; Executive Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command; Commandant, United States Naval Academy; and the Department of the Navy's Chief of Legislative Affairs.
Excerpt: Tours ashore include assignments as Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; the Surface Warfare Analyst at the Navy's Office of Program Appraisal; Administrative Aide to the Secretary of the Navy; Executive Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command; Commandant, United States Naval Academy; and the Department of the Navy's Chief of Legislative Affairs.
Adapt Or Die
By Greg Grant ggrant@govexec.com
Government Executive August 1, 2007
Soldiers need a new set of skills and qualities to succeed at counterinsurgency.
"Forget everything you've been taught about this place, because it's either wrong or it's useless. Your education begins now," Army Sgt. James Jennings told a group of soldiers new to Baghdad in 2005. The grizzled veteran tried to teach his charges the complexities of counterinsurgency, where the battle is decided less by overwhelming firepower than by winning over hearts and minds.
He spoke with authority, having spent nearly a year patrolling restive western Baghdad. Jennings told the soldiers the Army was waging an entirely new type of war in which the traditional skills of fire and maneuver were less important than softer skills, such as cultural awareness and building trust and confidence among the Iraqi people.
Even though the Army has been fighting the shadowy insurgency for four years in Iraq, it has been slow to change its conventional approach: massing firepower on an enemy's formations.
The United States invaded Iraq with the world's most technologically advanced army and soon found itself losing to a nimble, adaptive enemy whose most effective weapons are the cell phone and Internet. The speed with which insurgents in Iraq adapt has confounded American military leaders. Army officers say they change tactics almost weekly because it takes insurgent cells just days to adjust to new techniques.
More at http://www.govexec.com/features/0807-01/0807-01s2.htm
RAND report at http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA464211&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Government Executive August 1, 2007
Soldiers need a new set of skills and qualities to succeed at counterinsurgency.
"Forget everything you've been taught about this place, because it's either wrong or it's useless. Your education begins now," Army Sgt. James Jennings told a group of soldiers new to Baghdad in 2005. The grizzled veteran tried to teach his charges the complexities of counterinsurgency, where the battle is decided less by overwhelming firepower than by winning over hearts and minds.
He spoke with authority, having spent nearly a year patrolling restive western Baghdad. Jennings told the soldiers the Army was waging an entirely new type of war in which the traditional skills of fire and maneuver were less important than softer skills, such as cultural awareness and building trust and confidence among the Iraqi people.
Even though the Army has been fighting the shadowy insurgency for four years in Iraq, it has been slow to change its conventional approach: massing firepower on an enemy's formations.
The United States invaded Iraq with the world's most technologically advanced army and soon found itself losing to a nimble, adaptive enemy whose most effective weapons are the cell phone and Internet. The speed with which insurgents in Iraq adapt has confounded American military leaders. Army officers say they change tactics almost weekly because it takes insurgent cells just days to adjust to new techniques.
More at http://www.govexec.com/features/0807-01/0807-01s2.htm
RAND report at http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA464211&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Public service group promotes networking site, campus program
By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com
August 1, 2007
During a panel discussion with nearly 100 interns Tuesday, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting public service began pushing a social networking site it is set to launch in the next month and a program to send government representatives to college campuses.
The networking site, developed by the Partnership for Public Service, will begin as a resource for potential employees to learn more about government jobs by viewing the profiles of current federal workers, which will include video tours through offices, message boards and answers to common questions.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37640&dcn=e_gvet
Website: http://www.makingthedifference.org/main/index.htm
August 1, 2007
During a panel discussion with nearly 100 interns Tuesday, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting public service began pushing a social networking site it is set to launch in the next month and a program to send government representatives to college campuses.
The networking site, developed by the Partnership for Public Service, will begin as a resource for potential employees to learn more about government jobs by viewing the profiles of current federal workers, which will include video tours through offices, message boards and answers to common questions.
More at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37640&dcn=e_gvet
Website: http://www.makingthedifference.org/main/index.htm
Minnesota launches hot line to aid veterans
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 17:11:53 EDT
ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Wednesday announced the launch of a toll-free telephone hot line that Minnesota military veterans and their families can call in cases of emergency or to find information about services.
The Veterans Linkage Line, or LinkVet, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A governor-appointed group working on veterans issues came up with the concept after discovering that there were several similar toll-free lines and that a United Way referral line wasn’t accessible by cell phone.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_minnesotavethotline_070801/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 17:11:53 EDT
ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Wednesday announced the launch of a toll-free telephone hot line that Minnesota military veterans and their families can call in cases of emergency or to find information about services.
The Veterans Linkage Line, or LinkVet, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A governor-appointed group working on veterans issues came up with the concept after discovering that there were several similar toll-free lines and that a United Way referral line wasn’t accessible by cell phone.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/ap_minnesotavethotline_070801/
Senator sticks up for commissary funding
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Aug 2, 2007 7:58:36 EDT
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to help the commissary agency with a looming cash squeeze for store construction.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_commissaryfunding_070801w/
Posted : Thursday Aug 2, 2007 7:58:36 EDT
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to help the commissary agency with a looming cash squeeze for store construction.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_commissaryfunding_070801w/
New moving coverage takes effect Oct. 1
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Aug 2, 2007 5:26:23 EDT
If you’re making a permanent-change-of-station move later this year and scheduling a household goods move, you might want to take note of the start dates for the Defense Department’s new program providing full replacement value for anything that is lost or damaged.
Most of the coverage will take effect in October and November.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_moves_070801w/
Posted : Thursday Aug 2, 2007 5:26:23 EDT
If you’re making a permanent-change-of-station move later this year and scheduling a household goods move, you might want to take note of the start dates for the Defense Department’s new program providing full replacement value for anything that is lost or damaged.
Most of the coverage will take effect in October and November.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/military_moves_070801w/
Pay raise may not catch up to pay gap
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 13:06:44 EDT
The 3.5 percent military pay raise working its way through Congress may not even be felt when service members receive it in January.
As tentatively approved by the House and Senate, the 2008 raise is supposed to shave half a percentage point off the estimated 3.9 percent gap between average military and civilian pay. But because of the 15-month lag in writing and passing the budget, service members are more likely to compare their Jan. 1 increase to current civilian wages. On Tuesday, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that private-sector salaries are rising at an annual rate of about 3.4 percent, almost equal to the pending military raise.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_payraise_070731w/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 13:06:44 EDT
The 3.5 percent military pay raise working its way through Congress may not even be felt when service members receive it in January.
As tentatively approved by the House and Senate, the 2008 raise is supposed to shave half a percentage point off the estimated 3.9 percent gap between average military and civilian pay. But because of the 15-month lag in writing and passing the budget, service members are more likely to compare their Jan. 1 increase to current civilian wages. On Tuesday, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that private-sector salaries are rising at an annual rate of about 3.4 percent, almost equal to the pending military raise.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_payraise_070731w/
Sailors, Remember Your Passwords
By Bob Brewin Monday, July 30, 2007 04:49 PM
Sailors should remember their user ID or password when they head to sea. The reason: The Navy won't have the infrastructure to support the Defense Department Common Access Card fully deployed throughout the fleet until at least 2011, according to an internal briefing last month by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
More at http://blogs.govexec.com/techinsider/archives/2007/07/sailors_remember_those_passwor.php
Sailors should remember their user ID or password when they head to sea. The reason: The Navy won't have the infrastructure to support the Defense Department Common Access Card fully deployed throughout the fleet until at least 2011, according to an internal briefing last month by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
More at http://blogs.govexec.com/techinsider/archives/2007/07/sailors_remember_those_passwor.php
Flash Mentoring
By Brian Friel bfriel@nationaljournal.com
August 1, 2007
Well-intentioned mentoring programs aimed at connecting federal executives with promising up-and-comers in government sometimes have trouble getting off the ground.
Executives are busy people who struggle to make the lengthy time commitments that formal programs demand. Formal mentoring programs often require both potential mentors and learners to fill out lengthy applications, complete training and pledge regular meetings with each other over the course of many months.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/080107mm.htm
August 1, 2007
Well-intentioned mentoring programs aimed at connecting federal executives with promising up-and-comers in government sometimes have trouble getting off the ground.
Executives are busy people who struggle to make the lengthy time commitments that formal programs demand. Formal mentoring programs often require both potential mentors and learners to fill out lengthy applications, complete training and pledge regular meetings with each other over the course of many months.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/080107mm.htm
Civ Pay: Hitting the Ceiling
By Brittany R. Ballenstedt bballenstedt@govexec.com
August 2, 2007
A specialist in the Congressional Research Service is drawing renewed attention to the issue of crowding at the top of the federal pay scale.
Curtis Copeland, a specialist in American national government at CRS, told members of a House subcommittee Tuesday that ceilings limiting maximum compensation are creating compression at the high end of pay schedules, and cases where the officials in one system are paid as much as higher-ups in another. And while pay compression is not a new issue, it is a growing problem, testimony from the hearing indicates.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/080207pb.htm
August 2, 2007
A specialist in the Congressional Research Service is drawing renewed attention to the issue of crowding at the top of the federal pay scale.
Curtis Copeland, a specialist in American national government at CRS, told members of a House subcommittee Tuesday that ceilings limiting maximum compensation are creating compression at the high end of pay schedules, and cases where the officials in one system are paid as much as higher-ups in another. And while pay compression is not a new issue, it is a growing problem, testimony from the hearing indicates.
More at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/080207pb.htm
Child abuse more likely during deployments
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 12:11:28 EDT
In Army enlisted families with at least one incident of child abuse, the children are far more likely to be abused during deployments, researchers have found.
And the type of abuse is likely to be child neglect at the hands of their mothers, according to a study to be published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at RTI International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_childabuse_070731w/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 12:11:28 EDT
In Army enlisted families with at least one incident of child abuse, the children are far more likely to be abused during deployments, researchers have found.
And the type of abuse is likely to be child neglect at the hands of their mothers, according to a study to be published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at RTI International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_childabuse_070731w/
High-year tenure change could help reservists
By Chris Amos - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 13:04:00 EDT
The Navy’s top reservist says Navy officials are considering revamping a high-year tenure policy that critics say unfairly forces dozens of reservists out of the Navy each year.
Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, chief of the Navy Reserve, said officials are studying proposals to cap the number of years served in the Individual Ready Reserve that can be counted for high-year tenure purposes.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/navy_highyeartenure_070730w/
Posted : Wednesday Aug 1, 2007 13:04:00 EDT
The Navy’s top reservist says Navy officials are considering revamping a high-year tenure policy that critics say unfairly forces dozens of reservists out of the Navy each year.
Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, chief of the Navy Reserve, said officials are studying proposals to cap the number of years served in the Individual Ready Reserve that can be counted for high-year tenure purposes.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/navy_highyeartenure_070730w/
USMC sets policy for administrative leave
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jul 30, 2007 19:28:23 EDT
It has taken more than three months since the policy was first announced, but at least three of the four services have finally told the Defense Department how they will implement a policy that awards administrative leave for active and reserve troops who exceed rotation policy goals while serving in the greater Middle East war zone.
And of the four, the Marine Corps has actually published its instructions. Eligible Marines, as of July 27, can now be awarded the extra days off. The Army and Navy are still finalizing their plans, according to Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, a Pentagon spokesman. The Air Force is “actively working” to get its plans done and sent over to DoD.
“The Navy is working on it,” said Lt. Ligia Cohen, a Navy spokeswoman. “Guidance will be out soon.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_marineleave_070730w/
Posted : Monday Jul 30, 2007 19:28:23 EDT
It has taken more than three months since the policy was first announced, but at least three of the four services have finally told the Defense Department how they will implement a policy that awards administrative leave for active and reserve troops who exceed rotation policy goals while serving in the greater Middle East war zone.
And of the four, the Marine Corps has actually published its instructions. Eligible Marines, as of July 27, can now be awarded the extra days off. The Army and Navy are still finalizing their plans, according to Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, a Pentagon spokesman. The Air Force is “actively working” to get its plans done and sent over to DoD.
“The Navy is working on it,” said Lt. Ligia Cohen, a Navy spokeswoman. “Guidance will be out soon.”
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_marineleave_070730w/
Navy official: Innovation critical to fleet
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 5:36:35 EDT
The Navy must leverage science and technology innovation to improve assets the sea service needs, Navy acquisition czar Delores Etter said Monday.
Etter emphasized the need to “stabilize” science and technology spending, which accounts for about $1.5 billion of the Navy’s nearly $130 billion topline budget.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/navy_acquisition_070730w/
Posted : Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 5:36:35 EDT
The Navy must leverage science and technology innovation to improve assets the sea service needs, Navy acquisition czar Delores Etter said Monday.
Etter emphasized the need to “stabilize” science and technology spending, which accounts for about $1.5 billion of the Navy’s nearly $130 billion topline budget.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/navy_acquisition_070730w/
Officers get new credit system for joint duty
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 16:18:04 EDT
The Defense Department is about to make it easier for officers to get credit for their work in joint or multiservice environments.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_jointqualification_070730/
Transcript of press briefings: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4015
Posted : Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 16:18:04 EDT
The Defense Department is about to make it easier for officers to get credit for their work in joint or multiservice environments.
More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/military_jointqualification_070730/
Transcript of press briefings: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4015
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