Policy

Sequestration and the Pentagon's 'Two Budgets'

The latest victims of automatic cuts: Defense Department innovation and weapons quality, a Pentagon official says. By Charles S. Clark

Policy

Russians Tell Hagel 'No Intention' of Crossing Into Ukraine

Secretary Hagel and Sergei Shoygu, in phone call, say neither intends to march into eastern Ukraine, said Pentagon spokesman. By Ben Watson

Business

Hagel Orders 'Troubling Gaps' Closed in DOD Background Checks, May Cut Clearances

Navy Yard shooting reviews prompt tougher ‘continuous evaluation’ of secret clearances. By Ben Watson and Kevin Baron

Science & Tech

Navy's Aegis Missile Defense Is Ready for Prime Time

Say what you will about ground-based interceptors, but Navy’s Aegis ballistic missile defense system is already on patrol and ready. By Scott C. Truver

Business

Holiday Surprise! TSA to Expedite All Troops Through Airport Security, Shoes On

Just in time for Christmas, TSA bumps all U.S. military members to the front of security lines at 100 airports. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Pentagon Seeks Vaccine Against Cold War 'Q-Fever'

Suddenly, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency wants a vaccine for bacteria the Soviets weaponized decades ago. By Diane Barnes

Threats

What Keeps DIA Director Flynn Up at Night

There’s a lot to worry about when you’re the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Here’s what keeps Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn up at night. By Stephanie Gaskell

Ideas

Five Takeaways from a Decade of War

After Secretary Hagel’s CSIS speech, Generals Cartwright, Chiarelli and Fogleman reveal key lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan the Pentagon should heed for the future. By James Kitfield

Ideas

Boring! Brass Worried Less War and Training Lulling Force

Joint Chiefs tell Congress the troops are getting bored as Afghanistan ends and sequester keeps them idle. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

Pentagon Spokesman George Little To Retire

George Little, who came to DOD from the CIA with Leon Panetta, announced he will retire Nov. 15 to spend more time with his young family. By Kevin Baron

Business

Back to Work! Federal Employees To Return Thursday Morning

After a late night vote, the White House told federal employees to expect to return to work Thursday morning, but check the OMB website for updates. By GovExec Staff

Business

Ash Carter to Retire

Ash Carter, deputy defense secretary and the Pentagon’s top budget man, will retire on Dec. 4. By Kevin Baron

Policy

House Defense Champion Rep. Bill Young to Retire

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee chairman and longtime defense hawk will step town after more than 40 years in Congress. By Kevin Baron

Policy

The Other Half of ‘This Town’

The Navy Yard massacre reveals another side of ‘This Town’. The real side. The side we know well. By Kevin Baron

Business

How the NSA Can Restore Public Trust

A special prosecutor would have free rein to go through the NSA's files and discover the full extent of what the agency is doing. By Bruce Schneier

Ideas

What the NSA’s Massive Org Chart (Probably) Looks Like

Amid public cries for greater transparency into the intelligence world, here’s a look at the National Security Agency’s organizational chart -- as far as we know it. By Marc Ambinder

Business

Time to Treat the VA's Problems as DOD's Problems

The VA's letdowns are now the Defense Department's problem, too. It’s time VA readiness were on par with DOD readiness. By Alexander Nicholson

Ideas

Wanted: A Post-War Watchdog for Nation-Building

The U.S. may be ending big wars, but military 'stability operations' and expensive nation-building projects will continue. The U.S. inspector general in Iraq argues the Pentagon needs someone to oversee contingency spending. By Stuart Bowen

Business

Hagel Presses Congress with Grim Alternatives to Sequestration

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's SCMR lays out tough choices for Congress on how to cut the defense budget without sequestration. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

The Government's Real Problem With the Bradley Manning Trial

Despite a guilty verdict on most counts, the government still can't share intelligence. By Matthew Cooper