Policy
Ash Carter Sails Through Senate Armed Services Committee
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted unanimously to send on Ash Carter’s nomination for a full vote. Lawmakers want him in the Pentagon by week’s end.
Policy
Republicans Go Easy on Ash Carter, Keep Focus on White House
Instead of attacking Obama’s national security strategy, lawmakers mostly held off, deciding Ash Carter will have little impact on policy.
Policy
Carter Survives To Fight Another Day
The Defense Secretary nominee plays it safe amid mostly gentle questioning.
Policy
The Pentagon’s Weapon Wish Lists Could Disappear
The military’s billion-dollar wish lists for weapons that did not make it onto the Pentagon’s budget might disappear as lawmakers decide whether they’re worth it.
Policy
Ash Carter May Lean Forward on Iraq, Syria, But Not Too Far
The defense secretary nominee seeks a pragmatic, ‘lasting’ approach to long-term problems in the Middle East.
Science & Tech
What Military Contractors Can Learn From the Pentagon's 2016 Budget
The Pentagon’s 2016 spending proposal would drive growth in several defense-industry sectors, but budget caps could slow weapon purchases.
Ideas
Ash Carter Has One Shot To Keep the Pentagon’s Technology Edge
Carter likely has only one shot to shape the Pentagon budget entirely on his own.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon's Adoption of Cloud Technology Is Finally Taking Off
As the Pentagon transitions to use more cloud-based services, its systems still have a long way to go in improving how they collect, distribute and share information.
Business
White House Requests Modest Pay Increase for Troops and Civilians
The Obama administration's fiscal 2016 plan would give troops a slight increase in pay over last year's 1 percent bump while federal workers would receive their highest pay raise in six years.
Business
Pentagon Unveils $585 Billion Budget Request
While the Pentagon will enjoy a peace dividend of sorts, the latest proposal still keeps the military on a war footing.
Policy
Buying a New Air Force One Is Complicated
Buying a new jet to fly the American president around the world is more complicated that cutting Boeing a check for a new 747.
Business
Obama's Budget Would Cut Just 3,500 Pentagon Civilian Jobs
The leaked plan to cut 3,500 civilians from the Pentagon's headquarters staff is not seen as an enormous loss for a workforce totaling roughly 800,000.
Business
Peeling the Onion Back on the Pentagon’s Special Operations Budget
When compared to the Pentagon’s $560 billion budget, U.S. Special Operations Command’s share is relatively small, but not as tiny as officials say. By Marcus Weisgerber
Policy
Obama To Propose Pentagon Spending Boost in 2016
President Barack Obama will send Congress a $585 billion defense spending plan on Monday, that would boost the Pentagon budget to levels not seen since 2012. By Marcus Weisgerber
Business
The Pentagon Has No Idea How Many Employees It Needs
Defense headquarters offices were asked to reduce their budgets 20 percent by 2019. So far, the Pentagon cannot say how it will meet that goal. By Eric Katz
Threats
Hagel Says Iraqi Complaints Against Coalition Efforts 'Unhelpful'
Defense officials said that 6,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed by coalition forces. But Vietnam War veteran Hagel dismissed the casualty count as a metric of mission success. By Gordon Lubold and Marcus Weisgerber
Ideas
Can Ash Carter Tame the Nuclear Weapons Budget?
Here are three common sense steps for the nuclear weapons budget that would save up to roughly $75 billion over 10 years. Tom Z. Collina
Policy
Republican Lawmakers Try Again To Cut 115,000 Civilian Defense Jobs
Rep. Kevin Calvert, R-Calif., is leading the charge to rein in an 'out of control' bureaucracy and save $82.5 billion over five years. By Eric Katz
Threats
US To Send 400 Trainers and Hundreds More Troops for Syrian Train-and-Equip Mission
After months of planning, the Pentagon’s training mission for Syria’s rebels is beginning to take form. By Gordon Lubold
Business