Threats

US Military: Sexual Assault in the Ranks Is Less Prevalent, and Better Reported

But defense officials say that with an estimated 14,900 cases last year, there’s still work to be done.

Science & Tech

America's Security Clearance System Is Broken, Former Spy Chief Clapper Says

The problem won't be easy to fix, but it could benefit from better employee monitoring and 'some very aggressive creative and sensitive education.'

Policy

Trump Ends Federal Hiring Freeze, but Workforce Cuts Loom

In issuing guidance for reductions, OMB director tells feds not to focus on who will be fired.

Ideas

The Marine Photo Scandal and the Cost of Indifference

Americans may finally be ready to confront the dehumanizing horrors facing women service members.

Business

Mattis Takes on the Pentagon Bureaucracy

The defense secretary wants to reform the sprawling department’s business functions and reorganize key executive offices.

Policy

CIA, ODNI Get Exemption from Trump's Hiring Freeze

Agency leaders are told that if someone would work during a government shutdown, their job can be filled during the freeze.

Policy

Defense Department Hiring Freeze Rules Coming Soon

Here are some of the civilian exemptions senators are demanding to Trump's federal freeze-out.

Policy

Trump Wants DHS to Hire 15,000 for Border Security? Not So Fast

The proposed surge would provide assets some agency officials have long requested. It would also enable Trump to fulfill a campaign promise—but it comes with challenges.  

Business

The US Military Is Shedding Civilian Jobs. It Has No Idea How Much Money It’s Actually Saving

The Government Accountability Office wants to make sure the military isn’t letting employees go without a true accounting of the costs.

Ideas

The Pentagon's Mapmakers Want to Offer Customers an Amazon-Like Experience

A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency directorate is seeking better ways to custom-tailor geospatial information products.

Ideas

No, Social Media Isn’t Hurting the Army

In a rebuttal to ‘Unplug, Soldier!’, one officer explains how online time builds bonds in more ways than one.

Ideas

Unplug, Soldier! Too Much Online Time is Hurting the Army

A West Point scholar says team bonding — the bedrock of military effectiveness — is being undermined by electronic distractions.

Science & Tech

The US Has Its First Cybersecurity Director

Gregory Touhill, a retired Air Force one-star, will be the first to hold the job, which was created in the wake of the OPM hack.

Ideas

Don’t Dismantle VA Reform

The Commission on Care’s recommendations to fix veterans’ health care may not be perfect, but they’re a good start.

Ideas

Don't Dismantle the VA

Veterans care should not become a profit-making enterprise that serves no one better than its financial backers.

Science & Tech

Cargo Shorts at the Pentagon: Inside DoD's Digital Service Team

Matt Cutts, a Google employee on temporary leave, says his job is less about AI and more about getting "basic, fundamental things" to work right now.