Pentagon Likely to Cut Furlough Days
WASHINGTON – Defense department civilians will likely face up to five fewer unpaid furlough days than originally planned, as Pentagon leaders scrimp to find up to $900 million in savings in the final months of the budget year that ends Sept. 30, officials told The Associated Press. Officials said no final decisions have been made, but they believe civilian workers will be forced to take six to eight unpaid days off rather than the 11 days that had been scheduled. The move com
FAA Issues First Commercial UAS Type Certificates
FAA issued the first restricted type certificates to permit commercial operations with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) recently, authorizing Insitu’s Scan Eagle X200 and AeroVironment’s PUMA to begin flying commercial missions within the National Airspace System (NAS). The new type certificates mark an aviation milestone for the agency, as private UAS operators were previously only able to obtain experimental airworthiness certificates that specifically excluded commercial op
New Chairman, New Logo, Same Problems
When Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., was elected to lead the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee late last year, the first thing he did was call the panel’s ranking member, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and invite him to dinner. The two transportation gurus, who have known each other for 40 years, dined at the Capital Grille in downtown Washington with their respective staff directors and chatted about the committee. Did Rahall have complaints for the chairman-elect? “Su
Casey Raises Alarm About Possible Reduction in Block Grant Program
Federal funding that keeps police on Lancaster County streets, pays for services that help local victims of domestic violence and finances basic home-repair loans to area homeowners is on the chopping block. The Community Development Block Grant program is facing drastic cuts. And Bob Casey is spreading the word in hope that his colleagues notice and take action. Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator said Thursday that he is pushing to save the 40-year-old program — which dol
Hagel: DoD Must ‘Fundamentally Reshape’ Itself
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon must “fundamentally reshape” itself to adapt for a future of strategic and budgetary challenges, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday. Speaking at the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Louisville, Ky., Hagel laid out four principles “that will guide these efforts to realign and reshape our military”: prioritizing DoD’s missions and capabilities around the core responsibility of defending the US; maximizing the military’s
Martin Assumes Command of 60th Air Mobility Wing
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Col. Corey Martin assumed command of the 60th Air Mobility Wing from Col. Dwight Sones during the wing’s change of command ceremony Monday in Hangar P14 at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Martin takes leadership of the largest wing in Air Mobility Command in terms of personnel, arriving from Manas Transit Center in the Kyrgyz Republic where he was commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing. “I’m proud to call the beautiful view outside the ha
McCain, Dempsey Duel Over US Role in Syria
One of the Senate’s top Republicans threatened to block the reconfirmation of the military’s top officer over how the U.S. should intervene in the civil war in Syria. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., didn’t waste any time criticizing Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Navy Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman, during their reconfirmation hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I must tell both the witnesses at the onset, I’m very
Mitch McConnell Gets Back To Talking About How Great Earmarks Are
WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is back in his home state of Kentucky this week, taking credit for the stacks of federal taxpayer cash he’s sent back to the Bluegrass State. Republicans, and McConnell especially, have an awkward relationship with so-called “earmarks” — the government money that used to be traded for votes on Capitol HIll — and three days after getting a Democratic opponent in his reelection bid, McConnell’s awkwardness with earmarks was on
Coast Guard Readies for August Move to New Headquarters
The Department of Homeland Security is putting the finishing touches on its new $435 million, 1.1 million-square-foot Coast Guard headquarters, in preparation for the move-in of 4,000 employees beginning Aug. 1. But the rest of the department’s long-planned consolidation in southeast Washington remains in limbo. Only a few shared services facilities, such as a cafeteria and fitness center — intended for use by all DHS employees — will be ready when the Coast Guard moves in. J
Chuck Hagel: Top Military Brass To Be Cut 20 Percent
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday he has ordered 20 percent “across the top” budget cuts for his Pentagon staff and that of his top brass. The reductions, which he did not spell out in detail, are for the 2015-19 period. They will apply to his office, that of the Joint Chief’s chairman and also the Pentagon headquarters offices of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. It is one element of a broader effort by the Pentagon to adjust to forced
