Digital Government
Vets: Choose Your GI Bill Carefully
In many cases, the new GI bill, called the 2008 <a href=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2642enr.txt.pdf>Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act</a>, offers a better deal than its predecessor, the <a href=http://www.mygibill.org/federalbenefits/montgomerygibill>Montgomery GI bill</a>. But not always.
Digital Government
Travelocity for Command and Control
Three companies -- FGM Inc., Booz-Allen Hamilton and SAIC -- won <a href=http://www.defenselink.mil/utility/printitem.aspx?print=http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=4062>contracts</a> on Wednesday to provide systems engineering support to the Defense Information Systems Agency for development of the Defense Department's new command and control system <a href=http://www.disa.mil/necc/overview.html>Net-Enabled Command Capability</a>.
Digital Government
The Zimbabwe Connection
The Government Accountability Office usually does a good job in exposing flaws in Defense Department information technology systems, but in its <a href=http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09577.pdf>report</a> on the Defense Travel System released on Tuesday, the GAO decided to pick some really weird nits.
Digital Government
Army to overhaul modernization strategy by the fall
Officials hope for continued support from lawmakers and Defense Department leaders as they redo plans for upgrading equipment and battlefield networks.
Digital Government
Who's Holding the Bag for Sats?
The House Appropriations Committee eliminated the requirement that the Defense Department fund half the cost of the new National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) in its version of the Commerce Department's <a href=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_reports&docid=f:hr149.111.pdf>fiscal 2010 appropriations bill</a> passed on June 25.
Digital Government
The Reform Thing's Catching On
In a familiar refrain, a top military leader on June 26 said, "We should fashion our military structure not for the wars of the last century, but for the real wars of today."
Modernization
Poetry, radio and Web 2.0 tools part of the battle in Afghanistan
New strategy is aimed at countering insurgents' threatening messages to win over the local population, says communications director for U.S. Forces.
Digital Government
Cost of Selling 'Net Monitoring to Iran
In the case of Siemens Medical, the answer comes out to at least $267 million, the value of the <a href=http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=3995>three-year contract</a> the Defense Department awarded the company in March for radiology systems.
Modernization
Senators want to bar contracts to foreign companies selling IT to Iran
Firms that export sensitive technology to the country would not be allowed to bid on or renew U.S. contracts, unless they halt Iranian exports.
Digital Government
A Cloud for the GI Bill System
At the Thursday <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090625_2930.php>hearing</a> hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee on the post-9/11 GI bill, Mark Krause, a Veterans Affairs Department program manager who works at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, said he is eyeing the use of cloud computing to host a spiffy new claims processing system for education benefit claims.
Digital Government
House panel rejects funding for integrated case system at Justice
Program was plagued by delays and cost overruns, IG and lawmakers say.
Digital Government
CTO Levin to Do VA's Tech Vision Thing
The Veterans Affairs Department has hired <a href=http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=181502820>Peter Levin</a>, a White House fellow in the Clinton administration, as its new chief technology officer in the office of the secretary and senior advisor to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Press Secretary Katie Roberts told me.
Digital Government
Ondra Not a candidate for VA Post
On Monday I <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/06/gulf_war_vet_edges_closer_to_t.php>suggested</a> that Dr. Stephen Ondra, an Army Gulf War vet who is a professor of neurological surgery at the <a href="http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/">Feinberg School of Medicine</a> at Northwestern University in Chicago, had the inside track for appointment as under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration.
Digital Government
VA says it's on schedule to process new education claims on time
New applications and systems are keeping the agency ahead of the incoming claims, but some worry demand may increase later in the summer, overwhelming processors.
Digital Government
So Much for Low Key Cyber Approach
Some of my military public affairs contacts tell me that the Pentagon really, really wanted to take a low-key approach to the establishment of a <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090624_6400.php">new Cyber Command</a>.
Digital Government
Recognizing the Lionesses
Since the United States started operations in Iraq, a small group of military women, known as Lionesses, has provided support to combat units, and the House Armed Services Committee thinks its time they received recognition and support from both the Defense Department and the Veterans Affairs Department.
Digital Government
Cyber Command creation leaves key details to be addressed
Defense Secretary Robert Gates mandates new organization; operational, budget issues to be sorted out in coming months.
Digital Government
Vet Edges Closer to Top VA Health Job
In April, I <a href="http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/04/gulf_war_vet_for_top_va_health.php">reported</a> that Dr. Stephen Ondra, professor of neurological surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, had emerged as the likely candidate for under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration.
Modernization
Defense announces new modernization program in wake of FCS
Plan will incorporate network technologies developed for troubled weapons program.
Digital Government