Digital Government
America's First Black Aviator
Ask anyone to identify America's first black aviators, and they would undoubtedly cite the famed <a href=http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/>Tuskegee Airmen</a> of World War II, including Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr., who went on to become the first African American Air Force General.
Digital Government
Hill Wants Access to Secret SIPRNet
Congress -- an outfit which consists of 535 folks in search of a sound bite and <a href=http://www.c-span.org/questions/weekly35.asp>24,000 staffers</a> who support that goal -- wants access to the Defense Department's classified network, or also known as the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet).
Digital Government
General Dynamics says it has fixed advanced Rifleman Radio
The device, which includes a GPS receiver to relay soldiers' positions on the battlefield, now meets reliability, battery life and range requirements, company officials say.
Digital Government
Final Honors for Forgotten Vets
As we get ready to honor those who served and died for this country on Memorial Day, the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services will take care of some forgotten veterans: those who died with no known family to bury them.
Digital Government
House panel tells Army to renegotiate integration contract with Boeing
The service says it is in the final stages of reworking the pact and the contractual relationship with the company has changed.
Digital Government
Army Apps 1, Transformative Apps 0
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Army both kicked off projects to develop applications for mobile gadgets and gismos in March. The House Armed Services Committee strongly favors the <a href= http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100303_8240.php>Apps for the Army</a> project over DARPA's <a href=https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=5db2b9ccbed8edc27d7e1df20a0e2f39&tab=core&_cview=1>Transformative Apps</a> program.
Modernization
Upgrade needed for battlefield satellite communications in Afghanistan, Iraq
With aging satellites processing as much as 300 percent more than their capacity, the Navy is looking for ways to buy more bandwidth until a new system can be launched.
Digital Government
Competition, Washington Style
Defense Secretary Robert Gates continued on Thursday the high visibility campaign he started in a <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2010/05/gates_channels_ike_on_spending.php>speech earlier this month</a> to rein in military spending and argue for a more effective definition of competition in Defense contracts.
Digital Government
Senate panel denies IED group $400 million emergency funding
Lawmakers say an organization that removes roadside bombs abused its freedom from acquisition rules, made unwise investments and asked to fund projects outside the scope of its charter.
Digital Government
Bye MHS, Hello Unified Med Command?
The fiscal 2011 Defense Authorization Bill (http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/HASCFY11NDAA051910.pdf) approved by the House Armed Services Committee yesterday calls for replacement of today's Military Health System (http://www.health.mil/) with a new Unified Medical Command modeled on the Special Operations Command.
Digital Government
VA Finds it Hard To Say 'Terminate'
Despite rules and regulations requiring contractors to encrypt data on laptops, 578 vendors have refused to abide by this common-sense approach to protect veteran data, as I <a href= http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100513_1937.php>reported</a> last week.
Digital Government
Poor security leaves VA systems open to attack, watchdog says
CIO says Veterans Affairs is making progress on monitoring its networks.
Digital Government
DARPA SMITEs Insider Threats
How bad is the threat of an insider attack against military information systems?
Digital Government
Don't Let the Sunshine In
National Rail in the United Kingdom had planned to start operation of a nifty new computerized train control system on the <a href=http://www.thecambrianline.co.uk/>Cambrian Coast Lines</a> in Wales but had to delay the launch because of a problem familiar to evening west bound commuters on Interstate 66 in Virginia: sun glare.
Digital Government
VA plans to build an Agent Orange disability claims system
The system will automate the processing of applications from an estimated 200,000 veterans a year and heralds a new way of doing business at the department using the latest technology, secretary says.
Digital Government
Bye-Bye to Army Minirobot?
I've met the Army's battlefield minirobot -- which goes by the official moniker of Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle -- twice over the past year on trips to White Sands Missile Range in south central New Mexico. I have to say it's one mighty impressive and cute little critter.
Modernization
Army wants soldiers' devices to keep going, and going, and going
Service asks for ideas for how to make batteries that power electronics on the battlefield lighter and last longer.
Digital Government
'Semper Fit' for the Wired Marine
My Marine Corps -- actually the Marine Reserve -- has a <a href=https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=997245f5c8f8fdc14e0e6c14cba2215c&tab=core&_cview=1>procurement</a> on the street that boggled my mind. It's for an online physical fitness program that will include drag and drop functions and a variety of templates to make sure Marine reservists stay truly Semper Fit.
Digital Government
Laptop stolen from VA contractor contains veterans' personal data
Rep. Steven Buyer tells Veterans Affairs secretary that hundreds of the department's contractors are not adhering to rules and regulations requiring them to encrypt data stored on computers.
Digital Government