TAP out: Army takes steps to make outgoing soldiers career-ready Major upgrades to the Transition Assistance Program are underway this year as the Army strives to make it easier for departing soldiers to find meaningful employment in a tough labor market. The program is adding two major elements to the program: education and training tracks to help them meet their goals, and a check to make sure transitioning soldiers are ready to go. Key elements of the re-engineered program, which has expanded its facilities and staff threefold in the past year, include pre-separation counseling; developing of a 12-month post-transition budget;…
Browsing: Pentagon
It’s no secret that military programs are under close scrutiny as spending is cut. The inevitable power struggle has left a presidential budget seeking one thing, think-tanks and pundits demanding something else, winded lobbyists arguing their cases and Congress adding to the quagmire. So who has final say as to what military programs are a “go” or “no go?” When a panel testifying before the House Armed Services Committee said that power resides with the president, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., did something unheard of. At a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing Thursday, he pulled out the Constitution. Here’s what he…
Pentagon officials will roll out a plan today that will give the services about three months to train troops on the new law allowing gays to serve openly. Three levels of training will usher in changes to everything from personnel regs and recruiting, officials said. One level will be for administrators and leadership. The second will be for senior commanders who will have to enforce the policies. The third will be the general training for the troops. Once the training is complete, the president must certify that lifting the ban won’t hurt troops’ ability to fight. Sixty days after certification,…
Some funding for the Ground Combat Vehicle remains on hold after the Army failed to provide a detailed report on the costly program by Jan. 15, a deadline required by the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. The Army on Jan. 13 submitted an interim report to Congress, stating the report was not complete and would be submitted in late March, said Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway. The report will include an analysis of alternatives with technical data and an explanation of any plans to adjust the program requirements during the technology development phase. The authorization act puts a hold…
Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, said last week that half of combat-ready troops will not be headed for Iraq or the ‘Stan, but instead will be ready to deploy wherever needed. That’s why you’re soon to get new ACUs and in-depth training in full spectrum operations. So, where might this push take you? China and North Korea are always a hot topic. Defense Secretary is in China right now, and this morning described North Korea as a “direct threat” due to “the combination of their continuing nuclear programs but also the progress that they’re making in the development…
The number of reported sexual harassment and assaults at the three service academies is up 61 percent from last year, according to this story. Pentagon officials say the rise could be due to an increase in education and training. There were 41 incidents reported for the 2009-2010 school year, up from 25 last year, according to this annual report required by Congress. In the year before the survey, 12.9 percent of women and 1.9 percent of men indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact, and 56 percent of women and 12 percent of men indicated experiencing sexual harassment. According to the survey…
NASA let down legions of breath-holders who were convinced an alien roll-out would happen on Thursday. But do not be disappointed. The Army has unveiled a document thought by many to be a mythical concoction, or at least one that would remain hidden deep in the bowels of the Puzzle Palace, never to be seen by mere mortals. But now we know it does exist: The Ground Combat Vehicle’s Request for Proposal. All kidding aside, there were no surprises contained in the RfP, though the long wait and recent fiscal fallout made some question whether it would come to pass.…
The Pentagon says the defense budget must grow roughly 3 percent above inflation each year to sustain the military at current levels. As a result of the nation’s fiscal fallout, military spending will grow only 1.8 percent in 2012, and 1 percent in following years. That means the Pentagon must cut tens of billions from its budget to make up the difference. How will this happen? Let’s first consider Iraq, where there are some interesting numbers floating around as that nation beefs up its military in the wake of U.S. troops departing.
Police shut down a portion of the Pentagon Metro stop Tuesday morning in Washington D.C. as officers inspect a suspicious package found in the station. This is not a rare occurrence as officers often shut down Metro stops when suspicious packages are found, but this comes weeks after bullet holes were found in the side of the Pentagon after a reported early morning shooting.
