The chief information officer of the Justice Department, Vance Hitch, the longest-serving cabinet-level federal CIO, is retiring, Federal News Radio reports. Hitch, who was appointed to his CIO post in 2002, will step down at the end of July. “It has been an honor and privilege to work with the extremely talented technology experts of [...]

The Defense Department’s acquisition czar, Ashton Carter, said the department frowns on further defense consolidation at the level of the big players, adding DoD would even go so far as to block potential mergers between industry giants. “We would not allow any further mergers of the big ones,” said the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, [...]

A proposed rule to the Federal Acquisition Regulations aims to level the playing field for contracting companies without a GSA schedule, according to a Washington Business Journal report. The proposed rule was introduced by the Defense Department, NASA and the General Services Administration. Currently, agencies are encouraged to consider GSA-managed contracts for goods and services, [...]

As he makes the final rounds of his public pronouncements as head of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is warning of the specter of deep budget cuts. Speaking before the Senate Armed Service’s Committee for the last time before he steps down at the end of the month, Gates reiterated his contention that, [...]

Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra will leave the White House in August for a post at Harvard University, Politico reports, citing unnamed sources. Politico’s Kim Hart broke the story, which is currently up behind the site’s paywall. Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew confirmed the news in a statement, saying Kundra will [...]

Robert Cardillo serves as the deputy director for intelligence integration in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. DNI James Clapper named Cardillo to this newly created post in September 2010. In his ODNI role, he is responsible for facilitating information sharing and collaboration through the integration of analysis Previously, he served as deputy [...]

Rob Zitz, a 31-year veteran of the intelligence community, is a the deputy director of Mission Support for the National Reconnaissance Office, which serves as the intelligence community’s chief satellite agency. He also serves as the director’s senior adviser for Geospatial Intelligence, and he directs the efforts of all the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NGA engineers [...]

The Defense Department set ambitious cost-saving goals to the tune of some $10 billion in its 2012 budget request. However, the House Appropriations Committee is doubtful whether all of the cuts are realistic, according to a Federal Times report this week. In particular, the committee zeroed in on about $885 million in “unrealistic savings estimates,” [...]

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III unveiled the Defense Department’s new energy strategy at a Pentagon briefing yesterday, describing the plan as a way to increase energy efficiency and adapt the forces to “emerging threats.” “Our use of energy cuts across each of these issues,” he said, according to a American Forces Press Service [...]

An independent Defense Department assessment found that weapons system did not significantly slow down the acquisition process, according to a Defense News report this week. The review, which was commissioned by Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter undertook a review of 40 major weapons programs that had experienced “significant delays,” Defense [...]