Sloan Gibson, deputy secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, has said efforts are underway at VA and the Defense Department to make the agencies’ electronic health record systems interoperable, Federal Times reported Monday. Aaron Boyd writes DoD established interoperability as one the goals of its Defense Health Management System …
Read More »Deloitte’s Beth McGrath Calls for IT Acquisition Process Reform, Cultural Change at Pentagon
Beth McGrath, former deputy chief management officer at the Defense Department, has called for a cultural change and reform in the process of acquiring information technology platforms at DoD. McGrath, now a director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, wrote in a Breaking Defense opinion piece published Wednesday that agency leaders should align …
Read More »Pentagon: Climate Change Affects US Military’s Global Security Operations
The Defense Department has published a report that examines climate change’s impact on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, infrastructure and security cooperation efforts of U.S. combatant commands worldwide. DoD said Wednesday it conducted the “National Security Implications of Climate Change” study following a request from the Senate Appropriations Committee …
Read More »US, UK Sign Military Reserve Exchange Pact
The U.S. Defense Department and its British counterpart have agreed to host and train military reservists from either the U.S. or the U.K. as part of the countries’ security cooperation efforts, DoD News reported Monday. Paul Patrick, DoD’s deputy assistant secretary for reserve readiness, training and mobilization, signed a memorandum …
Read More »Profile: Jerry McGinn, DoD Principal Deputy Director for Manufacturing, Industrial Base Policy
Jerry McGinn is the principal deputy director for the U.S. Defense Department‘s office of manufacturing and industrial base policy and holds responsibility over the development of studies, guidelines and policies concerning the defense industrial supply chain. He rejoined DoD in July 2015 after leading Virginia-based McGinn Defense Consulting as president. …
Read More »GAO: DoD’s Satcom Acquisition Strategy Needs Improvement
The Government Accountability Office has urged the Defense Department to develop a new framework to manage its process of buying satellite communication services from industry. DoD’s fragmented satcom acquisition approach limits the department’s ability to share services, bundle purchases and simplify the procurement system, GAO said Friday. The agency says …
Read More »GAO: Pentagon Should Use Insider Threat Data in Force Protection Programs
The Government Accountability Office has recommended that the Defense Department adopt strategies to ensure that insider threat prevention measures are implemented at U.S. military bases. GAO said Thursday it reviewed the department’s efforts to protect its military installations against insider threats and terrorists following the shooting incidents at Fort Hood, …
Read More »Terry Halvorsen: DoD Seeks to Boost Mobile Data Access at ‘Point of Execution’
Terry Halvorsen, chief information officer of the Defense Department, has said DoD aims to implement a two-tier wireless network service for agency employees and visitors by January 2016, DoD News reported Wednesday. Cheryl Pellerin writes Halvorsen told a DoD CIO Mobility Industry Day audience July 9 in Washington that his office wants …
Read More »Robert Work: Defense Innovation Org Aims to Help Expand Pentagon, Industry Partnerships
The Defense Department has established a Silicon Valey-based organization to help DoD reach out to private sector innovators and access modern technologies, FCW reported Wednesday. Defense Innovation Unit Experimental aims to “strengthen existing relationships and build new ones, scout for breakthrough and emerging technologies and function as a local interface …
Read More »Greg Garcia: DoD Eyes July 20 Launch Date for Consolidated IT Services Unit
Greg Garcia, executive director of the U.S. Army‘s information technology agency, has said the Defense Department is looking to launch an organization for consolidated IT services by July 20, Federal News Radio reported June 29. Jason Miller writes Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work on May 1 ordered DoD to merge …
Read More »