A Department of Defense Inspector General investigation into Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD P&R) Clifford Stanley, “one of the Pentagon’s most senior and powerful appointees, could pose the first significant personnel challenge for new Defense Secretary Leon Panetta,” National Journal’s Megan Scully wrote …
Fellow Battleland contributor Mackenzie Eaglen of the Heritage Foundation argued last week in a Defense Daily article that the “Super Congress” is likely to side with cutting defense deeply rather than increase government revenue through tax increases to pay for current levels of defense spending (the biggest part of the discretionary …
Last week, POGO revealed that the Pentagon failed to act on a 2009 legislative proposal from the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) for enhanced power to compel contractors to turn over internal records.
While few inside DCAA would quibble with the desire for greater subpoena power, there is a debate internally about how aggressive …
The prospect of deeper cuts at the Defense Department and other parts of the national security-related budget is getting closer to reality. On Monday, Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma proposed $1 trillion in cuts at the Defense Department over ten years. The so-called ‘Gang of Six’ bipartisan group of Senators have recommended …
Did the Pentagon ignore proposals by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) to increase oversight of federal contractors and save taxpayer dollars? The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) has obtained documents outlining legislative proposals submitted by the DCAA to Pentagon leadership back in September 2009—but the Department of …
The Boeing Company made around $13 million in windfall profits off of selling grossly overpriced spare parts to the Army for its AH-64 Apache and Ch-47 Chinook helicopters, according to a 142-page leaked “For Official Use Only” audit conducted by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG). Of $23 million Boeing …
Over at the POGO blog, I flagged a compelling Air Force Times investigation into the the explosion of the top ranks of flag officers at the Air Force, a pet peeve of the SECDEF. To whet your appetite, check out this nugget from the Air Force Times story: “In the last seven years alone, the service has shed nearly 43,000 airmen while …
In February, word of a fundraiser for 13 House Republican freshmen lawmakers got out – first reported by Bloomberg-Government. Dubbing themselves the “Lucky 13,” these lawmakers are all on the influential House Armed Services Committee, which authorizes spending and creates policy for the Defense Department. A fundraising body …