Digital Government

Cyber Warriors Will Still Fill Sandbags

I <a href= wrote a piece</a> today about an article in the spring 2009 issue of the <em>IANewsletter</em>, published by the Defense Information Assurance Technology Analysis Center. The article made some compelling arguments for the establishment of a fourth service to conduct cyberwarfare.

Digital Government

No Bonuses for Field Docs

As far as I can determine the reason the taxpayers - that's you and I - have to fund $165 million in bonuses for employees of AIG Financial Products is they came up with the ideas a few years back to create trillions of dollars worth of arcane and cockamamie financial products known as credit default swaps.

Digital Government

'AHLTA is Intolerable'

That's the title of the <a href=http://www.house.gov/hasc/calendar_next_week.shtml>hearing</a> that the House Armed Service Committee's subcommittee on Joint Military Personnel and Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities plans to hold on March 24. It will be on the Defense Department's AHLTA (<a href= http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/oh_ahlta_is_a_proper_noun.php>remember, not an acronym</a>) electronic health record system.

Digital Government

Casscells Plans to Leave In April

I've learned that Casscells, who <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080718_9200.php>told me a year ago</a> that Military Health System clinicians found AHLTA "intolerable" plans to end his tour as the Defense "Top Doc" at the end of April.

Digital Government

Platoon Of Generals Take the Hill

There's just under 20 generals from all four services testifying on Capitol Hill today, according to a handy <a href=http://www.defenselink.mil/today/index.aspx?ShowDate=03/18/2009>list</a> put out by the Defense Department press shop, along with a handful of assistant or under secretaries, which put the number of top Defense managers on the Hill today well above 20.

Digital Government

Mea Culpa

Last week in my item on the Military Health Systems ceremony to honor fallen docs, I said ABC anchor Bob Woodruff, wounded in Iraq, recovered at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. I was, of course, wrong. Woodruff recovered at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Digital Government

Forget JTRS for FCS, Try WiMax

The Government Accountability Office < href=http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09288.pdf>reported</a> on March 12 that the wideband version of the Joint Tactical Radio System will not be ready to support the Army's $159 billion Future Combat System program until 2017 or 2018 -- that's two years after the service starts fielding all FCS vehicles, gadgets, and gizmos.

Digital Government

News Flash: Acquisition Workers Needed

We all know that's not news, but it's good to get an annual reminder from the Government Accountability Office that there are too few people managing too many programs that cost too much.

Digital Government

Army Bites GAO Back On FCS

The Government Accountability Office added another $21 billion to the price tag of the Army's Future Combat Systems program, which currently stands at $159 billion, in a <a href=http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09288.pdf>report</a> released on Thursday. The Army fired back in press call on Friday with a squad of two and three star generals.

Digital Government

Pinnipeds, Tattoo Removal and Neurofeedback

That's just some of the items funded by <a href=http://www.taxpayer.net/resources.php?category=&type=Project&proj_id=1961&action=Headlines%20By%20TCS>more than 8,000 earmarks</a> worth just short of $8 billion in the <a href=http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_omni2009_2.htm>2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill</a>, which <a href=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/12/obama_signs_earmark_laden_spending_bill/>President Obama signed</a> on Wednesday.

Digital Government

VistA, 'Gold Standard' of EHRs

That's what Eric Shinseki, secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, told a House VA committee hearing on Tuesday. So, if this is the view of the boss, why, oh why, is VA so intent on ripping out the Gold Standard Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) electronic health record system for a new-fangled deal called Health eVet.

Digital Government

Verizon to Light it Up

I asked Marlin Forbes, regional vice president for Verizon's Federal Defense and International Services division, what kind of high-speed circuits his company will supply the Defense Department users with under the contract, called the Defense Information Systems Network transmission services-Pacific II contract. Forbes answered, "We're going to supply the customers with light."

Digital Government

Honoring Fallen Docs

Those of us who have served in combat know there is no more essential member of a field unit than a corpsman or medic, who at the risk of his or her own life, answers without hesitation the call of "Medic Up" or "Corpsman Up."

Digital Government

SO-A What

John Burrow, deputy commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command, may have put the brakes on the continued proliferation of the buzz phrase <em>de jour</em>: Service-Oriented Architecture, better known as SOA.

Digital Government

Gauss to Run Navy NGEN Acquisition

Retired Rear Adm. John Gauss, who commanded the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center from 1998 to 2001 and served as chief information officer of the Veterans Affairs Department from 2001 to 2003, will run the acquisition for the <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20081010_4699.php>Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network</a>.

Digital Government

Whither the Navy?

Since today is <a href=http://www.afceanova.org/events/special-events/it-days/naval-it-day-fy09/naval-it-day>Naval IT Day</a>, it's a good idea to look at the overall state of the Navy. And, if you judge by the number of ships it has, the U.S. Navy is in quite sad shape, according to Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Digital Government

That's Counterintelligence, No Spaces

Evidently I have some real eagle-eyed readers in the intelligence community, because I received a note pointing out that I had a slight misspelling when referring to counter-intelligence in <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/thumb_drives_like_unsafe_sex.php>my continuing coverage</a> of the thumb-drive ban.

Digital Government

OK, Can't Treat Adults Like Adults

In my <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/thumb_drives_like_unsafe_sex.php>last post</a> I endorsed the intelligence community's approach to thumb drives - don't ban them but issue warnings about the risks, and then assume end users will take an adult approach to the judicious use of computer technology.

Digital Government

Thumb Drives Like Unsafe Sex

That's the view of Joel Brenner, National Counter-Intelligence Executive, who said he views the use of thumb drives on national security information systems as "the electronic equivalent of unprotected sex and the biggest sources of what I call ETDs, or electronically transmitted diseases."

Digital Government

Secretary Gates Muzzles Budgeteers

<a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Defense.pdf>The $534 billion fiscal 2010 budget for the Defense Department</a>, which the Obama administration released on Thursday, contains few details, particularly on major programs such as the IT-rich $230 billion <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080314_5162.php>Army Future Combat Systems</a> project intended to network myriad vehicles and sensors on the battlefield.