Pentagon

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Reported Sex Assaults Surge 50% in US Military

Pentagon says it's because more people feel confident enough to come forward

(Newser) - The number of reported sexual assaults in the military rose by more than 50% this year, but defense officials say that figure is actually a sign of progress. Heightened attention to the problem is causing more people to come forward as they gain confidence in the system, they say. More...

Google Robot Wins Pentagon Competition

Completes Fukushima-inspired obstacle course

(Newser) - One of Google's recent robotics acquisitions cruised to victory in a Pentagon obstacle course meant to simulate a robot rescue. The Schaft robot, by a Japanese firm Google recently bought, was the top scorer in the eight-task event, held Friday and Saturday, the BBC reports. Coming in second was...

Top Gun Inspiration Makes History at Pentagon

Christine Fox is acting No. 2, highest defense post ever held by a woman

(Newser) - For someone who has spent a chunk of her career in the wonky position of budget strategist for the Pentagon, Christine Fox now has two decidedly unwonky gems on her resume:
  • President Obama today appointed her as the acting No. 2 at the Pentagon, an "unprecedented move" that gives
...

Fudged Pentagon Accounts Hide Wasted Billions
 Pentagon's Cooked 
 Books Hide Lost Billions 
INVESTIGATION
Nov 19, 2013 3:51 AM CST

Pentagon's Cooked Books Hide Lost Billions

Reuters finds $8.5T in spending has never been audited

(Newser) - A Reuters investigation looks deep inside one of the biggest and most complex works of military fiction of all time: the Pentagon's books. Defense Department sources say it is routine to use phony numbers—"plugs"—to make the numbers of defense agencies match those from the Treasury...

Defense Chief Apologizes to Medal of Honor Soldier

We lost your paperwork, says Chuck Hagel

(Newser) - Yesterday, Former Army Capt. William Swenson got the Medal of Honor for bravery from President Obama. Today, Swenson got a personal apology from the secretary of defense for taking so long to recognize his actions, reports the AP . Defense chief Chuck Hagel said Swenson's paperwork got lost in the...

Boeing Caught Selling Used Parts as 'New' to US

It's one of several times company has stiffed Pentagon

(Newser) - Boeing, the Pentagon's second-biggest contractor, has repeatedly ripped Uncle Sam off, a new report from the military's inspector general has concluded. In its most recent scheme, Boeing charged the federal government for new helicopter parts, and "primarily installed used parts instead," according to the report, which...

Number of Furloughed Workers Just Got Cut in Half

Pentagon ordering about 400K back to work

(Newser) - About half of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed this week because of the government shutdown were civilians who worked for the Defense Department. And now the Pentagon is ordering most of them back to work on Monday, reports the AP . Defense chief Chuck Hagel says he can make the...

As Shutdown Odds Rise, Federal Agencies Scramble

Hundreds of thousands of government employees will be furloughed

(Newser) - John Boehner planned a strategy session later today with House Republican leaders to plot their next move, but the prospects of avoiding a government shutdown before Monday's midnight deadline are getting bleaker by the hour, reports Politico . For one thing, no negotiations between Republicans and Democrats are even on...

Looks Like Syria Will Miss First Arms-Deal Deadline

Plus: Pentagon says US could train some rebels

(Newser) - Syria probably won't get a full inventory of its chemical weapons to international authorities by Saturday, as proposed—but the US, it seems, isn't panicking. "Our goal is to see forward momentum," rather than the whole inventory, by Saturday, says a State Department rep. "We'...

Memo: Gay Troops to Get 10 Days of Leave to Marry

As part of proposed Pentagon plan to extend benefits to same-sex couples

(Newser) - Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act , the Pentagon is reviewing a plan that would extend full marriage benefits to same-sex couples by the end of this month, according to a draft memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlining the proposal obtained yesterday by the...

US Plan to Arm Syria Rebels Gets a Boost

But Pentagon cites continuing concerns

(Newser) - Last month, the White House said it planned to arm Syrian rebels —but members of Congress haven't been thrilled with the idea. Now, however, Capitol Hill seems to be coming around, Reuters reports. Despite "strong reservations ... We got a consensus that we could move forward with the...

How the Pentagon Managed to Kill Sex-Assault Reform

Military's lobbying muscle is without peer

(Newser) - Publicly, the military has vowed to do everything it can to combat sexual assault. But privately, it's been in lobbying overdrive to ensure it doesn't have to do much at all, Politico reports. While federal agencies regularly lean on legislators, this push by the Pentagon has been unusually...

Military Will Never Use New $34M Afghanistan Base

Critics say it's the most glaring boondoggle in a war full of them: Washington Post

(Newser) - When a two-star general visited the new 64,000-square-foot US military headquarters building at Camp Leatherneck in southern Afghanistan, he was impressed. It's "better appointed than any Marine headquarters anywhere in the world," he tells the Washington Post , before adding, "What the hell were they thinking?"...

How US Kept bin Laden Raid Records Secret

They were shifted from Pentagon to CIA

(Newser) - US officials ensured that files from the Osama bin Laden raid would stay secret by slipping them into the hands of the CIA—which is allowed to keep its records quiet. Adm. William McRaven, the leading special ops director, had the files removed from Pentagon databases and handed over to...

There's More to Uncover in Gen. Allen Emails: Lawmaker

Speier calls on Pentagon to reopen investigation of emails between Allen and Jill Kelley

(Newser) - A member of the House Armed Services Committee is calling on Chuck Hagel to reopen the investigation into Gen. John Allen and his emails with socialite Jill Kelley , claiming the Pentagon never actually subpoenaed many of the private emails between the pair. California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier says the investigation...

White House's New Leak Villain: Former Top General

James Cartwright faces investigation over Stuxnet worm story

(Newser) - The Obama White House has prosecuted or charged eight people under the Espionage Act thus far—and another one is under investigation. Retired four-star Marine Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright, former deputy chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, got a letter saying he was facing an inquiry over the...

Navy: Cap'n Crunch Not a Real Officer

Pentagon says it has no record of his service, NCIS will investigate

(Newser) - Cap'n Crunch is under attack. "We have no Cap’n Crunch in the personnel records—and we checked," says the director of the Navy's news desk at the Pentagon. No, really. It's in the Wall Street Journal . "We have notified NCIS and we’re...

US to Scrap $7B in Military Gear in Afghanistan
 Military to Scrap $7B in Gear 
Jun 20, 2013 3:00 AM CDT

Military to Scrap $7B in Gear

WaPo: Partly because it would cost too much to ship back from Afghanistan

(Newser) - Talk about the logistics of war: The US is going to destroy about $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan because it would cost too much money to ship it home or because the gear wouldn't be of much use anymore, reports the Washington Post . That includes about...

Pentagon Wants $200M— for 10-Year Gitmo Upgrade

Asks Congress for $450M for facility Obama wants to close

(Newser) - If you're already upset about the fact that Guantanamo is still open, your head may actually explode at this next bit: The Pentagon wants Congress to grant it more than $450 million to maintain—and upgrade—the prison, according to a budget request from the Obama administration. Specifically, $200...

Military's Latest Sex Scandal: Recruiters

Defense Dept. has promised to address

(Newser) - The latest sex crime scandal for the military involves recruiters, the Washington Post reports in a detailed look at some of the cases of sexual assault and rape found in its ranks recently. One example: An Air Force recruiter is charged with raping or committing other crimes over three years...

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