Tag Archives: veterans

F-35’s Ability to Evade Budget Cuts Illustrates Challenge of Paring Defense Spending

Rajiv Chandrasekaran (@rajivwashpost), Washington Post. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapon system in history and in these times of budget cuts it manages to survive relatively unscathed in spite of problems since the very beginning of the program. Chandrasekaran takes an in depth look at how the design of the program with concurrent fielding while it’s still being tested has virtually locked the program into development after over $84 billion has already been sunk to the aircraft. Throw in the old classic of building the aircraft using suppliers in 45 different states and…

Spending Cuts Threaten Military Town’s Businesses

Parija Kavilanz (@ParijaKavilanz), CNN Money. There are ten thousand stories about sequester and its effects this week. The bottom line is that it was officially put into effect by executive order on Friday evening directing some $85 billion in cuts across a wide swath of the federal government by September. But the real effect is already being felt by small businesses like those highlighted in this story in Colorado Springs where orders for everything from cotton rags to maintenance on aircraft have all been cut back putting jobs and entire companies at risk. The next big fight will be the actual…

Last night we met several service members taking advantage of the professional attire being offered at the Operation Jump Start event – suits, coats, ties, etc.

Operation Jump Start is a program of the Aleethia Foundation, which encourages donations of gift cards and new or nearly new professional business attire for the soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom transition to civilian careers. While they are no longer accepting clothing donations, Operation Jump Start is always in need of gift cards and cash donations.

Over $30,000 was raised and over 50 boxes of clothing were donated.

Teddy, a Hero Dog

We…

As Sequestration Looms, Contractors Don’t Fret

Marjorie Censer and Jim Tankersley (@CommonCenser and @jtankersley), Washington Post. Fourth quarter results calls with investors had the big defense contractors expressing enthusiastic optimism that sequester isn’t going to happen and everything’s going to be fine for the defense industry. Translation: “These aren’t the droid’s you’re looking for. Move along.” Unfortunately, no amount of Jedi mind tricks seems to be working up on Capitol Hill where almost no one thinks this Congress will pull off a compromise stopping the automatic cuts on March 1^st. Analysts have little faith in the industry at this point due to the amount of uncertainty in the…

Obama to nominate Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary

Scott Wilson, Washington Post. Former Senator and Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel will likely be formally nominated to serve as the next SecDef today or tomorrow according to sources in the administration. Hagel has been spending several weeks waiting for a decision from the White House that seems to have come over the weekend. His bid has been questioned by a number of conservative Republicans due to accusations that he is anti-Israeli and soft on Iraq among other concerns. It’s yet to be seen if the rumblings will result in enough enthusiasm to truly block his confirmation.

Congressional Chaos Costs U.S. Navy Millions,…