Defense

Iraq-bound troops have adequate gear, Army officials say

All of the 21,500 troops deploying under President Bush's "surge" plan will be fully trained and equipped, officials tell lawmakers.

Defense

Federal Protective Service may cut hundreds of police jobs

Memo indicates agency also plans to reduce weekend and night hours, decrease frequency of risk assessments for some buildings.

Defense

Navy official 'embarrassed' by cost overruns on combat ship

The service stopped work on the third Littoral Combat Ship in early January, but plans to resume the program soon.

Defense

State Department may switch to Pentagon’s health IT system

Agreement will allow military personnel treated at embassies to have continuous medical records, and will facilitate better, cheaper care.

Defense

Senate 9/11 bill faces objections in House

Security bills approved by the Senate Commerce Committee buck House by failing to give TSA screeners collective bargaining rights.

Defense

Former top CIA official indicted in corruption probe

Charges are latest in investigation that sent former Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham to prison.

Defense

Senators unveil homeland security grant plan at odds with House

At issue is how much funding state and local governments should be guaranteed versus how much DHS can distribute based on risk assessments.

Defense

Lawmakers re-introduce whistleblower, ethics measures

Committee leaders hopeful bills will make better progress in the new Congress; panel to mark them up Wednesday.

Defense

TSA seeks 1,300 more employees

Agency chief aims to beef up efforts to detect fake IDs at airports.

Defense

Expansion of local intelligence-sharing centers sparks controversy

Centers aimed at filling the gaps left by federal agents; DHS plans to send representatives to each by the year’s end.

Defense

New mine resistant vehicles top Marines' $3.2 billion wish list

V-shaped hull of the vehicles offers much better protection than armored Humvees against roadside bombs.

Tech

Bush's cybersecurity budget proposal concerns tech industry

Overall, the president proposed a 1.1 percent IT spending decrease for DHS and a 2.1 percent IT spending increase for the Defense Department.

Defense

FEMA on hiring binge to fill out staff

Officials hope to find as many as 50 employees at a job fair Thursday; many of the available positions are in contracting.

Defense

Report: Agencies fail to track disabled reservists' complaints

No single agency has a comprehensive view of complaints filed about violations of a re-employment law, GAO says.

Defense

Lawmakers keep eye on communications grant program

Funding would help state and local agencies address communications interoperability, a problem that has not been solved since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Defense

Army draws up $11 billion wish list to meet unfunded needs

List includes aircraft survivability equipment and more money to buy night-vision devices and to fix the service's truck fleet.

Defense

GAO: More information going into urban security grant decisions

Applicants must provide more details on the reason for their requests; more intelligence reports are being considered.

Defense

Measure seeks to permanently correct military pay inequity

New bill would allow untaxed combat pay to count as income for tax credits.

Defense

Lawmakers blast DHS officials for slow response to data requests

Under executive order, managers’ job performance will be judged in part on timeliness of answers to congressional queries.

Defense

Key lawmaker calls Homeland Security budget request 'inadequate'

Appropriator says he is not confident the budget would address priorities including modernizing Coast Guard vessels.