Defense

Budget signals troop surge expected to be short-lived

Supplemental request for fiscal 2008 covers costs for the number of troops deployed before announcement of new strategy.

Defense

Proposed cuts to first responder grants draw fire

Fiscal 2008 budget would provide about 35 percent less than Congress enacted for this year.

Defense

Defense budget looks to modernize, sustain force

Base budget of $481.4 billion is slightly above average annual spending during the Reagan administration buildup of the 1980s.

Defense

Homeland Security budget generous to Customs, Border agency

Budget request would allow the department to hire 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, bringing the total number of agents to almost 18,000.

Defense

Bush seeks billions of dollars for Army technology

Major areas of investment include unmanned aerial vehicles, manned and unmanned ground vehicles, and battlefield command-and-communications systems.

Defense

President proposes cuts to 141 programs

Nonsecurity spending would go up 1 percent in fiscal 2008.

Defense

Military cutting orders for costly high-tech weapons

Some analysts worry ballooning price tag for new technology will squeeze maintenance and other needs.

Defense

Intelligence analysis warns against rapid withdrawal from Iraq

Report doesn’t address surge plan, but says U.S. troops at current levels are an “essential stabilizing element.”

Defense

Defense secretary disputes CBO findings on troop numbers, costs

Report from budget office found that planned force increase would require up to 48,000 additional troops and cost up to $27 billion.

Defense

Estimated price tag of security measure causes stir

Budget office projects bill to implement unfulfilled 9/11 panel recommendations would cost $21 billion through 2012.

Defense

Spending bill trims $5 million more from DHS personnel system

Labor union official praises additional cuts and says the money would be better spent on new hires and training.

Defense

Iraq surge plan may require more than double the troops Bush cited

President did not factor in the number of support personnel that would be needed, budget office analysis finds.

Defense

Defense develops tool to assess skills of acquisition workforce

System to compile information about individual and servicewide competencies is set to be deployed early this year.

Defense

Senator grills Army chief of staff nominee, saying he misled Congress

John McCain says nominee painted a "rosy scenario" of progress in Iraq and often set unattainable goals.

Defense

Rising Army, Marine Corps costs may trigger budget war

Recently announced plans to grow ground forces by 92,000 troops over five years could upset the interservice peace over budget shares.

Defense

Senator raps visitor tracking system for failure to record exits

Homeland Security officials say they are working to follow departures from air and sea ports; land crossings still a stumbling block.

Defense

ADVICE+DISSENT: Intelligence File Guarding Turf

As Defense secretary, will Robert Gates put the CIA back on track?

Defense

House Republicans call for greater military effort in space

Lawmakers write letter to President Bush arguing space systems are "integral to the daily execution” of nearly all military operations and exercises.

Defense

TSA pushes ahead on port worker credentials project

Agency lowers price projections for ID cards and tries to make sign-up stations convenient.

Defense

Key appropriators may seek more rail security funding

House panel may shift money within the Homeland Security Department’s 2008 budget to reflect Democratic priorities.