Government Executive March 2004 Vol. 36, No.4

Watching people on behalf of Uncle Sam Short on agents to nab illegal aliens, the Homeland Security Department is seeking help from sometimes reluctant city and state police. The military is breaking new ground in amputee care. War and terrorism sparked government's huge new demand for bandwidth, now companies are battling one another to fill it. start departments Intelligence leaders need reliable language translation software to keep vital information from falling through the cracks. Contractor marks banner year; stopping music swappers; tech stocks on the rise. Typical Air Force officers or career employees of the IRS would no sooner harm their former organizations than betray a friend. The federal government is set to launch its three-prong eTravel program this year. The only thing more dangerous in government than trying to convey bad news up the hierarchy is going public with it. start News & Analysis As the window closes on victims' compensation, lawyers for the Sept. 11 fund sift through thousands of last-minute claims. OMB officials tried to make A-76 competitions more transparent, but some say the new rules aren't enough. Rumsfeld holds firm as legislators push to add troops, slow base closings. Forest Service mechanic wants to open the door for employees to appeal outsourcing. The rush is on to reform the CIA, but Director George Tenet says a true culture shift will take at least five years. A new flexibility plan will help the agency attain and retain a top-notch workforce. - start COLUMNS =