Defense Workforce
No expansion of military IVF coverage included in the final defense policy bill
Congress is expected to vote to approve the package during the next two weeks, before both chambers leave town for the holiday break.
Pentagon puts a dent in cyber workforce vacancies
Nearly a quarter of the Defense Department’s cyber jobs went unfilled last year.
Intelligence agencies are attracting new talent, but do they have the career development systems to keep them?
Between balancing recruiting fresh, digital-literate talent and upskilling an experienced workforce, agencies in the Intelligence Community also need to ensure they are updating their career development processes to retain both, says former DOD CIO John Sherman.
Watchdog wants more transparency on DOD’s reprogramming of military pay funds
While GAO did not find that the realignment decreased military benefits, it did urge the Pentagon to provide more information on the funding to Congress.
Senator demands more veteran access to VA's military sex trauma resources
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., expressed his ongoing concerns with the lack of coordination between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments in making servicemembers aware of their eligibility for VA services like confidential counseling.
Move Guardsmen into the Space Force? You'll lose most of them instead
COMMENTARY | Air Force leaders don’t understand why people serve in the National Guard.
DOD CIO resigns to take university post
John Sherman will become dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.
Nuclear agency needs more insights into its workforce recruitment efforts, GAO says
A new report from the watchdog said that the National Nuclear Security Administration has made progress on addressing its staffing efforts, but continues to budget for a smaller workforce than it needs.
Updated
Supreme Court rules in favor of federal employee in furlough case
Feds may have more leeway on timing when appealing their employment cases to federal courts.
‘Extremely dangerous’: Governors criticize ‘federalization’ of National Guard
Governors from 53 U.S. states and territories object to the Defense Department's plan to move all Air National Guardsman with space-related missions from state to federal control, placing them under the umbrella of the U.S. Air Force, specifically the Space Force.
Politicians may rail against the ‘deep state,’ but research shows federal workers are effective and committed, not subversive
COMMENTARY | "Our years of research about the people who work in the federal government finds that they care deeply about their work, aiding the public and pursuing the stability and integrity of government," write two scholars.
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Air Force must learn from suicides, chief says in wake of airman’s self-immolation over Gaza
“Whether it was politically motivated or other, we lost one of ours,” Gen. Allvin said after being heckled by protesters.
Navy leaders want more code-loving sailors at sea
One wants to take ad hoc data science efforts and fold them into a formal training cycle.
The Pentagon is notifying individuals affected by 2023 email data breach
The exposed contents were not secured with a password at the time of their compromise.
Air Force’s pitch to retirees: Come back! No bonus or promotion, though
Service revives program to plug manning holes. But will anyone take the jobs?
Political holds hurt military readiness
COMMENTARY | A veteran contends that a hold on the promotion of an Air Force colonel who urged his peers to talk about racism and its effects on the military is a step backward.
Catastrophic leaks and wild reforms mark the 2023 security clearance year in review
COMMENTARY | The Discord leaks helped put a starker spotlight on the security clearance process, bringing more scrutiny at a time when demand for cleared personnel has intensified and processing times have swelled.
Who is an AI worker? The Pentagon needs a better definition, GAO says
The Pentagon “can't fully identify who is part of its AI workforce or which positions require personnel with AI skills,” according to a new congressional watchdog report.
Supreme Court to hear arguments on federal employee furlough case
The case was significantly delayed as the agency that initially hears federal worker appeals was non-functional for five years.
DOD launches a platform to educate its workforce on AI basics
The new program will provide DOD’s civilian and military personnel with access to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology service that consists of “bite-sized learning assets” on AI tools and other technologies.
