http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/defensedepartment/ en-us Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:16:04 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371662/posts The Department of Defense awarded nearly $30 million in stimulus contracts to six companies while they were under federal criminal investigation on suspicion of defrauding the government.According to Air Force documents, the companies claimed to be small, minority-owned businesses, which allowed them to gain special preference in bidding for government contracts. But investigators found that they were all part of a larger minority-owned enterprise in Southern California, making them ineligible for the contracts. Contractor Database [1]Search for companies near you that got stimulus transportation contracts. The Air Force and the Army awarded the companies 112 stimulus projects at U.S. military... Pro Publica http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371662/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:16:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265660/posts NY Congressmen, John McHugh recently nominated by President Obama to Army Secretary, was described by the press as a popular and bi-partisan pick (McHugh is a Republican). Perhaps the most happy about the selection are the defense vendors, contractors, and lobbyists that In Congress,that gave McHugh thousands of dollar of campaign dollars who he provided with millions in earmarks ABC News and Taxpayers for Common Sense are reporting that McHugh was excellent at "playing the game:" "He has certainly played the game here in Washington, gotten campaign contributions and delivered earmarks," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a... ABC News/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265660/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 17:53:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135637/posts <p>Thursday, November 20, 2008 The Pentagon has suffered from a cyber attack so alarming that it has taken the unprecedented step of banning the use of external hardware devices, such as flash drives and DVD's, FOX News has learned.</p> <p>The attack came in the form of a global virus or worm that is spreading rapidly throughout a number of military networks.</p> FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135637/posts#comment Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:43:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992072/posts A shadow legal body was set up by the Defense Department to manipulate the prosecutions of U.S. Marines accused of massacring Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005. That’s the bombshell disclosure from the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm that is representing one of the accused Marines, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani. And it could prove to be the most damning piece of evidence showing the political motivations behind the ongoing prosecutions of the Haditha Marines. “The hysteria and media firestorm over Abu Ghraib and the Pat Tillman investigations led to fear of a similar media reaction... NewsMax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992072/posts#comment Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:00:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1986551/posts Late last week, the Defense Department released an analysis of 600,000 documents captured in Iraq prepared by the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federally funded think tank. Here's the attention-grabbing sentence from the report's executive summary: "This study found no 'smoking gun' (i.e. direct connection) between Saddam's Iraq and al Qaeda." Relying on a leak of the executive summary, ABC News reported that the study was "the first official acknowledgment from the U.S. military that there is no evidence Saddam had ties to Al Qaeda." There followed a brief item in the Washington Post that ran under the headline "Study... Weekly Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1986551/posts#comment Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:25:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1929827/posts Duncan Hunter is a good man, a true patriot and a very conservative Republican, although not a small-government, new federalist one. He's still a much better choice than Rudy McRombee, hands down. I'm a Fred Thompson supporter, but I nevertheless like and admire Hunter. Oh sure, I have a few nits to pick with the man. His less than sterling attendance record in the U.S. House is one. His voting record on fiscal issues is another. Finally, his opposition to free trade is a non-starter for me, although those with a more populist bent will see it as a big... The Frederalist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1929827/posts#comment Sat, 24 Nov 2007 03:02:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1895132/posts Some Democrats have decided to try to transform the military draft into what the Social Security issue was 25 years ago. Time and time again since the late 1970s, Democratic candidates and campaign committees sought to win the votes of seniors by raising questions about whether Republicans would dismantle Social Security if they ever won control of Congress. The Democrats’ scare tactics on Social Security were not without basis. Republicans opposed the creation of Social Security, and for more than a decade, many conservative GOP candidates and high-profile officeholders, including former Rep. Newt Gingrich (Ga.), bashed the system and berated... The Rothenberg Political Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1895132/posts#comment Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:31:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1879505/posts Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday. "I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." "And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," Lute added in his first interview since he was... Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1879505/posts#comment Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:12:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1871142/posts AS the National Intelligence Estimate issued last week confirms, a terrorist haven has emerged in Pakistan’s tribal belt. And as recent revelations about an aborted 2005 operation in the region demonstrate, our Defense Department is chronically unable to conduct the sort of missions that would disrupt terrorist activity there and in similarly ungoverned places. These are perhaps the most important kind of counterterrorism missions. Because the Pentagon has shown that it cannot carry them out, the Central Intelligence Agency should be given the chance to perform them. The story of the scrubbed 2005 operation illustrates why the Pentagon is incapable... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1871142/posts#comment Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:25:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1853195/posts These are the "birth pangs" of a "new Middle East," said Condi Rice last summer, as Israel pounded Lebanon. Unfortunately, the new Middle East may make us all pray for the return of the old. Hamas is today engaged in savage street-fighting with Fatah for control of Gaza. If Hamas prevails, it could convert this Palestinian enclave into a terrorist base camp between Israel and Egypt. In northern Lebanon, Islamic jihadists are battling the army for control of a Palestinian refugee camp. Scores are dead. On Wednesday, a seventh parliamentarian was assassinated with his son in a Beirut car bomb... Human Events http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1853195/posts#comment Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:39:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809659/posts WASHINGTON, March 29 — Lapses in using a digital medical record system for tracking wounded soldiers have led to medical mistakes and delays in care, and have kept thousands of injured troops from getting benefits, according to former defense and military medical officials. The Defense Department’s inability to get all hospitals to use the system has routinely forced thousands of wounded soldiers to endure long waits for treatment, the officials said, and exposed others to needless testing. Several department officials said the problem may have played a role in the suicide of a soldier last year after he was taken... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809659/posts#comment Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:51:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806374/posts Defense Secretary Robert Gates cautioned on Thursday the Army would face problems without emergency funds but insisted U.S. forces could fight a third war despite being stretched in Iraq and Afghanistan. He painted a mixed picture of the impact Iraq has had on U.S. military readiness at a time when Congress is considering tying a Bush administration request for emergency war funding to a deadline for pulling troops out of the conflict. Gates had raised concerns about a demand by some Democrats to set a deadline. He declined on Thursday to say what Congress should do or to discuss a... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806374/posts#comment Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:31:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1758606/posts WASHINGTON -- The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of noncitizens in the ranks -- including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and putting more immigrants on a faster track to US citizenship if they volunteer -- according to Pentagon officials. Foreign citizens serving in the US military is a highly charged issue, which could expose the Pentagon to criticism that it is essentially using mercenaries to defend the country. Other analysts voice concern that a large contingent of noncitizens under arms could jeopardize national security or reflect badly on Americans' willingness... The Boston Globe http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1758606/posts#comment Tue, 26 Dec 2006 18:03:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1710165/posts by Mark Finkelstein September 28, 2006 - 15:37 With one of his inimitable montages, Rush Limbaugh documented today the way in which the MSM got hung up on a handshake - one that apparently didn't come off between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf during their recent White House visit. The media tea-leaf readers apparently imbue The Handshake That Didn't Happen with dire implications for the achievement of US goals in the region. Ironically, on the very same day, the MSM has yet to report on a major, positive development in the region that should bring... American Forces Information Service/NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1710165/posts#comment Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:07:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706113/posts WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — Strains on the Army from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have become so severe that Army officials say they may be forced to make greater use of the National Guard to provide enough troops for overseas deployments. Senior Army officers have discussed that analysis — and described the possible need to use more members of the National Guard — with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld’s senior adviser on personnel, David S. C. Chu, according to Pentagon officials. While no decision has been made to mobilize more Guard forces, and may not need to be before... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706113/posts#comment Fri, 22 Sep 2006 05:30:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1694629/posts WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — In the first full-scale test of the ballistic missile defense system in more than a year, an interceptor rocket launched from California on Friday shot down a target fired from Alaska that officials said in some respects resembled a warhead from a North Korean rocket. Pentagon officials said that the successful interception, which occurred in space over the Pacific Ocean, showed that the fledgling system, put in place in 2004 by the Bush administration before testing was complete, would have a good chance of stopping a ballistic missile fired at the United States in a limited... NY Times Terrorist Tip Sheet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1694629/posts#comment Sun, 3 Sep 2006 02:27:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687770/posts THREE years into the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, everyone from slicksleeved privates fighting for survival in Ramadi to the echelons above reality at the Pentagon still believes that eliminating insurgents will eliminate the insurgency. They are wrong. There is a difference between killing insurgents and fighting an insurgency. In three years, the Sunni insurgency has grown from nothing into a force that threatens our national objective of establishing and maintaining a free, independent and united Iraq. During that time, we have fought insurgents with airstrikes, artillery, the courage and tactical excellence of our forces, and new technology worth billions of... NY Times' Terrorist Tip Sheet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687770/posts#comment Tue, 22 Aug 2006 03:13:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1661573/posts The US military is relying ever more on space satellites to help wage combat in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, though analysts say that Washington's space supremacy could be threatened by rivals in the future. The Pentagon is using sophisticated satellites that orbit Earth in a bid to track down its enemies and keep a round-the-clock watch on unfriendly foes. The technological advantage can prove lethal, as witnessed by the recent air raid that killed the long-wanted Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "Space capabilities have revolutionized the way we fight today by providing our forces with battlefield situational... Sydney Morning Hearld http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1661573/posts#comment Fri, 7 Jul 2006 01:12:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1616818/posts WASHINGTON— Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld should resign, in part because "our policy in Iraq is just not working." "My view is the secretary should step aside," Richardson said at the outset of a 10-minute interview on "Face the Nation." Richardson, a Democrat who is viewed as a likely presidential contender in 2008, said the fact that six military generals have publicly called for Rumsfeld's resignation...is significant. "We should listen to what these generals are saying," Richardson said. "These are six distinguished military officers who were involved in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.... The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1616818/posts#comment Tue, 18 Apr 2006 01:46:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1601197/posts WASHINGTON, March 21 — An inquiry has found that an American public relations firm did not violate military policy by paying Iraqi news outlets to print positive articles, military officials said Tuesday. The finding leaves to the Defense Department the decision on whether new rules are needed to govern such activities. The inquiry, which has not yet been made public, was ordered by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the senior American commander in Iraq, after it was disclosed in November that the military had used the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations company, to plant articles written by American troops... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1601197/posts#comment Wed, 22 Mar 2006 21:44:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1598958/posts Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned." Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years. The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1598958/posts#comment Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:34:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1580309/posts Op-Ed Contributor(Guest) DESPITE claims to the contrary by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Army is facing a manpower crisis. The evidence can be found in two separate reports released last month — one commissioned by the Pentagon, the other by Congressional Democrats — and in this simple fact: last year the Army accepted its least qualified pool in a decade. The Army inducted both more recruits without high school diplomas and more youths scoring in the lowest category of the Army's aptitude test, so-called Category IV recruits. Welcoming more such recruits into the military has obvious appeal at a time... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1580309/posts#comment Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:54:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1556484/posts A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials. The ceramic plates in vests now worn by the majority of troops in Iraq cover only some of the chest and back. In at least 74 of the 93 fatal wounds... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1556484/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jan 2006 05:28:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1525902/posts WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 - The Pentagon's leadership, recognizing that it was caught off guard by difficulties in pacifying Iraq after the invasion, is poised to approve a sweeping directive that will elevate what it calls "stability operations" to a core military mission comparable to full-scale combat. The new order could significantly influence how the military is structured, as well as the specialties it emphasizes and the equipment it buys. The directive has been the subject of intense negotiations in the Pentagon policy office and throughout the military; the deliberations included the State Department and other civilian agencies, as the order... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1525902/posts#comment Mon, 21 Nov 2005 04:15:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1505540/posts Rep. Kirt Weldon is on Michael Savage's radio program, and he is implying Rumsfeld is the one blocking further investigation into Able Danger. Weldon is fuming; says he personally (in a committee hearing) asked Rumsfeld about the investigation being blocked. Rumsfeld replied that he would 'get back to Weldon with a response.' Weldon says he still has gotten nothing from Rumsfeld. Weldon to give a speech in a few moments this evening on the floor of the House. It should be aired on CSPAN this evening. CSPAN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1505540/posts#comment Wed, 19 Oct 2005 23:59:18 GMT