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Department of Defense

Conversion from the National Security Personnel System to Other Pay Schedules: Issues for Congress

Posted Thu, 07/15/2010 - 00:00

Most federal employees (59.1%) are paid on the General Schedule (GS), a pay scale that consists of 15 pay grades in which an employee's pay increases are to be based on performance and length of service. Some Members of Congress, citizens, and public administration scholars have argued that federal employee pay advancement should be more closely linked to job performance than it currently is on the GS.

FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Court Cases Amy Belasco, Coordinator Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget Daniel H. Else Specialist in National Defense Bruce R. Lindsay Analyst in Emergency Management Policy Rh

Posted Fri, 06/11/2010 - 00:00

The Administration requested $63.4 billion in FY2010 supplemental appropriations: • $5.1 billion to replenish the U.S. Disaster Relief Fund administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); • $33 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) primarily for deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan; • $4.5 billion in war-related foreign aid to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan; • $2.8 billion for Haiti reconstruction and foreign aid in the wake of the earthquake; • $243 million for activities related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress

Posted Wed, 04/28/2010 - 00:00

This report examines Department of Defense (DOD) logistical support contracts for troop support services in Iraq and Afghanistan administered through the U.S. Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP), as well as legislative initiatives which may impact the oversight and management of logistical support contracts for the delivery of troop support services. LOGCAP is an initiative designed to manage the use of civilian contractors that perform services during times of war and other military mobilizations.

TRICARE and VA Health Care: Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

Posted Wed, 04/28/2010 - 00:00

The 111th Congress recently passed, and the President signed into law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148; PPACA), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152; HCERA). In general, PPACA did not make any significant changes to the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program or to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.

Veterans Benefits: Federal Employment Assistance

Posted Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:00

There are federal employment and training programs and policies specifically targeted to help veterans seeking employment in the civilian economy. Transition assistance programs are operated by the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Labor (DOL) to assist servicemembers as they prepare to leave the military. DOL operates grant programs to states to provide outreach and assistance to veterans in finding civilian employment.

Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance

Posted Fri, 03/05/2010 - 00:00

The U.S. program of assistance to Afghanistan is intended to stabilize and strengthen the Afghan economic, social, political, and security environment so as to blunt popular support for extremist forces in the region. Since 2001, about $47 billion has been appropriated toward this effort. More than half of U.S. assistance--roughly 57%--has gone to the training and equipping of Afghan forces. The remainder has gone to development and humanitarian-related activities from infrastructure to private sector support, governance and democratization efforts, and counter- narcotics programs. Key U.S.

Department of Defense Food Procurement: Background and Status

Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 00:00

Military food items, also known as subsistence items, are generally procured under the auspices of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the Department of Defense (DOD) which provides worldwide logistics support for the U.S. military services. Under DLA, the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) is the inventory control point for food, clothing, textiles, medicines, medical equipment, general and industrial supplies and services for the military, their eligible dependents, and other non-DOD customers worldwide.

Security Assistance Reform: "Section 1206" Background and Issues for Congress

Posted Thu, 02/18/2010 - 01:00

Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2006 provides the Secretary of Defense with authority to train and equip foreign military and foreign maritime security forces. The Department of Defense (DOD) values this authority as an important tool to train and equip military partners. Funds may be obligated only with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. Thus far, the Department of Defense (DOD) has used Section 1206 authority primarily to provide counterterrorism support.

Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2010

Posted Wed, 02/17/2010 - 01:00

The passage of the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization and appropriations bills through Congress often does not follow the course laid out in textbooks on legislative procedure. Tracking DOD authorization or appropriation bills can often be confusing and time-consuming; this has been particularly true in recent years, when continuing resolutions (CRs) containing the DOD and other appropriation bills have been passed in lieu of the 12 regular appropriations bills for the entire U.S. government.

Department of Defense "Section 1207" Security and Stabilization Assistance: Background and Congressional Concerns

Posted Thu, 02/04/2010 - 00:00

Section 1207 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2006 (P.L. 109-163) provides authority for the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer to the State Department up to $100 million per fiscal year in defense articles, services, training or other support for reconstruction, stabilization, and security activities in foreign countries. It expires at the end of FY2010.