Pentagon juggles transparency, obfuscation in COVID-19 age

The Pentagon maintains it is being as transparent as possible about the outbreak

As the coronavirus spreads through the ranks of the Defense Department, one major challenge that has emerged for the Pentagon is how much information to divulge about the health of the troops.

The Pentagon maintains it is being as transparent as possible about the outbreak, and provides daily updates on total cases across the department. It draws the line, however, at providing specific figures at the unit, installation or even the large combatant command level, citing the need for “operational security” — Pentagon speak for not letting the enemy know your plans or weak points.

But operational security is invoked so often by defense officials that it has become nearly impossible for the public to judge its validity. Continue reading.

Trump Gives Defense Department Power To Abolish Bargaining For Civilian Unions

The president declared in a memo that gutting the unions would bring “maximum flexibility.”

President Donald Trump has officially granted the Department of Defense the legal authority to abolish the collective bargaining rights of its civilian labor unions representing some 750,000 workers.

Gutting the unions would provide “maximum flexibility,” Trump wrote in a memo published Thursday in the Federal Register, which was first reported by Government Executive.

Trump signed the memo three weeks ago, invoking “national security” to justify granting the Defense Department an exemption from the law giving all federal workers the right to unionize. Continue reading.

Pentagon official cited alarm over hold on aid to Ukraine

The Hill logoA top career Defense Department official described to House impeachment investigators her dismay over the summer’s delay of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, painting a portrait of a Pentagon doing battle with the White House over the release of funding deemed “vital” to national security.

Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Laura Cooper, who testified late last month, said that she took part in her agency’s review of Ukraine’s progress in combating corruption, in which officials concluded that “sufficient progress has been made.”

Despite this assessment, top officials in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), guided by President Trump, felt otherwise.

View the complete November 11 article by Olivia Beavers and Mike Lillis on The Hill website here.

Trump urged to quickly fill Pentagon post amid Iran tensions

The Hill logoRepublicans are urging President Trump to quickly send them his pick to lead the Pentagon after acting Defense chief Patrick Shanahan yanked his name from consideration this week.

Trump signaled late Friday he intends to nominate Army Secretary Mark Esper to permanently fill the role. But Esper, who is set to take over as acting Defense head on Monday, will still need his nomination formally submitted to the Senate.
Lawmakers argue that growing tensions with Iran and looming funding negotiations — where lawmakers will need to agree to raise the caps on defense spending — require Trump to move quickly to get a Senate-confirmed official in place at the Pentagon.

View the complete June 22 article by Jordain Carney on The Hill website here.

Mattis resigns, says views aren’t in line with Trump’s

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced Thursday he would resign at the end of February, sending a note to President Trump saying he deserved a secretary “whose views are better aligned with yours.”

The announcement came a day after the White House said the U.S. would be withdrawing its troops from Syria, as well as reports it was also considering a drawdown in Afghanistan. Both moves have been met with opposition by Pentagon officials and members of the foreign policy establishment.

In a striking resignation letter to Trump notable as much for what it did not say as what was included, Mattis signaled his concern with the way Trump treated allies in NATO as well as rivals such as China and Russia.

View the complete December 20 article by Rebecca Kheel on The Hill website here.