Defense Communities 360 Headlines

A dispute over an amendment offered by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has pushed back Senate consideration of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill again, but debate on the annual policy legislation could begin later this week. The latest delay stems from a disagreement between Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Paul over the amendment that would guarantee a jury trial for Americans detained in terrorism cases. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, on Monday told CQ that Graham’s concerns would be addressed shortly, which should allow the bill to go to the chamber floor by Wednesday. If the Senate begins debating the authorization bill then, a final vote could take place next Monday. Now McCain and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Armed Services chairman, are screening proposed amendments in an attempt to limit the floor debate to three days.

The Army Corps of Engineers has finished cleaning up contaminated soil at the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant outside of Omaha, leaving remediation of polluted groundwater as the one remaining task. The corps began a preliminary investigation in 1991 of contaminated soil and groundwater at the 17,250-acre plant, which produced bombs and other munitions during World War II and the Korean War. The work left dirt and groundwater contaminated with explosive compounds and toxic solvents. About 8,650 acres are owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; some of the site is used by the Nebraska National Guard and Army Reserves, and some is owned privately, reported the Lincoln Journal Star. Groundwater contamination is extensive and cleaning it up is expected to continue for the next 120 years. The corps is treating four plumes, each two or three miles long and 200 feet to half-a-mile wide.

A new Army campaign aims to answer some of the most pressing concerns employers have when considering hiring a military veteran, including the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury on job performance. Other questions hiring companies have are the cost of accommodating veterans suffering from PTSD or other mental health issues, and how military skills translate to civilian jobs …

Defense community leaders are hopeful Congress will act on sequestration, defense authorization and related spending bills in the remaining weeks of the 112th Congress, ADC President Bob Murdock wrote to congressional leaders. “Among the most immediate concerns is the need to reverse sequestration,” Murdock writes in Nov. 16 letters to Defense Communities Caucus co-chairs, House and Senate leaders, and key committee members. “Our communities would be among the first impacted by drastic defense spending cuts if implemented in January 2013 …

The FAA has indefinitely shelved a competition to select six test sites to assess whether unmanned aerial vehicles can be integrated into manned airspace, a prize a number of defense communities plan to pursue. The agency was to have named the six sites by next month, but previously missed a July deadline for requesting applications. Now the FAA is saying it needs to delay the competition because it needs to first address privacy concerns raised by the use of drone aircraft …

A former senior defense official is betting that the lame-duck Congress will be unsuccessful in blocking $54 billion in fiscal 2013 defense cuts from starting to take effect in January, but at the same time believes lawmakers will have several months to act before the full effects of the deep spending reductions are felt. Perhaps the biggest challenge for lawmakers during the lame-duck session is the clock, said David Berteau …

The military began to form its first operational squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets on Tuesday at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., when officials redesignated a Hornet F/A-18 squadron as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121. The squadron has received two F-35Bs — the Marine Corps variant designed to take off on short runways and land like a helicopter — and 14 more are scheduled to arrive over the next year …

A pilot program started last month will help service members gain civilian professional credentials in five occupational areas — aircraft mechanic, automotive mechanic, health care, supply and logistics, and truck driver — that cover 17 military specialties. During the pilot, officials will assess whether existing military training is sufficient to qualify personnel for civilian credentials …

The commonwealth of Massachusetts is providing $2.5 million in infrastructure grants to upgrade the main road leading to the Army Natick Soldier Systems Center outside of Boston, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray announced this week. The award stems from the work of the state Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force that the governor created in February to support Massachusetts’ six military installations …

Discussions among congressional and White House staffers over how to craft an agreement to prevent massive tax hikes and spending cuts from going into effect next year remain divided over the timing and magnitude of potential approaches. Staff from the two parties generally agree on a two-step process to avert the fiscal cliff, but differ on how much can be accomplished during the lame-duck session. Democrats prefer striking a deal during the lame-duck session on a deficit reduction down payment of up to $1.6 trillion over 10 years …