Posts Tagged ‘secretary of defense’

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, last week was named one of nine winners of the 2013 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for its efforts to conserve energy and cut its greenhouse gas emissions. The 673rd Air Base Wing at JBER worked with local municipalities and utility providers to convert landfill gas into usable energy for a project estimated to generate more than 56,000 megawatt hours, or 26 percent, of the installation’s electrical load. The plant reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 13,944 tons of methane and is expected to save $73.6 million over the project’s lifecycle …

In his first major policy speech since taking office, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday warned of the need for making fundamental changes in overhead, personnel and acquisition costs as the Pentagon faces the prospect of cutting up to $1 trillion in projected spending over the coming decade. “This effort will by necessity consider big choices that could lead to fundamental change and a further prioritization of the use of our resources …

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday directed senior leaders to reconsider the strategic guidance that the Pentagon developed last year to determine if it needs to be adjusted following the arrival of sequestration. President Obama unveiled the strategy in January 2012 that had been crafted to accommodate $487 billion in spending reductions over the following decade. But now that DOD faces the prospect of absorbing an additional $500 billion in cuts through fiscal 2021 …

The new defense secretary should undertake “a new and comprehensive review of all aspects of Pentagon strategy, capabilities, and budget in order to create a new long term defense posture,” according to a letter to Chuck Hagel from five former deputy defense secretaries. The letter — from John Deutch, John White, John Hamre, Rudy de Leon and William Lynn III — comes as “the Pentagon now faces crippling uncertainty about its future financial resources to support force structure, readiness and training operations, and for critical modernization programs,” and calls for DOD to engage Congress on possible future defense budget reductions …

With Chuck Hagel sworn in as the new defense secretary, the Obama administration is expected to start nominating candidates to fill up to two service secretary posts and several vacancies within the office of the secretary of defense. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, who has served since late in the George W. Bush administration, is expected to step down this spring …

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) will be sworn in today as the new secretary of defense after concluding a protracted confirmation battle Tuesday that included a Senate filibuster. The Senate confirmed Hagel 58 to 41, with four Republicans joining 52 Democrats and two independents voting in favor of Hagel, who becomes the first former enlisted man and the first Vietnam veteran to serve as defense secretary …

Senate Republicans succeeded in postponing a final up-or-down vote on former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) to become the next defense secretary when they defeated Democrats’ effort Thursday to end debate on his nomination. Four Republicans joined the Democrats to support Hagel’s nomination, but the majority party still was unable to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to approve cloture and end the apparent filibuster …

The threat of a filibuster over the vote to confirm former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) as the next defense secretary forced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to schedule a cloture vote to end debate on Friday. Hagel will need the votes of the 55 senators caucusing with the Democrats and five Republicans to overcome the threatened filibuster. If 60 senators vote to end debate, a final vote on the candidate likely would wait until the Senate returns from the Presidents Day recess …

A Senate vote to confirm former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary could come before the end of the week, following Tuesday’s party-line decision by the Senate Armed Services Committee to advance the candidate’s nomination. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier said he plans to schedule a vote on the floor today or Thursday, but a decision by the chorus of Republicans who oppose Hagel’s nomination to filibuster it would slow the process down …

During a farewell tribute at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall on Friday, President Obama and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lauded Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for his nearly 50-year career in public service. Obama applauded Panetta’s numerous accomplishments at both the Pentagon and CIA, from the high-profile success of hunting down Osama bin Laden, to other achievements, such as improving support for wounded warriors, military families and veterans and carrying out the final repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy …