Military
Agency’s spy satellite technology loses relevance
Michael Fabey of the DefenseNews looks into the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office’s fading imaging- and signals-intelligence program that reportedly has an annual budget of about $7 billion. “A satellite communications technology called spot beaming might help the NRO regain some of its fading signals-intelligence relevance, but imagery’s place as an intel centerpiece may have gone…
Read MoreContractors are invisible casualties in Iraq
Alejandra Fernandez-Morera of the Scripps Howard News Service found there are significant invisible casualties of the Iraqi occupation. Almost 505 civilian contractors have died in Iraq since the beginning of the war. “Another 4,744 contractors have been injured, according to insurance claims by 209 companies on file at the Department of Labor.” The investigation found…
Read MoreMichael Fabey of Defense News analyzed 3 million contract and modification records from 2000 through 2004 to show that U.S. agencies made more than 2,100 deals worth $1.2 billion for satellite telecommunications and related work. “U.S. federal agencies issued about 35,000 contracts and related modifications for general space-related work, worth about $40.2 billion, the analysis…
Read MoreMalpractice cases raise questions about hospital’s care
Rob Perez of The Honolulu Advertiser investigated the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii to show that a number of families are seeking compensation for what they allege was substandard care, in a series that looks at medical malpractice at Tripler. “The cases have generated questions about the overall quality of care provided at the…
Read MoreVehicle planned for Marines said to be ‘dangerous’
Joseph Neff of The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer reports that a vehicle the Marines plan to use for transport of troops and mortars may be inadequate. The vehicles, called Growlers, look “a lot like a Vietnam-era jeep. But this model, a modified dune buggy, costs $127,000 each and doesn’t have armor. Some experts worry…
Read MoreKillers buried among military heroes
Richard Lardner and Doug Stanley of The Tampa Tribune report at least 50 veterans who committed homicides in civilian life are interred at Florida National Cemetery, “the final resting place for tens of thousands of military veterans,” according to the paper’s analysis of cemetery and prison records. The paper reports Congress is expected to pass…
Read MoreItalian news channel reports U.S. used chemical weapons
RAI 24 News, a news channel in Italy, reports that the United States used white phosphorus as a chemical weapon in the November 2004 attack on Fallujah. The Christian Science Monitor writes about the piece, including information and links from other news sources. RAI’s Web site includes a statement from the U.S. Embassy that, in…
Read MoreDespite donations, charities spend little on vets
Matthew Kauffman of The Hartford Courant conducted a computer-assisted analysis of federal financial records for nearly 300 veterans’ charities across the country to show that veterans’ charities, whose donations have increased since the start of the Iraqi War, lag well behind other charities when it comes to the percentage of money that goes directly to…
Read MoreDecades of dumping of weapons pose threat
John M.R. Bull of the Daily Press examined Army records to show that the previously classified weapons-dumping program was far more extensive than ever suspected and that chemical weapons that the Army dumped at sea decades ago are ending up on shore in the United States. The Army now admits that it secretly dumped 64…
Read MorePentagon program results in inflated prices
Lauren Markoe and Seth Borenstein of Knight Ridder Newspapers conducted a computer database analysis to show that a Defense Department purchasing program called prime vendor is costing taxpayers 20 percent more than the previous system. " Run by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the program is based on a military procurement strategy to speed delivery…
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