Two new posts

Over at ARES:

Armed Services Committee Vs. Contractors: 

There's another little tidbit in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2009 defense authorization bill that will surely stir up debate. The Committee included two provisions in the bill related to civilian contractors working for the military. According to the Army Times, the provisions are:

One, effective when the bill is signed, would prohibit contract employees from performing “inherently governmental” security operations, including situations involving combat or extremely hazardous duties. The second would prohibit contract employees from conducting interrogations of detainees during or after hostilities.

Good luck getting those two past the House version of the bill and the White House...

 

FCS Lives to Fight Another Day : 

It’s nothing to get too excited about—indeed, the real fight is yet to come—but the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday finished up its work on the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill, and as part of the package, gave the green light to the Army's $3.9 billion request for the Future Combat Systems program.