Fed Gov Today

Military readiness depends on the energy that powers the force and the speed at which useful technology reaches service members. Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, & Environment at DoW, says those priorities belong in one connected effort that begins with the warfighter.

In his conversation with Francis Rose at the Energy Sentry Expo, Marks explains that installations are essential to preparing and deploying combat capability. Their energy requirements are directly connected to operations, weapons platforms, and the people who depend on them. Treating installation energy and operational energy separately can obscure those relationships.

The Pentagon is exploring new operational energy technologies designed to improve military readiness, and Maj. Justin Shine says innovation only matters when it makes warfighters more effective.

Shine, Military Deputy in the Pentagon's Office of Operational Energy Innovation, joins Fed Gov Today to explain how his organization identifies, tests, and develops technologies for military operations.

Shine says the office evaluates innovations based on whether they improve survivability, operational endurance, or mission effectiveness.

The development process varies depending on the technology's maturity. Early-stage projects can require approximately three years of scientific and engineering work, while more developed prototypes may move through one to two years of additional testing.

Warfighter feedback plays a central role throughout that process.

Shine explains how service members from different military branches evaluate technologies based on their operational needs, providing feedback on everything from weight and size to usability and performance.

Federal agencies are investing in new technologies to improve customer experience, but Evan Davis says the greatest opportunity may come from changing when government provides assistance.

Instead of waiting for people to encounter problems or ask questions, agencies could use data to anticipate their needs.

Davis, Executive Managing Director at Maximus, joins Fed Gov Today to explain how data can help federal organizations modernize services and move toward a more proactive customer experience.

He says both government and the private sector are navigating major changes in how they serve customers.

For federal agencies, those changes create an opportunity to consolidate services and make interactions with government more efficient.

Davis describes that evolution through three stages: reactive, interactive, and proactive care.

The federal government is taking another step toward making services easier for Americans to access through America.gov, and Mary Bati says collaboration is essential to making that vision a reality.

Bati, Chief Information Officer at the National Design Studio, joins Fed Gov Today to discuss the platform's September 29 launch and the work underway to expand its capabilities.

Bati says the General Services Administration plays a critical role in supporting America.gov's infrastructure, while federal agencies are increasingly engaging with the National Design Studio to explore how their services can become part of the platform.

The Pentagon is seeing growing demand for advanced nuclear technologies, and Mike Smith, Nuclear Portfolio Lead for Operational Energy Innovation at the Pentagon, says the conversation around nuclear power looks dramatically different than it did just two years ago.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Smith discusses how military interest in nuclear microreactors is creating new opportunities for research, development and investment.

As military leaders look for ways to accelerate modernization, Autumn Sand, Managing Director and Defense Portfolio Lead at Accenture Federal Services, says commercial innovation can help the armed forces deliver capabilities at the speed their missions demand.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Sand explains how the commercial sector's experience with competition, emerging technologies and rapid decision-making can support military readiness.

The Navy is accelerating its efforts to use artificial intelligence and data across the fleet, but Barry Tanner, Chief Information Officer at the Navy, says the real measure of success is how quickly the service can turn information into action.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Tanner discusses the Navy's strategy to weaponize data and artificial intelligence, a plan focused on helping sailors and Marines learn, adapt and respond faster than their adversaries.

The nature of criminal investigations is changing dramatically. Where investigators once rely primarily on witness interviews, photographs and traditional evidence collection, today's cases involve enormous volumes of digital information that demand new tools, specialized expertise and faster analysis.

For Joshua Flowers, Executive Assistant Director of Operational Technology and Cyber Innovation at NCIS, this transformation represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

The U.S. Navy wants to build more ships, deliver them faster and strengthen its industrial base. But achieving those goals requires more than new contracts and construction strategies. It demands a fundamental change in how the service plans, designs and executes its shipbuilding programs.

Shelby Oakley, director of contracting and national security acquisitions at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), says the Navy is taking a closer look at its longstanding acquisition practices after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Oakley examines the Navy’s evolving shipbuilding strategy, the risks associated with accelerating production and the importance of building ships that deliver meaningful capabilities to sailors.

Richard Breakiron, Senior Strategist for Programs and Cybersecurity for the Federal Sector at Commvault, says strong cyber hygiene, data management and workforce readiness remain essential as organizations introduce increasingly powerful AI capabilities.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Breakiron reflects on conversations at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit, where military and industry leaders discuss how emerging technologies are changing cybersecurity.

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The Thrift Savings Plan is updating its digital experience to make it easier for participants and beneficiaries to find information and manage their accounts. Jim Kaplan, director of external affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, explains how participant feedback and usage data are shaping a redesigned TSP.gov, virtual assistant Ava and the new Life Events Hub. Kaplan also discusses how the hub brings greater transparency to beneficiary processes and what participants should consider as the calendar year winds down. Plus, he explains why FRTIB has spent less than 90% of its budget for five consecutive years.

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GAO’s Alex Winograd joins Fed Gov Today to examine the Army’s push to modernize battlefield communications through C2 Fix and Next Generation Command and Control. Winograd explains how the Army is using an iterative acquisition approach that incorporates soldier feedback and adapts to changing technology and battlefield conditions. But GAO sees challenges ahead, particularly around long-term costs and scheduling. NGC2 cost approximately $3 billion in the most recent fiscal year, and the Army plans to field the technology across 11 divisions and four corps by the end of fiscal 2032. Winograd explains why better planning will be critical.

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Federal agencies are rapidly expanding their use of artificial intelligence, but legacy infrastructure, acquisition processes and workforce challenges can complicate adoption. Former FBI CIO Gordon Bitko, now executive vice president for public sector at the Information Technology Industry Council, explains why agencies should focus on practical AI use cases instead of waiting for complete modernization. He discusses using AI to better understand government data, rethinking business processes, moving successful pilots to scale and preparing for unexpected resource demands. Bitko also explains why data integration and workforce readiness are critical measures of progress as agencies layer new AI capabilities onto legacy systems.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at http://fedgovtoday.com/

The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at http://fedgovtoday.com/

Former federal executive Robert Shea joins Fed Gov Today to examine how agencies are changing their approach to fraud prevention. Shea says government has made progress recognizing the scale of the problem, but gaps in identity verification and payment controls remain. He discusses how tools like Do Not Pay, Login.gov and private-sector data verification can help agencies determine eligibility faster without making benefits harder to access. Shea also explores the role of artificial intelligence in analyzing data, the risks of relying too heavily on AI and how agencies should measure whether their fraud-prevention efforts are actually working.

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Former Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan (Ret.) joins Fed Gov Today ahead of a House Select Committee on China hearing focused on the U.S.-China AI competition. Shanahan explains why rapidly advancing frontier AI models are creating new risks and why sustained dialogue between Washington and Beijing could help manage them. He discusses the need for stronger testing, red teaming and independent verification as AI moves into military environments. Shanahan also pushes back on the idea that regulation automatically stifles innovation, pointing to aviation as a model for balancing safety, oversight and technological progress.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at http://fedgovtoday.com/

The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at http://fedgovtoday.com/

Arnold Punaro argues the Pentagon can learn from the landmark Goldwater-Nichols reforms as it tackles acquisition and management challenges. The retired Marine Corps major general and CEO of The Punaro Group explains why the 1986 reforms successfully reshaped military operations, while parts of the Pentagon’s management structure remain unfinished. Punaro discusses Congress’s role in making reforms permanent, changing incentives across the acquisition workforce and driving cultural change inside the department. He also examines what recent military operations reveal about emerging technology, unmanned systems and why people will remain essential to the future of warfare.

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GAO is taking a closer look at billions of dollars in savings claimed by the Department of Homeland Security following hundreds of contract terminations. Chris Currie, Director of Emergency Management and National Preparedness Issues at the Government Accountability Office, explains why canceling a contract does not automatically translate into savings. DHS reported $10.7 billion in savings after terminating or partially terminating 438 contracts, but GAO found the department had actually deobligated about $92 million. Currie breaks down how contract savings should be calculated, why IT services often shift to other contract vehicles, and what GAO will examine next.

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