THE U.S. NUCLEAR ENTERPRISE: CAPABILITY AND CREDIBILITY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Kehler Lauds Capability, Credibility of Nuclear Enterprise
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 - Sweeping improvements across the U.S. nuclear enterprise since a 2007 incident have increased the focus on the nuclear mission and raised the bar in terms of standards and performance, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told reporters today.

"In general, I feel much more comfortable today with the level of attention," Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler said during a Defense Writers Group breakfast roundtable. "I am very confident in the capability and credibility of the forces. And I am very, very confident in our ability to continue our deterrence mission."

Kehler was deputy commander of Stratcom during the August 2007 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-equipped missiles were mistakenly transported nearly 1,500 miles on the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber.

Revelation of the incident -- defense officials emphasized at the time that the weapons were never unsecured and never at risk of detonating -- led to personnel dismissals, organizational changes and heightened performance requirements.

"A lot has changed in the last six to seven years," Kehler said. "A lot has changed organizationally, ... in terms of the intensity of the focus on the nuclear part of our mission, ... [and] in terms of the assessment and evaluation that we put on the units that are involved in all of this.

"And as we say, perfection is really the standard when we talk about nuclear weapons," he said.

Among the changes was the Air Force's standup of Global Strike Command, with a singular focus on the nuclear mission and the standards applied to those involved, he said. The Navy underwent its own top-to-bottom review of its nuclear operations and activities.

The increased focus on nuclear-related units and activities has paid off in better performance levels, Kehler reported.

The general recalled his own experience with these "hard looks" during his earlier years within the nuclear force. "These are not easy evaluations to pass," he said. "And they have gotten harder."

Stratcom's nuclear deterrence mission remains critical to the United States, Kehler noted, injected with a renewed focus and sense of urgency by the president's 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and the national defense strategy.

"We recognize the Cold War has been over for 20 years," he said, but he noted President Barack Obama's pledge to maintain a "credible deterrent force" for both the United States and its allies and partners.

That deterrent is based on the triad of ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable heavy bombers and the associated aerial tankers, and the assured warning and command-and-control system that interconnects them.

Kehler called modernization of the nuclear enterprise "essential."

"We find ourselves in the position today where most of the platforms and virtually all of the weapons are well over 20 years old, and, in some cases, substantially over 20 years old," he said.

"Life extensions are due on the weapons, [and] modernization is due on the platforms ... and the nuclear command-and control system," said Kehler, noting that some of these efforts already have been deferred for almost 10 years.

Asked about morale within the nuclear force, Kehler said it's generally good. "It is not an easy job," he added, noting the intellectual intensity of the nuclear mission.
Kehler visited the Global Strike Command headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., earlier this month, to emphasize the importance of that mission to the men and women charged with carrying it out every day.

"The skills that we have for the nuclear-deterrence mission will be needed as far into the future as I can see," he said. "As long as we have nuclear weapons, it's our job to deter nuclear attack with a safe, secure and effective force. That's what we're here for."

U.S. GSA'S "GREAT IDEAS HUNT" SAVES $5.53 MILLION

FROM: U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRAION
GSA Implements Cost Saving Ideas, Saves Over $5 Million
　
Input gathered from agency employees saves millions

August 22, 2012

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced plans to implement five cost savings ideas that will save the agency an estimated $5.53 million. As part of its ongoing top- to-bottom review, GSA launched The Great Ideas Hunt asking its employees to share their best ideas on how to improve the performance and efficiency of the agency.

"When we began our Top-to-Bottom review of the entire agency, we wanted to look for ways to engage employees in a meaningful way about how to improve the agency and make it more efficient," said Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini. "The Great Ideas Hunt originated from there, and I am impressed with the quality of responses received from GSA employees across the country."

To date, GSA received a total of 632 ideas submitted via the web from employees across the country. GSA staff then voted for their favorite submissions, registering close to twenty thousand votes online. The agency is now taking action on five of the most popular ideas, which are currently being implemented.

These include:

-Reduce Subscriptions: A GSA employee highlighted the fact that GSA can save money by
reducing the number of newspaper and magazine subscriptions and choosing online versions
when possible. By doing this the GSA can save up to $630,000 agency-wide.

-Eliminate Redundant Survey: Three suggestions were submitted urging the agency to retire
a costly and redundant employee survey. It turns out that the survey costs $1 million annually
and virtually all of its questions are addressed in the Office of Personnel Management Employee
Viewpoint Survey, which is free. GSA has now stopped its use of the survey.

-Create Web-based Surveys: Four GSA employees submitted an idea to replace the paper-
based Public Buildings Service (PBS) Tenant Satisfaction Survey with a web-based solution
instead. PBS is making this change immediately, which will save about $1.2 million annually.

-Expand PrintWise policy: Two entries noted that setting the default printing settings to ‘double-
sided’ will save money on paper and reduce GSA’s impact on the environment. As a result, GSA
will roll out this policy agency-wide, and could realize a savings of $2.7 million.

-Implement External Great Ideas: GSA received so many helpful ideas through this campaign
internally, that three employees suggested the agency create an external website to allow federal
partners and vendors to share ideas and feedback on how GSA can better manage our offerings.

The Great Ideas Hunt began May 31 and ended July 6. In addition to these five ideas, the agency is reviewing and researching 40 other ideas submitted through the program, and expects to implement them on a rolling basis.