Federal Daily - January 28, 2008
Army, Air Force Discuss Interoperability at ‘Warfighter Talks’
Top Army and Air Force officials on Jan. 23 met for a new round of interoperability discussions to
figure out ways the military services can work together to achieve common goals. Army Chief of Staff
Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and other officials convened
at Bolling Air Force Base for “Warfighter Talks” aimed at strengthening partnership between
the services and improving service-to-service interoperability. Similar discussions date back to 1965,
the Army said in a statement. The two chiefs of staff signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) outlining
each service’s commitment to provide direct support liaisons at multiple levels of command. Through
the MOA, the two services will develop a process to identify and address equipment interoperability
issues and will seek opportunities to jointly develop doctrine, tactics and procedures through the
exchange of personnel between service schools. The agreement also governs Army and Air Force liaison
duties during home station training, joint training and deployed operations. Casey held similar talks
earlier in this month with Marine Corps officials. To see more, go to: www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/01/24/7118-army-and-air-force-discuss-interoperability.
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Labor Unions Question EPA Chief’s Credibility
Four labor unions representing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists, lawyers and other
specialists expressed dismay at EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson’s lack of “credibility” in
explaining a decision to block California from imposing limits on tailpipe emissions of greenhouse
gases. In a Jan. 24 letter to Johnson, the unions said the decision is “perceived by many as
having been politically motivated,” and “has cast a negative light on our agency,” according
to documents released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). “To some degree,
your actions have placed our members in a negative light through guilt by association,” said
the letter, which was signed by representatives of the American Federation of Government Employees,
the Engineers and Scientists of California, the National Association of Government Employees and the
National Treasury Employees Union. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee, has demanded documents relating to Johnson’s decision last month.
The committee is looking into allegations that Johnson overrode the recommendations of agency technical
and legal staff. To see more, go to: www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=978.
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Senate Panel Examines Agriculture Nominee
A Senate panel Jan. on 24 reviewed President Bush’s choice for agriculture secretary, urging
the nominee, former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer (R), to help push through a $286 billion bill farm
bill that has been stalled in talks with the White House. With little opposition to his nomination,
it appears that Schafer is on the fast track to winning Senate confirmation. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa,
chairman of the Agriculture Committee, promised to try to move the nomination quickly out of committee.
The post has been unfilled since Secretary Mike Johanns resigned last fall to run for the Senate seat
being vacated by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. Talks over the farm bill have stalled because the White House
objects to the way the bill is funded and says it does not do enough to limit payments to wealthy farmers.
Harkins said he was encouraged by Shafer’s track record. “Your experience as governor of
North Dakota should serve you well as Secretary of Agriculture,” Harkin said. To see more, go
to: http://agriculture.senate.gov.
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