The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The Army is realigning its missile defense forces to prioritize homeland protection, placing two key commands under Space and Missile Defense Command. I spoke with Lieutenant General Sean Gainey, commander of Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, at this year's AUSA conference to understand how this shift fits into a broader strategy that includes space operations, a new MOS, and lessons from today’s global conflicts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The SBIR program channels federal R&D funding to small businesses with high-risk, high-reward technologies, fueling innovation in areas like defense, health, and energy. Some groups want to pair that reauthorization with reforms to improve oversight and commercialization. Here with one set of proposals is Eric Blatt, Executive Director of the Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government and a partner at Scale LLP.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Acquisition System as you know it, is dead. That's according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who promised to completely change how the Pentagon does business. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is here with more of the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration scrapped this year's Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. That's the government's signature assessment of trends in the federal workforce. But in the absence of FEVS, a new opportunity has emerged for federal employees to make their voices heard. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from experts at the Partnership for Public Service, which has just launched its first ever public service Viewpoint Survey. Michelle LaMonte is Senior Vice President of government programs, and Max Steyer is the partnership's president and CEO. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shutdowns are prompting a major mindset shift among federal workers, with many turning to side hustles for financial relief and some planning to stick with them long-term. But federal employment rules around outside work are strict, and missteps can carry serious consequences. Here to explain what’s driving the change and what workers need to know before picking up a second job is Novo Constare, CEO of Indeed Flex.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out a plan last week to overhaul weapons acquisition in his “Arsenal of Freedom” speech to industry leaders. Each service branch has two months to propose changes aimed at speeding development. For insight into what this means for contractors, we turn to Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Council.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Shutdowns are driving federal workers to pick up side hustles The Army is racing to modernize its industrial base to stay ready for tomorrow’s fight The Pentagon wants faster weapons and it's giving industry just 60 days to help make it happenSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From printed circuit boards to drone assembly, the Army’s organic industrial base is evolving to meet future combat needs. Colonels Brett Ayvazian and James Crocker from Army Materiel Command say modernization is underway, but aging infrastructure and supply chain fragility remain key challenges. They joined me at AUSA's annual conference to discuss the situation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Increased access to fertility treatment has been brought to the forefront, with even the White House now announcing that it has conducted negotiations to bring the price of IVF down. However, there's a segment of the population that may need even more help getting the care they need, military families. We're now joined by Dr. Michael Wittenberger, a reproductive endocrinologist and Navy veteran with a lot of experience in treating veterans and military families. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employee unions are suing the Trump administration for including a new essay question on most job applications. One of the questions asks candidates how they plan to advance the Trump administration's priorities. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit say that amounts to a loyalty test for the nonpartisan civil service Federal News Network's Jory Heckman is here with more details. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.