Defense act gives government contractors clearer picture - John Rogers, CEO of Capstone National Partners, says contractors will see government spending continue to decline.

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OSHKOSH - A modification to a contract will mean tens of millions of dollars for Oshkosh Corporation. The company announced Monday it will build an additional 545 medium tactical vehicles and 79 trailers for the U.S. Army.In all, the order is worth almost $105 million.  CLICK HERE to read more

New military spending deal includes help for small business contractors .  By J.D. Harrison, Published: December 20 E-mail the writer  - Two small-business contracting bills crafted by the House Small Business Committee found their way into the final military spending agreement for 2014.  In unusually speedy fashion, Congress this week approved both a new federal budget and a military spending bill, both of which provide a sense of clarity to small business owners, particularly those who sell goods and services to the federal government.  CLICK here for the Washington Post story

Wisconsin National Guard unveils new unmanned aircraft facility -December 16, 2013 -By Vaughn R. Larson -Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs

VOLK FIELD, Wis. - Leaders from the Wisconsin Army National Guard and Wisconsin Air National Guard, along with political representatives and community leaders, were on hand Dec. 6 for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for a tactical unmanned aerial system (TUAS) facility. 

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USS Milwaukee to be christened in Marinette -Navy's littoral ship program goes full speed ahead despite questions about performance, capability -By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

"There's a place for these ships ... just look at world events," said John Rogers, a former high-ranking Department of Defense official and now president of Capstone National Partners, a Milwaukee-based consulting firm. "We are no longer building fleets, for the most part, to line up and do major battle against other fleets. Obviously we reserve the right to do that, but we're also building vessels that can support operations in ways that 40 years ago we didn't even consider. That is where the action is." Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/tablet/business/uss-milwaukee-to-be-christened-in-marinette-b99165697z1-236304171.html#ixzz2nvfhZ5tr
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Lawmakers Reach Deal on U.S. Defense Authorization Bill-By Roxana Tiron Dec 10, 2013 2:56 AM CT -U.S. House and Senate negotiators settled on a $552.1 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 2014 that would revamp how the U.S. military handles sexual assault cases and approve the Pentagon’s request for F-35 fighters. CLICK here for story

Defense contract to help Wisconsin, Illinois businesses -Solution Dynamics, Big Lift to benefit from $633 million deal to make forklifts - Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/business/defense-contract-to-help-wisconsin-illinois-businesses-b99160078z1-235157361.html#ixzz2n4sYsZh0
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White House releases second open government action plan - The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy issued the second U.S. Open Government National Action Plan, which introduced 23 new or expanded commitments to open government.   CLICK here for article and links to document

New DOD Instruction Aims to Streamline Acquisition Process -By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2013 – In one of his last acts as deputy defense secretary, Ash Carter signed a memorandum putting in place a DOD instruction designed to streamline the acquisition process, Pentagon officials announced yesterday. DOD Instruction 5000.02, entitled the Operation of the Defense Acquisition System and signed Nov. 26, is an interim document put in place, “to create an acquisition policy environment that will achieve greater efficiency and productivity in defense spending and effectively implement the department’s Better Buying Power initiatives.” CLICK HERE for full article