Civilian employees could face up to 22 days of furlough through the end of the fiscal year in September.

The Defense Department's new internal intelligence agency is now operational — at least virtually. 

Opponents of a new combat medal specifically for drone pilots and cyber operators are calling on the White House to either demote the award to a lower status or get rid of the military commendation altogether. 

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel’s difficult and drawn out confirmation fight has hurt his favorability among the public, although most people still don’t know President Obama’s Defense secretary nominee.

A new poll released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center finds that the public’s view of Hagel (R-Neb.) has grown more negative in the past month after he faced a difficult confirmation hearing, a stream of criticism from Republicans and the first ever filibuster of a Defense secretary nominee.

The latest Pew poll found 28 percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Hagel, compared to 22 percent with a favorable view.

A new combat medal recognizing the battlefield accomplishments of the U.S. military's growing cadre of drone pilots and cyber warriors won't diminish the sacrifices made by American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving on the front lines, DOD officials said Tuesday. 

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) told Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that he has concerns about a new medal for drone operators and others not in direct ground combat.

Toomey sent Panetta a letter Tuesday saying he doesn’t think the new Distinguished Warfare Medal should be ranked above some traditional combat valor medals such as the Bronze Star.

A group of House lawmakers are complaining that the Pentagon is ignoring a prohibition on funding the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), which Congress blocked in the 2013 Defense authorization law (NDAA).

Eight House Armed Services members wrote to Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale asking why the MEADS program received $25 million last month in funding through the end of March.

The Pentagon has launched an inquiry to see whether the recent account of the Osama bin Laden raid, given by the Navy SEAL who reportedly killed the al Qaeda leader in May 2011, included classified or sensitive information about the strike. 

Lawmakers have no one to blame but themselves for the current political quagmire on Capitol Hill over how to handle the financial fallout from the White House's sequestration plan, a top Pentagon official said Monday.