Just when we thought the news couldn’t get much worse on the theft of VA data, Secretary James Nicholson now says that he was wrong about the theft encompassing up to 50,000 military members as well as 26.5 million veterans. The VA now believes the May 3 theft included data for up to 2.2 million active duty and reserve members. (The number comprises 1.1 million active, 430,000 Guard, and 645,000 Reserve personnel.) Nicholson revealed the latest information Tuesday—continuing the VA’s latter-day desire to tell all quickly—but the news was not immediately posted on the VA Web site for all to view. Here is the statement, posted sometime this morning.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
