Interesting information on DoD spending in VA

[likuidkewl]

excerpt:

The formal name of the lab is the Joint Experimentation Directorate, or J-9, and it is charged with conceiving tomorrow’s combat technology.

It was created as part of the Department of Defense’s plan to transform the military so the services can work together and react to threats faster.

While some at the Pentagon were skeptical the Suffolk lab could change the way the separate services have done business, J-9 is making an impact.

The first concept to come out of the lab was deployed in the Iraq war last year – a software program that allows the military to shoot a target more quickly. In the past, a pilot who spotted a target would phone command headquarters and get permission to fire, or call in the right plane or tank to attack.

Now, with J-9’s system, communication between the pilot and command is seamless.

Another

“In the not-to-distant future, I think Hampton Roads is going to be the center of the universe for modeling and simulation,” said U.S. Rep. Edward Schrock, R-2nd District.

The Department of Defense increased the lab’s funding from $30 million in 1998 to $100 million in 2002. It has remained steady through 2004, and the same is expected for 2005.

The average salary of the 500 full-timers is nearly $100,000 – about four times the per capita income for Suffolk. And the workforce is expected to increase by about 20 percent in 2005, said business manager Raquelle Hill, based on the projected workload.

Source: http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...0381&ran=153297