* CSC’s Chairman and CEO Michael W. Laphen announced he’s retiring. He’s ready to stay around for up to a year until his replacement is found. Laphen started his career and CSC in 1977 and was appointed to his current position in 2007.
* Several US veteran groups are voicing their concerns about the damage defense budget cuts might do.
* To be able to meet budget constraints while avoiding crippling effects, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) is suggesting DoD to change the way it approaches [PDF] compensation/benefits, the use of unmanned systems, and the relative burden it takes relative to US allies.
* The US Senate’s Armed Services Subcommittee on readiness and management support had a hearing with acting Under Secretary of Acquisition Frank Kendall and other DoD staffers in the wake of the Commission on Wartime Contracting’s findings in Iraq and Afghanistan: archived webcast.
* US lawmakers are getting worried by the Deficit/Debt Supercommittee’s lack of apparent progress so far. Despite initial promises of transparency the committee has mostly met behind closed doors.
* Think Defence has a good round-up of UK Parliamentary question and answers from ministers relevant to defence issues.
* Starting Nov. 1, all US Airmen will have to be wearing the Airman Battle Uniform and ABU items.
* The video below shows some of the analytical work done by the Institute for the Study of War on how the rebellion in Libya unfolded: