The Pentagon's procurement shop has officially designated numerous acquisition posts to be "key leadership positions" that must be filled by military officials of a certain rank.

The Pentagon's procurement directorate is beginning its next annual review of its acquisition of services policy and oversight.

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VA -- Air Combat Command has undertaken a number of policy and procedure reviews in an attempt to free up cash and give airmen more time to focus on their duties and training, a top service general told Inside the Air Force this week.

The Defense Department's procurement shop is fed up with program managers routinely failing to include enough details in strategy documents for technology development and acquisition programs, according to an internal memo obtained by Inside the Pentagon.

Senior Pentagon and Joint Staff officials are finalizing guidance for a wide-spanning review of the way the U.S. military meets traditional and urgent warfighting requirements, a review that will ultimately result in key changes to both processes, a military official tied to the effort tells Inside the Air Force.

The Pentagon's acquisition directorate has canceled plans to hold a discussion this week with the defense industry about the department's ongoing efficiencies initiative.

Shay Assad, the Pentagon's director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, is urging the armed services to follow acquisition rules when handling contracts tied to congressional earmarks.

Several defense agencies are scheduled to undergo independent procurement management reviews next year as the Defense Department conducts a major top-down efficiency initiative and focuses on contracting issues.

A sweeping Pentagon review is seeking to consolidate the staffs of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates while still preserving the independent advisory role of the military's top officer.

With forces now focusing only on Afghanistan and its ranks swelling by 27,000 in recent years, the Marine Corps is looking to slash the number of contractors working with troops in the field to help meet efficiency goals set out by Defense Secretary Robert Gates earlier this year, Marine Lt. Gen. George Trautman, deputy commandant for aviation, told Inside the Navy recently.

Defense officials cannot track the total costs of the department's military equipment for major defense programs, the Government Accountability Office wrote in its second consecutive report lambasting the Pentagon's cost assessment abilities.

The Air Force has updated the way it develops operational capability requirements, releasing a new guidance that takes into account policy changes and a number of reforms to implement in the service's weapon buying shop, according to Pentagon documents.

Pentagon procurement chief Ashton Carter wants officials running the most sensitive classified defense programs to work closely with the Defense Contract Management Agency in a way his predecessor never advocated.

The Defense Business Board is due today to receive an update from its task group on reducing overhead and improving business operations, a key element in Defense Secretary Robert Gates' big push to find efficiencies within the defense budget.

The Defense Department's acquisition office wants to develop an online toolkit to help streamline the acquisition process for warfighters in the field and to quickly and efficiently get them the items they need.

A top defense acquisition official told Congress last week the Pentagon intends to increase competition in contracts and provide efficiency incentives to industry as part of its developing strategy to dramatically cut overhead costs.

The Defense Department lacks the information and guidance needed to manage and reduce operating and support costs for major weapon systems, according to a report released this week by the Government Accountability Office.

Army officials have begun a formal examination of the service's approach to managing requirements for its weapon systems, with service Vice Chief Gen. Peter Chiarelli advocating that certain requirements should be revisited every six to twelve months.

Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's No. 2 acquisition official, is slated to chair a meeting next week on dozens of major procurement programs, including troubled efforts to counter missiles and mines that threaten Army helicopters and Navy ships.

The reconfiguration of the Pentagon's cost assessment office has presented several significant challenges, including a large backlog of certifications for major defense acquisition programs and a staff ill-equipped to deal with new requirements, according to documents and officials.