The U.S. Defense Department's Joint Information Enterprise (JIE), launched by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operational Deputies, will be built on "five big rocks," according to the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., USN, told the audience at the AFCEA NOVA Naval IT Day on May 3 that big rocks must serve as the foundation so that little rocks can be implemented atop them.

Is it just me or is the Secret Service hard partying prostitute scandal in Cartagena Columbia like a NSCAR pile up that you shouldn't be fixated on, but just can't bring yourself to stop watching? As a Tailhook era sailor who spent his life in and around Naval Aviation, I am not surprised that anything to do with drinking, partying and hookers would hold my attention (how about those GSA partiers; who knew!?!?), but the mainstream media stays with stories because they are either important or they provide the numbers that matter to advertisers. I am guessing the Secret Service scandal has what journalists call "legs" because it is both salacious and involves the security of the President.

The command, control, communications and computers (C4) technology community has undergone a great deal of change over the past couple of years. The U.S. Cyber Command and the military services’ cyber component commands were created, the Joint Forces Command was disbanded, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (ASD NII) transformed to become the Office of the Defense Chief Information Officer (CIO), the J-6 (C4) on the Joint Staff was eliminated, and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has changed significantly. All of these modifications have resulted in adjustments to priorities, shifts of mission and more focus on the enterprise.

The future of coalition operations may be unfolding within a NATO command in Afghanistan. The Eurocorps, a multinational corps that is barely two decades old, is focusing on building a capability that will allow a coalition force to respond rapidly to urgent operational needs.

The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending.

The Defense Information Systems Agency is striving to wrap its digital arms around the growing plethora of military data by consolidating standards and requirements.

The electronics firms that are leading the information revolution now are facing the challenge of ensuring that their products have no taint of war.

Marking a sharp departure from recent conflicts, the future of U.S. military action likely includes enemies equipped to deny forces the ability to enter and carry out missions within areas of operations.

The Defense Information Systems Agency is helping to ensure that military branches can field technology more quickly and less expensively as it simultaneously initiates its own rapid-deployment programs.

U.S. government departments may be facing deep budget cuts, but companies could end up on top if they listen closely to agencies' priorities. At the top of the list are cloud computing, cybersecurity, mobility and information sharing between government and industry.