The specter of sequestration was a common looming threat in otherwise mixed earnings reports from three of the Washington region's largest defense contractors.

The long-awaited process of demolishing the Navy Annex and its surrounding parking lots is scheduled to begin within the next month or two, officials tell ARLnow.com.  The 1 million square foot military office complex, first built in 1941 and located on the eastern end of Columbia Pike, will be torn down to make way for an expansion of Arlington National Cemetery. The entire 42-acre Navy Annex site, which includes a large surface parking lot on the other side of Columbia Pike, will be turned into a grass field in advance of an official transfer from the Department of the Army to Arlington National Cemetery in late 2013.

The federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiative has led to a more technical and knowledge-based workforce that is fueling the economy and Fort George G. Meade is the epicenter of Anne Arundel County growth. Spanning five acres and with nearly 57,000 employment positions, 80 percent of which are filled by civilians, Fort Meade is much more than a military base.