FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Telecommuting tips. As communications technology improves, telecommuting may represent advantages all the way around, and contributor Christopher Burgess offers some recommendations that can make telecommuting even more appealing: “working remotely is a win-win-win for the employee, the employer and the clients, providing realistic expectations are set between the employee and employer (and clients if appropriate).”
2. Don’t miss it – the Recruiting Round-up. Contributor Jillian Hamilton takes on SAIC’s split, interviewing tips, telecommuting with style, social media recruiting, and much, much more.
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. It’s real – DoD’s same sex spouse benefits. American Forces Press Service reports that DoD has released its official policy and program that signal another significant step forward for gay and lesbian service members: “DOD remains committed to ensuring that all men and women who serve in the U.S. military, and their families, are treated fairly and equally as the law directs. Entitlements such as TRICARE enrollment, basic allowance for housing and family separation allowance are retroactive to the date of the Supreme Court’s decision. . . .same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry.” Review the press release and read Hagel’s memo.
2. Eyes wider open on Syrian conflict. CJCS’ discussions in Israel and Jordan lend better resolution to the complexity of the war in Syria. American Forces Press Service’s Karen Parrish captures Gen. Dempsey’s conclusions, among them, “On the Israeli side, he said, the movement of weapons is the immediate concern. In Jordan, he added, it’s the movement of refugees. . . . U.S. partners in the Middle East are best positioned to assess and guide response to the situation in Syria. . . . the conflict in Syria is more complex than it may seem to some observers.”
3. In Egypt, violence breeds more violence. Reuters’ Tom Perry and Michael Georgy report from Cairo at least 300 protesters killed, several thousands more injured, and the Muslim Brotherhood vowing to take down the Egyptian military state peacefully: “Islamists staged revenge attacks on Christian targets in several areas, torching churches, homes and business after Coptic Pope Tawadros gave his blessing to the military takeover that ousted Mursi . . . . Churches were attacked in the Nile Valley towns of Minya, Sohag and Assiut, where Christians escaped across the roof into a neighboring building after a mob surrounded and hurled bricks at their place of worship . . . .” AP reports death toll at 429+ and injured nearing 4,000, and Aljazeera covers the interim PM’s messaging: “Egypt’s army-backed interim prime minister has defended the government’s decision to order the crushing of camps of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, saying the authorities had no choice but to act. . . . Hazem el-Beblawi said the decision to break up the protests ‘was not easy’ and came only after the government had given mediation efforts a chance.”
4. In Afghanistan, Dunford defines success. Khaama.Com’s Ghanizada reports that ISAF Commander Gen. Joseph Dunford hopes for “a significant presence of foreign troops in the country beyond 2014”: “’Our objective is a stable, secure and unified Afghanistan. And we’re still working towards that end’ Dunford told Reuters, adding that, ‘And if we achieve the objective . . . I think it will be remembered as being successful.’” According to Khaama.Com, “Washington is reportedly considering keeping 7,000 U.S. troops, but some in the U.S. military would prefer two or three times as many, to support Afghan national security forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations.” Reuters’ take on Dunford’s position is not too different: “Afghanistan’s security will remain dependent on international troops for many years after most foreign combat forces leave by the end of 2014.”
5. As the foreign influence winds down in Afghanistan, Pakistani-based Islamist militants in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wind things up in India. Reuters’ Frank Jack Daniel and Sanjeev Miglani report from New Delhi, “Intelligence sources in India believe that a botched suicide bombing of an Indian consulate in Afghanistan, which was followed within days last week by a lethal cross-border ambush on Indian soldiers in disputed Kashmir, suggest that the new campaign by Islamic militants may already be underway.”
6. In AFRICOM, completely successful Shared Accord 2013 draws to a festive close. 2nd ABCT Public Affairs’ Daniel Stoutamire reports: “’It was a great exercise and we formed many personal and professional relationships that will help us to better conduct operations in the future,’ said Brig. Gen. Peter Corey, deputy commander of U.S. Army Africa. ‘We learned a lot from each other, so it was a very productive exercise for us.’ Corey added that in addition to the exercise being a fruitful learning experience for both militaries, all the goals set prior were met.” Also in AFRICOM’s AoR, Nigeria reports that “Nigeria’s military has said it has killed the second-in-command of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. Navy commits $60 million to unmanned aircraft for carriers. DefenseNews.Com reports, “As expected, the US Navy has awarded four development contracts to develop designs to compete for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Air Vehicle. . . . competition for a final airframe design is expected to begin sometime after January. The UCLASS is to be an operational, jet-powered aircraft, able to carry out persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and engage in strike missions at ranges up to 2,000 nautical miles.” Winners are Boeing, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
2. $93 million for less helmet. News.Cincinnati.Com’s Bowdeya Tweh reports that Ohio’s Licking County residents are about to see 200+ jobs by way of DoD and ArmorSource: “ArmorSource says its 120,000-square-foot facility is the largest ballistic helmet manufacturer in the U.S., capable of producing more than 500,000 helmets per year.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. Manning pulls a Klinger. Assange and Snowden must be cringing as their golden boy attributes his Wiki-leaking to not-so-high ideals. AP’s David Dishneau and Pauline Jelinek report, “Pfc. Bradley Manning . . . apologized for hurting his country, pleading with a military judge for a chance to go to college and become a productive citizen. . . . Manning felt extreme mental pressure in the ‘hyper-masculine’ military because of his gender-identity disorder – his feeling that he was a woman trapped in a man’s body. . . . he realizes now that he should have worked more aggressively ‘inside the system’ to draw attention to his concerns about the way the war was being waged.” Sorry, Julian.
2. No expectation of privacy in Google.World. VentureBeat.Com contributor Ricardo Bilton reports, “If you’re really worried about the privacy of your e-mail, do yourself a favor and stop sending e-mail. . . . E-mail is nowhere near as private as we think it is — and it’s about time we accept that. . . . Gmail users surrender any hope of complete privacy when they sign up for Gmail, a service that scans the content of e-mail to not only filter out spam but to also serve users ads. Anyone who is still criticizing Gmail on that front is years late to a discussion that is long over.”
3. Forget encryption – ultimately, the Feds will crack it. We will applaud the prosecution of a child pornographer whose encryption failed the ultimate test, but we cannot miss what that means for all of us: forget encryption if you’re up to no good, or even some good. Wired.Com contributor David Kravets reports, “the case illustrates that encryption isn’t foolproof and that the authorities are making headway cracking encryption. . . . decryption orders are likely to become more common as the public increasingly embraces technology that comes standard on most operating systems.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Bye-bye White House. Can Hillary overcome her foundation’s follies? Wynton Hall of Breibart.Com covers the NYT’s investigative reporting on the Clinton Foundation: “the Clinton Foundation, which is soon to be renamed the “Bill, Hillary, & Chelsea Clinton Foundation,” ran a $40 million deficit. Last year, it ran a deficit of over $8 million despite the Foundation and two subsidiaries generating $214 million in revenues. . . . Now, the Times says Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea Clinton are gearing up for a $250 million fundraising push as Hillary prepares to use the Foundation ‘as a base for her to home in on issues and build up a stable of trusted staff members who could form the core of a political campaign.’” Read the NYT 13 Aug article.
2. They tweeted what? Presumably, Biden is looking for a new STRATCOMs chief this morning.
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. Egyptian ‘Liberals’ Are Out for Blood. Time contributor Lee Smith argues, “Today, al-Sisi put his mandate to work when security forces attacked demonstrators in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities and villages throughout Egypt. At this point, 278 people are confirmed dead nationwide. Only time will tell if al-Sisi has eradicated the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies, but the death knell is already ringing for another of Egypt’s famous political movements: liberalism.”
2. Generals and patrons: The American-Egyptian military. Aljazeera.Com’s Marwan Bishara argues, “As the situation escalates into a full-fledged confrontation between the Egyptian military and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Washington is once again playing catch-up with its own clients. Happy to see the back of the Islamists, the US administration refrained from referring to the military overthrow of President Morsi as a coup even when influential members of Congress recognised it as such. . . . Already losing its leverage and influence, notably regarding the dramatic events taking place in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and the region in general, Washington is not about to give up one of its few strategic pillars in the Middle East.”
3. The GoP and Foreign Policy. CSMonitor contributor Nicole Hemmer argues, “At a time when neoconservatives should have been discredited by the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, their stark contrast to Obama’s foreign policy allows them to retain their hold on the GOP. Thus the party’s unwavering dedication to its anti-Obama compass keeps it firmly on the fringes of the foreign-policy debate. There is room to challenge Obama and the Democrats. The president has failed to articulate a clear vision for America’s role in the world, so his actions often appear haphazard and aimless. For Republicans, the time is right to show they have a coherent set of prudent foreign policy principles. Such principles would be grounded not in ideology but in interests.”
