FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. UAVs across 6 states. Contributor Charles Simmins reports, “On Dec. 30, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the six sites selected to performed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research as it moves towards integrating drone operations into the air traffic control system of the United States. The six were selected from over two dozen applicants and will provide research into all facets of UAS operation as well as test ranges in a variety of climates. Unmanned aircraft systems research is expected to begin within six months and last until 2017.”
2. Veterans jobs reports. Also from Contributor Charles Simmins, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks the employment status of military veterans and has done so in detail since 2008. It divides the vets into periods of service, and tries to eliminate duplicates, such as Vietnam vets who also saw duty in the first Gulf war. One of their categories is Gulf War era I (August 1990-August 2001). As of Nov. 2013, there were about 3.1 million of these vets, and 85 percent of them were in the labor force.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Detainees freed in Afghanistan. Reuters’s Hamid Shalizi and Abdul Saboor report from Afghanistan, “The Afghan government released 65 detainees on Thursday who the United States has warned pose a serious security threat, a move that further strains already tense U.S.-Afghan ties as the international mission in Afghanistan winds down. Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said the prisoners had been released from a detention facility near the Afghan capital, Kabul, and would be sent back to their respective home areas throughout Afghanistan. The U.S. embassy called it a ‘deeply regrettable’ move that ran counter to a 2012 agreement on detainees.” BBC.Co.UK takes inside Bagram’s jail.
2. In Syria, freed prisoners and insurgency. NYTimes.Com’s Tim Arango and Eric Schmitt report, “series of daring but little noticed breakouts from Iraqi prisons has freed hundreds of hardened militants who are now among the leaders and foot soldiers of the radical Sunni groups operating in neighboring Syria and, increasingly, in Iraq itself. . . . The role of the former inmates in fueling a new wave of Sunni jihad across the region is an unfortunate reminder of the breakdown of authority in Iraq since the United States departed in 2011, of the security vacuum that has spread around the region and of the continuing threat of Sunni-led terrorist groups that the United States said it was fighting during its occupation of Iraq.” Aljazeera.com reports, “Fighting spikes in Syria as peace talks stall.”
3. Putin’s pick in Egypt. BBC.Co.UK reports, “Mr Putin said: ‘I know that you, mister defence minister, have decided to run for president of Egypt. ‘I wish you luck both from myself personally and from the Russian people.’ Field Marshal Sisi is in Russia to negotiate a $2bn arms deal, after the United States suspended some of its annual military assistance in response to Mr Morsi’s removal.”
4. Votes and Vets. DefenseOne.Com contributor Stacy Caper explains that “with 95 Senators voting in favor of the measure, the takeaway is clear: Don’t mess with vets, especially in an election year. The legislation that now heads to President Obama’s desk for his signature, would pay for restoring a 1-percentage-point adjustment to cost-of-living increases in military retirees’ pensions by extending the mandatory sequester cuts an additional year.”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. Cyber-standards and contractors. NextGov.Com’s Aliya Sternstein reports, “The White House on Wednesday issued voluntary cyber standards aimed at defending key private networks essential to U.S. society – but it could be years before the benefits are noticeable. While optional for industry, it is expected that the guidelines — which encourage reporting data breaches to the government — will be required for federal contractors.”
2. IT drought in Air Force acquisition pool. FederalTimes.Com’s Nicole Blake Johnson reports, “Building out capabilities to manage large information technology projects has been a sore spot for the Air Force. Specifically, the service has been challenged with developing IT acquisition talent among its ranks, adopting and maintaining processes that foster best practices and aligning acquisition and cybersecurity strategies.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. Army nudging into the NSA game. NextGov.Com’s Bob Brewin explains, “The Army wants a contractor to conduct detailed social media data mining to “identify violent extremist influences” around the world that could affect the European Command, responsible for operations in Europe as well as Iceland, Israel, Greenland and Russia. Though the project is classified Secret, an Army contract shop in Europe posted a wealth of information on the FedBizOps contract website Tuesday. The data mining contract, which has the very long title of ‘Social Media Data-mining, Localized Research, Market Audience Analysis, and Narrowcast Engagement Requirements,’ will support both the European Command and Special Operations Command Europe.”
2. Drones and death threats. Aljazeera.Com reports, “The disturbing phone call came after Baraa Shiban investigated a drone strike on a wedding party that killed 12 people in central Yemen in December. A clear message was delivered to the human rights researcher over the phone after a major news network reported the story based on his research. ‘The caller refused to identify himself and threatened my life if I continued my investigation of the strike,’ Shiban told Al Jazeera, noting he conducted similar studies of US drone operations in the past, but had never before received death threats.”
3. Cyber-threat protection. Time’s Fox Van Allen explains, “The bottom line: An estimated $23 billion was lost last year to online risks such as phishing, ID theft, viruses, data leaks and more. The biggest cost – and arguably, the biggest threat – was damage to professional reputation to the tune of $4.5 billion yearly. Don’t let the bad guys take their cut from your personal bank account. Here are 6 steps you can take to better protect yourself from danger.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Reject the Overlords: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday said he hoped enough Republicans would reject their “Tea Party overlords” to advance a bill to raise the debt ceiling. . . . Many Republicans were disappointed Congress didn’t force the administration to agree to spending reductions before raising the debt ceiling, which will prevent a government default. That is why Senate Republicans are forcing a cloture vote, meaning Democrats will need 60-vote to advance the measure.”
2. Monica who? “Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is hammering former President Bill Clinton hard for his past sexual indiscretions — and it isn’t by accident. GOP strategists suggest Paul’s attacks are part of a strategy to weaken Clinton, one of the few national figures capable of helping embattled Democrats in red states survive the 2014 midterms.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “Goodbye and Good Riddance: No one will miss the Littoral Combat Ship.” USNews.Com contributor Benjamin Freeman argues, “The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS, program was dealt a death blow last month when the Pentagon advised the Navy to purchase only 32 of the small, fast and much maligned ships that were originally designed to combat three distinct threats — submarines, mines and groups of small boats. This was absolutely the right move for at least three reasons.”
2. “Bahrain: The silent revolution.” AlJazeera.Com contributor David Kode argues, “The clock is ticking for the international community to exert pressure on the Bahraini authorities to stop widespread violations of the rights of its citizens as such ongoing violations are tantamount to crimes against humanity. Both powers have a primary responsibility to take advantage of their longstanding relationship with Bahrain and persuade Manama to stop abusing its citizens and implement the recommendations made by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.”
THE FUNNIES
2. Wasted time.
3. Homs.
