Monday Mourning

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1.  Normalizing near-space flight. Contributor John Holst reports, “NASA has a goal to make near-spaceflight as regular and predictable as German trains leaving the bahnhof (train station).  They’re also looking to make access to space cheaper.  And they apparently have a plan.  To achieve those goals, NASA awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts to four budding U.S. ‘new space’ companies.”

2. Telling your professional story. Also from John Holst, “Your profile title and job titles should tell people at a glance what you are and what kind of work you can do.  More importantly, they should hook the reader, and make the reader want to know more about you.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. Coalition barriers—why it’s hard to pull together. AP’s Dan Perry reports, “The Middle East has confounded outsiders for years, so it is no surprise that another U.S.-led project with a straightforward goal – destroying a marauding organization of extremists – is bumping up against age-old rivalries and a nod-and-a-wink-style political culture. . . . Here’s a look at the landscape . . . .” See also, “U.S. sees Middle East help fighting IS” and “President Discusses ‘Relentless’ Campaign Against ISIL.”

2. A formidable foe. Christian Science Monitor’s Dominique Soguel reports, “The Syrian government’s use of airpower so far, according to survivors, has killed many civilians while leaving the jihadi group largely unscathed. . . . The Syrian regime has ramped up its campaign against IS-strongholds like Raqqa in a bid to convince the West that it is a vital partner in the campaign to eradicate IS militants. But Raqqa residents and activists say that the majority of those killed in regime attacks have been civilians.”

3. Valiant Shield lost at sea. Stars & Stripes’ Erik Slavin reports, “One of the U.S. military’s largest joint exercises began on a somber note Monday, as participants dealt with the loss of one of their own. Valiant Shield 2014 is continuing as scheduled despite the presumed death of F/A-18 pilot Lt. Nathan Poloski, 26, in a two-plane collision during pre-exercise operations at sea Friday. . . . The exercise itself focuses on a potential conflict that would bear little resemblance to Iraq, Afghanistan or any other large-scale conflict the United States has ever encountered.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. DISA streamlining IT contracting. NextGov.Com’s Bob Brewin reports, “The Defense Information Systems Agency launched yesterday what it described as the first omnibus contract to provide a wide range of information technology services to the U.S. Cyber Command, including assistance for offensive and defensive cyber operations. . . . The contract will streamline acquisition of cyber-related services and will provide support across multiple technical and nontechnical 55 disciplines under a centralized structure . . . .”

2. $7.2 billion Army dollars for ISO. GovConWire.Com reports, “The U.S. Army has awarded positions on a potential $7.2 billion contract to 21 companies to support the branch’s intelligence, security and information operations globally. Contractors will receive a $5,000 minimum guarantee each and compete for task orders to perform work during the five-year ordering period, the Defense Department said Friday. The awardees are . . . .”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Mapping the internet—NSA. Spiegel Online International’s Andy Müller-Maguhn, et. al. report, “[NSA’s] Treasure Map is anything but harmless entertainment. Rather, it is the mandate for a massive raid on the digital world. It aims to map the Internet, and not just the large traffic channels, such as telecommunications cables. It also seeks to identify the devices across which our data flows, so-called routers. Furthermore, every single end device that is connected to the Internet somewhere in the world—every smartphone, tablet and computer—is to be made visible. . . .”

2. Unscrewing the Home Depot attack. VentureBeat.Com’s Richard Byrne Reilly reports, “Forensic specialists from the U.S. Secret Service are leading the investigation, but Home Depot brass — and millions of customers — can do nothing but wait as federal agents and security investigators work around the clock to figure out exactly what transpired after a massively mysterious malware attack penetrated the retailers systems’ beginning in April.”

3. iRobot chemical defense. MilitaryAerospace.Com Editor John Keller reports, “Leaders of the Canadian military needed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) robots to alert uses to the presence of chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, volatile gases, explosives and radiation. They found their solution from iRobot Corp. in Bedford, Mass. . . . The CBRN sensors integrate five primary sensors are designed to detect, alert and report on chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, volatile gases, explosives, and radiation. The robot also has rear flippers to enhance mobility. The contract includes training and future product lifecycle support.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. Senate’s secret handbook: “The U.S. Senate’s 380-page handbook — which has never before been released to the public — has been made public for the first time. The book, which “governs everything from how many sheets of paper and potted plants each Senate office is allotted to when Senators can use taxpayer money to charter planes or boats,” was made public Sunday by USA Today, which published nearly whole thing online. The newspaper is withholding 10 pages that pertain to Senate security issues.” See for yourself.

2. Fall in! “Fifty days before the midterm elections, Republican leaders are getting their troops in line as the GOP eyes something it hasn’t had in eight years: Control of both chambers of Congress. The party’s recruitment of strong candidates has resulted in no serious gaffes and has produced polling leads in several key swing states in the bare-knuckle brawl for the Senate. On Capitol Hill, Tea Party insurgents who forced a government shutdown last year are playing nice with GOP leadership in the campaign’s home stretch in a bid to keep the heat on President Obama and off a sometimes-divided GOP caucus.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “We warned the Yanks about Islamic State.” Aljazeera.Com contributor Alexander Nekrassov argues, “The war against the Islamic State group is fraught with dangers. It might get out of control and drag the whole region into a much wider conflict.”

2. “To beat Islamic State, Obama needs Iran.” Reuters contributor William B. Quandt argues, “If Obama wants to have a winning strategy in the Middle East, he will need more than drones and airstrikes. He will also need smart diplomacy, beginning with a determined effort to work out understandings with Iran.”

3. “The Islamic State threat is overstatedWashington Post contributor Ramzy Mardini argues, “The United States is far better positioned to assume an active diplomatic role, facilitating consensus and cooperation among local and regional players. If the common threat could compel these actors toward local collaboration, national compromise and regional rapprochement, there may emerge an opportunity to bring them together to finally settle the civil wars plaguing the Middle East.”

THE FUNNIES

1. Just disturbing.

2. Focus.

3. Fourth point of contact.

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Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.