Friday! And, Farewell Derek—going out in style!
FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Rocky mountain high five job seeker tips. Contributor Jennifer Cary reports, “When I think of Colorado Springs and the military, I immediately conjure pictures of soldiers at Fort Carson. However, there is a large Air Force presence in the area that’s contributing to the worldwide mission. Here are five things to consider about working for the Air Force in the Colorado Springs area.”
2. Sweet home Alabama high five job seeker tips. Also from Jennifer Cary, “Considering a move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama? Check out these five things everyone should know about the arsenal and the surrounding area. . . . Given the low cost of living, number of job opportunities and entertainment options in Huntsville, there’s a lot of upside to adding Redstone Arsenal to your job search.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Coalition gaining momentum. Reuters’ Arshad Mohammed and Tom Perry report, “French fighter jets struck Islamic State targets in Iraq on Thursday, and the United States hit them in Syria, as a U.S.-led coalition to fight the militants gained momentum with an announcement that Britain would join. The French strikes were a prompt answer to the beheading of a French tourist in Algeria by militants, who said the killing was punishment for Paris’ decision last week to become the first European country to join the U.S.-led bombing campaign.” Aljazeera.Com reports, “Iraqis skeptical about war on ISIL.”
2. Americans in Syria—recount. AP’s Eileen Sullivan and Ken Dilanian report, “The U.S. believes there are about a dozen Americans fighting alongside extremist groups in Syria, not more than 100, as has been cited for months. That’s not to say there is no concern about these other 88 or so Americans who officials say have been killed, arrested, traveled or attempted to travel to join the fight. But the U.S. only knows of about 12 who are currently in Syria fighting . . . . The figure of 100 American militants joining the fight in Syria had taken on an urban legend status over the past few months as the Obama administration made its case to the American public for military action in Iraq and Syria.”
3. Ebola catastrophe update. Defense Media Activity’s Cheryl Pellerin reports, “The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a health crisis that threatens regional and global security, and if it’s not stopped, it could cause a humanitarian catastrophe across the region, President Barack Obama said today at a United Nations meeting on the epidemic. ‘In an era where regional crises can quickly become global threats,’ he added, ‘stopping Ebola is in the interest of all of us.’”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. $23 billion JLTV world cup continues this fall. DoDBuzz.Com’s Brendan McGarry reports, “The Army plans to begin the latest competition before the end of the year, possibly in mid-November, with a request for proposals from firms interested in bidding for production contracts. The service next summer, possibly in July, plans to pick a winner—or winners—to begin building the trucks . . . . Army aims to purchase about 49,000 of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, while the Marine Corps plans to acquire about 5,500 of the trucks. . . . The Pentagon has estimated the effort to develop and build the vehicles at almost $23 billion, or about $400,000 per truck, according to a 2013 report from the Congressional Research Service. Leaders have maintained each vehicle will cost about $250,000.”
2. Contracting tools in the box—use them wisely. FederalTimes.Com’s Michael Hardy reports, “Contracting tools such as joint enterprise licensing agreements (JELA) and lowest-price/technically acceptable (LPTA) contracts are only tools, according to Victor Gavin, the Navy’s program executive officer for Enterprise Information Systems. As such, they might change the way defense agencies buy IT in the future, but the changes will be beneficial only if officials use the techniques judiciously. ‘Just like with the hammers and screwdrivers there are specific cases where you should use those tools,’ he said . . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. CIA tales: The John T. Downey story. Slate.Com’s Andrew Burt tells the story: “John Downey was recruited into the CIA in the spring of his senior year. He was the very model of the kind of credentialed, idealistic young man the agency was sweeping into its ranks. Downey had earned academic scholarships to Choate and Yale, excelling in his studies and in athletics. The son of a Connecticut probate judge and the grandson of a Connecticut state legislator, Downey had public service in his DNA. He postponed plans for law school and a life in politics for the glamour and intrigue of the CIA.”
2. Shellshock hack attack. Wired.Com’s Andy Greenberg reports, “The shellshock attacks are being used to infect thousands of machines with malware designed to make them part of a botnet of computers that obey hackers’ commands. And in at least one case the hijacked machines are already launching distributed denial of service attacks that flood victims with junk traffic, according to security researchers.”
3. NSA’s office of risk. VentureBeat.Com’s Richard Byrne Reilly reports, “The National Security Agency is getting into the risk management business. The NSA, still reeling from the Edward Snowden leaks, named Anne Neuberger, former director of the agency’s so-called commercial solutions center and an aide to NSA director Admiral Michael S. Rogers, to head up the agency’s newly created position of ‘chief risk officer’—the agency’s first.”
4. Too secure iPhones. Christian Science Monitor’s Jacob Axelrad reports, “The FBI director James Comey has expressed concern that Apple and Google are making phones that cannot be searched by the government. . . . Comey said he is worried that such phones could place users ‘beyond the law’ . . . . He added that he’s been in talks with the companies ‘to understand what they’re thinking and why they think it makes sense.’ Major tech companies recognize the marketing potential of selling products that make consumers feel their data is as secure as can be. Both Apple and Google have made recent announcements emphasizing their new products will make it more difficult for law enforcement to extract customers’ valued data.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Holder lets go: “President Obama announced the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder Thursday, lamenting the ‘bittersweet’ exit of one of his original Cabinet members but saying his extensive portfolio on civil rights earned him the title of the ‘people’s lawyer.’ ‘He believes as I do that justice is not just an abstract theory . . . . It’s a living and breathing principle.’ Holder, who served as the administration’s point man on civil rights and a series of tricky national security issues, signaled his departure more than a month ahead of November’s midterms. The White House is banking that by moving swiftly on Holder’s successor, it will be easier to get their nominee through the Senate if Republicans win back the upper chamber. Holder, the nation’s fourth-longest-serving attorney general, will remain in the post until his replacement is confirmed.”
2. Dismantle the place! “Two senior Republicans say the Obama administration’s strategy to defeat terrorism in Syria by attacking the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is only half-right, saying it must also simultaneously target the country’s ruling Assad regime. While the United States has begun arming and training Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State, opposition forces also should focus on toppling Bashar Assad, said Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. . . . ‘If the administration hopes to succeed in its mission, it must implement a comprehensive strategy that targets both [the Islamic State] and the Assad regime,’ the pair said. ‘The Syrian people should not be forced to choose between terrorists or dictators.’”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “To build a coalition against Islamic State, U.S. must try a little humility.” Reuters contributor Nader Mousavizadeh argues, “Pluralism remains America’s strength at home. A new diplomacy of pluralism can be America’s strength abroad. But only if Washington has the confidence and imagination to abandon, finally, the costly illusion of unipolarity and embrace the opportunity to lead as first among equals.”
2. “Obama’s war of democracy in Iraq, Syria.” Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “Don’t let your rhetoric get ahead of your actions. And when you do act, act to support ideals as well as against something. These sorts of feathers-in-caps don’t come easily for presidents.”
3. “It’s time to reign in nuclear spending.” DefenseOne.Com contributors Angela Canterbury and Kingston Reif argue, “The current modernization plan is geared towards building nuclear weapons that we don’t need and can’t afford. It’s time for Congress to insist on a new approach.”
