Ash Carter Confirmed, A Soldier’s Story, and Sharing Intel

Friday Finale, This Time Last Year, and Paraskevidekatriaphobia

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. Trading trade secrets. Contributor Sean Bigley advises, “The bottom line is that intellectual property matters can be legal minefields. What does and doesn’t constitute a protected trade secret is sometimes a matter of debate, even for attorneys. What is clear, however, is that erring on the side of caution—along with seeking competent legal advice, where necessary—is generally the best practice.”

2. DHS vacations and volunteerism on the horizon. Contributor Charles Simmins reports, “The end of February is the deadline for the Congress to fund the operations of the many agencies in the Department of Homeland Security. A compromise before the last election funded the department through Feb. 28, but additional action is needed for the remainder of the fiscal year. . . . The result is that an estimated 15,000 DHS employees face a furlough on March 1, while the remainder will be working without pay until funding is restored.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. Carter confirmed. Defense News’ John T. Bennett reports, “The US Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved Ash Carter to become the country’s 25th defense secretary. After a weeks-long delay while he recovered from back surgery, Carter’s nomination sailed through the upper chamber with a final tally of 93-5. He testified for around five hours on Feb. 4 before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) submitted additional answers to the panel on Monday, and it voted unanimously Tuesday to send his nomination to the floor. A spokesman said Carter’s first official day on the job will be Feb. 17.” See also, “New Defense Secretary Breezes through Nomination Process.”

2. Peace deal on Ukraine. AP’s Matthew Lee reports, “The Obama administration is taking a wary, wait-and-see approach toward the new Ukraine peace agreement, which was reached without direct American input and as the U.S. considers whether to give defensive weapons to Ukraine and slap fresh sanctions on Russia. Despite reservations about the agreement, U.S. officials say any action on lethal aid or new sanctions is on hold at least for the moment.”

3. Afghanistan update. Defense Media Activity’s Jim Garamone reports, “The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan delivered an upbeat assessment of progress in the nation, while also acknowledging there is much that needs to be done. Army Gen. John F. Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning that there is a new atmosphere in the Afghan capital of Kabul, and that Afghan forces are succeeding in the struggle against the Taliban and affiliated terror groups.”

4. Soldier’s story: 21st century merc Eric Harroun. The New Yorker contributor Nicholas Schmidle tells the story: “In December, 2012, an itinerant American named Eric Harroun checked into a youth hostel in Istanbul. A thirty-year-old U.S. Army veteran with sandy-blond hair, Harroun had left the service in 2003, and since then he had travelled everywhere from Lebanon to Thailand. He was living out of a green duffelbag and a tan camouflage backpack, navigating the world one Lonely Planet guidebook at a time.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. Boeing reorganization: a sign of defense industry times. Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber reports, “Boeing’s reorganization is part of a growing trend within defense companies to operate their businesses more commercially. With fewer defense dollars on the horizon, the Pentagon has pressured companies to cut production and development costs. To remain competitive, firms have been looking at a myriad of ways to lower the cost of all types weapons ranging from fighter jets to warships. This has included everything from consolidating facilities, automating production and shrinking the workforce.”

2. Looking for aircraft self-defense. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Air Force airborne weapons experts are reaching out to industry for help in developing an affordable guidance system for a future air-to-air munition designed for aircraft self-defense. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., released a solicitation last week (BAA-RWK-2014-0001_CALL_003) for the Miniature Self Defense Munition (MSDM) Seeker Conceptual Design project.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Sharing intel better. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports, “More than ever, European countries are voluntarily providing the United States with large amounts of information about their citizens, particularly as those citizens attempt to travel . . . . Things have turned around since summer 2013, when NSA contractor Edward Snowden first disclosed some of the nation’s most closely kept secrets on surveillance capabilities.” See also, “Obama to encourage companies to share cyber threat data.”

2. Drones taking flight. Christian Science Monitor’s Chris Gaylord reports, “One year ago, Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos unveiled his plan for a fleet of flying delivery robots. Legal snarls have grounded commercial interest in using unmanned vehicles. But now, the rules are evolving again.”

3. Beating reverse engineering. Wired’s Andy Greenberg reports, “Software reverse engineering, the art of pulling programs apart to figure out how they work, is what makes it possible for sophisticated hackers to scour code for exploitable bugs. It’s also what allows those same hackers’ dangerous malware to be deconstructed and neutered. Now a new encryption trick could make both those tasks much, much harder.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. Bi-partisan opposition. “President Obama’s war powers resolution has many Republicans and Democrats agreeing on one thing — they don’t like it. Obama’s request for authorization to use military force against the Islamic State is a tough sell on Capitol Hill in its current form, with Republicans calling it too soft and Democrats questioning its scope and size. . . . Sanders is among many Democrats who are skeptical of the terms of the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF), which would approve ‘limited use of the United States Armed Forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.’”

2. Well, that’s boring. “Two GOP senators on Thursday shot down an idea floated by several House Republicans to change Senate rules in order to pass a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and reverse President Obama’s immigration actions. ‘The answer is not to change Senate rules,’ Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said at a press conference held by House and Senate conservatives. ‘The answer is for Senate Democrats not to be obstructionists.’ Cruz said Democrats are acting ‘reckless and irresponsible’ for refusing to move forward on the bill that would fund the DHS.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “What brought Vladimir Putin to the table over Ukraine, and how to keep him there.” Reuters contributor Robin Niblett argues, “U.S. and allied governments need to take this opportunity to consult as quickly as possible and set out a clear set of Western expectations and demands.” See also from The Moscow Times, “U.S. Downplays New Russia Sanctions With Eyes on Cease-Fire Deal.”

2. “After Minsk, Enormous Challenges Lie Ahead.” The Moscow Times’ Ivan Sukhov argues, “Whether or not the war in Ukraine escalates, Moscow’s approach will only deepen its isolation, nearly eliminate any chance of political and technological modernization and perhaps even lead once again to this country’s collapse.”

3. “Ukraine ceasefires: Why the mediators matter.” Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “Whether this latest cease-fire in Ukraine holds may depend on whether a very nationalistic leader, Vladimir Putin of Russia, sees a future for his country in following the ideals of organizations like the EU and OSCE. The fact that he accepts them as mediators indicates he may be so inclined.”