FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. The Secret Service story. Contributor Charles Simmins explains, “One of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States just celebrated its 150th birthday. The Secret Service was created by President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Hours later, in a strange coincidence, he would be murdered by John Wilkes Booth at the Ford Theater. . . .”
2. Being present (online). Editor Lindy Kyzer advises, “You can have the most amazing resume out there, but if you’re failing to consider the four tips below, your great skills aren’t likely to get their due. The cleared talent pool is shrinking, which means more demand for professionals with an active federal security clearance. But you won’t be able to take advantage of those opportunities if your profile is getting passed over because of a few easy-to-fix mistakes. The four tips below take minutes . . . .”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Marine Corps leaders. Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe reports, “Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the commandant of the Marine Corps, has been selected by President Obama to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . . . . But the move leaves a massive hole for the Marine Corps to fill. . . . Here are the individuals who are widely seen as leading contenders to replace Dunford . . . .” See also, “Carter Lauds Choice of Dunford, Selva for Top Posts.”
2. Fourteen years later: Afghanistan. The Atlantic’s Charles M. Sennott reports from Mazar-i-Sharif, “Even after 14 years of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has not fully succeeded in restoring security to the country or defeating the Taliban. Now, at the request of the new Afghan government, the United States has delayed the completion of its troop withdrawal from the country until 2016 at the earliest. In retrospect, that battle at Qala-i-Jangi offered Americans an early glimpse of the complexity, contradictions, and shifting allegiances of Afghanistan.” See also, “Four people sentenced to death in “Farkhunda Case” and “3 jihadists groups merge with Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.”
3. A new alliance: Japan. The Diplomat’s Jeffrey W. Hornung reports, “On Monday, the [United States and Japan] released new guidelines for defense cooperation, outlining the general framework and policy direction for the roles and missions of the two countries’ militaries. This new document lays out a vision for the alliance that is rooted in bilateralism but is global in scope. Importantly, Japan has emerged as a willing partner in many roles it once considered taboo. Together, this translates into a stronger alliance with broader functions and geographical scope. To quote U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, the updated guidelines will “transform the U.S.-Japan alliance.”
4. Vulnerable South Korea. Breaking Defense’s Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. reports, “North Korea can’t nuke the US, not yet. But boy dictator Kim Jong-un already has about a thousand ballistic missiles capable of hitting South Korea and, in some cases, Japan — potentially with a nuclear warhead. Against a large-scale launch, former Pentagon strategist Van Jackson said . . . the missile defenses on the peninsula are ‘woefully outgunned.’ In that scenario, the current combination of Army Patriot launchers and Navy Aegis ships couldn’t defend our own bases, let alone our allies’ cities. As North Korea’s arsenal grows, said Jackson, ‘we’re kind of inching our way towards crisis and nobody’s doing anything to stop it.’”
5. Stories of courage. Also from Dan Lamothe at the Post, “On Wednesday, the Air Force will award three prestigious valor combat decorations to its personnel in the battle, service officials said. Senior Airman Dustin H. Temple will receive the rare and prestigious Air Force Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor in honoring heroism in combat in the service. Goodman and Tech. Sgt. Matthew J. Greiner will receive the Silver Star, which is two levels below the Medal of Honor. The battle marks just the second time in the 14 years since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that more than one airman has received such prestigious awards for heroism . . . .”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. Cybersecurity contracting coalescing. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Cyber security is on the minds of many these days as the U.S. Department of Defense, other government agencies, and private business kick into high gear in attempts to foil hackers and other cyber criminals. Not only is protecting important data a top concern, but U.S. prime defense contractors, sensing market opportunities, are positioning themselves for anticipated lucrative government contracts in the near future. Here are just two moves over the past month by defense primes to be in position for upcoming cyber security business. . . .”
2. Streamlining DHS procurement. Government Executive’s Charles S. Clark reports, “The third-largest federal agency needs to streamline its acquisition process and address continuing reports of waste . . . . In introducing a bill (H.R. 2199) to step up oversight and strengthen the ability of top procurement officials to re-work contracts, leaders of the House Homeland Security Committee expressed impatience with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s ongoing ‘Unity of Effort’ initiative. They also called for ‘clarity’ for U.S. businesses that contract with DHS.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
3. Talk to text: how the NSA does it. The Intercept’s Dan Froomkin reports, “Top-secret documents from the archive of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show the National Security Agency can now automatically recognize the content within phone calls by creating rough transcripts and phonetic representations that can be easily searched and stored. The documents show NSA analysts celebrating the development of what they called ‘Google for Voice’ nearly a decade ago. . . .” See also, “Snowden documents reveal how the NSA searches voice calls,” “How the NSA’s speech-to-text ability keeps getting better every year,” and “NSA accepts proposed Congressional curbs on bulk data collection.”
4. Tech tips from down under. Nextgov’s Hallie Golden reports, “For over two years, the Australian government’s chief technology officer and procurement coordinator, John Sheridan, has led the charge in providing governmentwide technological services. Although a large scale, complex responsibility, his strategy is simple: Work in short, achievable steps to meet long-term goals.”
5. Intelligence, analysis, and mathematics. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “You have access to satellite photos and huge amounts of information from spies and defectors. Each of these sources is fraught with uncertainty to a greater or lesser extent. Some pieces of evidence are more reliable than others. The amount of information is so huge that nobody is capable of establishing a total overview. You therefore need computational tools to interpret all the information. . . .”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Rocky Mountain high. “Skiing weekends in ritzy Aspen, Colo., can cost a pretty penny, but a new taxpayer watchdog’s report on first lady Michelle Obama’s February jaunt to the resort town with her daughters found it cost 14 times more than the average American spends for a week-long vacation. Judicial Watch reported Tuesday that airfare alone cost taxpayers $57,068.80. Not included in the figures provided by the government so far: ‘The attendant costs for U.S. Secret Service personnel, accommodations, meals, rental cars, lift tickets for skiing at Buttermilk, and related expenses.’”
2. Plan B. “Republicans are shifting their line of attack on ObamaCare, abandoning assertions that few people are taking advantage of the law for new arguments that enrollees are getting stuck with low-quality insurance plans. Republicans initially argued the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had not made a dent in the size of the uninsured population. . . . Republicans are now acknowledging that an expansion has taken place, but are pointing to the quality of the insurance that people are gaining to argue that the law is still bad for the country.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “Robert McDonald: Why We Serve.” Federal Times contributor Bob McDonald argues, “This is an exciting time to be at VA. We have the opportunity to lengthen our lead in areas where we’ve always excelled, chart new ground in emerging or evolving areas of health care, and improve the lives of veterans, their families, and their survivors for decades to come. For a purpose in life, few could be more rewarding.”
2. “Tom Vilsack: Why We Serve.” Federal Times contributor Tom Vilsack argues, “Thanks to USDA employees, kids are eating healthy food at school; farmers have access to loans to help build their businesses; rural kids can go to school or visit a library that’s been remodeled and modernized; rural veterans are able to achieve their dreams of owning a farm or business . . . .”
3. “Everything You Need To Know About No-Fly Zones.” Defense One contributor Clint Hinote explains, “[S]etting up a no-fly zone is anything but a ‘no brainer.’ Depending on the circumstances, there may be steep costs and unseen risks. This short primer is intended to introduce readers to the way no-fly zones really work. . . .”
THE FUNNIES
1. Baseball love.
2. Social sciences.
3. Nut House.
