FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Security Clearance Statement of Reasons. Contributor William Henderson explains, “Sometimes there is insufficient information in the RFA for the adjudicator to make a clearance decision. If this occurs, the adjudicator either returns the RFA to OPM for further investigation or sends a written ‘Interrogatory’ requesting additional information directly from the applicant. When adjudicators have sufficient information to make a clearance decision, they can either grant the clearance or write a Statement of Reasons (SOR) . . . . The SOR is a preliminary decision to deny or revoke a clearance.”
A perfect cleared job. Editor Lindy Kyzer offers, “If you want to land your dream job, get that promotion, or earn a pay raise, you’ve got to get in the game. No one scores from the sidelines. . . . Every stage of the employment process is competitive – from applying, to promotions, to making a career transition. Here are a few tips for helping you score on the job, and attain the prize of a dream career.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
ISIS: a terrorist army. Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber reports, “U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to keep pounding Islamic State militants with airstrikes, but said ground forces in Iraq and Syria must secure any gains produced by the bombing campaign. Meanwhile, France’s defense minister said ISIS has demonstrated a rare ability to fight as an organized military group while simultaneously carrying out terrorist attacks. . . . The group has fought like a ‘classical army,’ used urban warfare tactics, and executed terrorist operations, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters . . . ‘They can do all three at the same time’ . . . . ‘It is no longer a terrorist group; it has become a terrorist army.’” See also, “Obama Discusses Anti-ISIL Strategy With National Security Team at Pentagon” and “Obama warns ISIL fight will take time, broader approach.”
Nuclear talks: ticking clock. AP’s Bradley Klapper reports, “In Tehran Tuesday, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization declared it had reached a ‘general understanding’ in parallel talks with the U.N. nuclear agency on ‘joint cooperation.’ The Iranians have made similar claims previously, and it was unclear if any process was established for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s long-stymied investigation of past nuclear weapons work by the Islamic Republic – a demand of Washington and its partners in negotiations in Austria’s capital.” See also, “Iran demands end to arms embargo as part of nuclear deal.”
Israel’s new commandos. Defense News’ Barbara Opall-Rome reports, “Israel’s High Command announced Monday the establishment of a new commando brigade to fall under the command of the 98th Paratrooper’s Division. Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkott, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, announced July 6 that the new commando brigade would consolidate four elite infantry units of the regular army . . . . The new commando brigade will ‘improve joint operations of special forces in emergency [conditions]’ and serve as ‘decisive front lines of the IDF against future challenges of the enemy.’”
Mabus’ maternity leave. UPI’s Danielle Haynes reports, “Women in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps can now take three times as much paid maternity leave as before thanks to new regulations put in place by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. . . . The new policy adds an additional 12 weeks of convalescent leave to the standard maternity leave allowance. ‘In the Navy and the Marine Corps, we are continually looking for ways to recruit and retain the best people,’ Mabus said. ‘We have incredibly talented women who want to serve, and they also want to be mothers and have the time to fulfill that important role the right way. We can do that for them.’”
CONTRACT WATCH
VMware Inc. and Carahsoft violate False Claims Act. Government Executive’s Charles S. Clark reports, “The software company that recently employed federal chief information officer Tony Scott agreed to pay $75 million to settle claims that the company and a partner firm concealed commercial pricing and overcharged the government . . . . When agencies solicit contracts under GSA’s centralized Multiple Award Schedule program, competing vendors agree to reveal their commercial pricing policies and practices in exchange for the opportunity through GSA to gain access to governmentwide business opportunities. But regulations require that contractors disclose ‘current, accurate and complete’ information on standard and non-standard discounts they offer their commercial customers.”
Navy’s hybrid propulsion. Military & Aerospace Electronics editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Navy shipboard propulsion experts are taking the next step in enhancing the fuel-saving efficiency of propulsion systems aboard late-model Arleigh Burke-class destroyers by developing a hybrid electric drive propulsion for these surface warships. Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington announced a $7.6 million contract modification last week to L-3 Communications Maritime Systems segment in Leesburg, Va., to build the first two shipsets of the Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) Electric Propulsion System (EPS) for Burke-class destroyers.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Comey on encryption. Defense One contributor Dustin Volz reports, “FBI Director James Comey on Monday defended his agency’s position that too-tough-to-crack encryption poses a threat to national security, arguing that terrorists are increasingly using the technology to lock out law enforcement and coordinate attacks. Comey . . . said that ‘there are lots of good things’ about universal strong encryption, such as expanded privacy and protection from cybercriminals. But those benefits must be balanced against the potential risks created by making it more difficult for the government to access the digital communications and data of those suspected of wrongdoing . . . .” Read Comey’s Op-Ed, “Encryption, Public Safety, and ‘Going Dark.’”
Random numbers. FierceGovernmentIT’s Dibya Sakar reports, “The National Institute of Standards and Technology has revised its guidance-recommending methods for generating random numbers, which is crucial in data encryption, and permanently removed any reference to a controversial algorithm suspected of being tampered with by the National Security Agency. The agency published the updated document on June 25 – Special Publication 800-90A, Revision 1 – called ‘Recommendation for Random Number Generation Using Deterministic Random Bit Generators.’ The original document was published in January 2012.” See “NIST Special Publication 800-90A Revision 1.”
Intelligence and autonomous systems. Studies in Intelligence contributors Jenny R. Holzer and Franklin L. Moses explain, “A human-autonomous technology interface may seem like an oxymoron. Today, however, it is an essential ingredient of semiautonomous systems under direct or indirect human control. In the future, autonomous systems must respond even more to human needs and give meaningful feedback. . . . A critical foundation for this next generation of decision support is to develop methods that automatically respond to a decisionmaker’s needs.”
Spy story: Adolf Tolkachev. Washington Post’s David E. Hoffman tells the tale: “In the secret documents which he copied with a simple Pentax 35mm camera clamped to the back of a chair, Tolkachev opened a window on Soviet research and development plans a decade into the future. He provided the kind of intelligence that no satellite could ever hope to capture.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Disorder in the court. “The GOP-controlled Senate is on track this year to confirm the fewest judges since 1969, a dramatic escalation of the long-running partisan feud over the ideological makeup of federal courts. The standoff, if it continues through the 2016 elections as expected, could diminish the stamp that President Barack Obama leaves on the judiciary — a less conspicuous but critical part of his legacy. Practically, the makeup of lower-level courts could directly affect a number of Obama’s policies expected to face legal challenges from conservatives.”
Veto defense. “President Obama indicated Monday that he will veto a final defense authorization bill that congressional Republicans are hoping to get on his desk by mid-July. ‘What we’re not going to do is to accept a budget that shortchanges our long-term requirements for new technologies, for readiness,’ he said . . . . ‘We’re not going to eat our seed corn by devoting too much money on things we don’t need now and robbing ourselves of the capacity to make sure that we’re prepared for future threats,’ he said.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“Afghanistan After the Drawdown.” Lawfare contributors Stephan Watts and Sean Mann argue, “[T]he United States should expect a prolonged military stalemate, with gradual progress toward a political resolution of the conflict possible over time. Such an outcome is much less than that for which American decisionmakers had once hoped. Given the alternatives on display in places such as Iraq, Syria, and Libya, however, it should be an acceptable one—both for the United States and the Afghan people.”
“The only safe way to make a nuclear deal with Iran.” Reuters contributor Elizabeth Rosenberg argues, “The United States has a compelling interest in reaching a nuclear deal that curtails Iran’s nuclear-weapons capability. Sanctions relief, particularly early sanctions relief, can be a fair price to pay for a deal that actually rolls back Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But the insurance policy is the plausible threat of painful sanctions and economic isolation.”
“ISIL and the management of savagery.” Aljazeera contributor Martin Reardon argues, “Given their recent setbacks in Syria and a looming battle with Iraqi Security Forces – aided by Iran-backed Shia militias and coalition air support – ISIL faces threats on multiple fronts, and can ill afford to deal with a Sunni rebellion or spies from within. . . . For ISIL, it’s all about total domination of its subjects and vengeance against its enemies. And that doesn’t bode well for the Iraqi or Syrian people.”
