Farewell Billy Jack & Tuesday’s Top Ten

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1.  Reinvigorating the Christmas spirit. Contributor D.B. Grady with great ideas for gifts that keep giving: “There are many non-profit organizations that help military veterans, the intelligence community, and the families of the fallen. Choosing which to spotlight was a difficult task, as each of the dozens of worthy charities tends to focus on some different, underserved area of importance. Presented here are three organizations that have been evaluated by Charity Navigator for performance and transparency, ensuring that the money you donate actually goes to the causes you support.”

2.  The ins and outs of FOIA. Also from D.B. Grady, leveraging the Freedom of Information Act: “Why do you need to know how to file a FOIA request? In part because, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, secrets tend to corrode the state. You can play some small part in keeping the system honest. But there are also reasons in your direct self-interest. If you’re a student, the government is basically one giant filing cabinet filled with incredible research material. If you’re a professional and were denied a security clearance, you’re not necessarily going to get a reason as to why. FOIA can help. Likewise, if you were granted a clearance, and simply want to know what the background investigation turned up, you can file a FOIA request.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1.  Blood keeps flowing in Iraq’s protracted, subtle civil war. Aljazeera.Com reports, “At least 92 people have been killed and 161 wounded in a string of deadly attacks across Iraq . . .  in attacks mostly targeting Shia Muslims, who mark a big religious festival next week. No one has claimed responsibility for Monday’s bombings, but rebel groups frequently target civilians and members of the Iraqi security forces to undermine confidence in the country’s Shia-led government and agitate sectarian tensions. . . . At least 262 people have died in attacks across the country this month . . . making 2014 the most violent year in Iraq since the country was pushed to the brink of civil war in 2006 to 2007.” Reuters Ghazwan Hassan reports from Tikrit, “Scores killed in Iraq bloodshed ahead of Shi’ite holy day.”

2.  The next front in al Qaeda’s expanding influence: Sub-Sahara Africa. BBC reports, “The world should be paying more attention to the sub-Saharan threat from al-Qaeda, a former head of the British armed forces has warned. . . . In the past year Islamist groups have stepped up their activities in several African countries. In Somalia, African Union troops have been battling with militants al-Shabab – which came to global prominence with its attack on a Kenyan shopping centre earlier this year. French troops spearheaded the response to Islamist insurgents in Mali. And in Nigeria a state of emergency has been declared in response to attacks by another group. ‘I do worry very much that sub-Saharan Africa is the next front – in many ways it already is,’ Gen Sir David told the BBC.” See also, “Battling al Qaeda in Africa.”

3.  Central African Republic chaos continues. Aljazeera.Com reports, “Homes are being torched and child soldiers are roaming the streets, as the Central African Republic continues to be plagued by inter-militia violence. The cycle of violence is deeply set, as communities become mired in distrust and a will for revenge in tit-for-tat attacks. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks, as the largely Muslim Seleka rebel group, which ousted the country’s president in March, and a largely Christian militia named Anti-Balaka – ‘Balaka’ meaning ‘machete’, the Seleka weapon of choice – have targeted each other, and unarmed villagers. . . . In the town, former homes of Muslims still smoulder. Their occupants have long since fled. Some 7,000 Muslims have taken refuge in the shadow of African peacekeepers here, while 36,000 Christians have packed into the grounds of the nearby Catholic Church.” See also American Forces Press Service’s Cheryl Pellerin’s report, “DOD Continues Central African Republic Peacekeeping Support.”

4.  Russia putting money down in Ukraine. Reuters’ Timothy Heritage and Katya Golubkova report from Moscow, “Ukraine’s president could secure loans from Russia on Tuesday when he meets Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin – money that could help fend off economic crisis as anti-government protests continue in Kiev. . . . Agreement on Tuesday would also be seen in Moscow as a triumph for Putin keeping Ukraine in Russia’s political and economic orbit more than two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed, and preventing a historic westward shift by Kiev. . . . Putin regards Ukraine as vital to creating a political and economic union stretching from the Pacific to the EU’s borders. But Yanukovich is not expected to sign Ukraine up for a Russia-led customs union which Putin sees as the basis for this.”

5.  North Korea – tremors before a quake? AP’s Eric Talmadge reports from Pyongyang, “Contradicting past assertions of unity and strength, North Korea has acknowledged its leadership had indeed been roiled by the challenge by Kim’s mentor and uncle after the 2011 death of Kim’s father. The acknowledgement of dissension and dangerous instability in the government has raised fears of what’s ahead as Kim tries to revive a moribund economy while maintaining and advancing development of the country’s nuclear arsenal.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1.  If there’s a world of hot contracting vehicles, here are the hottest rods around. FederalTimes.Com’s Jennifer Sakole reports, “With all the roadblocks caused by sequestration and the shutdown, you might think that nothing got done this year at the federal level, but there was notable progress in the government wide acquisition contract (GWAC) procurement arena. Two groups of opportunities intersected in both 2013 and 2014: top federal opportunities and task order-based contracts in the form of GWACs and agency-specific indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. . . . There are few top GWAC and agency-specific IDIQ opportunities to consider for inclusion in contracting companies’ pipelines next year.”

2.  Google’s robot army growing endstrength. New York Times’ John Markoff reports, “BigDog, Cheetah, WildCat and Atlas have joined Google’s growing robot menagerie. Google confirmed on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon. The company, based in Waltham, Mass., has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance and even — cheetahlike — run faster than the fastest humans. . . . The deal is also the clearest indication yet that Google is intent on building a new class of autonomous systems that might do anything from warehouse work to package delivery and even elder care.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1.  Those damn constitutional protections. AP’s Frederic J. Frommer reports, “A federal judge made headlines Monday by declaring that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of millions of Americans’ telephone records is likely unconstitutional. But even he realized his won’t be the last word on the issue. . . . Even after the appeals court rules, the Supreme Court will probably have the last word. ‘This is the opening salvo in a very long story, but it’s important symbolically in dispelling the invincibility of the metadata program,’ said Stephen Vladeck, a national security law expert at the American University law school.” Christian Science Monitor’s Warren Richey reports, “In a forceful rebuke of the government’s controversial collection of telephone metadata, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the National Security Agency to stop collecting bulk call information on two individuals and to destroy any metadata already collected about them. . . . ‘Indeed, I have little doubt that the author of our Constitution, James Madison, who cautioned us to beware ‘the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment by those in power,’ would be aghast,’ the judge wrote.” And, VentureBeat.Com’s Meghan Kelly chimes in.

2.  DARPA does it again – cracking radio incompatibility code. Wired.Com’s Allen McDuffee reports, “Darpa’s nearly-completed Mobile Ad-Hoc Interoperability Gateway (MAINGATE) is said to overcome the ‘technical incompatibility between communications systems [that] can hinder information sharing and timely command and control decisions.’ The latest version of the system will soon make its way to Afghanistan, even as U.S. forces draw down. ‘MAINGATE is designed to be a potent communications force multiplier for joint and combined forces,’ said Keith Gremban, DARPA program manager, in a statement. ‘From a radio perspective, MAINGATE allows coalition forces to plug in their own radio systems and MAINGATE takes the necessary steps so everyone can communicate in real time.’ Darpa has been developing MAINGATE since 2008, awarding Raytheon an initial $155 million contract in 2009 to make the concept into a reality. Certain elements of the project have already been used into U.S. Army systems.”

3.  Army leveraging laser to counter mortars and more. Defense-Update.Com’s Tamir Eshel reports, “The Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) underwent multiple test events between Nov. 18 and Dec. 10, at White Sands Missile Range, engaging more than 90 mortar rounds and several unmanned aerial vehicles in flight. . . . According to officials at Boeing, the integration of the multi-mode radar in the tests enable the developers to acquire both target data and provide intercept computation for future integration in laser weapon systems. The Boeing Company is the prime contractor for the HEL MD program.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1.  Retiree rancor rattles Republicans: “GOP lawmakers and military groups have lined up against the bipartisan budget deal making its way through Congress because of a provision that would trim pay for young military retirees. In a joint statement last week, Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said they cannot support the legislation because it ‘disproportionately and unfairly targets those who have put their lives on the line to defend our country.’ The budget agreement, crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), would reduce cost-of-living adjustments for working-age military retirees by 1 percent starting in December 2015, although the existing rate would apply again once former service members reach age 62.”

2.  How to slow the slow: “Stinging from Senate Democrats’ gutting of the filibuster, Senate Republicans will use their private caucus lunch Tuesday to decide on their strategy for holding back a string of nominees. Now that Senate rules prevent the minority party from filibustering administration and judicial nominees, Republicans can’t block Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) from winning confirmation of President Obama’s nominees. But they can slow the Senate down, and force lawmakers to stay in town until Christmas if they choose to. . . . A possible compromise could involve advancing some of the nominees before the holiday along with an agreement to take up the rest when the Senate returns at the beginning of January. Such a deal could be critical, since any nominees pending over the holiday break could be sent back to the White House, which would have to begin the process again from scratch.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1.  “The NSA must disclose more to make its case.” WaPo’s Editorial Board argues, “The NSA’s activities will continue to be litigated in court and in the court of public opinion. If the government is to emerge from Mr. Snowden’s revelations with the authorities that officials insist are crucial, it will have to do more to demonstrate why they are essential and how Americans’ privacy is being protected.”

2.  “The War Against Terror Must Be Fought With Words Too.” Time contributor Jessica Stern argues, “Like all terrorist movements, al-Qaeda too shall pass. But for the moment, it’s on a path to rejuvenation. . . .The individuals and groups we are fighting are mutable and globally spread, with constantly shifting agendas, locations and alliances. Above all, we are fighting a bad idea, rather than a group with a physical address. It’s time to recognize that such a protean enemy requires multiple and constantly shifting responses, including fighting for people’s hearts and minds with words and images of the reality of jihad. There is nothing glamorous about it.”

3.  “5 Tips for Strategic Planning in 2014.” GovExec.Com contributor Dan Conway explains, “Governments are operating in environments of constant change, which directly affects the collective fed-contractor chemistry required to tackle, adjust and execute most all strategic planning goals. Given this environment, future scenario planning will help you reach your strategic planning outcomes. Faced with several potential futures, it is important to know how your organization will be positioned to mitigate risk, meet deadlines, manage communications and allocate resources.”

THE FUNNIES

1.  Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

2.  Santa Selfies.

3.  Expanding world view.

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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.