SITREP Iraq, Bergdahl Investigation, Market Driven Cybersecurity

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. Writing, resume, and profile basics for success. Contributor John Holst advises, “Stop being unintelligible–find your writing style again. . . . If you were in a leadership position at some point, you may have had the opportunity to help others write their reviews. But you used a different rule set and writing style, one to help highlight the individual’s performance, in speech unintelligible in the civilian world. You will need to translate and sharpen that review language—not copy and paste it into your resume.”

2. A strategy for cleared women. Contributor Tranette Ledford recommends, “Given the challenging job market, women veterans are often discouraged by the numbers and choose not to pursue careers dominated by men and those paying top salaries. But most of the statistics they’re seeing are national; they aren’t tailored to fields in which a clearance is a requirement. . . . This is also a good time for women interested in cleared careers with government contractors, as there’s an increasing push for greater gender and cultural diversity, a move largely pushed by women working in this sector.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. SITREP Iraq. Brookings.Edu’s Kenneth M. Pollack reports, “What appears to be the most likely scenario at this point is that the rapid Sunni militant advance is likely to be stalemated at or north of Baghdad. They will probably continue to make some advances, but it seems unlikely that they will be able to overrun Baghdad and may not even make it to the capital. This scenario appears considerably more likely than the two next most likely alternative scenarios: that the Sunni militants overrun Baghdad and continue their advance south into the Shia heartland of Iraq; or that the Shia coalition is able to counterattack and drive the Sunnis out of most of their recent conquests.”

2. Iraq—to strike, or not to strike. Reuters’ Ziad al-Sanjary and Arshad Mohammed report from Mosul, “President Barack Obama considered options for military action to support Iraq’s besieged government on Monday but made no decision on the U.S. response to a Sunni militant onslaught that has threatened to tear the country apart. Obama, who discussed the crisis with his top national security advisers, has made U.S. action contingent on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s taking steps to broaden his Shi’ite-dominated government. . . . U.S. and Iranian officials discussed the crisis in Vienna on the sidelines of separate negotiations about the Iranian nuclear program, the two sides each said. Both ruled out military cooperation.” See also, “US forces moving into Iraq with security mission,” “How Baghdad Might Fall: Plain Old Bribery,” and “Capitol Hill Calling for US Military Action in Iraq.”

3. Bergdahl investigation commences. BBC.Com reports, “The US military has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sgt Bowe Bergdahl’s disappearance from an Afghan outpost. The Army has appointed Maj General Kenneth Dahl, who served in combat in Afghanistan, to lead the investigation. . . . In a statement, the defence department said Maj Gen Dahl would have access to evidence gathered in 2009 shortly after Sgt Bergdahl was captured. But officials will not be able to interview him until a team working on his ‘reintegration’ will allow it.” Read the Army’s statement on the investigation.

4. Navy readies for F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. DoDBuzz.Com’s Kris Osborn reports, “Navy test pilots are conducting numerous shore-based test landings of the F-35C of the next-generation Joint Strike Fighter in anticipation of its first at-sea landing on an aircraft carrier later this year . . . . The shore landings, taking place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., are designed to replicate the range of conditions which the F-35C is likely to encounter at sea—to the extent that is possible.”

5. Warrior trials are on at West Point. Army.Mil contributor Anna V. Eisenburg reports, “More than 100 wounded, ill and injured service members and Veterans from across the United States joined together at West Point to train and compete in the Army Warrior Trials, June 15-20. The event is hosted by Warrior Transition Command, and the Army Warrior Trials include athletes from the Army, Marines and Air Force who will face off in archery, basketball, cycling, track and field, swimming, shooting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. Participants in the trials include athletes with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, serious illnesses and amputations.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. Federal contractor protections for LGBT. Christian Science Monitor’s Linda Feldman reports, “President Obama will soon sign an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation, the White House signaled Monday. The gay rights community has long urged such a move, but Mr. Obama had held off in the hope that Congress would act on a broader measure to protect all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers from employer discrimination. Now Obama appears to have concluded Congress won’t act, following the defeat last week of House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia to a tea-party backed candidate in his GOP primary.” See also from FederalTimes.Com’s Andy Medici, “Obama to ban LGBT discrimination among contractors.”

2. Lockheed’s $36 million radar electronics contract. MilitaryAerospace.Com editor John Keller reports, “Radar experts at the Lockheed Martin Corp. Mission Systems and Training segment in Syracuse, N.Y., will provide array electronics for the AN/TPS-59A version 3 transportable long-range search radar system under term of a $35.7 million contract awarded Friday by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Tobyhanna, Pa. The AN/TPS-59A(V)3 is a long-range 3-D ground-based air surveillance radar. The system is for anti-air warfare to a maximum range of 300 nautical miles, and tactical ballistic missile surveillance to a range of 400 nautical miles.”

3. Pratt & Whitney F-35 engine woes. DefenseNews.Com’s Aaron Mehta reports, “Flights of the F-35 joint strike fighter were temporarily halted over the weekend in order to inspect an engine valve . . . . Pentagon officials halted flights Friday in order to inspect the oil flow management valve fitting inside the F135 engines that power the fighter. However, the program office says most F-35s are back flying. The engines are manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The decision to inspect the valve was made following a Tuesday incident where a Marine piloting an F-35B model near the service’s Yuma, Arizona, base was forced to make an emergency landing after the plane began warning of oil loss.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Rapid, mobile deployment and surveillance. MilitaryAerospace.Com reports, “Integrated Microwave Technologies LLC (IMT) in Mount Olive, N.J., is introducing the DropCam Tx-II/Mini MobilCMDR video camera, transmitter, and receiver kit for rapid deployment and tactical surveillance. The DropCam Tx-II/Mini MobilCMDR video camera, transmitter, and receiver kit is a rapid-deployment video and audio solution that includes the DropCam Tx-II Transmitter with integrated camera and microphone, along with IMT’s Mini MobilCMDR receiver and monitor.”

2. Market-driven cybersecurity. FierceGovernmentIT.Com’s Dibya Sarkar reports, “Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler said he wants to work with the private sector to build a new, business-driven model to improve cybersecurity of the nation’s information networks. ‘This new paradigm must be based on private sector innovation, and the alignment of private interests in profit and return on investment with public interests like public safety and national security . . . .’ Rather than ‘blindly trusting the market,’ Wheeler said this new regulatory model needs to be more ‘dynamic’ and transparent with market accountability that doesn’t exist today.’”

3. Zapping Rachel—a cash contest for techies. VentureBeat.Com’s Richard Byrne Reilly reports, “Looking for technical solutions to help eradicate annoying robocallers, the FTC has launched a contest called ‘Zapping Rachel’ that will give a big cash prize for the engineer or team that comes up with the best proposal to combat the odious robocall onslaught that shows no sign of slacking. Indeed, last year’s winners split the $50,000 prize. Indeed, with a catchy name and a decent cash prize, the FTC, who receives over 100,000 complaints yearly on the annoyance, is looking to get a leg up. . . . The FTC wants designers to build what they’re calling a ‘honey pot’ that will lure in robocallers. Engineers and law enforcement are then able to study the perpetrators technology and design countermeasures accordingly.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. The I-word: “Rep. Lou Barletta says the House ‘probably’ has the votes to impeach President Barack Obama. ‘He’s just absolutely ignoring the Constitution, and ignoring the laws and ignoring the checks and balances,’ the Pennsylvania Republican said of Obama on the Gary Sutton radio show on Monday. ‘The problem is, what do you do? For those that say impeach him for breaking the laws of bypassing the laws—could that pass in the House? It probably could. Is the majority of the American people in favor of impeaching the president? I’m not sure.’ . . . Barletta’s communications director has since clarified the statements, saying impeachment proceedings would be ‘harmful.’”

2. The enemy of my enemy is my friend: “The Obama administration signaled that talks with Iran on countering insurgents in Iraq may begin this week amid renewed negotiations with Tehran and other world powers over trying to reach a long-term agreement to curb its nuclear program. The U.S. and Iran separately have agreed to help Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki battle a fierce al Qaeda-inspired insurgency by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which has taken control of major cities in the northwest and is threatening Baghdad. Secretary of State John Kerry, in an interview with Yahoo News on Monday, said the U.S. would be open to cooperating with Iran militarily on how best to repel the ISIS offensive.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “Obama’s impossible choices on Iraq.” Reuters’ Bill Schneider argues, “It was really Maliki who lost Iraq. It was hopelessly naive for Washington to believe that the United States could somehow turn a sectarian politician like Maliki into a model democrat. The United States is skilled at exporting arms and equipment and advice. We are no good at all at exporting democratic politics.”

2. “Middle East: Death by identity.” Aljazeera.Com contributor John Bell argues, “Sadly, the Middle East is a testament today that an instrument once crucial for our survival, our group, has become the very vehicle of our destruction.”

3. “Can an Islamic caliphate survive in today’s Mideast?” Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “Patience and wisdom, rather than war, may help bring the downfall of a group whose ideas are devoid of substance.”