FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

Animal house. Contributor Sean Bigley advises, “For most security clearance applicants, Section 11 of the SF-86 form (‘Where You Have Lived’) is relatively innocuous. The worst part about it is remembering all those old addresses. But in some cases, the information subsequently gleaned by investigators from neighbors, landlords, and roommates can actually cause major problems for the applicant. I distinctly remember one of those cases from when I was an investigator. . . . .”

Mastering transitions. Editor Lindy Kyzer offers, “[I]f you fancy yourself a future CEO there may be no better career to consider than program management. All great company execs started as great program managers. And your military skills may have no better application. You can keep teams organized, on target, and moving forward to accomplish the mission – you were a born program manager.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

War and water. Vice News’ Esha Dey reports, “About one-fifth of all countries in the world will face acute water shortage by 2040 as climate change disrupts rainfall patterns and a growing population pushes up demand, according to an analysis by the non-profit research organization World Resources Institute (WRI). The study ranked all countries according to the severity of the water crisis they are estimated to face, and the Middle East stood out as the most vulnerable region. Fourteen of the 33 countries most likely to suffer water shortfalls are in the region, including nine that are considered extremely susceptible: Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Lebanon.”

ISIS, law and cyber-war. Christian Science Monitor’s Taylor Luck reports, “Hacker-activists across the world have launched an online war against the so-called Islamic State, targeting the web-savvy jihadists’ vast Internet network of supporters and suspected sleeper cells. But bureaucracy at a wary FBI and stringent US laws against hacking are slowing these efforts to take down the IS web forums and social media accounts, experts and analysts say. As a result, they say, the jihadists are opting to base their web operations on US-hosted sites in order to take advantage of US legal protections.”

Green-on-blue in Afghanistan. The Long War Journal’s Bill Roggio reports, “Two Coalition soldiers were killed by two gunmen dressed in Afghan military uniforms today at the base formerly known as Camp Bastion in Washir district in Helmand province. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the two soldiers who were killed may have been members of US special operations forces who were recently deployed to Afghanistan. The insider or green-on-blue attack, where a member of the Afghan security forces or a Taliban infiltrator kills Coalition personnel, is the third of its kind recorded this year.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

SecDef seeks Silicon Valley cybersecurity help. Defense One’s Kevin Baron reports, “On his way to Silicon Valley, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said a recent intrusion into a Joint Chiefs of Staff computer network shows the Defense Department is not providing the basic level of cyber defenses needed for the U.S. military. Now he wants help. . . . Carter said his desire to increase the military’s computer defenses is one reason he is heading to Silicon Valley on Friday to recruit outside help.”

The end of passwords. In a timely flashback from 2012, Wired’s Mat Honan portends, “You have a secret that can ruin your life. It’s not a well-kept secret, either. Just a simple string of characters—maybe six of them if you’re careless, 16 if you’re cautious—that can reveal everything about you. . . . The common weakness in these hacks is the password. It’s an artifact from a time when our computers were not hyper-connected. Today, nothing you do, no precaution you take, no long or random string of characters can stop a truly dedicated and devious individual from cracking your account. The age of the password has come to an end; we just haven’t realized it yet.”

JLTV deep dive. Popular Mechanics’ Eric Tegler reports, “For three decades, Army and Marine HMMWVs or ‘Humvees’ have been the symbol of American military power everywhere U.S. forces have put boots and tires on the ground. First produced in 1985 by AM General, the Humvee has not only carried hundreds of thousands of Americans to and from combat, it has become a cultural icon. Like the legendary Willys Jeep, the Humvee is part of the language and even spawned a consumer product the Hummer. Replacing it is a big a deal. . . .”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

Sage advice. “A popular retired senator who has endorsed Hillary Clinton is suggesting that Vice President Joe Biden should take a demotion of sorts rather than challenge the former secretary of state for the White House. Iowa’s Tom Harkin discouraged Biden against running for president on Wednesday . . . saying that his former Senate colleague could take a different job in a Clinton White House. ‘He has served the country so well and been a good friend of mine — I love Joe . . . . I just don’t think this would be a wise move.’ He added that there were ‘other ways Joe can serve the country.’”

Agencies gone wild. “How big is the federal government? So big, it has lost count of just how many department and agencies it has, according to a federal watchdog group. Quoting federal officials, the Competitive Enterprise Institute said the number given ranges from a mere 60 to a whopping 430. In face, Clyde Wayne Crews, vice president of policy for CEI, found this gem of a quote inside the Administrative Conference of the United States source book. It lists 115 agencies in the appendix but adds: ‘[T]here is no authoritative list of government agencies.’”

Related News

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.