FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Hiring Vets: keeping Vets. Contributor Jennifer Cary reports, “After years of military service, it’s probably much easier to make the leap to a civilian position with the DoD as opposed to a civilian job with the Social Security Administration. But for those willing to take a chance, there are definite advantages behind their veteran status. . . . Civil service is a great option for service members separating from the military and worth considering while job hunting. And if both the individuals and the agencies are working toward successful employee integration, it’s likely the retention rates for veterans will improve.”
Logistics logic. Editor Lindy Kyzer offers, “If you’re the kind of guy or girl who likes to get things from point A to B but does not like someone telling you how to do it, consider logistics. A logistics professional works under pressure to get goods where they need to go. In the case of defense industry logistics, this may mean getting millions of dollars in equipment overseas on a time crunch. Those with ulcers need not apply, but if you have an attention to detail and the ability – perhaps literally – to move mountains when necessary, logistics can be a great career.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
ISIS destroys Temple of Bel. AP’s Sarah El Deeb reports, “A Syrian official in charge of antiquities said Monday his government has not been able to determine how much damage an explosion near the ancient Temple of Bel caused the ancient structure in the militant-controlled city of Palmyra. Activists, including a resident of the city, said an Islamic State bombing extensively damaged the 2,000-year old temple Sunday. The resident described a massive explosion, adding that he saw pictures of the damage but could not get near the site.”
Airfields: Afghanistan’s new Silk Road. AP’s Lynne O’Donnell reports, “It is a striking vision for a country torn to pieces by war and jihadi insurrection: a series of airports, built by NATO to fight the Taliban, are being handed over to the Afghan government in a civil aviation upgrade that optimists hope will fuel not only regional trade but even tourism. The eight airfields, worth an estimated $2 billion, are scattered around a landlocked and mountainous land whose lack of rail transport or decent roads makes almost every intercity journey a perilous adventure – even without factoring in attacks from Taliban militants.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Flexible hybrid electronics: Pentagon’s wearable tech. Reuters’ David Alexander reports, “U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter awarded $75 million on Friday to help a consortium of high-tech firms and researchers develop electronic systems packed with sensors flexible enough to be worn by soldiers or molded onto the skin of a plane. . . . The group will work to advance the development and manufacture of so-called flexible hybrid electronics, which can be embedded with sensors and stretched, twisted and bent to fit aircraft or other platform where they will be used.”
Aurora aircraft automation: ALIAS. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Avionics designers at Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. in Manassas, Va., are moving forward with a U.S. defense research program to develop and insert new aircraft automation into existing planes and helicopters to enable operation with reduced onboard crew. Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., announced a $15.4 million contract modification to Aurora Flight Sciences on Wednesday to begin the second phase of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Robotics: what’s ahead. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker’s interview with DARPA’s Gil Pratt: “Gill Pratt can safely be called the military’s top mind in robotics. As the program manager for the DARPA Robotics Challenge, or DRC, Pratt managed an international competition that brought 24 teams to a simulated disaster zone in California, complete with rubble and disrupted communications, to explore how humans and robots could work together in emergencies like the Fukushima Diachii nuclear meltdown.”
Militarized domestic drones. The Daily Beast’s Justin Glawe reports, “It is now legal for law enforcement in North Dakota to fly drones armed with everything from Tasers to tear gas thanks to a last-minute push by a pro-police lobbyist. With all the concern over the militarization of police in the past year, no one noticed that the state became the first in the union to allow police to equip drones with ‘less than lethal’ weapons. House Bill 1328 wasn’t drafted that way, but then a lobbyist representing law enforcement—tight with a booming drone industry—got his hands on it.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Shutdown looms. “An explosive confrontation brewing between the House Republican leadership and conservatives over Planned Parenthood is threatening to shut down the government for the second time in three years. And House GOP leaders have yet to settle on a strategy to avert it. Desperate to avoid another closure, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his team would prefer to build bipartisan opposition to funding the group through a series of high-profile Congressional investigations. But, at this point, that seems unlikely to cut it with a bloc of House conservatives who have said they simply won’t vote for a large-scale spending plan that funds Planned Parenthood.”
Hammer time. “Republicans intend to hammer Senate Democrats next month if they do not allow an up-or-down vote on a measure disapproving President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. Democrats appear close to having enough support for the deal to bottle up the disapproval measure with procedural motions. If Republicans vote in a united bloc, they would need the support of six Democrats to break a filibuster, but only two Democrats have broken ranks so far. If the resolution is filibustered, it would be a major victory for the White House . . . . Opponents of the agreement, however, believe Senate Democrats will pay a political cost.”
