FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Cleared divorces. Contributor David Brown explains, “In retrospect, opening that Ashley Madison account wasn’t the best idea you’ve ever had. The good news about your impending divorce is that it probably won’t affect your security clearance. The bad news is that it’s pretty easy to do something stupid and lose your spouse and your job.”
Good mental health. Contributor Sean Bigley advises, “Information abounds on the internet about the extent to which mental health concerns impact security clearances. Some of that information is accurate; some is patently false. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to discern the fine line between the two.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Kunduz regained. Reuters’ Hamid Shalizi reports, “Police and residents said Afghan government forces had regained control of most of the besieged city of Kunduz on Monday, and some shops in the center of the provincial capital opened for the first time since it fell to Taliban fighters a week ago. Residents said it was the first time in eight days that they had not heard gun battles and were able to leave their homes to buy food and take stock of the damage done.” See also, “Taliban controls or contests scores of districts in Afghanistan.”
Putin’s Syria strikes. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “The real story of Moscow’s gamble in Syria emerges from an analysis of the targets the Russian planes have hit so far: all but one of these targets were in areas held by the opposition to Syria’s Assad regime, rather than by the Islamic State’s militants. The Russian military intervention in Syria is thus part of a high-stakes bet that with brazen propaganda, political maneuvers and airstrikes, Russia can save Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, from a likely downfall.” See also
Hezbollah vital signs. Christian Science Monitor’s Nicholas Blanford reports, “Hezbollah’s usually resilient base is beginning to feel the burden of a war now in its fifth year that has claimed the lives of a quarter million people and shows no sign of ending. Some are wearily asking – albeit in muted tones for now – where Nasrallah, a leader in whom they traditionally place absolute trust, is taking Hezbollah, the Shiite community, and Lebanon.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Intel seeking HG SIGINT. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Signals intelligence (SIGINT) experts at Systems & Technology Research (STR) in Woburn, Mass., are moving forward with an HF SIGINT project to develop technologies to detect and pinpoint high-frequency (HF) radar and communications systems anywhere in the world. Officials of the U.S. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) in Washington announced an $7.2 million contract to STR last week for the second and third phases of the IARPA High Frequency Geolocation and Characterization (HFGeo) Advanced HF Signal Processing program.”
GSA’s $5B VETS GWAC. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “The General Services Administration released a draft RFP for the second generation of its Veterans Technology Services (VETS 2) GWAC, a set of pre-competed contracts for IT services offered by service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. The current VETS vehicle was created in 2007 and is set to expire in 2017. Well ahead of that closing date, GSA officials are asking industry for feedback on the contract program and the draft RFP for the next round of competition.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Drones swarming White Sands. Defense Talk reports, “While drones are seeing expanded use, with many different countries building, deploying, and selling large airplane-sized drones for military purposes, small-scale drones are still gaining a foothold, mostly due to the technical limitations involved. That technology is expected to improve, and the small-scale drone become more viable as a possible weapon, and it’s that preparation for the future that is driving the swarming project.”
Encryption can’t hack it. Venture Beat’s Mark Sullivan reports, “One security firm says it’s already spotted advertisements for the sale of the stolen T-Mobile data on the dark web. Only time will tell how much data from the Experian hack eventually makes it into the hands of identity thieves, and what damage they do with it.”
Protecting .gov. FierceGovernmentIT’s Dibya Sarkar reports, “The Homeland Security Department has issued several significant awards . . . , including continued development of its cyber traffic monitoring system called EINSTEIN, across the federal government as well as greater research into thwarting distributed-denial-of-service attacks. The department awarded Raytheon a five-year contract potentially worth up to $1 billion to protect the .gov domain . . . . The company will be prime contractor for DHS’s Network Security Deployment Division that designs, develops and maintains the National Cybersecurity Protection System.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Conclave. “For the second time in less than a year, House Republicans will select a new leadership hierarchy this week. House GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has indicated that closed-door elections will be held at noon Thursday for Speaker and ‘any other vacancies that may occur.’ House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is the frontrunner to win his party’s nomination to succeed retiring John Boehner (R-Ohio) as Speaker. He faces long-shot challenges from House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.).”
The twist. “House Speaker John Boehner’s resignation shocked many inside the beltway, but there is nothing new about leadership shakeups which rumble the Capitol at least once a decade and in many cases more frequently than that, often as the result of disappointing election results. But this jolt to the leadership is different, say Capitol Hill insiders, because it grew from discontent among a faction of conservatives looking to push the GOP in a new direction, even though the party won big at the ballot box in 2014.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“Vladimir Putin’s secret weapon for a Syrian end game? Diplomacy.” Reuters contributor Nikolay Kozhanov argues, “The Russians have already signalled that they can raise the stakes in the Syrian game. The meetings that began in New York are an opportunity to steer them on a more productive path.”
“U.S. vs. Russia: What a war would look like between the world’s most fearsome militaries.” Defense News’ Andrew Tilghman and Oriana Pawlyk argue, “Attempting a side-by-side comparisons of the U.S. and Russian militaries is a bit like comparing apples to oranges . . . [T]he Russians have distinctly different strategic goals, and their military structure reflects that.”
“Why the U.S. military can’t succeed in training foreign armies.” Also from Reuters, contributor Lawrence Korb argues, “Military success on the battlefield is more dependent on whether men and women are willing to fight and die for a government they believe in. Rather than how well trained they are, troops have to believe their government is acting in the best interests of all its citizens.”
“Influential Leadership.” Fast Company contributor Carol Vallone Mitchell advises, ‘Influential leaders are showing us the way to lead strongly and effectively without “carrying a big stick.’ Using inclusive behaviors to keep control, gain buy-in, and advance their agendas, leaders at all levels achieve results using the power of influence.”
