Case of the Mondays. Editor Lindy Kyzer writes, “Does your job make you miserable? Are you dreading Mondays and living for the weekend? Maybe it’s time to lower your expectations – they may be the source behind why you really hate your job, less so than the actual work itself. That’s the message from a growing body of research that finds our happiness is less related to our circumstances than our expectations. And while that may seem like a depressing find, the reality should be encouraging for all of us out there working a 9-to-5 or currently trying to land one.”
Clearance costs. Contributor Ron Kness writes, “When applying for a job requiring a security clearance comes down to two individuals – one having an active security clearance and the other one not – normally the one having the security clearance will get the job. Why? For businesses, it basically comes down to these three reasons: Security clearances are expensive, they can take a long time to get, there is no guarantee of approval.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Beating ISIS: “a simple assignment.” Washington Post’s Julian Barnes, Stephen Fidler, Gordon Lubold, and Philip Shishkin report, “Many strategists say military advances will show little progress unless more work is done to eliminate the militant group’s financing, counter its propaganda and cut a diplomatic deal among world powers on Syrian rule. For military planners, destroying the terrorist group’s headquarters and crippling its fighting force is a relatively simple assignment, say strategists: It would require some 40,000 troops, air support and two months of fighting.”
Brussels lock down. Reuters’ Gabriela Baczynska reports, “Soldiers patrolled the streets of Brussels and guarded European Union buildings on the third day of a security lockdown on Monday, as police hunted a suspected Islamist militant who has been on the run since this month’s attacks in Paris. Belgian national Salah Abdeslam has not been found despite 19 raids and 16 arrests overnight, and authorities are still warning of possible imminent attacks like those in the French capital . . . .”
Ash Carter honored. Defense Media Activity’s Shannon Collins reports, “Defense Secretary Ash Carter received the Lifetime of Service award from the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region during the organization’s annual Salute to Service Gala . . . . The gala showcased the Red Cross’s commitment to helping the community in times of need and was a celebration of individuals who contributed to humanitarian services and service to the United States. Army veteran J.R. Martinez hosted the event, in which former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole and his wife Elizabeth were presented with the Exceptional Service Award.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Japan’s submarine pitch. Defence Talk reports, “Japan’s defense minister urged Australia Sunday to award a huge submarine contract to his country, saying such a deal would help bolster regional security. Australia has put out to tender a project worth up to Aus $50 billion (US $36 billion) to replace its current diesel and electric-powered Collins Class submarines. France and Germany are also in the running with Japan to secure the order, with a Nov. 30 deadline to submit final proposals.”
Spain Reaper buy. Defense News’ Esteban Villajero reports, “The Spanish government gave the green light to buy four General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drones between 2015 to 2020 for €158 million (US $168.2 million) . . . . The MQ-9 Reaper, which has a wingspan of 20 meters and 27 hours of operation, is used by the UK, France and Italy, and has been ordered by the Netherlands. The Spanish Ministry of Defense also considered an offer of Israel Aerospace Industries with drone Heron TP. This General Atomics option favored by the Air Force . . . .”
Air Force cyber search. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Air Force cyber security experts are choosing 10 more companies to draw from a pot of money as large as $5 billion over the next five years for military cyber security and information systems research and development. Officials of the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., announced the contracts Thursday for the Cyber Security Technical Area Tasks (CS TATs) program. The contracts were awarded on behalf of the Air Force Combat Command. The 10 new companies joining the CS TATs program are . . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
ISIS OPSEC. Wired’s Kim Zetter reports, “[T]he attackers were guilty of major OPSEC failures—that is, if it weren’t for the fact that some of them still managed to pull off the Paris attacks without prior detection. This suggests they either did use encryption during earlier planning stages of their attacks, or that authorities were so overwhelmed tracking other suspects—French investigators claim they recently thwarted six other attacks—that they overlooked the suspects who pulled off the Paris attacks. This indeed might be the case . . . .”
STEM school summer networking. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “The Homeland Security STEM Summer Internship Program, sponsored by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, provides students who are U.S. citizens with quality research experiences at federal research facilities located across the country and allows students the opportunity to establish connections with DHS professionals. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students in a broad spectrum of STEM disciplines and DHS mission-relevant research areas.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“Mideast chaos, violence won’t end with IS defeat.” AP’s Steven Hurst argues, “The national structures and boundaries created by European colonial powers after the Ottoman Empire was dismantled at the end of World War I are collapsing or already have disintegrated. That has unleashed powerful centrifugal forces that are melting the glue that was holding together increasingly antagonistic religious and ethnic populations.”
“The other front against Islamic State: self-defeating fear.” The Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “The defeat of IS will require not only a clear understanding of what one is afraid of but also how fear plays into it. In a democracy, political opponents should debate the range of tactics necessary against terrorists. But they must not do so by exploiting public fears for political gain.”
“Bombing Syria Won’t Make Paris Safer.” The Atlantic’s David Frum argues, “You can’t act against a problem you won’t acknowledge. Which may be why the West appears headed to a bigger war in Syria, in response to killers who came from Belgium.”
