Friday Finale & This Time Last Year
FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Noel networking. Contributor Jennifer Cary writes, “Whether you have a job or are looking for a new one, the holidays are an opportunity for you to expand your professional network and build better relationships with your existing contacts. Consider using some of these tips to make the most of your time with colleagues, friends, neighbors, family, local organizations, open houses, dinner parties and galas this holiday season. . . .”
Cleared spouse. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains, “Think your security clearance is all about you? Think again. There’s a reason you’re required to list a spouse, significant other or cohabitant on your SF-86 – it’s because their behavior (including criminal history and debt) may be a factor in your clearance determination. It all comes down to influence. Here is a round up of four ways your spouse or significant other can screw up your security clearance – and what you can do about it.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Baathists and ISIS. Reuters’ Isabel Coles and Ned Parker report, “Saddam-era officers have been a powerful factor in the rise of Islamic State, in particular in the Sunni militant group’s victories in Iraq last year. Islamic State then out-muscled the Sunni-dominated Baath Party and absorbed thousands of its followers. The new recruits joined Saddam-era officers who already held key posts in Islamic State. The Baathists have strengthened the group’s spy networks and battlefield tactics and are instrumental in the survival of its self-proclaimed Caliphate . . . .” See also, “Fears grow of new sectarian war in Iraq.”
Votel for CENTCOM. Defense One’s Kevin Baron reports, “Gen. Joseph Votel, who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, is the top candidate on a short list to succeed Gen. Lloyd Austin next year as commander of U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, and oversee the military’s fight against the Islamic State and terrorism across the Middle East and Afghanistan . . . . It’s the latest sign of the times that the U.S. military, and President Barack Obama’s administration, continues to see elite counterterrorism and covert operations as the preferred way of warfare . . . .” See also, “Socom’s Votel would be good choice to lead Centcom.”
Profiles in Jihad. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports, “The researchers from Quantum collected televised interviews with 49 fighters in Syria and Iraq — some in custody, some who had defected, and some who were still in the fight. They analyzed the fighters’ statements using a psycho-contextual analytical technique developed by Canadian psychologist Marisa Zavalloni to divine the motivational forces and personal characteristics of the subjects. It is a small sample, not entirely random, but given the difficulty of surveying a group like ISIS, still provides value.” See also, “Arrested in America over ISIS plots.”
Apaches aimed at Ramadi. Defence Talk reports, “The United States is prepared to deploy attack helicopters in support of an Iraqi offensive to retake the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said . . . . There are currently 3,500 US troops in Iraq in a training, advisory and assistance role, who Carter said have been helping the Iraqi army prepare for the battle to retake Ramadi.”
Taliban in-fighting. The Long War Journal’s Bill Roggio reports, “Taliban fighters from two major rival factions clashed today in the western Afghan province of Herat. Afghan officials and military commanders claimed that more than 50 Taliban fighters were killed as supporters of Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, the established Taliban branch in Afghanistan, and followers of a breakaway faction led by Mullah Mohammad Rasul continue to vie for control of the insurgency in Afghanistan.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Better IT acquisition. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “A group of federal contracting advocates teamed up to analyze how to improve the government acquisition process, particularly around government/contractor relations. . . . The six principles . . . were pulled together for a new whitepaper entitled ‘Delivering Results: A Framework for Federal Government Technology Access and Acquisition.’” Read the report.
Apache EW. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Radar experts at Lockheed Martin Corp. will provide airborne electronic warfare (EW) digital radar receivers for foreign military attack helicopters under terms of a $53 million contract . . . . The M-RFI passive RF and microwave sensor is a digital radar receiver system for the AH-64 Apache Guardian attack helicopter (formerly Apache Block III) that provides accurate information under ever-changing battlefield conditions and EW attacks called intentional electromagnetic interference . . . .”
Adopt a cloud. Nextgov’s Mohana Ravindranath reports, “Four years after the Office of Management and Budget issued its ‘cloud first’ policy, the federal government is still lagging in cloud adoption, according to a trade group representing technology contractors. . . . One major stumbling block is that federal contracts are overly specific and limited in scope, ‘in a way that does not allow industry to offer the best solutions’ on the market . . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Marines’ augmented reality. Defense News’ Jen Judson reports, “Augmented virtual reality is emerging as a game changer for Marine Corps training, particularly for ground troops . . . . Augmented virtual reality allows troops to see real terrain and people while simulated objects are superimposed onto the real scene to recreate scenarios found in battle.”
Malvertising. Wired’s Joseph Cox reports, “Malvertising is when hackers buy ad space on a legitimate website, and, as the name suggests, upload malicious advertisements designed to hack site visitor’s computers. . . . This is the booming trade of malvertising: where cybercriminals rent out ads on sketchy corners of the Internet and popular sites alike, in order to infect the computers of as many people as possible.” See also, “DARPA on the hunt for ‘early warning’ cyberattack detection technology.”
OPM cyberstorms. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “The latest rebuke from the Office of Personnel Management inspector general criticizing the agency’s rush to award a breach protection contract in early June is being used to renew calls for OPM CIO Donna Seymour’s resignation. In the wake of revelations about the first major breach of OPM networks — affecting some 4.2 million people — the rush to get a credit monitoring and fraud protection contract in place led to significant violations of the federal acquisition regulation, according to a new IG report . . . .” See also, “State Department Says Hackers May Have Stolen Sensitive Data.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Bad Santa. “After months of bruising political battles, and ahead of a presidential election, many Republicans are in no mood to confirm President Barack Obama’s picks for lifetime judicial appointments — or even more routine executive branch nominees. Nineteen potential judges, a half-dozen ambassadors, a terrorism financing specialist and two high-ranking State Department nominees are awaiting confirmation votes on the Senate floor, a backlog that has this GOP-led Senate on track for the lowest number of confirmations in 30 years. The Senate Banking Committee hasn’t moved on a single nominee all year.”
Coal in the stocking. “Two Congressmen that helped oust Speaker John Boehner in October introduced legislation Tuesday that would strip the benefits Boehner is now slated to receive for the next five years. Reps. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., argued that the benefits package to ex-speakers is excessive, and even cited the case of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who was later linked to child abuse.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“America’s Not Ready for Today’s Gray Wars.” Defense One contributor Eric Olson argues, “We need to reject old doctrine in favor of relevant knowledge, reject quantity in favor of quality, and reject our traditional notion of military victory in favor of local acceptance of enduring success. The budget, not just the conversation, must also reflect this.”
“SSCI Study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program: A Flawed Report.” Lawfare contributor Amy Zegart argues, “The Senate report is a Greek tragedy: full of noble motives and tragic flaws. Seeking to write the definitive account of Bush-era interrogation and detention policies, the report’s process errors and substantive weaknesses have diminished its impact considerably.”
“Make a good impression in 2016.” Fast Company contributor Krista Blair writes, “What’s the impression that others have after an interaction with you? That’s personal branding. Think of it as your own personal calling card, your trademark. In an ever-evolving workplace where competition is fierce, it’s why people will want to work with you, hire you, hear your ideas, support you. So before the ball drops and the champagne pops for the new year, try these seven expert-approved tips for branding yourself in 2016.”
