Tuesday’s Top Ten

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

Cover letters that rock. Editor Lindy Kyzer advises, “A cover letter is just as important as your resume when applying for a position. But it’s not simply a regurgitation of your resume details. If you want to impress a recruiter, you’ll need to learn the craft of writing a knock-your-socks-off cover letter for each position you apply for. . . . Here are other tips for a cover letter made to impress. . . .”

The right college. Contributor Ron Kness writes, “Research, research, research. Find out all you can about schools on your short list. Visit each one and ask questions. Take what the school tells you and verify the information as accurate and factual before signing up for anything. With the Internet, it isn’t hard to find information about majors or schools.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

War in 2016. Defense One contributor Peter Singer writes, “Some of the events of the last year, like the Syrian rebel training programs falling apart, were utterly predictable. Others were deeply surprising . . . . If we had that time machine, though, we’d want to jump ahead, to see what lies in the future. . . . we turned to a group that ranges from former Navy SEALs and Pentagon officials to technologists and historians, and asked them: ‘Give one prediction for 2016 in the realm of national security and warfare.’”

Iraqis storm Ramadi. Reuters reports, “Iraq’s armed forces stormed the center of Ramadi on Tuesday . . . in a drive to dislodge Islamic State militants from their remaining stronghold in a city they captured in May. The operation to recapture Ramadi, a Sunni Muslim city on the river Euphrates some 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad, began in early November after a months-long effort to cut off supply lines to the city, whose fall to Islamic State was a major defeat for Iraq’s weak central government. Progress has been slow . . . .”

ISIS recruit. The New York Times’ C. J. Chivers tells the story: “Since rising to prominence as an international menace, the Islamic State has tried to glorify its members, describing them as religious warriors who raised arms to protect fellow Sunni Muslims and serve their understanding of God. But the journey of Mr. Aboud, and his recruitment by ISIS, including with cash, departs from scripts emphasizing piety or civil defense. It is the chronicle of an underground fighter maimed and darkened by his long fight . . . .” See also, “Understanding Jihadi ideology and propaganda” and “Islamic State Goes Global: ISIL Spreads in Indonesia.”

Afghanistan lingers on. Washington Post’s Gregg Jaffe reports, “The troops killed Monday outside Bagram air base, the largest U.S. facility in the country, were taking part in one of the core missions that Obama outlined for U.S. forces in October: They were patrolling the area outside the sprawling base to push back insurgents and protect the facility and airfield from insurgent attacks. For much of the war, American forces were rarely challenged around Bagram, which was well outside the Taliban’s traditional area of control. In recent months, however, that has changed, and the Taliban has launched rockets and mortar rounds at the base from nearby villages.” See also, “Britain says deploying military personnel to Afghan Helmand province.”

GITMO releases. Defense One’s Molly O’Toole reports, “The Pentagon is set to transfer 17 detainees from the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the first weeks of the new year, which will bring the remaining total under 100. . . . The departing group will be the largest of Obama’s tenure, and will reduce the inmate population to 90, of which 31 have been cleared for transfer.”

CONTRACT WATCH

Cobra Dane gets new life. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Air Force missile-defense experts are moving forward with a long-term project to keep a 1970s-vintage strategic radar systems up and running with the latest electronic technology. . . . The AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane radar is a passive electronically scanned array installation at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, Alaska, for missile-defense early warning, missile treaty verification, and space surveillance. The radar, which stands 120 feet tall and has a 95-foot-diameter face, became operational in 1977.”

Acquisition growth. Government Executive’s Charles S. Clark reports, “The Defense Department’s human capital strategy has allowed it to grow its acquisition workforce by 27,000 since 2008, though data on specialized personnel proficiency is inadequate . . . . A feared brain drain and a pending retirement wave have prompted lawmakers and the contracting community to push for reforms and better training of the Pentagon’s weapons, supply and service buyers.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

Juniper’s back door. Wired’s Kim Zetter reports, “Security researchers believe they have finally solved the mystery around how a sophisticated backdoor embedded in Juniper firewalls works. Juniper Networks, a tech giant that produces networking equipment used by an array of corporate and government systems, announced on Thursday that it had discovered two unauthorized backdoors in its firewalls, including one that allows the attackers to decrypt protected traffic passing through Juniper’s devices. The researchers’ findings suggest that the NSA may be responsible for that backdoor . . . .”

Musk’s miracle. Washington Post’s Christian Davenport reports, “Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket at its landing pad . . . in its first flight since its rocket exploded six months ago. The historic landing, the first time a rocket launched a payload into orbit and then returned safely to Earth, was cheered as a sign that SpaceX, the darling of the commercial space industry, has its momentum back. . . . Reusing the first stage, which houses the engine and is the most expensive part of the rocket, was thought impossible by many just a few years ago.”

Santa’s coming: NORAD’s on it. The Atlantic’s Yoni Applebaum reports, “Santa Tracker takes its place in a long military tradition of keeping track of Saint Nick, using press releases to cultivate favorable coverage. At the height of the Second World War, Eisenhower’s headquarters put out a release offering ‘Christmas guidance’ to war correspondents.  It confirmed that ‘a new North Pole Command has been formed,’ that ‘Santa Claus is directing operations,’ and that ‘he has under his command a small army of gnomes.’”

IT in 2016. Federal Times contributor Casey Coleman writes, “As the New Year approaches, IT leaders in the federal government can anticipate the usual challenges related to budgets, acquisition and other obstacles. But I expect 2016 also to be a year of progress in key areas such as shared services, implementation of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), and cybersecurity. Here are some developments that I predict will have increased momentum next year . . . .”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

Disproportionate. “Press coverage of Islamic State atrocities is responsible for boosting the terrorist group’s global image and blowing the threat out of proportion, President Obama suggested in an interview that aired Monday. . . . He said the terrorist group calculates how its attacks will raise its profile, explaining that this allows the Islamic State to increase its recruitment numbers.”

Endorsements. “Less than 50 days before the New Hampshire primary, several Republican presidential candidates are looking for big endorsements that might make a difference in one of the most exciting presidential races in history. Big names including 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have yet to endorse in the race. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a favorite in New Hampshire who won the state’s primary in 2008, also could be looking to endorse after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) decision on Monday to leave the race.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

When my Japanese-American family was treated as less than human.” Reuters contributor Mike Honda argues, “We cannot move forward if we continue to repeat the same mistakes. We cannot let racism and bigotry overrun Americans’ conscience and good faith. The tragedy of Japanese-American internment cannot, must not, be repeated.”

The US Needs Someone to Run the Effort to Defeat ISIS Online.” Defense One contributors Frank J. Cilluffo and Sharon L. Cardash argue, “If the United States and our allies are to reclaim the cyber battlefield from the Islamic State, we need a playbook for pushback, just as we would prepare battle plans to prosecute a war kinetically. . . . A playbook for action is within reach. We just need the political will to follow it through.”

 “The Six Faces of the Islamic State.” Lawfare contributor Daniel Byman argues, “Our desire to label the Islamic State as a terrorist organization may be because terrorism is what scares us so much. But treating the Islamic State as solely a terrorism problem will not defeat it.”

THE FUNNIES

Reason for the season.

Downed Santa.

Elections 2056.

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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.