FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Email resolutions. Contributor Jennifer Cary writes, “If you find yourself spending more time than you’d like with your email, consider using some of these tips to take your relationship from crazy in love to the friend zone. . . .”
Cyber hiring 2016. Contributor Charles Simmins writes, “Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, joined by Booz Allen, is calling for changes that would allow all Federal agencies and departments use the same authority that Homeland Security has to hire cyber experts with a less restrictive review process. They also advocate the use of an existing law that would allow the government to pay salaries in excess of civil service rates.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Shoring-up Ramadi. Reuters’ Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin report, “U.S.-led forces have killed 10 Islamic State leaders in air strikes, including individuals linked to the Paris attacks, a U.S. spokesman said, dealing a double blow to the militant group after Iraqi forces ousted it from the city of Ramadi. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted the national flag in Ramadi after the army retook the city center from Islamic State, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats.” See also, “Iraqi army needs Kurds’ help to retake Mosul – Zebari.”
Iran’s shots across the bow. AP’s Jon Gambrell reports, “Iranian naval vessels conducted rocket tests last week near U.S. warships and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz . . . . While the U.S. didn’t retaliate to Saturday’s rocket test, the Strait of Hormuz has been the scene of a battle between the two countries’ navies. On April 18, 1988, the U.S. attacked two Iranian oil rigs and sunk or damaged six of its vessels, including two naval frigates, in Operation Praying Mantis. That came after the near-sinking of the missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts by an Iranian mine.” See also, “Iran fires rockets near US aircraft carrier” and “Iran ships enriched uranium to Russia as part of nuclear deal.”
Wings to Afghan Air Force. DoD Buzz’s Brendan McGarry reports, “The Afghan air force is finally set to receive its first batch of A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft. . . . eight of the turboprop planes are expected to begin arriving in the country next year, possibly as early as January, to replace the Russian-made Mi-35 Hind helicopter gunships used by the force for close air support missions. The Air Force’s revised request for proposals called for delivering the first 10 aircraft at a rate of two a month . . . .”
CONTRACT WATCH
Missile defense in 2016. Defense News’ Jen Judson reports, “As European countries scramble to buy new next-generation air and missile defense systems or upgrade existing systems, the battle for business between Raytheon and Lockheed is set to continue into 2016, even in countries where key decisions appear to have already been made. . . . Both Germany and Poland are expected to finalize contracts for a system in 2016 while it’s anticipated other countries will determine what they can afford to buy or develop alone, which will guide what type of role Raytheon or Lockheed could play in future procurement across NATO.”
Hobbling 18F agility. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “The original competition for a spot on the BPA — which included having companies demonstrate they could produce working code within a set timeframe — met with some early fits and starts as 18F worked out the kinks of a new acquisition process. The first slate of awards were announced in late August and were immediately met with protests from companies that failed to get a spot. Now, after the initial protests were settled and just as 18F was getting ready to go ahead with the full launch of the vehicle, additional protests have been lodged, delaying the contracts further.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Spy story: ISIS double agent. Reuters’ Maria Tsvetkova tells the tale: “An ethnic Russian born to a non-Muslim family in Russia’s industrial heartland, Khasiev spent his teenage years among Chechens who knew him as a devout Muslim and a fluent Chechen speaker. Some of his Chechen friends went off to fight for Islamist militants in the Middle East, and encouraged him to join them. In his other life he associated with non-Muslims, had a friend in the police, and had a licence from the Interior Ministry . . . .”
DARPA’s TERN. Defense News’ Christopher P. Cavas reports, “Known as TERN, for Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node, the project is a joint program between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research. . . . The Northrop TERN model, first shown on Dec. 11, is a flying-wing tailsitter design with a four-point landing wheel configuration, powered by twin, counter-rotating propellers on its nose. The aircraft will take off and land vertically, transitioning to horizontal flight to carry out its mission.” See also, “Northrop Grumman Corporation Explores New Avenues Till Bomber Contract Approval.”
Cryptographic ethics. The Atlantic contributor Kaveh Waddell writes, “Computer scientists and cryptographers occupy some of the ivory tower’s highest floors. Among academics, their work is prestigious and celebrated. To the average observer, much of it is too technical to comprehend. The field’s problems can sometimes seem remote from reality. But computer science has quite a bit to do with reality. Its practitioners devise the surveillance systems that watch over nearly every space, public or otherwise—and they design the tools that allow for privacy in the digital realm. Computer science is political, by its very nature.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Promises, promises. “House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) informed his GOP colleagues at a recent closed-door meeting that he had just received a promise from Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.). The room — filled with lawmakers skeptical of Reid’s motives — erupted in laughter. . . . Fresh off a nearly $2 trillion government funding and tax-cuts deal, both Ryan and Reid are sounding a rare note of cooperation in the midst of a highly partisan presidential election cycle.”
You can hear me now. “The White House secretly approved the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of Congress, after President Obama announced in January 2014 that the U.S. would no longer collect data by listening in on phone calls. After former NSA contractor Edward Snowden informed the public about the agency’s metadata program, the White House privately created a list of world leaders it would allow NSA continue to spy on . . . .”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“The measure of progress against Islamic State.” The Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “The victories against IS may require military means. But they are only possible when Iraqis find what they have in common through faith. The victories in Najaf will help ensure military victories in other cities.”
“Elon Musk is right about the threat of AI, but he’s dangerously wrong about why.” Quartz Quora argues, “In a world with finite resources and an economy based around exponential growth, we will inevitably face another global tragedy of the commons.”
“There’s No Such Thing as Peacetime.” Foreign Policy contributor Rosa Brooks argues, “The Forever War is here to stay. Wartime is the only time we have. We might as well get used to it — and get to work.”
THE FUNNIES
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