FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Emotional Intelligence. Contributor Chandler Harris writes, “Emotional intelligence is generally considered the ability to perceive and understand our emotions, as well as the emotions of others, and manage them in a productive and healthy way. While often not thought of as an important indicator of intelligence, there are 19 ways EI contributes to the bottom-line in any work organization . . . .”
Clearance reform. Contributor Ashley LaGanga writes, “Under Obama’s proposed reforms, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and DoD will share responsibility for the background check process. DoD is tasked with securing IT systems related to background investigation process, while OPM will remain the leader on investigative processes. Congressmen sparred over whether President Obama’s this structure is too complicated . . . .”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Navy’s RCB blunder. Foreign Policy’s Dan De Luce reports, “Mechanical problems, communication breakdowns, and a lack of navigation training or preparation all played a role in the blunder . . . . Coming just days before a landmark nuclear agreement with Iran entered into force, the capture of the sailors carried the potential to escalate the situation into a full-blown international crisis. And the incident turned into a political firestorm in Washington.”
N.Korea fires missiles. Reuters’ Jack Kim reports, “North Korea fired several short-range projectiles into the sea on Thursday, hours after the U.N. Security Council voted to impose tough new sanctions on the isolated state and South Korean President Park Geun-hye vowed to ‘end tyranny’ by the North’s leader. The firing escalated tensions on the Korean peninsula . . . .” See also, “North Korea fires short-range projectiles.”
Campbell leaves Afghanistan. Defense Media Activity’s Jim Garamone reports, “The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff presented the Defense Distinguished Service Medal to Army Gen. John F. Campbell here today, saying that Campbell has made a ‘tremendous difference’ to Afghanistan. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. attended the change of command ceremony where Campbell turned over command of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the NATO Resolute Support Mission to Army Gen. John W. ‘Mick’ Nicholson Jr.”
New JSTARS coming. DoD Buzz’s Bryant Jordan reports, “U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said the replacement for the service’s aging ground surveillance plane could begin testing as early as 2021 and be delivered ready for mission just two years later. Welsh’s statement to Congress on Wednesday afternoon again tweaks the timeline on the successor to the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, whose contract and delivery dates already have been changed numerous times.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Women winning contracts. Government Executive’s Charles S. Clark reports, “For the first time in 20 years of trying, federal agencies met their mandatory goal of steering small business contracts to women-owned firms, the Small Business Administration announced on Wednesday. ‘What we were able to achieve was because of that big lift across the country,’ Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet told a gathering of contractors and agency officials at the National Press Club. ‘Women entrepreneurs can be the linchpin for a broader middle class, for upward mobility and social mobility.’”
Optical warfare. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Optical warfare at sea is getting more dangerous and deadly with a U.S. Navy contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. Wednesday to help surface warships defend themselves from maritime weapons that home-in on their targets using lasers and other kinds of electro-optical sensors.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Pentagon’s innovation board. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports, “The Defense Department on Wednesday announced that [Executive Chairman of Alphabet Eric] Schmidt will head up the new Innovation Advisory Board, part of the Pentagon’s effort to become just a bit more like Silicon Valley. The board will consist of 12 executives, handpicked by Schmidt and defense secretary Ash Carter, who have ‘excelled at identifying and adopting new technology concepts’ . . . .”
Hacking DoD. The Christian Science Monitor’s Anna Mulrine reports, “Think you can hack the Pentagon? Well, soon you may get the chance to crack its systems – without violating national security. The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that it will invite vetted security researchers to test its cybersecurity systems in a pilot program set to begin next month.” See also, “Pentagon Wants a Few Good Hackers.”
NSA and Europe’s Privacy Shield. Ars Technica’s Glyn Moody reports, “The European Commission has published details of its transatlantic ‘Privacy Shield’ agreement, which is designed to ensure that personal information of citizens is protected to EU standards when it is sent to the US—even though it would appear that the NSA will continue to carry out bulk collection of data under the new pact. The new deal replaces the earlier Safe Harbour framework, which was struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) following a complaint by privacy activist Max Schrems.” See also, “NSA can still spy under new ‘Privacy Shield’ agreement with Europe.”
Army lasers. IFLScience’s Ben Taub reports, “Soldiers in the U.S. Army may soon be taking to the battlefield with laser weapons, according to a military spokesperson. Speaking to a House of Representatives subcommittee, Army for Research and Technology deputy assistant secretary Mary J. Miller said that tests are currently ongoing to determine the full capabilities of this type of weaponry, and that they could be deployed as early as 2023.”
OPM hack reconsidered. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “During a panel at the 2016 RSA Conference in San Francisco, current and former federal officials made a distinction between hacking for economic purposes as opposed to more traditional espionage between nations. ‘All countries are going to gather information and intelligence to protect their citizens,’ said Christopher Painter, cybersecurity coordinator for the State Department, admitting that some level of espionage between nations is accepted as an international norm.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Biblical. “Republicans should not be surprised by the rise of Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday on the floor. The party has created a ‘Frankenstein monster’ in Donald Trump, he declared. ‘Republicans have spent the last eight years stoking the fires of resentment and hatred, building Trump piece by piece,’ said Reid . . . .”
Kelly files. “The White House is vetting Jane L. Kelly as a potential nominee to fill the seat left by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Kelly, 51, is a career public defender turned appellate judge. The FBI has been conducting background interviews on her, according to an anonymous source . . . .”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“Why democratic countries need a cyberthreat sharing alliance.” The Christian Science Monitor contributor Erel N. Margalit argues, “If there’s one lesson we can learn from the hackers, it’s this: Just as their cyberattacks hold no borders, we should also tear our walls down when it comes to cooperating in our defense against them.”
“Donald Trump is right about defense spending.” Reuters contributor Matthew Gault argues, “In a political climate full of fear of foreign threats and gung-ho about the military, it could take a populist strongman like Trump to deliver the harsh truth: When it comes to the military, the United States can do so much more with so much less.”
“Words And Phrases That Can Transform Your Work Life.” Fast Company’s Michael Grothaus writes, “. . . swapping simple words and phrases we are used to saying multiple times a day can reprogram the way we think about and view perceived obstacles that stand in the way of personal success.”
