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Trump’s Executive Order Renames DOD to Department of War
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The Pentagon. Trump’s executive order renames DOD to the Department of War as a secondary title.

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War as a secondary title.

The department said Friday the EO authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DOD and the deparment’s subordinate officials to use secondary titles, such as “Secretary of War,” “Department of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War,” in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial contexts and non-statutory documents within the executive branch.

According to a White House fact sheet, the order requires all executive departments and agencies to recognize the secondary titles in internal and external communications and directs Hegseth to recommend executive and legislative actions to permanently rename DOD to the Department of War.

Enhancing the Department of War’s Focus on National Interests

According to the executive order, restoring the name Department of War will sharpen the department’s focus on national interests and indicate to adversaries the country’s readiness to wage war to protect its interests.

“We changed the name after World War II from the Department of War to the Department of Defense and … we haven’t won a major war since,” said Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 awardee.

“And that’s not to disparage our warfighters … That’s to recognize that this name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring; words matter,” he added.

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Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp Nominated as NGA Director
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Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp. The director’s adviser for military affairs at ODNI has been nominated as the next NGA director.

President Donald Trump has nominated Army Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp, director’s adviser for military affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as the next director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 awardee, announced Bredenkamp’s nomination in a news release published Friday on the Department of War’s website.

Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp Nominated as NGA Director

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Who Is Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp?

In January 2024, the Senate confirmed Bredenkamp as the director’s adviser for military affairs at ODNI. In her current role, the lieutenant general advises the director of national intelligence on Department of Defense activities and issues.

Before taking on this position, she was commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Her joint assignments include serving as director of intelligence for U.S. Forces Korea; vice director for intelligence, J-2, Joint Staff; and deputy director of program analysis and evaluation, G-8, U.S. Army.

Bredenkamp previously served as staff officer for the strategic advisory group to the commanding general and intelligence officer for the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

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Federal Hiring Modernized as OPM Implements “Rule of Many”
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Office of Personnel Management seal. OPM's “rule of many” expands candidate pools and promotes merit-based selections.

The Office of Personnel Management has issued a final rule replacing the longstanding “rule of three” with the “rule of many” to modernize federal hiring. OPM, which announced the reform on Friday, said the rule applies to competitive and excepted service appointments to ensure agencies hire based on practical skill and merit, as measured by skills-based assessments.

What Is OPM’s Rule of Many?

The rule allows agencies to select from a broader pool of top-ranked candidates by certifying a “sufficient number” of applicants using one of four methods: a cut-off score based on job analysis data, a cut-off score based on business necessity, a set number of top-ranked applicants or a percentage of top-ranked applicants. It replaces the category rating system under which all applicants in a broadly defined category were treated as equally qualified. Hiring managers can now stack rank the full slate of candidates based on skills and competencies, without regard to the category rating system, and remove more than one candidate at a time, up to the number of remaining positions being filled, beginning with the fourth selection.

Rule of Many Operational Guidance, Expected Impact

OPM will issue updated instructions through a revised Delegated Examining Operations Handbook to guide implementation. The fact sheet accompanying the final rule states the reform is intended to remove barriers to using skills-based assessments in federal recruitment and to give hiring managers greater flexibility in candidate selection.

OPM said the rule will improve workforce quality, reduce reliance on direct-hire authorities, and promote a more efficient, effective and equitable federal hiring system.

“For more than 150 years, the federal hiring process has been shaped by outdated rules that limited hiring managers’ ability to bring in the best candidates,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said. “American taxpayers deserve a government that hires the most capable people to serve them, and this rule makes that possible.”

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HR Modernization Effort at DHS Shows Limited Progress Despite $262M Spent, GAO Reports
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Government Accountability Office logo. GAO assessed the Department of Homeland Security's HR system modernization.

The Government Accountability Office said in its new report that the Department of Homeland Security’s investment in modernizing its human resources IT systems has produced limited results.

According to the congressional watchdog, DHS does not have an approved strategy or measurable goals to guide the effort, preventing progress.

HR Modernization Effort at DHS Shows Limited Progress Despite $262M Spent, GAO Reports

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DHS HR Modernization Project

Between 2005 and 2023, DHS spent at least $262 million to digitize paper-based processes and consolidate duplicative systems used in HR.

The DHS has established program goals in 2011, 2020 and 2022, with the latest goals remaining in draft status as of April 2025.

GAO attributed DHS’ lack of progress in achieving its goals to gaps in the implementation of key portfolio management practices. For example, DHS has only partially implemented risk management practices, such as maintaining a risk register to track portfolio risks.

DHS leaders also shared challenges overseeing federal shared services provided to the agency by the Department of Agriculture. The report revealed that DHS cannot ensure that Agriculture complies with federal cybersecurity requirements.

GAO made 10 recommendations to the DHS, including addressing remaining portfolio management gaps and renegotiating agreements with the Agriculture Department. Both departments concurred with the recommendations.

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Rep. Pat Harrigan Introduces SkyFoundry Act to Scale Drone Production
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Rep. Pat Harrigan. The North Carolina congressman has introduced the SkyFoundry Act to enhance the production of drones.

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C.-10, has introduced the SkyFoundry Act of 2025, a new legislation designed to significantly enhance the United States’ capacity to design, test and build drones.

Mass-Producing Small Drones

According to Harrigan’s office, the new bill aims to establish a government-operated facility that can manufacture one million small drones each year. The facility will leverage rapid research and development with high-volume production within the U.S. Army’s existing industrial base.

The proposed legislation is intended to fast-track the production and deployment of drones by eliminating red tape and reducing other delays associated with traditional military contracting.

Pat Harrigan Comments on SkyFoundry Act

“China and Russia are flooding the battlefield with millions of drones while America has sat on its hands. More than 80 percent of casualties in modern war now come from drones, yet we still have no capacity to build them at scale. That failure is reckless, and it leaves our troops exposed,” said Harrigan.

“I introduced the SkyFoundry Act to end that weakness. This bill creates the capacity to design, test and build a million drones a year right here in America” Harrigan continued.

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CBP Issues Draft Solicitation for Traveler Processing & Vetting Software 2.0
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CBP seal. CBP issued a draft solicitation for Traveler Processing & Vetting Software 2.0.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection agency has issued a draft solicitation to seek industry feedback for a blanket purchase agreement supporting the Traveler Processing and Vetting Software, or TPVS, 2.0.

CBP Issues Draft Solicitation for Traveler Processing & Vetting Software 2.0

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Traveler Processing and Vetting Software 2.0 Contract Scope

According to the presolicitation notice published on SAM.gov Thursday, the TPVS 2.0 contract, under the General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule Program, will cover comprehensive lifecycle services for various CBP initiatives. Through BPA task orders, the agreement will include the Passenger Systems Program Directorate’s TPVS suite of software applications and specialized equipment. The task orders may incorporate hybrid contract types, including time-and-material and firm fixed price.

The actual solicitation is expected to be released around mid-October through the GSA’s eBuy procurement platform. CBP, particularly its IT Contracting Division, plans to award the contract during the first quarter of 2026, while the potential completion date is June 30.

In May, the CBP PSPD started seeking proposals for the TPVS 2.0 contract, which is estimated to be valued at over $100 million. The potential contractor will handle software application services, including technology, modernization and cloud migration.

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Federal CIO Gregory Barbaccia to Oversee Federal Service Delivery Under GSDI Act
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Federal CIO Gregory Barbaccia. Barbaccia will also oversee efforts to improve service delivery under the GSDI Act.

Gregory Barbaccia, federal chief information officer and a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, will serve as the federal government’s service delivery lead under the Government Service Delivery Improvement, or GSDI, Act.

The official confirmed his new responsibilities in a LinkedIn post Friday.

“The goal? Give the American public a 21st century experience that rivals their favorite consumer brands,” he wrote.

Gregory Barbaccia’s New Responsibilities

In January, former President Joe Biden signed into law the GSDI Act, which tasked the Office of Management and Budget to designate a federal government service delivery lead who would work with executive branch leaders and coordinate efforts to ensure that agencies meet the needs of citizens, businesses and organizations.

Barbaccia established three core principles to meet the objectives of the GSDI Act.

His first focus would be to encourage adoption of commercial, user-friendly solutions and to eliminate the government’s reliance on costly paper documents. Barbaccia said he will work with the new chief design officer, Joe Gebbia, to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order on Improving Our Nation Through Better Design.

Barbaccia will also prioritize services built around end users, not agencies.

“One set of data for the public, not a thousand repeats across 7,000+ sites,” he said. “We’ll realign accountabilities so technology becomes an integrator, not a barrier.”

Finally, the official will establish standardized metrics to measure cost to serve, return on investment, technical performance and user experience. He added that decisions will be based on data. 

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Deborah Gracio Named PNNL Director
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Deborah Gracio. The 35-year PNNL veteran will be the next director of the Battelle-run national lab.

Deborah Gracio, a 35-year Pacific Northwest National Laboratory veteran, will take on the role of PNNL director in October.

Battelle said Thursday Gracio will succeed Steven Ashby, who announced his intent to step down as head of PNNL earlier this year.

Battelle operates the national lab for the Department of Energy.

“Deb is a visionary leader with deep scientific roots and a steadfast commitment to mission,” said Lou Von Thaer, president and CEO of Battelle and a 10-time Wash100 awardee. “Her insight, experience, and dedication to advancing science in service to the nation make her the ideal leader for PNNL’s future.”

Gracio, who was selected through a competitive national search, said she is honored to lead the national lab.

“Our mission has never been more urgent or more inspiring. I’m committed to fostering the collaboration, innovation, and clarity needed to help our teams deliver meaningful impact for the Department of Energy and the nation as we look to the future,” she added.

Who Is Deborah Gracio?

Gracio currently serves as PNNL’s associate laboratory director for national security, overseeing a suite of national security initiatives and leading key programs and partnerships.

Her previous roles at PNNL include chief operating officer of the National Security Directorate; director of the National Security Program Development Office; director of the Computational and Statistical Analytics Division; head of the Data-Intensive Computing Research Initiative; and project lead for the Extensible Computational Chemistry Environment.

The Washington State University electrical engineering graduate is a Fellow of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Gracio is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and sits on the boards of several academic, community and business organizations.

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Army DEVCOM Armaments Center Partners With IQT to Address Tech Capability Gaps
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Michael Santaspirt. The Army DEVCOM Armaments Center chief futures officer commented on the partnership with IQT.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, Armaments Center has partnered with the CIA and In-Q-Tel to advance Army priorities and accelerate the development and deployment of military capabilities to warfighters in support of national security missions.

Army to Leverage IQT’s Tech Scouting Infrastructure

“Our relationship with IQT combines specific U.S. Army technology needs with IQT’s global technology scouting and assessment network to ensure that we deliver innovative capabilities when and where they’re required,” Michael Santaspirt, chief futures officer at Army’s DEVCOM Armaments Center, said in a statement published Thursday.

IQT is a not-for-profit strategic investor that identifies and evaluates commercial emerging technologies to deliver capabilities to government partners through its global investment platform. The organization’s portfolio companies develop software and products that could support national security missions.

“The Army will provide a comprehensive problem set of technical challenges and IQT will activate its network to find new and novel technologies that can fill capability gaps,” Santaspirt said. “IQT meets with about 1000 companies each year to find the best company founders and technologies that the Army can adopt.”

Through the partnership, Santaspirt added that the Armaments Center could benefit by broadening its Strategic Futures program scope and “gaining access to companies and technologies that would be otherwise undiscoverable.”

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Western Tech Startups Urged to Guard Against Exploitation in International Pitch Competitions
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence seal. US and Canada warn tech startups about international pitch risks.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center, alongside the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and ODNI’s Office of Economic Security and Emerging Technology, has issued new guidance to help Western technology startups avoid exploitation at international pitch competitions. 

Western Tech Startups Urged to Guard Against Exploitation in International Pitch Competitions

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Risks and Red Flags in International Pitch Events

The bulletin warns that entities affiliated with the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party may use pitch competitions, often held across the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, to exploit Western innovation and talent. Participants are typically lured via promises of cash awards, subsidized trips to China, market-entry support and other benefits—but at potential cost to their intellectual property, data, production processes or talent.

“International pitch competitions should be a nurturing ground for innovation, not a hunting ground for foreign threat actors and competitors to coopt Western technology and talent for their own benefit,” said James Cangialosi, NCSC acting director. “Western tech startups face significant risks when participating in international pitch competitions organized by entities affiliated with the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party.”

The China Overseas Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, held by the China Association for Science and Technology, is cited as a key example. The event collected over 2,032 project pitches from 50 countries in 2024 and more than 7,400 pitches since 2016. Evidence suggests that such competitions aim to attract overseas talent and support China’s innovation and entrepreneurship goals, the guidance stated, adding that participants were asked to disclose sensitive information, including patents, business plans and personal data, and in some cases, were required to form a business in China as a condition for receiving funding. 

Protective Measures Startups Should Consider

To mitigate the risks, the bulletin urges tech startups to take the following steps before joining pitch competitions:

  • Due diligence: Research event organizers—confirm affiliations, funding sources and alignment with participant intentions. 
  • Data protection: File patents before public disclosure and use non-disclosure agreements and secure presentations to protect IP. 
  • Limit exposure: Disclose only necessary information, review agreements carefully, document all interactions and set clear boundaries. 
  • Continuous monitoring: Track any increased foreign interest following the event and be prepared to act. 
  • Engage authorities: Register travel, use government security guidance and report suspicious activity to appropriate agencies.
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