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Gen. Michael Guetlein Confirmed as Golden Dome Program Lead
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Gen. Michael Guetlein. Guetlein has received Senate confirmation to serve as the Golden Dome czar.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed by voice vote Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, as direct reporting program manager for the Golden Dome project.

President Donald Trump officially nominated Guetlein for the position in June.

Congressional Golden Dome Caucus Chair Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., congratulated Guetlein on his Senate confirmation for the role.

“I am confident that under his leadership, President Trump’s vision to innovate our homeland missile defense through Golden Dome will soon become a reality – creating a strong deterrence against our adversaries,” Crank said in a statement published Friday.

Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., serves as co-chair of the Congressional Golden Dome Caucus, which was established in June in accordance with a January executive order directing the development of a next-generation missile defense shield.

Gen. Michael Guetlein Confirmed as Golden Dome Program Lead

Learn more about the Golden Dome initiative during a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Book your spot at the GovCon conference now!

Who Is Michael Guetlein?

In 2023, Guetlein took on the role of vice chief of space operations to help train and equip space forces, integrate space policy and guidance, and coordinate space-related activities for the Space Force and the Department of the Air Force.

Prior to this position, he was commander of Space Systems Command.

Previous assignments of the newly confirmed Golden Dome czar include deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; program executive for programs and integration at the Missile Defense Agency; and director of the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

The Oklahoma State University mechanical aerospace engineering graduate previously served as military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow.

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Sonya Ebright Named DCMA Acting Director
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DCMA Deputy Director Sonya Ebright assumes new role as the agency's acting director.

Sonya Ebright, a retired Navy captain, is now the acting director of the Defense Contract Management Agency.

Who Is Sonya Ebright?

Ebright, the DCMA deputy director since May 2022, took over Thursday following the departure of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Greg Masiello, who was nominated in June to lead the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office.

As deputy director, she spearheaded agency reorganization efforts and strengthened ties with other Department of Defense agencies, including the Defense Logistics Agency.

DCMA manages more than 304,000 contracts valued at nearly $7.9 trillion and oversees a workforce of about 10,000 personnel worldwide.

“I am deeply honored, humbled and energized to serve alongside such a committed and mission-driven workforce,” Ebright said, noting that the agency is expanding its role to include oversight of supply chains for the president’s drone dominance mission. “DCMA has also been tasked by Acquisition and Sustainment and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for more data, program information and acquisition insight,” she added.

A senior executive service member, Ebright previously led DCMA’s Contracts Executive Directorate and International Command. Her 37-year Navy career included leadership roles in contracting, operations, finance, logistics, strategic management and special programs.

She earned master’s degrees from the Naval Post Graduate School and the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Idaho.

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Pete Hegseth Orders Review to Protect DOD Cloud Services From Chinese Hackers
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth directed a review to protect DOD cloud services from Chinese hackers.

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, has signed a memo initiating a two-week review to ensure that cloud services across DOD are free of any foreign involvement that could compromise the security of U.S. military systems.

Use of China-Based Engineers to Support DOD Cloud Services

A ProPublica investigation has found that Microsoft is using China-based engineers to help maintain DOD cloud and computer systems with little oversight by U.S. personnel, a situation that could expose DOD networks to Chinese hackers.

The nearly decade-old system depends on “digital escorts,” or U.S. citizens with security clearances who oversee the work of these Microsoft engineers in China on the Pentagon’s cloud platforms. 

According to ProPublica, these digital escorts lack the technical expertise to monitor foreign engineers who have more advanced skills.

“This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today’s digital threat environment,” Hegseth said in a video posted Friday on X.

“Now this was a legacy system created over a decade ago during the Obama administration, but we have to ensure the digital systems that we use here at the Defense Department are ironclad and impenetrable, and that’s why today I’m announcing that China will no longer have any involvement whatsoever in our cloud services, effective immediately,” the DOD secretary added.

Microsoft’s Response to Reports on Use of China-Based Engineers

Following the release of the ProPublica report, Microsoft said it will cease using China-based engineers to support its cloud services for DOD.

“In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” Frank Shaw, a spokesperson for Microsoft, said in a post on X.

“We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed,” Shaw added.

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Senate Confirms Joseph Edlow as US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director
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Joseph Edlow. Edlow has been confirmed as the next USCIS director.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 52-47 to confirm Joseph Edlow as the new director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and he will replace Ur Mendoza Jaddou, who resigned from the position.

Who Is Joseph Edlow?

Before his confirmation, Edlow was the agency’s deputy director for policy and chief counsel. He is the founder of the Edlow Group. Prior to USCIS, he was the deputy assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice. He previously served in the House of Representatives for three years, as the counsel of the Judiciary Committee, which is a subcommittee of Immigration and Border Security, and as the legal counsel of Congressman Raul Labrador. Edlow was also the assistant chief counsel of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He began his career as the associate attorney in the law offices of Scott Rolle.

Commenting on his confirmation, Edlow said he was honored to serve USCIS.

“I am greatly looking forward to advancing the president’s agenda to restore integrity in our legal immigration system and safeguard our communities and nation,” Edlow remarked.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for USCIS. Together we will forge ahead to realize the mission of an agency born out of the horrific terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to meet ever-evolving threats and ensure that we serve as the frontline to safeguard our homeland,” he added.

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GAO Identifies 11 Most Critical Legacy Tech in Need of Modernization
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Government Accountability Office logo. GAO reviewed critical legacy systems across multiple agencies.

The Government Accountability Office identified 11 of the most critical legacy systems across 10 federal agencies.

In its recent review, the congressional watchdog also found that only three agencies have documented modernization plans that include best practices for their aging technologies.

Federal Legacy IT Challenges

According to GAO, eight of the 11 most critical federal legacy systems identified in the report have outdated languages, seven have known cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and four have unsupported hardware or software.

For instance, the office found that the Environmental Protection Agency is operating a system with hardware no longer supported by its manufacturer and has known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, Department of the Treasury systems in the list run on Common Business Oriented Language, or COBOL, and Assembly Language Code. The watchdog warned that people who know COBOL and Assembly Language Code are dwindling in numbers.

GAO also found that agencies had modernization plans for nine of the 11 systems. Of the modernization plans, only three included all key elements, namely, milestones, description of necessary work, and summaries of planned disposition. The two systems without plans are owned by the departments of defense and energy.

The watchdog warned that failure to document modernization plans could lead to cost overruns, schedule delays and project failure. Failure to update legacy systems would be especially detrimental because it would expose agencies to performance issues and security threats.

GAO called on Congress to require agencies to develop modernization plans for the legacy systems identified in the report.

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NASA Launches Athena EPIC Satellite to Assess Sensor Deployment Capabilities
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Athena EPIC satellite. NASA will launch the Athena EPIC mission on July 22.

NASA is set to deploy the Athena Economical Payload Integration Cost, or Athena EPIC, mission onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on July 22.

NASA Launches Athena EPIC Satellite to Assess Sensor Deployment Capabilities

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 and learn about various air and space defense initiatives.

Athena EPIC Satellite

The agency said Friday the test launch aims to evaluate the viability of a new satellite platform intended to accelerate the deployment of sensors into space. The platform is built using Hyper-Integrated Satlets and is engineered to share resources among payloads onboard. It is intended to manage routine functions, negating the need for each payload to do so.

The Athena sensor payload, developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center, includes an optical module, a calibration module and a new sensor electronics assembly. It was built using spare parts from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System, or CERES, mission.

What Are Hyper-Integrated Satlets?

The Athena EPIC utilizes the HISats modular satellite design, developed by NovaWurks. It reportedly functions like interlocking building blocks that can be assembled into larger structures called SensorCraft. The configurable SensorCarft conforms to various sizes and shapes to match payload designs, enabling the sharing of resources among multiple payloads.

“Instead of Athena carrying its own processor, we’re using the processors on the HISats to control things like our heaters and do some of the control functions that typically would be done by a processor on our payload,” said Kory Priestley, principal investigator for Athena EPIC.

“We don’t need as many capabilities built into our key instrument because it’s being brought to us by the satellite host. We obtain greater redundancy and it simplifies our payload,” Priestley added.

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Proposed Bill to Support National Lab Modernization
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Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., introduced the Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act.

Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., has introduced the Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act, which aims to revitalize the Department of Energy’s national laboratories.

Enhancing National Laboratories

Foster’s office said Thursday the proposed legislation aims to authorize $25 billion through the fiscal year 2030 to fund the maintenance and enhancement of infrastructure at the national labs. The investment will be used to meet the national labs’ current needs and address the backlog of unfunded projects.

The bill complements and expands earlier funding commitments, including $14.7 billion Foster, co-chair of the House National Labs Caucus, raised through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

Support for the Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., who serves as co-chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus, leads a companion bill in the Senate. Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC, Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., are cosponsoring the bill while the Federation of American Scientists endorses it.

Remarks From Rep. Foster & Sen. Luján

“An ongoing challenge at our national laboratories is the lack of sufficient funding for essential maintenance and upgrades. Right now, there’s a severe backlog of unfunded modernization projects,” said Foster.

“Across the country, our National Labs – including Sandia and Los Alamos in New Mexico – have positioned the U.S. as a global leader in cutting-edge research and scientific innovation. To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from driving innovation in emerging technologies like quantum and AI to strengthening national security – our Labs need strong, reliable infrastructure,” stated Luján.

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Katie Arrington Establishes DOD Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office
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Acting DOD CIO Katie Arrington. Arrington directs the formation of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office within DOD.

Katie Arrington, a previous Wash100 awardee who currently performs the duties of DOD’s chief information officer, has released a memorandum directing the establishment of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office, or ZT PfMO, and the creation of the position of chief zero trust officer.

The directive-type memo took effect Thursday, July 17, and will be converted into a DOD instruction.

Learn more about zero trust and other critical IT efforts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 at the Hilton McLean!

What Is the DOD Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office’s Mission?

The ZT PfMO will coordinate, synchronize and advance the DOD Enterprise’s transition into a ZT cybersecurity architecture and modernize the department’s capability to prevent malicious actors from exploiting the department’s data and resources.

What Are the DOD Chief Zero Trust Officer’s Roles and Responsibilities?

The memo outlines the chief zero trust officer’s responsibilities, including publishing the DOD ZT Strategy and associated plans and roadmaps and establishing DOD enterprise strategic and execution milestones and definitions for the achievement of DOD ZT target and advanced capabilities. They also include ensuring ZT-related budgets are aligned with the achievement of target- and advanced-level ZT and supporting annual ZT funding assessments and advising on DOD component ZT budget planning.

The officer should also maintain awareness of department-wide budgetary actions that impact ZT adoption across the Pentagon and support the DOD Cyber Council and the DOD ZT Executive Committee regarding ZT implementation.

The document also details the responsibilities of the DOD CIO, the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and other department officials regarding the implementation of the DOD ZT Strategy.

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MITRE Offers Recommendations for Enhanced Defense Acquisitions With Allies
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MITRE logo. The non-profit organization shared insights from the Breaking Barriers Acquisition Summit in a new white paper

MITRE has called for the federal government to modernize defense acquisition and strengthen supply chains by cooperating with international partners and allies.

The not-for-profit organization said its white paper, published Thursday, offers 12 tangible steps to accelerate acquisition reform at the Department of Defense.

The paper was developed using insights from congressional, defense and industry leaders who attended MITRE’s Breaking Barriers Acquisition Summit in May.

Learn more about innovative contracting method and other acquistion reform efforts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 at the Hilton McLean!

MITRE’s Recommendations for Accelerating Acquisition

The paper’s 12-step recommendations include changes at the policy level and utilizing existing international partnerships to develop a wider range of opportunities.

For instance, it mentioned Pillar Two of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States partnership, which focuses on research and development of new defense capabilities. MITRE pointed out that Pillar Two will explore technologies critical to the Golden Dome project and other programs. The Pentagon must develop a roadmap to ensure that the objectives of Pillar Two are realized.

MITRE also recommended that the DOD establish a Requirements, Acquisition and Programming Integration Directorate, or RAPID, initial operating capability for international collaboration within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. RAPID will be granted with short-term policy exemptions to test acquisition reforms and speed up the integration and delivery of capabilities with allies.

The paper is also urging the DOD to consider an Allied Implementation Review System to facilitate trade of critical technologies, such as artificial intelligence and hypersonics, with the nation’s closest allies.

During his speech at the Breaking Barriers Summit, Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized the importance of allies and partners in addressing threats.

“We must break down the barriers to cooperation for data sharing and interoperability by aligning standards and reevaluating restrictions hindering collaboration. Our most powerful advantage remains our relationships with industry and with our allies and partners,” he said. “By breaking down barriers and fostering collaboration, we can and will maintain our technical edge and preserve peace and prosperity.”

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Space Force Unveils New Guidelines for Commercial Space Access Resourcing Decisions
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US Space Force logo. USSF unveils its Principles for Space Access Resourcing Decisions.

The U.S. Space Force has updated its Commercial Space Strategy with the addition of its Principles for Space Access Resourcing Decisions annex. This outlines the framework for how the service will prioritize and allocate government resources in support of commercial space sector activities.

The nine guiding principles outlined in the annex are designed to support the Assured Access to Space Enterprise, focusing on acquisition strategies, investment priorities and property allocation.

“Our access to space is foundational to our national security and way of life,” said Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements. “These principles reflect our understanding that a strong commercial space industry is a force multiplier for the U.S. Space Force. We are committed to working alongside our industry and allied partners to ensure safe, reliable and resilient access to space for decades to come.”

Learn more about commercial space investments at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 at the Hilton McLean!

Nine Principles for Space Access Resourcing Decisions

  • Assure space access for national security
  • Foster a robust, innovative, and competitive commercial space access industry
  • Drive resilience through diversity in launch vehicles, launch companies, launch site infrastructure, and supply and logistics chains
  • Balance risk with mission objectives
  • Maximize the return on investment from government resources
  • Be ready to launch payloads when needed
  • Preserve public safety and protect critical national and natural resources during hazardous activities
  • Protect launch and range resources
  • Pursue equitable cost-sharing arrangements with industry

 

The move comes as the space access landscape continues to evolve, with commercial space activities accounting for the majority of launch manifest activities.

“For decades, our partnership with the commercial space sector has been instrumental in securing America’s access to space,” said Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of Space Systems Command. “We are committed to making strategic decisions that ensure our national security needs are met, while also fostering a robust and competitive commercial space industry. The strength and innovation of the commercial sector is ultimately a force multiplier for our national security.”

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