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Senate Confirms Gen. Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary
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Senate Confirms Gen. Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary

The Senate has confirmed Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense in a 93-2 vote on Friday. President Biden said that Austin has “intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense,” which will support Biden's defense initiatives. His confirmation follows Congress' approval of the waiver to facilitate Austin’s confirmation on Thursday. 

The House voted 326-78 and the Senate passed in a 69-27 vote a congressional waiver that would exempt Austin from a law that requires former military officials to wait seven years after retirement from active duty to serve in the top civilian job at the DOD. 

Austin spent four decades in military service and retired in 2016 as head of U.S. Central Command. He previously discussed his top priorities once confirmed, including plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirm military alliances with countries in the Indo-Pacific.

“[Austin] and I share a commitment to empowering our diplomats and development experts to lead our foreign policy, using force only as our last resort,” Biden said. Austin addressed DOD innovation and technology priorities, during his confirmation hearing Tuesday. “We will have to employ the use of space-based platforms, we have to use [artificial intelligence],” Austin said. “This is not a choice, in my view.” 

During his hearing, Austin spoke of his awareness of the DOD’s emphasis on technology and innovation programs. He noted that China was the largest threat to U.S. strategic security, adding that he will work to enable DOD’s competitive tech advantage.

Austin will collaborate with technology leaders to accelerate modernization across DOD’s platforms and networks, including Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), leveraging emerging technologies to increase interoperability and efficiency. 

He added that the department needs to ensure the right operational concepts to meet future threats. Austin added that connected battlefield networks would be a priority and that AI was vital to the future of warfare. 

In addition, Austin discussed working with senators on technology issues, such as acquisition reform, to increase innovative, solution-driven methods, reducing rigid requirements. 

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Biden Administration Names Steve Jurczyk as Acting NASA Administrator
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Biden Administration Names Steve Jurczyk as Acting NASA Administrator

President Biden’s administration has appointed Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s associate administrator, to serve as the agency’s acting administrator until the role is permanently filled. Jurczyk has served with NASA since May 2018.

“We also could not be prouder of how every civil servant and contractor has stepped up to move the NASA mission forward while looking out for the health, safety, and well-being of the entire team,” Jurczyk and White House appointee Bhavya Lal wrote in the joint message.

Prior to his position as associate administrator with NASA, Jurczyk served as the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate, where he created and executed the agency’s space technology programs.

With the Space Technology Mission Directorate, he focused on developing and demonstrating transformative technologies for human and robotic exploration of the solar system in partnership with industry and academia.

He previously was director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he headed NASA’s first field Center, which plays a critical role in NASA’s aeronautics research, exploration and science missions. Jurczyk began his NASA career in 1988 at Langley in the Electronic Systems Branch as a design, integration and test engineer.

“NASA represents the best of America, and the best of American values: hard work, determination, and ingenuity. And this agency has proven, time and again, that anything is possible when we come together, break down barriers, create opportunities, and imagine a new tomorrow,” Jurczyk and Lal added.

“I am thankful for their willingness to step up to lead during these difficult times and help us make sure the government continues to operate and serve the American people,” Biden said in a statement announcing the acting leads of dozens of government agencies.

Biden has not yet announced a nominee to lead the NASA permanently.

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GDIT Wins Spot on State Department’s $3.3B Global Support Strategy Contract
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GDIT Wins Spot on State Department’s $3.3B Global Support Strategy Contract

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) has been awarded a position on the U.S. Department of State's ten-year, $3.3 billion Global Support Strategy (GSS) 2.0 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle, the company reported on Friday. 

"We have been providing visa-related services to the U.S. Department of State for more than 20 years and look forward to building on this legacy with innovative technical and process solutions to improve service efficiency and customer experience," said Paul Nedzbala, GDIT senior vice president for the federal civilian division.

As one of three prime contractors, GDIT will deliver overseas consulate support services to the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The company’s efforts will support visa application and issuance at U.S. embassies and consulates. 

"The Bureau of Consular Affairs is the department's public face for the global community, and this contract will provide responsive and efficient consular services to facilitate travel to the United States for millions of people," Nedzbala added. 

With the company’s spot on the contract, GDIT will build on its history with the Department of State. The company previously supported the GSS 1.0 contract, delivering services including fee collection, document delivery and mission-focused enterprise IT tailored to the complex global environment.

About General Dynamics 

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; IT services; C4ISR solutions; and shipbuilding and ship repair. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $39.4 billion in revenue in 2019. 

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Stuart McGuigan: State Department Increases Agility, Centralized Tech Infrastructure
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Stuart McGuigan: State Department Increases Agility, Centralized Tech Infrastructure

Stuart McGuigan, former chief information officer at the Department of State, stated that the department has become more agile today than when he arrived in 2018. Since joining the State Department, McGuigan has worked to streamline the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process to increase efficiency. 

“Cloud solves a lot of problems — access, availability. But the heart is an infrastructure play if you are just thinking about cloud. So what we have been pushing for is software-as-a-service,” McGuigan said. 

McGuigan noted that the State Department has driven software-as-a-service, leveraging low-code, no-code configuration capabilities to provide process support for users. Since they operate within a safe and secure platform, there is no overhead and delay, increasing speed to market by using SaaS cloud based capabilities.

He added that fundamental principles of agile, continuous feedback, deep engagement with the user and rapid iteration became the operating model for the State Department. “We didn’t spend a lot of time having philosophical debates on what agile is. We just did the work,” McGuigan said. 

“We will benefit from the innovations that could occur anywhere in the department and everyone would get access to the very best the department can do, or they can contribute something new and innovative and get rewarded for that,” McGuigan said.

He also urged the Department of State to build on the technology foundation the department has established, especially around collaboration and mobility, and to create more secure mobile platforms. McGuigan added that the incoming CIO should analyze critical success factors to reach policy goals, then leverage the basic capabilities to accelerate growth. 

“Analytical modeling and data analytics will be a big play. But more and more having the access to the same information and same tools across a variety of devices in a variety of environments where traditionally we have been hardwired,” McGuigan stated. 

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IRS Outlines Taxpayer Experience, Employee Training Strategies in Congressional Report
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IRS Outlines Taxpayer Experience, Employee Training Strategies in Congressional Report

The IRS has submitted a report to Congress outlining strategies to improve the taxpayer experience, employee training and organizational structure to comply with the provisions of the Taxpayer First Act of 2019.

The agency’s Taxpayer Experience Strategy includes six components, including expanded digital services, proactive outreach and education and enterprise data management and advanced analytics, according to the report.

With about 75,000 employees at more than 500 offices, the IRS plans to execute a strategy to improve employee development and training efforts. The strategy consists of five components: IRS University; Taxpayer-First training; continuous learning for all employees; improving technology; and measuring success.

The agency’s organizational redesign strategy focuses on key areas: improve integration of strategic planning; improve operational efficiencies; increase collaboration; and enhance innovation.

Under the redesign strategy, the IRS proposed a new organizational structure that establishes the position of chief taxpayer experience officer and new divisions: compliance, enterprise change and innovation; and relationships and services divisions.

The IRS said it would require $4.1 billion in funds over five years to implement the law’s mandated provisions, develop and carry out the three strategies and advance its modernization plan. The agency estimates it will need $1.9 billion in funds to modernize its systems, cybersecurity and operations.

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Air Force Research Lab’s WeaponONE Demo Highlights Benefits of Digital Twins to Warfighters; Col. Garry Haase Quoted
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Air Force Research Lab’s WeaponONE Demo Highlights Benefits of Digital Twins to Warfighters; Col. Garry Haase Quoted

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) conducted a demonstration of a program to highlight how digital twin technologies could help deliver weapons capabilities to warfighters in near real time.

AFRL’s munitions directorate integrated the Digital Twin Lab to improve the capabilities of Gray Wolf, a weapons system prototype designed to launch in a swarm to target hostile threats, during the virtual demonstration of the Team Eglin Weapons Digital Enterprise WeaponONE program, the service said Thursday.

The WeaponOne demonstration showed how data is gathered from weapons and transmitted back to digital twins via the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). The digital twins assessed potential software upgrades using computing systems powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning and sent back information to provide performance improvements to physical weapons.

“The Digital Twin Lab represents the ultimate expression of digital engineering, acting as a force multiplier, giving us tremendous flexibility and adaptability to our weapons systems,” said Col. Garry Haase, director of the munitions directorate at AFRL.

The W1 program features several capabilities, including a cloud-based tech stack, on-board flight software and DevSecOps pipeline for simulation development.

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DOD’s John Kirby: Biden Seeks Five-Year Extension of U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty
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DOD’s John Kirby: Biden Seeks Five-Year Extension of U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty

John Kirby, press secretary at the Department of Defense (DOD), has issued a statement saying President Biden is seeking to extend for another five years the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia. 

Kirby said extending New START advances U.S. defense, but would create a loss of inspection and notification tools by failing to extend the treaty would undermine U.S. understanding of Russia’s nuclear forces.

“Extending the treaty’s limitations on stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons until 2026 allows time and space for our two nations to explore new verifiable arms control arrangements that could further reduce risks to Americans,” Kirby said in the statement published Thursday. 

He added that DOD is ready to support colleagues at the State Department as they carry out the extension and look for new arrangements.

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Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place
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Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

After 20 years in the government contracting media business, I sense personally how much the industry mourns the passing of the true GovCon titan in Jack London of CACI.

The ever vigilant Jack London spoke the words, “The world is a dangerous place“ with a clear sense of purpose. Because of people like Jack, a leader of character, the world is indeed a safer place. And for that dedication, we thank him.

In 2010, I had the distinct honor to interview Jack and publish a profile on his passionate commitment to his work, his wife Jennifer, his country and family. For those that would like a warming retrospective on some of the many many accomplishments of his life, I invite you to enjoy the content from our 2010 archives by clicking here for the full article or scrolling down.

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

Jack London: The World Is a Dangerous Place

 

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GAO Releases Annual Assessment of Major DHS Acquisition Programs
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GAO Releases Annual Assessment of Major DHS Acquisition Programs

The Government Accountability Office assessed 24 major acquisition programs of the Department of Homeland Security and found that 19 of those were meeting their cost and schedule baseline goals as of September 2020.

GAO found that five DHS acquisition programs remained in breach of either schedule or cost goals or both as of September last year, including the National Cybersecurity Protection System and the Grants Management Modernization, according to a report published Tuesday.

The report also showed that some of the programs that were meeting the established goals are at risk of schedule delays or cost increases.

The congressional watchdog recommended that DHS ask the undersecretary for management to “ensure the requirements for establishing key acquisition documentation in the acquisition management instruction and Systems Engineering Life Cycle Instruction and Guidebook align.”

Congress should also determine what additional information on schedule, performance and cost risks for DHS acquisition programs it needs to inform oversight and establish reporting mechanisms for the department to supply that information, GAO recommended.

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David Norquist Becomes Acting Defense Secretary; DOD Announces Interim Secretaries for U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force
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David Norquist Becomes Acting Defense Secretary; DOD Announces Interim Secretaries for U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force

David Norquist, deputy secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD) and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, has assumed responsibilities as acting secretary of Defense to ensure continuity of operations and readiness at the Pentagon until a new DOD secretary is confirmed, DOD said Wednesday.

John Roth, who performed the duties of the undersecretary of the Air Force between May and December of last year, assumed the role of acting secretary of the Air Force. He previously served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller from January 2018 to May 2020.

John Whitley, assistant sectary of the Army for financial management and comptroller, was named acting secretary of the Army. He previously served as a senior fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Tom Harker, who previously performed the duties of the undersecretary of defense comptroller, took over as acting secretary of the Navy. He was sworn in as assistant secretary of the Navy for financial management and controller three years ago.

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