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Navy Signs Agreement for USAF Leadership Over Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling
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Navy Signs Agreement for USAF Leadership Over Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

The U.S. Navy has signed an agreement that formally transfers the authority of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) to the U.S. Air Force (USAF). A memorandum of agreement signed between Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Lescher and USAF Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson allows for a transfer of over 900 positions and funds worth $645 million related to JBAB, the Air Force said Thursday.

JBAB will host the 11th Wing and support the group's mission partner network of about 70 entities. The Navy will continue to oversee the Washington, D.C.-based facility until October 2020 when the next fiscal year begins.

“More than half of the mission sets on JBAB fall under the Air Force, so it made sense for us to assume the responsibility for prioritizing installation and mission-support resourcing at the base,” Wilson said.

The 11th Wing expects to gain JBAB's full operational capability in 2022.

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Space Force Unveils Program to Bolster Commercial Satcom Security
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Space Force Unveils Program to Bolster Commercial Satcom Security

The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is creating an effort to bolster the cybersecurity of the Department of Defense's (DoD) commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) systems. The Infrastructure Asset Pre-Assessment (IA-PRE) program aligns with USSF's mission to have the U.S. military supported by the most secure commercial satcom systems, the Space Force said Wednesday.

“Cybersecurity is critical to the DoD and its missions,” said Jared Reece, COMSATCOM IA policy and compliance lead at USSF's Commercial Satellite Communications Office. 

The program will create a list of approved COMSATCOM products that meet DoD-imposed requirements. CSCO asks satellite companies to submit input on how government and industry can work together towards mutual goals under the program.

Interested parties may send responses through July 2.

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NASA Sees No Need for Additional Funds Amid James Webb Telescope Delay
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NASA Sees No Need for Additional Funds Amid James Webb Telescope Delay

NASA plans to address the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program's delay costs through existing funds, Space News reported Thursday. The agency has witnessed delays in the space telescope's developmental schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to address issues without additional funds.

Eric Smith, JWST program scientist, said his team still has both fiscal and schedule reserves, and does not anticipate the need for more funds.

“We can go a few months, several months past the March date and still have reserves to cover that,” Smith said at a meeting with NASA's astrophysics advisory committee.

The delay makes NASA unable to pursue the original launch date of March 2021, and the space agency still has yet to name a new date. JWST is designed to provide visuals of deep space and help scientists study the birth of older galaxies in the universe.

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Army, USCYBERCOM Deploy Next-Gen Virtual Environments for Training Ops
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Army, USCYBERCOM Deploy Next-Gen Virtual Environments for Training Ops

The U.S. Army Cyber School and U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) are continuing training activities through online tools and virtual environments as the ongoing pandemic continues to disrupt normal operations, Fifth Domain reported Thursday.

As part of its remote exercises, the cyber school is incorporating its Virtual Training Area (VTA) that uses open-source technologies to enable Army personnel to log in from various locations around the world through non-Department of Defense networks.

USCYBERCOM is also continuing its remote learning efforts for a major training event that will utilize the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) for the first time, according to the report.

Col. Paul Craft, commandant of the Army's cyber school, told the publication in an interview that the school’s virtual training environment “had existed prior to COVID-19” and was able to prepare the unit for increased virtual operations.

He noted that the Army plans to migrate training operations from VTA to the PCTE once the latter goes live.

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GAO: U.S. Air Force Must Improve Assessment of Retention Efforts for Drone Operators
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GAO: U.S. Air Force Must Improve Assessment of Retention Efforts for Drone Operators

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the U.S. Air Force to establish metrics to properly assess its efforts to hire and retain personnel that handle the operations of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).

GAO said in a report released Thursday that the Air Force is yet to achieve its 2024 staffing goals for sensor operators and pilots, as well as its implementation of a combat-to-dwell policy to ensure that RPA units’ time is spent equally on combat and noncombat activities.

The watchdog also said that the Air Force doesn’t have enough historical data to predict retention trends for RPA personnel despite providing financial incentives. 

“Without updated information to inform the number of required instructors, the Air Force does not know the correct number of instructor positions necessary to train RPA aircrews to be ready to complete their mission,” the report states.

“Without a metric (or set of metrics), it is unclear whether any adjustments are needed to meet its implementation timeframes.”

The service branch has recorded fewer RPA staff than authorized since fiscal 2016, according to the report.

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Brig. Gen. Rob Barrie to Assume PEO Role at Army Aviation Office
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Brig. Gen. Rob Barrie to Assume PEO Role at Army Aviation Office

Brig. Gen. Rob Barrie will succeed Pat Mason as program executive officer for Aviation at the U.S. Army effective July 1st, Inside Defense reported on Thursday. 

Barrie will oversee various project offices including programs under the service branch's future vertical lift programs under his new role. Mason will take over Barrie's position as deputy PEO as part of the appointment.

Barrie assumed the role of deputy PEO in January 2020 and served at the Department of Defense (DoD) as chief of staff for the assistant secretary of the Army. He also held the role of project manager for cargo helicopters at Program Executive Office Aviation.

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President Trump Signs Executive Order to Change Hiring Process in U.S. Government; Wilbur Ross Quoted
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President Trump Signs Executive Order to Change Hiring Process in U.S. Government; Wilbur Ross Quoted

President Trump announced that he will sign an executive order on Friday to modify the federal government’s hiring practices so that a job applicants’ skills will be given priority over a college degree.

“This will ensure that we’re able to hire based on talent and expand our universe to qualified candidates and ensure a more equitable hiring process,” Ivanka Trump, co-chair of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and President Trump’s senior advisor, said.

The current administration stated that the shift will allow the government to hire a more inclusive workforce based on skill instead of a person’s education level. Ivanka Trump has provided guidance on ways to improve job training. 

During her tenure, she and other administration officials have pushed to increase opportunities for apprenticeships and have promoted training and vocational education as alternatives to traditional college degree programs.

The new hiring practices will recognize the value of learning regardless of whether it occurs on the job or in the classroom, said Brooke Rollins, acting director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, which oversees the president’s domestic agenda.

Trump’s administration noted that the government will not eliminate the college requirement entirely, but will stress skills in jobs where having a degree is less important. Trump’s executive order will direct federal agencies to use assessment methods to determine specifcially whether an applicant possesses the knowledge and skills to do the job in question. 

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the workforce advisory board’s other co-chair, said the need for skills training and apprenticeships is as great as it was before the current pandemic forced millions of people out of work, pushing the national unemployment rate above 13 percent in May 2020. “Americans are eager to get to work, but they need our help,” Ross said.

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BlackBerry Limited Reports FY 2021 Q1 Results; John Chen Quoted
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BlackBerry Limited Reports FY 2021 Q1 Results; John Chen Quoted

BlackBerry Limited has announced its fiscal year (FY) 2021 first quarter (Q1) results, noting that the total company non-GAAP revenue of $214 million and total company GAAP revenue of $206 million, the company reported on Thursday.

"On the enterprise front, we saw good demand from customers who recognized the necessity for BlackBerry's security, business continuity, and productivity solutions in an increasingly remote working environment. BlackBerry is capitalizing on the secular trends of securing and connecting endpoints," said John Chen, executive chairman and CEO of BlackBerry. 

Blackberry’s recurring non-GAAP software product revenue was over 90 percent, with non-GAAP gross margins of 71 percent versus 75 percent last year, and GAAP gross margin was 69 percent versus 72 percent last year.

The company’s Non-GAAP operating earnings were $3 million versus non-GAAP operating earnings of $5 million last year. GAAP operating loss was $645 million versus GAAP operating loss of $36 million last year.

The non-GAAP earnings per share was $0.02 versus non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.01 last year. GAAP net loss per share was $1.14 versus GAAP net loss per share of $0.06: basic, and $0.09: diluted last year.

First quarter fiscal 2021 GAAP net loss includes $594 million in a non-cash, one-time goodwill impairment charge primarily related to the impairment of the BlackBerry Spark reporting unit, $33 million for acquired intangibles amortization expense, $14 million in stock compensation expense, a charge of $1 million related to the fair value adjustment on the debentures. 

At May 31, 2020, total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments were $955 million. Net cash used by operating activities of $31 million and capital expenditures of $1 million. Given the uncertainty across the global economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BlackBerry will not provide a financial outlook for fiscal 2021.

"BlackBerry QNX was impacted by macro headwinds in the auto and other embedded sectors but we are starting to see signs of a recovery," Chen added. 

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including more than 175M cars on the road today.  Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. 

BlackBerry's vision is clear – to secure a connected future you can trust.

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GSA Awards Three Contracts for E-Marketplace Platform Providers to Modernize Procurement; Emily Murphy, Julie Dunne Quoted
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GSA Awards Three Contracts for E-Marketplace Platform Providers to Modernize Procurement; Emily Murphy, Julie Dunne Quoted

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded contracts to Amazon Business, Fisher Scientific and Overstock.com to expand implementation efforts for the Commercial Platforms program and Section 846 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, GSA reported on Friday. 

“The e-commerce portals proof-of-concept is an important step in offering a solution for purchasing commercial products online that protects our federal supply chain against malicious and counterfeit goods, furthering our national security,” said GSA administrator and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, Emily Murphy. 

The no-cost contracts will enable GSA to test the use of commercial e-commerce portals for purchases below the micro-purchase threshold of $10 thousand, using a proof-of-concept. The platforms will be available to federal agencies to modernize the procurement and gain insights into open-market online spending. 

Open market purchases on government purchase cards represent an addressable market of approximately $6 billion annually. The GSA’s advances will provide a modern buying solution for federal customers and increase transparency on agency spending that’s already taking place with better data through this solution. 

The solution will also leverage the government’s buying power and increase supply chain security awareness with a governmentwide approach. GSA anticipates the e-marketplace platforms will be available for use in the next 30 days. 

“Our approach continues to be shaped by DHS’s Best Practices for E-Commerce Platforms and Third-Party Marketplaces, combining better security practices, better data, and better pricing. I’m pleased that GSA is at the forefront of leading such dynamic and innovative change,” Murphy added. 

The Commercial Platforms initiative is one of four cornerstone projects underpinning GSA's Federal Marketplace Strategy to modernize and simplify the buying and selling experience for customers, suppliers and acquisition professionals.

According to GSA Federal Acquisition Service commissioner Julie Dunne, the proof-of-concept will start small and be refined through repeated testing. GSA will continue to solicit stakeholder feedback as has been the case throughout the program’s development. 

“The feedback GSA has already received from a wide variety of stakeholders has been critical to achieving this important milestone in the Section 846 implementation,” said Dunne. “I’m excited for the path ahead — especially the spend data. Such data will help with compliance in areas like AbilityOne, small business, and supply chain risk management.” 

Dunne recently spoke during Potomac Officers Club’s Procurement Forum. Click here to access the forum in full and learn more about federal acquisition, procurement and fiscal management. 

About GSA

The mission of GSA is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government. One of its four strategic goals is to establish GSA as the premier provider of efficient and effective acquisition solutions across the government.

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Booz Allen Names Kevin Richards, Tony Sharp to Cyber Leadership Roles; Bill Phelps Quoted
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Booz Allen Names Kevin Richards, Tony Sharp to Cyber Leadership Roles; Bill Phelps Quoted

Booz Allen Hamilton has appointed Kevin Richards to lead Strategic Cyber Readiness and Response and Tony Sharp to head Security Architecture and Engineering within the company Cyber Business, Booz Allen reported on Friday.

“It’s not enough to have either a strong cybersecurity posture or the advanced technology needed to manage cyber risk,” said Bill Phelps, executive vice president and head of Booz Allen’s Global Commercial business. “Kevin’s and Tony’s teams will collaborate to ensure customers have a measured plan for reducing their cyber risk landscape. Together, their unique expertise will allow our business to continue to adapt in service of evolving client needs.”

Richards will serve as an executive vice president and lead Booz Allen’s Strategic Cyber Readiness and Response teams, where he will partner with clients to improve their cyber strategy and provide breach incident response services. 

Prior to his role with Booz Allen, Richards served with Marsh, where he was managing director and global head of cyber risk consulting. He also served as managing director, NA security practice lead and global lead of security strategy and risk throughout Richards nearly eight-year tenure with Accenture. 

“Today’s threat landscape changes minute by minute, hour by hour, and readiness and response strategies must constantly adapt accordingly. We must learn from—and out-innovate—malicious actors so we can help clients understand how those learnings can protect their organizations,” said Richards. 

In his new role with Booz Allen, Sharp will lead the Security Architecture and Engineering team. He will engage with clients to design, build and implement securely architected systems that will enable clients to better manage cyber risk. 

Sharp’s team will deliver solutions across software defined infrastructure, operations technology, secure cloud platforms and advanced data analytics. Sharp has joined Booz Allen from FedEx, where he held several leadership roles over 22 years.

Most recently, he served as vice president of Information Security. As vice president with the company, Sharp provided vision and strategies supporting key initiatives and solutions that advanced FedEx’s enterprise security capability, including Identities and Access, Data Security, Application Security, Cloud and Network Security. 

“As organizations pursue transformational changes to their cyber programs, they need world-class engineering capabilities like those at Booz Allen to harden their cyber defenses,” Sharp said. “Reducing their attack surface by leveraging advanced analytics and anomaly detection via machine learning and artificial intelligence can help clients be more confident in their ability to respond to cyber threats.”

About Booz Allen Hamilton

For more than 100 years, business, government, and military leaders have turned to Booz Allen Hamilton to solve their most complex problems. As a consulting firm with experts in analytics, digital, engineering and cyber, we help organizations transform. 

We are a key partner on some of the most innovative programs for governments worldwide and trusted by the most sensitive agencies. We work shoulder to shoulder with clients, using a mission-first approach to choose the right strategy and technology to help them realize their vision.

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