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DLA Testing Tech to Address Data Interoperability Needs
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DLA Testing Tech to Address Data Interoperability Needs

The Defense Logistics Agency is testing artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to determine how they can address data interoperability challenges among agencies as part of its efforts to improve logistics operations in contested environments.

In partnership with the U.S. Transportation Command and the U.S. Army, a research and development initiative has begun to test the integration of legacy systems and new technologies such as blockchain networks, and their applications in various use cases, including data sharing capabilities and shipment tracking, DLA said Tuesday.

Senior leaders from TRANSCOM and DLA met at the McNamara Headquarters Complex on Thursday to discuss contested logistics environment, supply chain resiliency and data interoperability challenges.

During the meeting, DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly highlighted the need for the agency to think, act and operate differently in response to the logistics challenges and the evolving needs and priorities of warfighters.

What Are the Benefits of Data Interoperability?

According to Simerly, the ability to make good decisions in using data will help resolve problems by enhancing relationships with customers, suppliers and whole-of-government partners and improving interaction with technological tools.

DLA Chief Information Officer Adarryl Roberts, who was also present at the meeting, called for the creation of data standards and a platform that can meet the cybersecurity needs of the federal government to ensure data exchanges are more secure and manageable.

TRANSCOM has supported the DLA network optimization initiative by maximizing its data-sharing capabilities using its Next Generation Delivery Service, or NGDS. 

“The NGDS is reliable, fast and cost effective, but also increases warfighter readiness from competition through conflict,” said DLA Distribution Commander Navy Rear Adm. Michael York.

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SSC Certifies Military GPS Receiver for Naval Field Testing
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SSC Certifies Military GPS Receiver for Naval Field Testing

The Space Systems Command has certified the Military GPS User Equipment increment receiver card for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, reportedly marking an acquisition program baseline, or APB, milestone for the MGUE.

The Program Executive Officer for Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation and Timing cleared the MGUE aviation and maritime receiver card for naval field testing after its integration into the Navy’s GPS-based PNTS system and the resolution of testing identified in deficiency reports, the SSC said Tuesday.

MGUE Receiver Ready for Operational Fielding

Col. Matt Spencer, commander of PNT Systems Delta at SSC, said the PEO certification prepares the MGUE receiver for operational deployment, adding that the program’s achievement is “a keystone to our modern warfighting capability.”

According to the SSC, the completed APB milestone represents a step toward sustaining and improving an advanced PNT capability for U.S. military forces. The MGUE program develops modern military code form factors with enhanced anti-jam, anti-spoof and anti-tamper security features to provide a more secure and reliable GPS capability for warfighting operations.

About SSC

The SSC collaborates with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic institutions and allied organizations to acquire and deliver resilient warfighting capabilities to protect U.S. strategic advantage in space.

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NASA Awards 5 Institutions to Boost Sustainable Aviation
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NASA Awards 5 Institutions to Boost Sustainable Aviation

NASA has awarded a total of $11.5 million to five organizations to develop sustainable aircraft designs.

The agency said Tuesday it will fund studies by four companies and one university through its Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability, or AACES, 2050 initiative. The commissioned studies involve aircraft concepts, technologies and designs with the potential to boost sustainable commercial aviation by 2050.

NASA-Funded Sustainable Aircraft Studies

The institutions that will receive funding from NASA have until mid-2026 to finish their studies. The five awardees and their plans are:

  • Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, will focus on alternative fuels, propulsion systems, aerodynamic technologies and aircraft configurations.
  • Electra will utilize its distributed electric propulsion and aerodynamic design capabilities to develop innovative wing and fuselage integrations.
  • Georgia Institute of Technology will study alternative fuels, propulsion systems and aircraft configurations then utilize their Advanced Technology Hydrogen Electric Novel Aircraft to develop aircraft concepts.
  • JetZero will study the use of cryogenic, liquid hydrogen as fuel for commercial aviation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Pratt and Whitney, a division of RTX Corporation, will explore various propulsion technologies to enhance thermal and propulsive efficiency, aiming to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Through initiatives like AACES, NASA is positioned to harness a broad set of perspectives about how to further increase aircraft efficiency, reduce aviation’s environmental impact and enhance U.S. technological competitiveness in the 2040s, 2050s and beyond,” said Bob Pearce, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA.

Nateri Madavan, director of Advanced Air Vehicles Program at NASA, added, “The proposals selected come from a diverse set of organizations that will provide exciting and wide-ranging explorations of the scenarios, technologies and aircraft concepts that will advance aviation towards its transformative sustainability goals.” 

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NIST Readies Post-Quantum Cryptography Roadmap
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NIST Readies Post-Quantum Cryptography Roadmap

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is soliciting public comments on the first draft of its report describing how the agency will manage and guide the transition to cryptography standards less vulnerable to attacks from a quantum computer. 

The 22-page draft report, titled “Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards,” pinpoints the current quantum-vulnerable cryptographic standards and existing quantum-resistant algorithms proposed for deployment in the migration, NIST said Tuesday. 

The report is designed to serve as a roadmap for federal agencies, industry and standards organizations for migrating IT products, services and networks to post-quantum cryptography, or PQC. 

Digital Signature Candidates

Among the steps that it provides are migration considerations as to use cases in code signing and user and machine authentication, as well as PQC hybrid digital signature techniques. In October, NIST announced 14 candidates to advance the second round of additional digital signatures for the PQC standardization process.

NIST will use the comments on its report draft to revise its PQC transition plan and other similar algorithm- and application-specific migration roadmaps. The deadline for comment submission, sent through the pqc-transition@nist.gov e-mail, is on Jan. 10, 2025. 

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OSC Seeks Support for Traffic Coordination System for Space
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OSC Seeks Support for Traffic Coordination System for Space

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce is conducting market research to identify sources that can provide cloud infrastructure and provisioning services for the Traffic Coordination System for Space.

The potential vendor must demonstrate space situational awareness—or SSA—experience, be able to operate high-impact IT operations and maintain an authority to operate while integrating third-party data and services, OSC said Tuesday.

Support for Spaceflight Safety

TraCSS is an enterprise solution enabling the Department of Commerce to coordinate space traffic and promote spaceflight safety. The system ingests, archives, processes and disseminates SSA data and products. It features a modular IT system that supports element replacements, including the system integrator.

Designed to store customer information and operate 24 hours a day, TraCSS can deliver conjunction analysis and warning services to satellite operators and provide data and services, such as launch and re-entry timeframes.

TraCSS’ Future Prime Contractor

Through this effort, OSC seeks a company capable of serving as TraCSS’ future prime contractor. The agency is anticipating to solicit proposals and award a contract within the calendar year 2025.

Responses from interested parties will be accepted until Nov. 26.

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump
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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been chosen as the next Department of Homeland Security secretary under President-elect Donald Trump.

In this role, Noem will lead DHS and its agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Secret Service. Trump has referred to Noem as a “terrific person,” and at one point, she was a potential running mate for his 2024 presidential campaign, CNN reported. 

Learn more about border security operations from the officials who oversee them at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13. Secure your ticket to the 2024 Homeland Security Summit now!

Kristi Noem’s Work in Legislation 

After working in the South Dakota legislature for a few years, Noem was selected to serve as the state’s only U.S. House of Representatives member. In 2018, she was elected South Dakota’s first-ever female governor after running on a platform to protect South Dakotans against tax increases, federal intrusion, government growth and secrecy. 

Noem was then re-elected in 2022, accounting for the largest vote total in the history of South Dakota. 

Other Recent Trump Appointments 

In a Sunday post on his social network Truth Social, Trump also announced the appointment of Tom Homan, former director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as border czar and Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser, as his deputy chief of staff for policy.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump
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Executive Mosaic Accepting Nominations for 2025 Wash100 Award
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Executive Mosaic Accepting Nominations for 2025 Wash100 Award

Executive Mosaic, the industry-leading events, media and membership organization for the government contracting sector, is thrilled to commence its 2025 Wash100 Award season and open executive nominations for the accolade’s 12th anniversary.

The Wash100 Award annually commemorates the top 100 executives of consequence in the government contracting landscape. The award acknowledges top government officials and GovCon industry leaders with proven contributions to government missions in anticipation of their continued impact, transformative achievements and positive influence across the federal environment in the coming year.

The GovCon community can nominate executives who they believe deserve the coveted Wash100 Award for their impact across the public sector. Visit Wash100.com to submit your nominations and learn more about the history of the widely renowned award and its previous recipients.

“At Executive Mosaic, we’re setting the stage for an exhilarating year of unparalleled Wash100 recognition, excellence and prestige,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award. “The coming year promises to be a period of significant transformation, with major leadership shifts, cutting-edge technologies and emerging trends shaping the GovCon space. As the new movers and shakers begin to emerge, the Wash100 will serve as a reliable beacon for identifying and honoring the true innovators and leaders of 2025.”

“I’m thrilled to invite our GovCon community to nominate those leaders who are redefining the federal landscape through their vision and impact. Now is your chance to make your voice heard!” Garrettson added.

Process of the 2025 Wash100 Award Season

Nominations for the 2025 Wash100 Award are open until Jan. 10, 2025. In these submissions, be sure to outline how your nominee displays outstanding GovCon acumen, experience and leadership.

The complete list of nominees will be unveiled on Jan. 23, 2025, followed by a popular vote competition and daily coverage of each winner. The winner of the popular vote will be announced in May.

2024 Wash100 Season Welcomed New Faces

The 2024 Wash100 Award featured an astounding list of executive winners, with 50 percent of recipients being new to the list.

Individuals eligible for nomination come from various backgrounds, including GovCon firms, policy groups, consulting organizations, government advisers, academic institutions and other industry-related entities. In 2024, over one-third of the 100 award recipients were government officials, and nearly two-thirds were industry executives.

Additionally, 56 companies and 20 federal agencies were represented in the 2024 Wash100 selection. Executive Mosaic is also honored to highlight that over one-third of this year’s winners were women.

Wash100 History

Jim Garrettson founded the Wash100 Award in 2014 to honor the foremost change-makers transforming the government landscape. The award has gained substantial GovCon industry recognition and is now widely considered the most recognized accolade in the GovCon sector. Each year, the Wash100 Award recognizes 100 outstanding executives working in the government contracting sector.

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Laura Drummer Appointed CDO for Air Force Intel Community
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Laura Drummer Appointed CDO for Air Force Intel Community

Laura Drummer has assumed new responsibilities as chief data officer for the Air Force intelligence community at the U.S. Air Force. She confirmed her new role in a post on LinkedIn on Monday. 

Who Is Laura Drummer?

Drummer is a technology expert with over 15 years of leadership experience in the technology industry. 

Before joining the Air Force, she founded and served as CEO of TAS Labs, a provider of software, cloud, data and artificial intelligence services to government, defense and national security customers. She also held the role of director of analytics and AI within the technical solutions division of HII. 

Drummer’s resume includes a brief stint as head of AI product management at Alion Science and Technology and over 11 years at Novetta Solutions, where she oversaw software, engineering, cyber and intelligence operations as director. 

The executive began her career as an intelligence analyst at the Department of Defense. 

Drummer holds a bachelor’s degree in Mandarin Chinese from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master’s in information systems from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

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USS John Basilone Commissioned
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USS John Basilone Commissioned

The USS John Basilone was commissioned during a ceremony held on Nov. 9 and led by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, a Wash100 Award winner.

The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said Saturday the USS Basilone became the 74th ship of her class at the commissioning ceremony. It is also the second ship to bear the John Basilone name.

The USS John Basilone

The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, the only enlisted marine to receive a Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his exploits during World War II.

Basilone served in the Philippines earning him the the moniker “Manila John.” He then fought in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, where his heroism earned him the Medal of Honor. Basilone later served in Australia and in Iwo Jima, where he was killed in action.

Diane Hawkins, niece of Basilone, spoke at the ceremony and detailed her journey of retracing her uncle’s heroic military past. Aside from highlighting Basilone’s heroism on the battlefield, Hawkins also talked about his wife, Lenah Riggi and thanked the crew of the newly commissioned ship.

Del Toro mentioned in his speech that the ship’s sponsors, Ryan Manion and Amy Looney Heffernen, both from Gold Star families, will guide USS Basilone and the crew, based on naval tradition. The Navy Secretary also reminded the crew that, “Service is not an obligation, it is a privilege, a chance to be part of something greater than ourselves and uphold the values that define us as a nation.”

The commissioning ceremony was attended by marines from John Basilone’s 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment.

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VA Plans Grants to Support Veterans’ Telehealth Program
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VA Plans Grants to Support Veterans’ Telehealth Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a grant program for telehealth access portals in non-VA facilities, an initiative that will end copayments for all of the department’s telehealth services. 

Focused on rural and medically underserved veteran communities, the program—called Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations, or ATLAS—would fund nonprofits and private businesses offering veterans comfortable venues providing high-speed internet access for remote consultations with VA healthcare providers, the department said Monday.

The ATLAS grants would also allocate funds for training onsite support personnel for the program. 

Public Input on Grant Guidelines

The VA is publishing its proposed program guidelines in the Federal Register for public comment starting Wednesday. The department will release a notice on the ATLAS funding opportunity after the publication of the program’s final guidelines.

ATLAS is part of the U.S. government’s current efforts to expand healthcare access and lower its costs for veterans. In September, tele-emergency care was opened nationwide for all veterans enrolled in VA Health Connect, a phone service that enables immediate medical consultations with healthcare professionals. 

The VA has also started waiving copays for the first three outpatient mental healthcare consultations of veterans each year and expanded the clinic schedules available to them.

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