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Brianne Ogilvie Named VA OSDBU Deputy Executive Director
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Brianne Ogilvie Named VA OSDBU Deputy Executive Director

The Department of Veterans Affairs has appointed Brianne Ogilvie, a more than a decade VA executive, as deputy executive director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, or OSDBU.

The VA office announced Ogilvie’s appointment in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday.

Brianne Ogilvie’s Career Highlights

Ogilvie most recently served as acting deputy undersecretary for policy and oversight at the Veterans Benefits Administration, a role she assumed in October 2024. In addition to this position, she served as assistant deputy undersecretary at VBA. 

In these capacities, she managed the operation of 10 business lines and program offices responsible for over $154 billion in benefit payments to veterans, service personnel, their family members and survivors.

The Wellesley College graduate previously served as executive director of the VBA Office of Administrative Review, formerly the Appeals Management Office. In this position, she oversaw VBA’s modernized decision review program for veterans and managed VBA’s legacy appeals, related policy and operations for 2,100 employees across the country. Before becoming chief, she served as the office’s deputy executive director.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ogilvie spent nearly a decade at the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals, where she served as chief of litigation and customer support division and special counsel to the chief counsel for operations.

The VA official has a Juris Doctor degree from Baylor University.

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House Budget Resolution Includes $100B Defense Funding Boost
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House Budget Resolution Includes $100B Defense Funding Boost

The House has proposed a budget plan that would add $100 billion in defense funding, increase the debt limit by $4 trillion, include tax cuts worth approximately $4.5 trillion and reduce government spending, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.

“This budget resolution is a key step to start the process in delivering President Trump’s America First agenda,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement on X.

“With nearly every House Republican directly engaged in this deliberative process, this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the President’s full agenda—not just a part of it,” Johnson added.

Budget Reconciliation

House Republicans plan to use budget reconciliation to pass a list of the president’s spending priorities without the threat of a filibuster.

The House Budget Committee is set to tackle the budget plan on Thursday.

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SDA Seeking Executive Summaries for Iron Dome for America
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SDA Seeking Executive Summaries for Iron Dome for America

The Space Development Agency has issued a special notice calling for executive summaries in preparation of 60-day studies on the Iron Dome for America missile defense architecture and capability.

About the Notice

SDA said Monday it wants to know the industry’s take on Iron Dome of America implementation, focusing on boosting the current impact of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, or PWSA, on global kill chains and missile defense.

The agency is looking for novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies and capabilities that could catapult enhancements for future PWSA tranches and capability layers, or enable new capability layers addressing the emerging warfighter requirements.

The SDA will respond with a letter of interest to encourage or discourage full proposal submission for the study. Interested parties may submit their executive summaries until Feb. 28.

In January, the agency issued a broad agency announcement, or BAA, soliciting new systems, technologies and capabilities for the upgrade of the PWSA’s future tranches. The solicitation was published via the updated Systems, Technologies and Emerging Capabilities BAA.

What Is the Iron Dome for America?

The Iron Dome for America is the concept of a protective technological shield against missile attacks, described in a late January Executive Order from President Trump.

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Trump to Nominate Sean Cairncross as Next National Cyber Director
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Trump to Nominate Sean Cairncross as Next National Cyber Director

Sean Cairncross, a former official of the Republican National Committee, has been revealed as President Donald Trump’s nominee for the position of national cyber director.

The former RNC chief operating officer is set to succeed Harry Coker as head of the Office of the National Cyber Director, according to a document obtained by NextGov/FCW late Tuesday night and reported Wednesday. The document containing the names of nominees will be sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Who Is Sean Cairncross?

Despite his supposed lack of formal cybersecurity and intelligence background, Cairncross will become the first cybersecurity official to be formally nominated by the Trump administration. He will be responsible for leading the ONCD as it serves as the administration’s main communicator or facilitator of cyber policies. In addition, the office will oversee efforts to maintain relationships between Capitol Hill and federal agencies.

Cairncross served as CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corp., or MCC, for two years during Trump’s first term. The humanitarian agency was established in 2004 to promote long-term economic growth in developing nations.

The ONCD nominee served as Trump’s deputy assistant before he was appointed head of the MCC. He was also COO of the RNC from 2015 to 2016. Most recently, Cairncross was involved with the RNC budget for the election cycle last year.

Should the Senate approve his nomination, Cairncross will be the third ONCD director to be confirmed. The office was established four years ago with Chris Inglis, a former Wash100 Award winner, as the first confirmed director. He was followed by Kemba Walden who served in an acting capacity before Coker took over in December 2023.

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Fort Moore Fosters Innovation With New Collaborative Hub
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Fort Moore Fosters Innovation With New Collaborative Hub

The Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore have inaugurated the Maneuver Innovation Lab, marking the first time a collaborative hub has opened in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, installation.

The Army said Wednesday the MIL was established in collaboration with the Maneuver Battle Lab, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, the Civil-Military Innovation Institute and Columbus State University. The collaborative hub is designed to foster innovation and modernization by empowering soldiers, academics and industry leaders and encouraging them to work together.

MIL’s 3 Core Components

The MIL fosters innovation through three elements:

DIRT Lab

The Design, Innovation, Research and Technology, or DIRT, Lab is a rapid prototyping and problem-solving platform, sponsored by DEVCOM and operated by the Civil-Military Innovation Institute, where soldiers work with Auburn University through the Catalyst Pathfinder Program to develop innovations.

Robotics & Uncrewed Systems With CSU

The collaboration with Columbus State University’s Robotic Engineering Department provides students with resources and real-world experience in an Army setting, where they can design, build and experiment with robotic and uncrewed systems. The partnership also allows CSU students to interact with leaders and innovators from the Army and the industry.

EXFOR

The Uncrewed Systems Experimentation Facility, or EXFOR, allows soldiers to experiment in a controlled environment enabling rapid assessment and enhancement of small unmanned aerial systems and unmanned ground systems.

Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, commanding general of Fort Moore, said, “At the core of the Maneuver Innovation Lab lies the concept of bottom-up innovation, where soldiers are empowered to transform their ideas into prototypes and collaborate with our academic partners to drive technical solutions.”

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DISA Unveils Automated Tool to Enhance Partners’ Cybersecurity
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DISA Unveils Automated Tool to Enhance Partners’ Cybersecurity

The Defense Information Systems Agency has announced that its Cybersecurity Service Provider team is supplying strategic partners with Endguard, a new tool for enhancing cyber defense. With the new platform, its users will gain access to a round-the-clock endpoint detection and monitoring tool, DISA said in a LinkedIn post Monday.

According to the agency’s post, Endguard operates through Windows, macOS, Unix and Linux systems and uses Microsoft Defender for automated endpoint and server detection. The tool’s automation supports the utilization of every server and endpoint in cyberthreat detection, enables quick response to disrupt threats and simplifies implementation through cloud-based technologies, the agency added.

Real-Time Detection Capability

The tool’s threat detection and response capabilities rely on the cloud-native Microsoft Sentinel platform designed to provide real-time detection and analysis, as well as event management on mitigation and response.

Endguard simulations during the recent U.S. European Command exercise showed 100 percent detection of endpoint team attacks and 94 percent for individual threats, DISA noted.

Main Service Delivery Enabler

Jason Mowery, DISA IT specialist, described Endguard as a “new standard” for effective agency services. 

“Endguard will be the main service delivery enabler for the majority of our strategic partners in the near future, allowing DISA to continue to deliver world-class cybersecurity services to the United States Department of Defense.”

During the 2024 Department of the Air Force Information Technology & Cyberpower Conference in September, DISA Director Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, a Wash100 awardee, stressed the need for the DOD to enhance its cybersecurity measures and technologies to counter threats and protect critical networks. He also highlighted how optimizing operations and industry collaboration can help secure the U.S. cyber landscape in the future.

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CISA & FBI Issue Alert on Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities
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CISA & FBI Issue Alert on Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI are calling on manufacturers to take steps to prevent buffer overflow vulnerabilities from being introduced into their products.

Persistent Security Issue

The agencies said in a Secure by Design Alert issued Wednesday that buffer overflow vulnerabilities are a common and well-documented kind of memory safety software design defect that can lead to system compromise. Despite the availability of proven mitigation measures, manufacturers continue to use unsafe software development practices, resulting in the persistence of buffer overflow vulnerabilities.

Effective Mitigation Measures

The alert documents mitigation measures that CISA has deemed most effective and feasible. These include the use of memory-safe languages when developing software, conducting aggressive adversarial product testing and the publication of a memory-safety roadmap detailing how the manufacturer plans to develop new products with memory-safe languages and migrate code to memory-safe languages. It was recommended that manufacturers put the measures into effect.

Role of the Customer

CISA and the FBI are also calling on customers to help ensure that manufacturers adhere to safe software development practices. According to the two agencies, customers can help by asking manufacturers to provide a software bill of materials and a secure software development attestation.

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Trump Names Intelligence Advisory Board Chair, Members
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Trump Names Intelligence Advisory Board Chair, Members

President Trump has selected former congressman Devin Nunes to chair an advisory board that will advise the chief executive on the country’s key security challenges and ensure that the Intelligence Community advances the administration’s America First agenda.

The White House said Tuesday Trump named 11 other members to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, or PIAB.

Devin Nunes’ Career Background

In addition to his role as chair of PIAB, Nunes is CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group.

He served as U.S. representative for California’s 21st congressional district from 2003 to 2013 and the state’s 22nd congressional district from 2013 to 2022.

During his time in Congress, the previous Wash100 awardee was chair of the House Intelligence Community. He also served as a member of Trump’s first transition team.

Other PIAB Members

  • Amaryllis Fox Kennedy
  • Brad Robert Wenstrup
  • Jeremy Katz
  • Joshua Lobel
  • Katie Miller
  • Reince Priebus
  • Robert O’Brien
  • Sander Gerber
  • Scott Glabe
  • Thomas Ollis Hicks 
  • Wayne Berman

What Is PIAB?

PIAB is an independent element within the Executive Office of the President.

For over 60 years, the advisory board has provided the president with expert advice on the conduct of U.S. intelligence and has made every effort to ensure the strict confidentiality of its deliberations and communications and the objectivity of its advice.

The board assesses issues related to the adequacy, quantity and quality of intelligence activities; effectiveness of organizational structure, personnel and management; and performance of all federal agencies engaged in the collection, evaluation or production of intelligence or the execution of intelligence policy.

The board has access to all information needed to perform its functions.

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DARPA Invites Defense Contractors to EEI Proposers Day
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DARPA Invites Defense Contractors to EEI Proposers Day

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has opened the registration for a Proposers Day for its Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative, or EEI, program seeking to connect the agency’s technical teams with commercialization professionals to bring new market capabilities. The event will be held in person on Feb. 25 at Strategic Analysis in Arlington, Virginia, according DARPA’s SAM.gov post.

Prospective participants’ registration is through the https://creative.spa.com/darpa/diro/eei/pd/ website, with Feb. 18 as its deadline or until all slots are filled, the post noted. Organizations are limited to two representatives each at the event, and DARPA may hold a virtual Proposers Day if the forthcoming event generates enough interest.

Target Participants: DARPA R&D Contractors

The agency said the event’s target audience are firms that previously supported its research and development projects under a DARPA-funded program. Participants can include small- to medium-scale businesses or larger organizations like universities and large companies interested in a company spin-off.

EEI supports DARPA’s commercial strategy to provide vital commercial technologies to the Department of Defense and strengthen businesses servicing DOD needs. In 2021, the agency formed an industry accelerator to expand EEI’s commercialization efforts.

Under the EEI program, the participants are provided with go-to-market resources, such as tools, advice and business insights complementing their technical expertise. Besides potential opportunities to sell products to government and commercial customers, the program positions its awardees to attract U.S. investment.

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Quiet NASA Supersonic X-59 Jet Moves Closer to Maiden Flight
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Quiet NASA Supersonic X-59 Jet Moves Closer to Maiden Flight

NASA and Lockheed Martin have completed three engine run tests of the X-59 aircraft for its planned 2025 first flight under the agency’s Quesst program mainly addressing the noise pollution of supersonic flights. The performance of the plane’s modified F414-GE-100 engine met expectations during the tests conducted from October to January at Lockheed’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, NASA said Tuesday.

Engine Response Checks

One of the tests involved the aircraft’s hydraulics, electrical and environmental control systems, with the engine powered up but idling. Throttle checks were also performed to bring full power to the aircraft and maximum thrust from its afterburner. The third test checked engine reaction to swift throttle snaps to validate the engine’s instantaneous response.

According to Raymond Castner, X-59 propulsion lead at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, ground tests on the aircraft’s engine “have successfully progressed” as planned. 

“We were getting smooth and steady airflow as predicted from wind tunnel testing. We didn’t have any structural or excessive vibration issues. And parts of the engine and aircraft that needed cooling were getting it,” Castner said.

Additional Pre-Flight Testing

Further tests before the X-59’s maiden flight include an evaluation of the potential electromagnetic interference of the aircraft. X-59 taxi tests will also be conducted as part of the preparations for the first flight.

Lockheed introduced the X-59 concept at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviation Forum in June 2019 and booked a five-year, $40 million NASA contract for the experimental aircraft in December 2020. The X-59 was formally unveiled in a rollout ceremony in January 2024 and passed a flight readiness review in May, transitioning its development to the airworthiness and flight safety tests.

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