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Civilian/News
John Vonglis to Be Nominated DOE CFO
by Nichols Martin
Published on November 16, 2017
John Vonglis to Be Nominated DOE CFO


John Vonglis to Be Nominated DOE CFOPresident Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate John Vonglis, a senior adviser at private equity firm Cross Range Capital, to serve as Energy Department chief financial officer.

From 2002 to 2009, Vonglis worked at the Defense Department in roles such as director of management initiatives and principal deputy and acting assistant secretary for financial management and comptroller, the White House said Wednesday.

He was also the first chief management officer of the U.S. Air Force.

His industry career also includes time as a senior vice president at Red Apple Group and a practice area leader at  IBM.

Vonglis currently holds the rank of U.S. Army Reserve colonel and offers advice to the Army Cyber Institute in West Point, New York.

He received Air Force awards for exceptional and meritorious service as well as federal civilian-level accolades.

News
Congress Wants Army to Submit Tactical Network Modernization Plan
by Ramona Adams
Published on November 16, 2017
Congress Wants Army to Submit Tactical Network Modernization Plan


Congress Wants Army to Submit Tactical Network Modernization PlanCongress plans to limit funds for the U.S. Army‘s battlefield network development program until the service branch submits a modernization plan for its tactical communications and data networks, C4ISRNET reported Tuesday.

The final annual defense policy bill contains language to appropriate no more than 50 percent of the proposed fiscal 2018 budget for the Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program if the service branch does not provide the report Congress requires by Jan. 31, 2018.

The Army halted the roll-out of WIN-T in September to restructure its entire tactical network.

The service branch also sought support from lawmakers on its plan to shift funds from WIN-T and other network components into capabilities that will provide an optimized mobile tactical network, the report noted.

DoD/News
Raytheon Exec Mark Esper Confirmed as Army Secretary
by Jane Edwards
Published on November 16, 2017
Raytheon Exec Mark Esper Confirmed as Army Secretary


Raytheon Exec Mark Esper Confirmed as Army Secretary
Mark Esper

The Senate approved Mark Esper, vice president of government relations at Raytheon, to serve as U.S. Army secretary through an 89-6 vote Wednesday, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.

His confirmation came four months after President Donald Trump nominated him for the service’s top civilian post.

“I’m also confident that [Esper] will call upon his experience in the private sector to bring a reform mindset to the many challenges facing our Army such as the readiness crisis and the urgent gaps in capabilities and modernization,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona).

Esper previously served at the Defense Department as deputy assistant secretary for negotiations policy under the administration of former President George W. Bush and as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Armed Services panels.

He is a retired lieutenant colonel who served in the Army for over two decades.

News
Idaho Natl Lab Reactivates Transient Reactor Test Facility
by Nichols Martin
Published on November 16, 2017
Idaho Natl Lab Reactivates Transient Reactor Test Facility


Idaho Natl Lab Reactivates Transient Reactor Test FacilityThe Energy Department‘s Idaho National Laboratory has resumed operation at the Transient Reactor Test facility that was built to test nuclear reactor fuels and substances in extreme conditions.

DOE said Wednesday it closed and placed the TREAT facility on standby status in 1994.

The TREAT reactor is designed to generate energy five times the intensity of a commercial power plant and to help researchers study the performance of fuel products.

The Idaho National Laboratory reactivated its TREAT system after the facility completed inspection, refurbishment and assessment of reactor technology.

DOE noted the laboratory aims to resume transient experiments at the facility next year.

Acquisition & Procurement/News
Cybercom Holds Inaugural Industry Day to Discuss Acquisition Priorities
by Jane Edwards
Published on November 16, 2017
Cybercom Holds Inaugural Industry Day to Discuss Acquisition Priorities


Cybercom Holds Inaugural Industry Day to Discuss Acquisition PrioritiesThe U.S. Cyber Command held its first industry day on Oct. 27 at a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency facility in Virginia to discuss with private sector stakeholders Cybercom’s acquisition priorities, the Defense Department reported Wednesday.

Navy Adm. Michael Rogers, Cybercom chief, said in a video message that the command and industry should work together to advance communications, precision, agility and partnerships in support of the implementation of Cybercom’s programs.

Dennis Bartko, director of capabilities development group at Cybercom, also addressed approximately 400 industry participants during the event held at NGA’s Arthur Lundahl Conference Center at Fort Belvoir.

“Our objective [for industry day] is pretty simple: to share information with you so we can work together as a team to enable the Cyber Mission Force,” he said.

Bartko also discussed the plan to use a DevOps model in contracting activities and how Cybercom would execute a congressional authority that allows the command to spend $75 million annually to buy cyber information technology services through Sept. 30, 2021.

Other speakers at the event include Army Brig. Gen. Karl Gingrich, director of Cybercom’s resources and capabilities integration directorate; and Tony Davis, formerly acting command acquisition executive at Cybercom.

DoD/News
Senate Panel Approves Kirstjen Nielsen’s Homeland Security Secretary Nomination
by Nichols Martin
Published on November 15, 2017
Senate Panel Approves Kirstjen Nielsen’s Homeland Security Secretary Nomination


Senate Panel Approves Kirstjen Nielsen's Homeland Security Secretary Nomination
Kirstjen Nielsen

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved by a 11-4 vote Tuesday the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, The Hill reported Tuesday.

Nielsen, current White House deputy chief of staff, was nominated by President Donald Trump to the DHS leadership position in October and discussed her priorities during a confirmation hearing last week.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he believes Nielsen’s previous stint at the department and cybersecurity experience “will serve her well in this challenging position.”

If confirmed, Nielsen will succeed Elaine Duke, who has led DHS on an acting basis since John Kelly stepped down in July to serve as chief of staff at the White House.

Government Technology/News
Report: Trump Administration to Issue Rules on Cyber Vulnerability Disclosures
by Ramona Adams
Published on November 15, 2017
Report: Trump Administration to Issue Rules on Cyber Vulnerability Disclosures


Report: Trump Administration to Issue Rules on Cyber Vulnerability DisclosuresThe Trump administration is slated to release its rules for determining whether newly-discovered cybersecurity vulnerabilities should be disclosed or kept secret, Reuters reported Wednesday.

An anonymous national security official told Reuters that the guidelines are expected to be published Wednesday on the White House website.

The source added that the new rules will identify federal agencies involved in the decision-making process and will include more agencies than in the previous review process under the Obama administration, such as the departments of Commerce, Treasury and State.

Rob Joyce, the White House cybersecurity coordinator, said at a Washington Post event last month that the guidelines will include criteria used by an interagency panel and will also reveal the panel members.

Government Technology/News
NASA Aims to Advance Comms, Proximity Operation Capabilities Via 2 Cubesat Demo Missions
by Jane Edwards
Published on November 15, 2017
NASA Aims to Advance Comms, Proximity Operation Capabilities Via 2 Cubesat Demo Missions


NASA Aims to Advance Comms, Proximity Operation Capabilities Via 2 Cubesat Demo MissionsNASA is set to conduct technology demonstration missions for two Cubesats that took off Sunday aboard Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft.

The agency said Tuesday it will conduct the Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration and Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna missions as part of the Small Spacecraft Technology Program.

“Our primary mission for OCSD is demonstrating laser communications, by using a laser on the spacecraft to downlink data to our optical ground stations on Mt. Wilson in California,” said Richard Welle, one of the principal investigators of the OCSD mission at The Aerospace Corp.

OCSD also seeks to evaluate the capability of small satellites for proximity operations.

The ISARA mission is designed to advance higher data downlink communications through the use of the Ka-band frequency and Cubesats equipped with solar cells and reflectarray antenna.

NASA will work with The Aerospace Corp. to conduct the ISARA mission, which seeks to facilitate the transmission of reflectarray antenna-derived signals to a ground station at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and the evaluation of the mission’s downlink transmission.

Cygnus lifted off Sunday aboard an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to deliver cargo to the International Space Station as part of the company’s eighth Commercial Resupply Services mission.

Cygnus will deploy the two Cubesats into a higher orbit to initiate the OCSD and ISARA missions once the spacecraft departs the orbiting laboratory.

Government Technology/News
DHS’ Jeanette Manfra Testifies Before House Panel on Kaspersky Anti-Virus Software
by Jane Edwards
Published on November 15, 2017
DHS’ Jeanette Manfra Testifies Before House Panel on Kaspersky Anti-Virus Software


DHS’ Jeanette Manfra Testifies Before House Panel on Kaspersky Anti-Virus SoftwareJeanette Manfra, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, has said approximately 15 percent of federal agencies were found using Kaspersky Lab’s anti-virus software in their computer systems before DHS ordered a ban on the use of the Russian company’s software, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

DHS issued a binding operational directive in September that requires agencies to discontinue the use of Kaspersky’s anti-virus platforms in their systems within 90 days due to the company’s potential ties to the Russian government.

Manfra told House Science Committee members Tuesday that those agencies gained access to Kaspersky software through a package of digital security services.

She noted that about 94 percent of agencies were able to comply with the October deadline to screen their networks for the software and develop a plan to facilitate the removal of the tool from their systems.

Manfra also fielded questions from Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House panel, on whether DHS has enough evidence that vulnerabilities in Kaspersky’s software have been exploited to compromise data in civilian agency networks.

“I want to do a thorough review to ensure that we have the full picture,” Manfra added.

News
House OKs $692B Reconciled FY 2018 Defense Policy Bill
by Jane Edwards
Published on November 15, 2017
House OKs $692B Reconciled FY 2018 Defense Policy Bill


House OKs $692B Reconciled FY 2018 Defense Policy BillThe House voted 356-70 Tuesday to pass a conferenced version of a defense spending bill that would allocate $626.4 billion in base budget and $65.7 billion in overseas contingency operations funds for fiscal year 2018, The Hill reported Tuesday.

The compromise FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act would authorize a 2.4 percent pay increase for service personnel and 20,000 additional troops across the service branches.

The defense spending measure would remove the Defense Space Council and the role of principal adviser for space, authorize the Air Force Space Command to organize and train all space forces within the military branch and increase spending on missile defense systems.

Politico also reported that the compromise bill would authorize the procurement of 90 F-35 fighter jets, 24 F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft for the U.S. Navy and 13 new ships that include amphibious vessels, destroyers and a Littoral Combat Ship.

NDAA would create the chief management officer post within the Defense Department but does not include a proposal that would establish a new space corps within the Air Force.

House and Senate leaders must agree on a deal to raise the caps set by the Budget Control Act for fiscal 2018.

The Senate is set to hold a debate on the compromise NDAA after Thanksgiving and is expected to pass and send the measure to the White House for the president’s signature, the report added.

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