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Report: Air Force Squadron Adopts New Leadership Model to Streamline Procurement
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Report: Air Force Squadron Adopts New Leadership Model to Streamline Procurement


Report: Air Force Squadron Adopts New Leadership Model to Streamline ProcurementThe U.S. Air Force‘s 99th Reconnaissance Squadron has implemented an “atomic” leadership model to speed up the acquisition of new technologies meant to optimize operations aboard the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, Defense News reported Friday.

Lt. Col. Matt Nussbaum, commander of the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, told Defense News in an interview that the squadron does not have special authorities to make purchases outside the Defense Department‘s acquisition system, but the leadership gives lower-level personnel more freedom to explore opportunities.

A U-2 pilot named Maj. Ray, who asked not to reveal his full name, developed the squadron’s atomic leadership model and presented it to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein during the latter’s Nov. 30 trip to Beale Air Force Base, where the squadron operates.

The new operational model is designed to address procurement challenges associated with the bureaucratic process by giving operators the resources they need to pursue ideas, the report noted.

The 99th Reconnaissance Squadron bought new devices through the new leadership model, including a tablet that features applications such as a worldwide navigation database, routes and charts to support unclassified missions performed by U-2 pilots.

The squadron also acquired Garmin D2 watches to aid unclassified communications aboard U-2 planes, which are specially outfitted for the secure sharing of highly-classified information.

Mark Esper: Army Forms Cross-Functional Teams to Support Tech Requirements Devt Process
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Mark Esper: Army Forms Cross-Functional Teams to Support Tech Requirements Devt Process


Mark Esper: Army Forms Cross-Functional Teams to Support Tech Requirements Devt Process
Mark Esper

U.S. Army Secretary Mark Esper has said the military branch established a new organization consisting of cross-functional teams in a move to expedite the process for the military branch to develop technology requirements from 60 months to 12 months.

The Futures Command will have eight CFTs to be managed by leaders with experience in the acquisition, contracting, requirements and sustainment processes, the Army said Friday.

These groups report directly to the Army’s undersecretary and vice chief of staff.

Esper told Senate Armed Services Committee members Thursday at a hearing that CFTs will also support programs to modernize the service branch’s long-range precision weapons, next-generation combat vehicles, vertical lift platforms, mobile network, missile defense capacities and soldier lethality systems.

He added the Army seeks to implement a three-step process to address requirements and the phases will include prototype development; demonstration and testing; and evaluation.

At the SASC hearing, Esper also urged lawmakers to help address budgetary challenges facing the military service and to simplify the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

President Trump Approves 2-Week Govt Funding Extension
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President Trump Approves 2-Week Govt Funding Extension


President Trump Approves 2-Week Govt Funding ExtensionPresident Donald Trump on Friday signed another continuing resolution that would fund the federal government at current spending levels through Dec. 22, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Trump signed the CR a day after Congress passed the stopgap funding measure to avoid a government shutdown and after the president reached a “tentative agreement” with House and Senate leaders to increase defense spending as part of a budget package.

The House Freedom Caucus has called on House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) to negotiate with Democrats to approve a measure that would authorize higher defense funding without an increase in domestic spending levels.

The caucus also wants to link the fiscal 2018 defense spending bill to another stopgap measure that would extend government funding through January.

The report noted that Congress is likely to tackle a possible increase in the debt limit after a three-month debt ceiling suspension approved in September expired Friday.

The Treasury Department has extraordinary measures worth approximately $250 billion and $80 billion in additional cash, which the Congressional Budget Office said can be used by the department to extend the debt ceiling through March or early April, the report added.

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DoD CISO Essye Miller Named Department’s Acting CIO
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DoD CISO Essye Miller Named Department’s Acting CIO


DoD CISO Essye Miller Named Department's Acting CIO
Essye Miller

Essye Miller, deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity and chief information security officer at the Defense Department, has assumed the position of DoD CIO on an acting basis and will continue to serve in her current role, FCW reported Friday.

She succeeds John Zangardi, who has been appointed by President Donald Trump as CIO for the Department of Homeland Security.

In her new capacity, Miller will be Defense Secretary James Mattis’ primary adviser for information technology, information assurance, non-intelligence space systems, critical satellite communications and telecommunications, among others.

She will also work to coordinate cybersecurity standards, policies and procedures with other federal agencies and partners.

Miller previously served as cybersecurity director for the U.S. Army CIO/G-6 and as senior information assurance officer at the service branch.

She also held various leadership positions at the U.S. Air Force such as CIO and information management director at the service branch’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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Report: Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell to Leave White House
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Report: Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell to Leave White House


Report: Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell to Leave White House
Dina Powell

Dina Powell, deputy national security adviser to President Donald Trump, intends to leave the White House as she plans to return to her home in New York early next year, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Senior administration officials told the publication Powell and Trump have tackled the former’s resignation and started to come up with a plan on how Powell can continue to advise the president on the Middle East policy.

Powell’s “sage advice helped provide options to the president, and her strong relationships across the U.S. government and internationally helped drive execution of the president’s decisions,” H.R. McMaster, national security adviser, said in an email.

She worked with McMaster and Nadia Schadlow, one of the National Security Council staff, to develop the Trump administration’s national security strategy that is set to be announced this month.

Powell previously served as assistant secretary for educational and cultural affairs under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and director of presidential personnel during the administration of former President George W. Bush.

She is a former executive at investment bank Goldman Sachs and a former staffer during the term of House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia).

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Gen. Jay Raymond Named Stratcom’s Joint Force Space Component Commander
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Gen. Jay Raymond Named Stratcom’s Joint Force Space Component Commander


Gen. Jay Raymond Named Stratcom’s Joint Force Space Component Commander
Jay Raymond

Gen. Jay Raymond, Air Force Space Command chief, has officially assumed the additional role of Joint Force Space Component commander as part of the U.S. Strategic Command’s restructuring efforts.

Raymond assumed his new position during a ceremony presided by Stratcom commander Gen. John Hyten on Dec. 1, at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, the U.S. Air Force said Dec. 4.

The ceremony marked the inactivation of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space and the initial operating capability of JFSCC.

Raymond will oversee the joint space forces’ command-and-control functions as well as the management and training of the service branch’s space forces.

“We are now focused on further integrating space… on taking tried and proven methods of joint warfighting, and applying them to the space domain to ensure normalization across all mission sets,” Hyten said.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting, JFSCC integration team lead, was also appointed JFSCC deputy commander and succeeded Lt. Gen. David Buck as head of the 14th Air Force.

Stratcom also designated AFSPC as Air Forces Strategic-Space to build up the warfighting role of the command’s Air Force Service Component.

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Former HHS OIG InfoSec Official Steven Hernandez Moves to Education Dept
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Former HHS OIG InfoSec Official Steven Hernandez Moves to Education Dept


Former HHS OIG InfoSec Official Steven Hernandez Moves to Education Dept
Steven Hernandez

Steven Hernandez, former chief information security officer at the Department of Health and Human Services‘ Office of the Inspector General, will assume the CISO role at the Education Department effective Dec. 10, Cyberscoop reported Thursday.

The report noted Hernandez will bring government information technology experience to drive integrity and privacy efforts at the Education Department and support the integration of the agency’s cyber, information security and telecommunications programs.

The department posted a USAJobs notice for the position in June, which said the CISO will also serve as director of information assurance and principal adviser to the chief information officer and deputy CIO.

Hernandez is a volunteer at the nonprofit International Information System Security Certification Consortium and has served as a board member at the Cyber Corps Association as well as vice president and vice chairman of the board for the CyberCorps Scholarship For Service association.

He worked as a certification and accreditation manager at the Education Department earlier in his career.

DOE Announces Solicitation for Nuclear Reactor Technologies
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DOE Announces Solicitation for Nuclear Reactor Technologies


DOE Announces Solicitation for Nuclear Reactor TechnologiesThe Department of Energy has announced solicitation proposals for the development of nuclear reactors and supplementary technologies in aims to promote the use of nuclear power in the U.S.

DOE said Friday it will open a five-year application period for interested potential contractors and conduct selection processes quarterly.

The Department plans to obligate $30 million or more in fiscal 2018 funding to the selected contractor.

“Targeted early-stage investment in advanced nuclear technology will support a strong domestic industry now and into the future,” said DOE Secretary Rick Perry.

The effort persuades industry firms to collaborate with government agencies, laboratories, higher education institutions and other relevant parties within the country.

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Israel Announces Operational Readiness of F-35s
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Israel Announces Operational Readiness of F-35s


Israel Announces Operational Readiness of F-35sThe Israeli air force has declared that its fleet of Lockheed Martin-built F-35 fighter aircraft is ready for combat operations.

Israel’s F-35s, named Adir, obtained initial operational capability after a year of training, which began when the country received its first aircraft in December 2016, Israel’s defense forces said Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, commander of the Israeli air force, said Adir will support the country’s air force as it operates “on a large scale on a number of fronts in a dynamic Middle East.”

The IOC was declared following an assessment of five of Israel’s nine existing F-35 planes, FlightGlobal reported Thursday.

Lt. Col. Yotam, commander of the 140th “Golden Eagle” squadron that operates the Adir fleet, said the jets will be deployed during Israel’s next military campaign.

Yotam added that the Israeli air force still needs to conduct tests, develop combat doctrines and gain “extensive learning” under its F-35 program.

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Mark Esper: Army Looks to Streamline Capability Delivery to Soldiers
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Mark Esper: Army Looks to Streamline Capability Delivery to Soldiers


Mark Esper: Army Looks to Streamline Capability Delivery to SoldiersU.S. Army Secretary Mark Esper has said the service branch plans to streamline the process of delivering capabilities to warfighters in the field, Defense News reported Thursday.

Esper noted during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on acquisition reform the Army looks to cut the requirements development timeline for typical acquisition programs to approximately one year from its current average of five years.

“The process now to acquire something is maybe 10 to 15 years … It used to be five to seven … So our aim would be to get it back to where it used to be as a starting point,” said Esper.

He added the Army will implement eight directives designed to modify and update its capability and material development, requirement development, contracting, sustainment and evaluation processes.

The Army also looks to utilize soldier involvement on the evaluation of prototypes to collect input that can help determine potential changes to the technologies’ design or requirements, the report noted.

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