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Navy Adm. John Richardson Orders ‘Operational Pause’ for All US Fleets
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Navy Adm. John Richardson Orders ‘Operational Pause’ for All US Fleets

 

Navy Adm. John Richardson Orders ‘Operational Pause’ for All US Fleets
John Richardson

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has said he directed the U.S. Navy to implement an operational pause for all the service branch’s fleets worldwide after an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of Singapore early Monday, DoD News reported Monday.

The collision between the USS John S. McCain destroyer and the Alnic MC tanker that occurred east of the Strait of Malacca and Singapore caused flooding to the communication rooms, berthing, machinery and other compartments due to the damage to warship’s hull.

The operational pause could last for up to two days and seeks to allow fleet commanders to evaluate safety measures in maritime operations, Richardson told reporters at the Pentagon.

Richardson, an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2017, said he was “devastated” over the collision and asked Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, to lead a comprehensive review of the incident.

The U.S. 7th fleet reported five injuries and 10 missing Navy sailors as a result of the collision.

The incident came two months after the Navy launched an investigation into the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer’s collision with a Philippine-flagged container ship off the coast of Japan.

 

Profile: Judith Zawatsky, FAS Chief of Staff
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Profile: Judith Zawatsky, FAS Chief of Staff


Profile: Judith Zawatsky, FAS Chief of Staff
Judith Zawatsky

Judith Zawatsky serves as chief of staff at the General Services Administration‘s Federal Acquisition Service.

In this capacity, Zawatsky is responsible for executive operations within the Office of the FAS Commissioner that works to deliver more than $50 billion in products and services to customer agencies each year.

She previously was director of FAS’ Multiple Award Schedules Transformation Program Management Office and led all MAS initiatives.

Before that, she held the roles of acting deputy assistant commissioner and director for outreach and stakeholder management in the GSA-managed Integrated Award Environment.

She also served as senior adviser at the agency’s Office of Acquisition Management, where she established the independent Acquisition Systems Group with the goal to increase accountability, integrity and visibility across the government procurement process.

Zawatsky also led the development and implementation of acquisition transformation efforts as chief of special programs branch within the MAS Program Office.

Prior to GSA, she spent 18 years as a commercial consultant focused on business and government contracting processes.

She studied business administration at University of Maryland and received a diploma from Georgetown University’s Institute of Comparative Political and Economic Systems.

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Trump to Appoint CIA Vet John Sherman as Intell Community CIO
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Trump to Appoint CIA Vet John Sherman as Intell Community CIO


Trump to Appoint CIA Vet John Sherman as Intell Community CIO
John Sherman

President Donald Trump will appoint John Sherman, formerly deputy director of the Open Source Enterprise at CIA, as chief information officer of the intelligence community, the White House announced Friday.

Sherman will replace acting CIO Jennifer Kron and oversee the IC Information Technology Enterprise, a program that seeks to standardize the IT infrastructure across 17 intelligence agencies in an effort to facilitate data sharing and cybersecurity.

The 20-year IC veteran will work at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in his new position.

His career in IC includes time as principal deputy national intelligence officer for military issues at the National Intelligence Council and duty officer at the White House situation room.

He also held senior leadership positions at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

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FedRAMP Adds New Requirements for ‘In Process’ Cloud Platform Designation
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FedRAMP Adds New Requirements for ‘In Process’ Cloud Platform Designation


FedRAMP Adds New Requirements for 'In Process' Cloud Platform DesignationThe Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has introduced new requirements for cloud service providers that aim to obtain FedRAMP “In Process” designation in cooperation with an authorizing government agency.

Cloud vendors that receive In Process designation are actively pursuing FedRAMP authorization and are added to the FedRAMP Marketplace website, which provides information on the authorization status of cloud offerings, FedRAMP said Thursday.

The new requirements will help certify that information on the Marketplace are accurate and updated.

To achieve In Process status, an agency authorizing official or a FedRAMP-approved designee must announce to the FedRAMP program management office via e-mail that they are actively working with a cloud vendor to grant an Authority to Operate within a year.

The authorizing official or designee must also show one of the following to the FedRAMP PMO: proof of a contract award to procure the cloud platform; agency usage of the cloud offering; a FedRAMP Ready certification from the PMO; and the completion of a formal meeting on the launch of the authorization process.

The FedRAMP PMO will communicate with the cloud service provider and authorizing agency every four months from the issuance of the In Process designation to evaluate the company’s commitment to maintain such status.

The cloud vendor must also update the PMO on FedRAMP deliverables, projected timeline for final authorization and employee changes within the involved parties.

The FedRAMP PMO may revoke the In Process designation if it determines that a vendor is not actively working to achieve authorization.

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Report: FCC’s David Bray Cancels Plans to Join NGA as Chief Ventures Officer
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Report: FCC’s David Bray Cancels Plans to Join NGA as Chief Ventures Officer


Report: FCC's David Bray Cancels Plans to Join NGA as Chief Ventures Officer
David Bray

David Bray, chief information officer of the Federal Communications Commission, has not accepted the position of chief ventures officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Federal News Radio reported Friday.

NGA said in June that Bray would join the agency next month to lead internal and commercial innovation efforts there.

The report said Bray changed his mind and decided to leave the government to rejoin the People-Centered Internet organization as an executive director.

“I also will be a Marshall Memorial Fellow traveling to Europe in early 2018 to meet with leaders on shared Europe and U.S. concerns,” Bray told staff in an email obtained by the station.

Profile: Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost, Cyber Director at Army G-3/5/7 Office
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Profile: Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost, Cyber Director at Army G-3/5/7 Office


Profile: Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost, Cyber Director at Army G-3/5/7 Office
Patricia Frost

Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost is the director of cyber within the U.S. Army‘s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7.

Prior to her current role, Frost served as deputy commanding general for operations at the Army Cyber Command and Intelligence and Security Command as well as the military branch’s assistant chief of staff/G3.

Her previous assignments include roles as platoon leader of the 8th Infantry Division in Wildflecken, Germany; commander of headquarters and operations company and battalion operations and intelligence officer of the 741st Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Meade, Maryland; and intelligence training and security officer of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

She also supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the Philippines as well as held the position of  South Asia and Southeast Asia regional desk officer for the Pacific Command’s J2 Intelligence directorate.

Additionally, she worked as deputy chief of initiatives group and director of executive engagements and services under the U.S. Army Pacific commanding general.

Frost completed military intelligence officer basic and advanced courses at the Combined Arms Services and Staff School, Command and General Staff College and Army War College.

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National Guard Bureau, DoD Develop Unmanned Robot for CBRN Incident Response
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National Guard Bureau, DoD Develop Unmanned Robot for CBRN Incident Response


National Guard Bureau, DoD Develop Unmanned Robot for CBRN Incident ResponseThe Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Division of the National Guard Bureau‘s Operations Directorate teamed up with other Defense Department agencies to develop a robotic chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incident response capacity within the DoD.

Malcolm Reese, joint program director of the Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Division, led an effort to integrate chemical, biological, radiological and toxic industrial material sensors on re-purposed Talon IV unmanned robots, the U.S. Army said Friday.

Reese’s team also added an upgraded communication system, infrared day/night cameras and an autonomous mapping system for the CBRN robots.

Tech. Sgt. Brett Whitfill, survey team chief from the 73rd civil support team within the Kansas National Guard, said that the robots help mitigate the need for personnel to suit up for data gathering missions.

“With this [equipment] we could pull it out of our truck or trailer, set it up and send it downrange to investigate … We [can] get real-time data and real-time feedback,” added Whitfill.

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Trump Scraps Plan to Form Infrastructure Advisory Council
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Trump Scraps Plan to Form Infrastructure Advisory Council


Trump Scraps Plan to Form Infrastructure Advisory CouncilA White House official said Thursday that President Donald Trump has decided to drop plans to establish an advisory panel focused on infrastructure, Reuters reported Friday.

The formation of the proposed Advisory Council on Infrastructure is part of an executive order Trump signed in July.

The council would have consisted of representatives from construction, real estate and transportation sectors if the administration had moved forward with the plan.

The announcement came a day after the president dissolved the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum.

Prior to the disbandment of the two business councils, several member CEOs decided to leave in response to Trump’s remarks on violence and race relations following a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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DoD Eyes Blockchain Tech to Secure Military Platforms
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DoD Eyes Blockchain Tech to Secure Military Platforms


DoD Eyes Blockchain Tech to Secure Military PlatformsThe Defense Department has begun to consider using the blockchain technology as a method to protect U.S. military platforms, communications and procurements from potential cyber attacks, The Washington Times reported Thursday.

Blockchain works to support digital transactions that involve the online currency bitcoin.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has released a request for proposals on a program that seeks to develop a blockchain-based messaging service for deployed U.S. troops.

If “significant portions of the [Defense Department] back-office infrastructure can be decentralized, smart documents and contracts can be instantly and securely sent and received, thereby reducing exposure to hackers and reducing needless delays in DoD back-office correspondence,” DARPA wrote.

The report also noted that DARPA also has begun development work on a blockchain-based code that cannot be breached by potential hackers.

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Trump Directs DoD to Facilitate Cybercom’s Transition Into Combatant Command
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Trump Directs DoD to Facilitate Cybercom’s Transition Into Combatant Command


Trump Directs DoD to Facilitate Cybercom’s Transition Into Combatant CommandThe Defense Department has begun the process to advance the transition of the U.S. Cyber Command into a unified combatant command in response to President Donald Trump’s order, DoD News reported Friday.

Cybercom’s elevation seeks to “help streamline command and control of time-sensitive cyberspace operations by consolidating them under a single commander with authorities commensurate with the importance of such operations,” Trump said in a statement issued Friday.

“Elevation will also ensure that critical cyberspace operations are adequately funded,” he added.

The president added that DoD Secretary James Mattis has started to evaluate the plan to separate Cybercom from the National Security Agency and will offer his recommendations “at a later date.”

Kenneth Rapuano, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense and global security, told reporters Friday that Cybercom’s elevation is in line with the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2017 and Mattis’ recommendation and comes as the command works to complete the establishment of its cyber mission force by the end of fiscal 2018.

The White House’s order to elevate Cybercom came a week after the command announced plans to hold its first industry day in October to exercise its congressional authority to purchase cybersecurity technology platforms.

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