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DAF Allows Marines to Participate in AI Program for the First Time
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DAF Allows Marines to Participate in AI Program for the First Time

The Department of the Air Force-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Accelerator has allowed two members of the Marine Corps to participate in the Phantom Program for the first time.

The Air Force said Tuesday the decision to include the active-duty Marines to the program coincides with efforts to tackle innovation needs and enhance AI capabilities of the DAF and the Department of Defense in general.

The DAF-MIT AI Accelerator was limited to DAF personnel, particularly to airmen and guardians, prior to the move. With their participation in the five-month long program, the Marine Phantoms will be able to exchange ideas, perspectives and expertise with AI researchers.

Participants in the AIA program will be conducting extensive AI research, rapid prototyping of AI algorithms, and scaling applications for real-world use. They are also required to publish an impact paper, which should further help in the development of military AI research.

USMC deputy commandant for information Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, highlighting the Marines’ tradition of being innovators, said, “AI presents yet another opportunity for Marines to showcase their ability to fuse technology, people and processes to generate favorable outcomes across the competition continuum.”

According to Glavy, collaborating with the DAF-MIT AI Accelerator gives the Marine Corps an opportunity to “rapidly upskill” and develop ways of using AI to a better “decision advantage for commanders at all echelons.”

Col. Garry Floyd, director of the MIT-AI Accelerator, said the Marines’ unique perspective to military operations “can only enrich the AIA’s own diversity of experience.”

“Given the broad nature of the AIA’s portfolio we are certain to find synergies across our efforts to develop and deploy difference making capabilities for operations,” stressed Floyd.

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DAF Allows Marines to Participate in AI Program for the First Time
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Former DOD CIO John Sherman Named Bush School Dean at Texas A&M University
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Former DOD CIO John Sherman Named Bush School Dean at Texas A&M University

John Sherman, former chief information officer of the Department of Defense and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient, was named dean of Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Sherman, a 1992 Distinguished Military Graduate of Texas A&M, starts in his new role on Aug. 1, the university said in a LinkedIn post Wednesday. He stepped down from his position at DOD at the end of June.

The former defense official has three decades of experience in national security, having served senior positions in the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Prior to joining the Pentagon, Sherman served as the Intelligence Community CIO from 2017 to 2020. He was responsible for driving and coordinating information technology modernization among 17 agencies.

The new Bush School dean began his IC career in 1997 as an imagery analyst.

Sherman, following graduation from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, joined the 24th Infantry Division as an air defense officer.

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KBR Receives $59M Navy Contract for Engineering Services
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KBR Receives $59M Navy Contract for Engineering Services

KBR secured a $59.1 million contract from the U.S. Navy to provide engineering services for naval programs and government projects.

The Department of Defense said Tuesday the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is intended to support the Light Airborne Multipurpose System MK III and other data links.

Under the cost-plus-fix-fee and level-of-effort contract, the services that KBR will provide are as follows:

  • Procurement specification development
  • Technical contract administration
  • Quality assurance
  • Data link in-service engineering
  • Installation engineering
  • Fleet support
  • Intermediate and depot-level repairs
  • Equipment reproductions and overhauls
  • Design engineering
  • Implementation services for data link stimulators/simulators
  • Specialized test equipment for troubleshooting, repair and performance/quality evaluation of data links

KBR will fulfill the project in Maryland. Ninety five percent of the work will be conducted in St. Inigoes and the remaining five percent will be in Patuxent River. The expected completion date is June 2030.

No funds will be allocated at the time of the award. Instead, they will be obligated as individual orders are issued. The contract was competitively procured through an electronic request proposal, with only two offers submitted.

Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River will handle the contract.

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KBR Receives $59M Navy Contract for Engineering Services
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Brett Bennett Elevated to VP of Supply Chain & Infrastructure at CyberCore Technologies
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Brett Bennett Elevated to VP of Supply Chain & Infrastructure at CyberCore Technologies

Brett Bennett, former director of cyber supply chain security at CyberCore Technologies, has been elevated to the company’s vice president of supply chain and infrastructure.

In his new role, Bennett will leverage over 20 years of experience in supply chain to spearhead CyberCore’s strategic outlook on service applications and advancements of all infrastructure supporting the company’s third-party accreditation under ISO 28000 and ISO 20243, which includes warehouse operations, security, information technology and facilities management, CyberCore told ExecutiveGov Thursday.

In his 14 years with the company, Bennett has led numerous efforts impacting supply chain resilience, including the WindRose Threat Assessment model and ensuring CyberCore’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Capability-Level 2 readiness. He has also garnered the company’s first contract award with the U.S. Navy SPAWAR and subcontracts supporting agencies within the DOD.

While serving as VP, Bennett will continue to work as a cross-departmental leader and subject-matter expert on a national program that aims to modernize data and inventory management systems.

Bennett has also established and crafted a set of live reports and key performance indexes for CyberCore that have improved inventory accuracy from 82 percent to 93.3 percent.

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Air Force Brigadier General Lyle Drew Appointed Deputy Director of DTRA
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Air Force Brigadier General Lyle Drew Appointed Deputy Director of DTRA

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA, named Brig. Gen. Lyle Drew of the U.S. Air Force as its new deputy director.

The DTRA said Brig. Gen. Drew was sworn in during a ceremony led by DTRA Director Rebecca Hersman on Thursday.

As deputy director, Brig. Gen. Drew will help in the agency’s efforts and initiatives of bringing the Joint Force to the forefront of “today’s rapidly evolving technology environment.” He will also represent DTRA to partner nations, other elements within the Department of Defense and other counter WMD entities.

Prior to his new role, Brig. Gen. Drew was with the Air Force Materiel Command where he served as commander of the 78th Air Base Wing and director of staff before being named director of logistics, civil engineering, force protection and nuclear integration.

The career Air Force leader also served as commander of both the 82d Training Wing of Air Education and Training Command and the 49th Maintenance Group of Air Combat Command. Additionally, Brig. Gen. Drew was the politico-military planner for the deputy director for global policy and partnerships, as well as deputy legislative assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Brig. Gen. Drew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University, where he was also part of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Western New England University and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University. 

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NSA-CISA Security Framework Seeks to Boost US Leadership in Global Tech Standards Development
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NSA-CISA Security Framework Seeks to Boost US Leadership in Global Tech Standards Development

The National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have issued an Enduring Security Framework seeking to strengthen U.S. leadership in crafting international standards that the agencies foresee will impact the technology sector’s security in the future. 

The ESF report, which pursues the agencies’ respective cybersecurity missions, recommends four action steps, including establishing the U.S. as a choice venue for standards development conferences and prompt engagement in critical emerging technology standards.    

The 22-page report also suggests the development of a more standards-savvy labor force and tapping academia to raise the next generation of standards development professionals. 

The ESF Industry Specifications Group’s working panel, a public-private sector team led by NSA and CISA personnel, developed the report.  

Atiya Yearwood, the NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center’s deputy chief, noted that such technologies as quantum computing and artificial intelligence are rapidly evolving, which requires careful and secure development. 

“So we need U.S. industry to continue the tradition of strong leadership from the beginning phase of standards development,” she said.

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CISA’s SAFECOM Issues Recommendations to Help Organizations Adopt Cloud Service
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CISA’s SAFECOM Issues Recommendations to Help Organizations Adopt Cloud Service

SAFECOM, a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency program, has published a new guide to support public safety practitioners’ cloud adoption efforts.

The document, titled “Considerations for Public Safety Cloud Computing Adoption,” is designed to help practitioners identify the scope and requirements of a cloud solution they plan to use, according to Ted Lawson, SAFECOM’s cybersecurity working group federal facilitator.

The guidance outlines key suggestions for implementing cloud-based solutions such as diligent planning to ensure uninterrupted service, technology interoperability and customized experience for users.

The resource also recommended that cloud service must comply with security, evidentiary and resiliency standards.

In addition, the document stressed that a service should satisfy an organization’s unique mission requirements.

The list of recommendations intends to start a conversation with peers, leaders and decision-makers on the best way to implement cloud technology, Lawson said.

“These considerations could assist public safety organizations at any stage of cloud adoption to ensure that their selection is operable, secure, resilient and compliant with rules and regulations,” the official added.

CISA called on all stakeholders to distribute the publication on their respective networks.

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NIST Releases Cloud Computing Forensic Readiness Guidebook
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NIST Releases Cloud Computing Forensic Readiness Guidebook

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued the final version of its Cloud Computing Forensic Reference Architecture designed to enable the rapid data collection of evidence in cloud computing environments at minimal investigation costs.

The 31-page document, filed as NIST Special Publication 800-201, pinpoints and addresses the challenges of cloud forensics, including information integrity and privacy issues in the data collection process. 

The publication builds upon the 62 cloud-related forensic challenges enumerated in a NIST report issued in August 2020.         

To help users understand the cloud computing forensic process, the guidebook provides a reference architecture identifying the challenges that require mitigation strategies and recommending ways to apply the approaches.    

The reference guide works as a methodology and an initial implementation step useful for cloud system professionals, forensic investigators and cloud consumers to check the forensic readiness of their cloud computing architectures.

NIST encourages users to customize the guidebook’s implementation based on their specific conditions and requirements. 

The NIST Cloud Computing Forensic Science Working Group performed the research for the cloud computing forensic reference. 

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CTC Continues Design & Production of Additive Manufacturing System for AFRL
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CTC Continues Design & Production of Additive Manufacturing System for AFRL

Concurrent Technologies Corporation, or CTC, has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to produce an innovative additive manufacturing, or AM, machine.

Under the $4.4 million contract — part two of an ongoing project — CTC aims to modernize AM equipment and broaden the production of longer parts for vital defense capabilities throughout the Department of Defense, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania-based company announced Wednesday. 

Ed Sheehan Jr., president and CEO of CTC, said, “CTC is committed to advancing manufacturing capabilities and supporting the defense industry’s critical needs.”

 “The technical work we are performing for this project includes elements of CTC’s full-service portfolio of AM capabilities including design, testing, post-processing, machining and qualification,” Sheehan Jr. added.

The current process of joining smaller AM parts to build large weapon capabilities has brought challenges such as inconsistent mechanical properties and limited design flexibility. 

Throughout this second phase the contract, CTC will look to finalize the AM machine design, install the systems and print near- or full-height representative geometry to improve functionality.

Ken Sabo, senior director of manufacturing at CTC, said, “We are proud of AFRL’s continued trust in our ability to provide value on this important effort.”

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Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support
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Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support

Oshkosh Defense was awarded a potential $39.5 million contract by the U.S. Navy to provide support to the Marine Corps’ fleet of tactical vehicles.

The Department of Defense said Monday Oshkosh Defense will deliver multiple engineering change proposal or ECP kits to the Marine Corps to support their medium and heavy tactical vehicles, or MHTV.

Under the firm-fixed-price and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the defense technology company will procure government-approved ECP kits, parts and hardware components essential in maintaining the vehicles. These items are also necessary for recurring installations that help enhance the MHTV’s capabilities and survivability.

Vehicles included in the MHTV fleet are the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, or MTVR, Logistics Vehicle System Replacement, or LVSR, and the Automatic Fire Extinguisher System-equipped P19-Replacement, or P19R.

Oshkosh Defense will do the work in Wisconsin where the company is based. The project is expected to be completed by July 2029.

Funds will be allocated on individual delivery orders. A total of $2.1 million from the Marine Corps’ procurement funds for fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024 has been reserved for these delivery orders. However, $1.6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year while the remaining $500,000 will still be available beyond the said period.

The contract was awarded as a sole-source acquisition under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Marine Corps Systems Command, headquartered in Quantico, Virginia, will oversee the contract.

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Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support
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