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US Soldiers, Airmen & Sailors Conduct Joint Chemical Attack Response Drill
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US Soldiers, Airmen & Sailors Conduct Joint Chemical Attack Response Drill


explosive-disposalA group of more than 200 U.S. sailors, airmen and soldiers worked with the Operational Test Command at West Fort Hood in Texas to test the service members’ ability to respond to simultaneous mock chemical attacks.

The U.S. Army said Tuesday military personnel used the Next Generation Chemical Detector system during the joint exercise that occurred from Oct. 24 to Nov. 17.

Participants in the exercise included members from the 181st Hazard Response Company, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, USS Bataan, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base and Barksdale Air Force Base.

“We’re collecting specific data necessary to inform the program manager and the services with information on the effectiveness, suitability, and survivability of the NGCD systems,” said Eric Graham, OTC operational research analyst.

“Our data collection efforts will ultimately assist in the manufacturing, development and production of critical chemical detection equipment for the Department of Defense.”

Christine Miller, a member of the OTC’s Maneuver Support and Sustainment Test Directorate, said the systems from three NGCD increments were used at the operational assessment and helped soldiers prepare for upcoming training exercises.

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Rep. Tom Price Named HHS Secretary Under Trump Administration
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Rep. Tom Price Named HHS Secretary Under Trump Administration


Tom Price
Tom Price

Rep. Tom Price (R-Georgia), chairman of the House Budget Committee and an orthopedic surgeon, has been selected to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, Politico reported Tuesday.

“Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on healthcare policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity,” Trump said in a statement.

Trump added that Price, a six-term congressman, would help oversee efforts to “repeal and replace Obamacare,” also known as the Affordable Care Act, Louis Nelson writes.

Price authored a bill that seeks to replace the Affordable Care Act that was enacted in 2010, according to a report by Robert Pear for the New York Times.

He proposed the Empowering Patients First Act, a bill that would provide tax credits to citizens who procure family and individual health insurance plans and would remove the federal health insurance exchange, Pear reports.

Price’s bill also aims to permit insurers that have licenses to operate in one state to offer plans to individuals in other states as well as exempt doctors from federal antitrust laws for their involvement in contract negotiations with health insurers, the New York Times added.

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DoD, NASA, GSA Propose Rule to Facilitate Govt-Industry Communication During Acquisition Process
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DoD, NASA, GSA Propose Rule to Facilitate Govt-Industry Communication During Acquisition Process


acquisition policyThe Defense Department, NASA and the General Services Administration have proposed a rule that seeks to encourage and facilitate communication between government procurement officials and industry during the acquisition process.

The three agencies said in a Federal Register notice posted Tuesday the proposed regulation would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation in order to enforce a provision of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act.

DoD, NASA and GSA seek information on procedures and policies that aim to promote communication between government and industry in various phases of the federal acquisition process.

These phases include market research, acquisition planning, solicitation and contract award.

The agencies also want feedback on whether it would be beneficial to ask contracting officers to carry out discussions with potential vendors “after establishing the competitive range for contracts of a high dollar threshold.”

Comments to the proposed rule are due Jan. 30, according to the notice.

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Deltek: Federal Cloud Platform Investments to Reach $6.4B by FY 2021
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Deltek: Federal Cloud Platform Investments to Reach $6.4B by FY 2021


cloudA new Deltek report predicts federal spending on cloud computing platforms and services to increase from $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2016 to $6.4 billion by FY 2021.

Deltek said Tuesday government investments in big data services and products will grow to $3.6 billion by FY 2021 from $2 billion in FY 2016.

According to the report, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program and recruitment of chief data officers to oversee strategies on large data sets will drive the adoption of cloud and big data platforms.

“The push for agencies to modernize their IT environments will ramp up pressure on agencies to adopt cloud computing. But with increasing concerns about security, the importance of FedRAMP compliance is only going to increase as the pace of cloud adoption increases,” said Alex Rossino, senior principal research analyst at Deltek.

Deltek also found that defense and civilian agencies spent approximately $1 billion on contracts to implement private cloud platforms over the last three years and that there is a high demand for cloud engineering services across the federal market driven by private cloud adoption.

Agencies cited security risks as barriers to the adoption of mobile platforms, the report said.

Deltek noted that government contractors should leverage the Office of Management and Budget’s Data Center Optimization Initiative to explore opportunities in order to help agencies meet infrastructure automation, server utilization and virtualization requirements.

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DARPA to Establish Industry & Govt Consortium for On-Orbit Satellite Servicing Standards
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DARPA to Establish Industry & Govt Consortium for On-Orbit Satellite Servicing Standards


satelliteThe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to establish a consortium of government and industry space experts that will create technical and safety standards for on-orbit servicing operations of commercial satellites.

DARPA said Tuesday the Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations will research, develop and publish non-binding, consensus-derived technical and safety standards for on-orbit servicing activities.

“We’re inviting the space community to join us in creating a permanent, self-sustaining ‘one-stop shop’ where industry can collaborate and engage with the U.S. Government about on-orbit servicing, as well as drive the creation of the standards that future servicing providers will follow,” said Todd Master, a DARPA program manager.

Master added the standards will combine data, expertise and experience from government and industry as well as protect commercial partners’ financial and strategic interests.

DARPA is also scheduled to hold a Proposers Day on Dec. 16 at the agency’s Arlington, Virginia-based offices to explain the program to interested parties.

An administrative organization will execute CONFERS and oversee consortium organization, standards development and technical leadership and management, DARPA added.

The agency plans to turn over CONFERS leadership and funding to industry before fiscal year 2021.

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House-Senate Conference Members Reach Compromise on $619B FY 2017 Defense Policy Bill
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House-Senate Conference Members Reach Compromise on $619B FY 2017 Defense Policy Bill


CongressHouse and Senate lawmakers have reached a compromise on a bill that would allocate $619 billion in defense budget for fiscal year 2017, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. writes the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act is approximately $3.2 billion higher than President Barack Obama’s FY 2017 budget request and is scheduled to be put up for a vote in the House by Dec. 2 and the Senate by next week.

The bill would add 1,000 soldiers to the U.S. Army, 4,000 airmen to the U.S. Air Force and 3,000 service personnel to the U.S. Marine Corps, the report said.

The proposed NDAA would reduce the size of the National Security Council to 200 positions, impose a 2.1 percent raise in military pay and require a study on the selective service system, according to a report by Patricia Zengerle on Reuters.

The bill also includes restrictions on transfers related to the military detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and would expand a visa program for Afghans who work for the U.S. military, Zengerle wrote.

Scott Maucione also reports for Federal News Radio that the proposed measure would remove and split the Defense Department’s undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics role into two positions.

A senior armed services committee aide told reporters that DoD will have an undersecretary who will focus on acquisition and support and another one who will handle research and engineering functions, according to Maucione.

The bill would allocate $68 billion in funds for overseas contingency operations and designate the U.S. Cyber Command as a full combatant command, the report added.

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CBO: FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act to Cost $1M Per Year
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CBO: FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act to Cost $1M Per Year


BudgetThe Congressional Budget Office has estimated that it would cost approximately $1 million per year to implement a bill that seeks to boost legal protections for FBI employees who report abuse, fraud and misuse related to government activities.

CBO said Monday the enactment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2016 would not affect direct spending or revenues and would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in four consecutive 10-year periods beginning 2027.

The legislation will require the Justice Department and the Government Accountability Office to produce reports on complaints of whistleblower retaliation and FBI’s oversight of those cases, CBO added.

The bill could also increase reporting requirements for DOJ; lengthen the time required to adjudicate some complaints; and lead to a growth in the number of such cases, CBO noted.

The legislation does not contain intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not impose costs on state, local, or tribal governments, according to CBO’s report.

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Army Seeks to Facilitate Mobile Apps Deployment Through Vetting Software
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Army Seeks to Facilitate Mobile Apps Deployment Through Vetting Software


tablet-soldier-c4isrThe U.S. Army has started to use new software designed to evaluate mobile applications in an effort to ensure that such apps meet government security standards and other requirements, the Army reported Friday.

“With this new vetting software, we can expedite getting proponent-approved and cyber-secure mobile apps to the force,” said Lt. Col. Joe Harris, Army Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager-Mobile.

Mike Casey writes the service branch’s TCM-Mobile unit has adopted the software to screen approximately 80 mobile apps intended for gunnery practice and infantry training, among other topics.

Harris said TCM-Mobile aims to assess, approve and deploy at least 200 mobile apps to soldiers by the end of 2017.

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Matthew Solomon to Step Down as SEC Chief Litigation Counsel; Andrew Ceresney Comments
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Matthew Solomon to Step Down as SEC Chief Litigation Counsel; Andrew Ceresney Comments


Securities and Exchange CommissionMatthew Solomon is set to depart from the Securities and Exchange Commission as the chief litigation counsel for SEC’s enforcement division in early December.

Solomon has overseen the division’s litigation program since September 2013 and handles cases both in federal courts and administrative proceedings, SEC said Nov. 21.

“Matt has won the respect of every trial and investigative attorney in the enforcement division with his keen intellect, strong strategic sense, and outstanding trial skills,” said Andrew Ceresney, director of SEC’s enforcement division.

Solomon became the SEC enforcement division’s deputy chief litigation counsel in June 2012 after his tenure as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where he also served as chief of the fraud unit.

He previously served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department criminal division’s public integrity section following his role as a counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

David Gottesman, the enforcement division’s deputy chief litigation counsel, and Bridget Fitzpatrick, a supervisory trial counsel in the division, will succeed Solomon as acting co-chief litigation counsels.

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FAA: California Records Highest Number of Unauthorized Drone Incidents Among US States
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FAA: California Records Highest Number of Unauthorized Drone Incidents Among US States


Drone (1)The Federal Aviation Administration has found that California had the most number of reported unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems incidents among U.S. states from October 2015 to September 2016.

California accounted for 21 percent out of approximately 1,744 disclosed UAS encounters nationwide, according to a California State Threat Assessment Center joint public safety bulletin posted Nov. 4.

The bulletin stated the incidents occurred in 64 California cities and most encounters were reported in Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego.

Illegal UAS flights in restricted areas affected emergency, firefighting and commercial air operations through the past year, STAC said.

FAA recorded multiple incidents wherein passenger jets at Los Angeles International Airport flew within 200 feet of drones before landing.

Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas also topped FAA’s list of most unauthorized UAS encounters by state.

1 … 2,318 2,319 2,320 2,321 2,322 … 2,609