GAO: VA Should Provide Reliable Activation Cost, Schedule for $1.7B Denver Construction Project
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GAO: VA Should Provide Reliable Activation Cost, Schedule for $1.7B Denver Construction Project


GAO: VA Should Provide Reliable Activation Cost, Schedule for $1.7B Denver Construction ProjectThe Government Accountability Office has called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a “reliable” cost estimate and schedule for the activation of a $1.7 billion medical facility construction project in Denver.

GAO said Tuesday VA’s activation cost for the Denver project increased to $341 million from $272 million in 2012 but VA officials could not provide information on how they created the estimate.

Auditors also found that VA’s construction and activation schedules are not integrated and the milestones of each schedule do not align.

GAO added that the Denver medical facility is at risk of additional cost increases and delays due to activation cost estimate and schedule integration issues.

The congressional watchdog also recommended that VA clarify policies on schedule integration and create a mechanism to monitor change orders.

VA’s contract management software works to record dates of change order requests and approvals but the department does not use the software to determine whether changes are approved within the required time, GAO noted.

The agency found the contract management platform also does not monitor reasons for change orders.

GAO said the department plans deploy a system that tracks such information by March 2017.

The Denver facility is one of 12 VA construction projects that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages under interagency agreements.

VA is responsible for the projects’ overall completion and activation as part of the agreements.

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Senate Committee OKs HR McMaster’s Appointment to Natl Security Adviser Post
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Senate Committee OKs HR McMaster’s Appointment to Natl Security Adviser Post


Senate Committee OKs HR McMaster's Appointment to Natl Security Adviser Post
H.R. McMaster

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 23-2 to permit Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to serve as national security adviser while on active duty, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Joe Gould writes McMaster appeared before the committee since senators need to approve generals above two-star rank even though the national security adviser post does not require Senate consent.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) said there is an opportunity for a Senate floor debate on McMaster’s appointment along with topics such as civil-military balance and the National Security Council’s responsibilities.

President Donald Trump picked McMaster to be his national security adviser in February after Michael Flynn resigned from the role.

McMaster previously headed the U.S. Army‘s Capabilities Integration Center and commanded troops during the first Gulf War.

The report said his appointment will move forward for a vote by the full Senate.

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Army CERDEC Opens New Aircraft Hangar in New Jersey
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Army CERDEC Opens New Aircraft Hangar in New Jersey


Army CERDEC Opens New Aircraft Hangar in New JerseyThe U.S. Army‘s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center has moved its flight activity into a new R&D aircraft hangar at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

The service branch said Monday that facility will house the CERDEC flight activity’s fleet of fixed and rotor wing aircraft platforms that include Sikorsky-built UH-60M Black Hawk, Beechcraft-manufactured RC-12 Huron and UV-18 Twin Otter aircraft.

The hangar features an aircraft component and avionics maintenance shop along with administrative facilities, a rotor wing landing pad and fixed wing taxiway designed to boost mission capacity at JBMDL.

CFA Director Charles Maraldo said the features of the hangar will help CERDEC engineers, fabricators, integrators and pilots support aspects of airborne experimentation in a single environment.

“The work done in this hangar supports aviation research and development that is critical to continue advancing our C4ISR,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey).

CFA offers aviation platform sensor development and integration services to academic institutions, government agencies and industry partners on Defense Department missions.

The Army noted that the 20-mile-wide JBMDL can be accessed by industry and government laboratories on the East Coast and provides radio frequency spectrum, restricted airspace and topography to support aerial experimentation in communications, electronic warfare, radar and signals intelligence.

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Rep. Devin Nunes: House Intell Committee to Hold Public Hearing on Russian Interference
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Rep. Devin Nunes: House Intell Committee to Hold Public Hearing on Russian Interference


Rep. Devin Nunes: House Intell Committee to Hold Public Hearing on Russian InterferenceThe House Intelligence Committee plans to hold an initial open hearing on March 20 to investigate Russian intelligence efforts that targeted the U.S., The Daily Caller reported Tuesday.

Kerry Picket writes the panel invited government agency leaders such as FBI‘s James Comey and National Security Agency‘s Mike Rogers as well as Dmitri Alperovitch and Shawn Henry, respectively chief technology officer and chief security officer of Crowdstrike.

“I want to make sure that we hold as many of these hearings out in public so that the American people can attend and report on it,” said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s 2017 Wash100 for 2017.

Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee said in January they would probe counterintelligence issues related to Russia and the 2016 U.S. elections.

In late 2016, the White House imposed sanctions against Russia for hacking and other efforts sought to influence the presidential election.

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Members of Obama’s Cyber Commission Urge Trump to Execute Cybersecurity Recommendations
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Members of Obama’s Cyber Commission Urge Trump to Execute Cybersecurity Recommendations


Members of Obama’s Cyber Commission Urge Trump to Execute Cybersecurity RecommendationsThree members of a cybersecurity commission that former President Barack Obama established under a 2016 executive order have called on the Trump administration to implement its recommendations to build up the federal government’s cybersecurity posture, The Hill newspaper reported Monday.

The Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity released a report in December that offered 16 recommendations such as increased cooperation between industry and the public sector on cyber efforts and appointment of an assistant to the president who would coordinate digital security initiatives across federal agencies, Morgan Chalfant wrote.

Tom Donilon, former chair of the commission and a partner at law firm O’Melveny & Myers, urged the Trump administration to form an “all-of-government deterrence” against cyber threats through coordination of cyber efforts among agencies.

Other commissioners that have expressed support to Trump’s plan to make agency chiefs responsible for their organizations’ cybersecurity include Sam Palmisano, former vice chair of the commission and former president and CEO of IBM; and Steven Chabinsky, a commissioner and partner at law firm White & Case, the report added.

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FAA: Data Comm Service Now Implemented at Miami Int’l Airport
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FAA: Data Comm Service Now Implemented at Miami Int’l Airport


FAA: Data Comm Service Now Implemented at Miami Int’l AirportThe Federal Aviation Administration has said Miami International Airport has experienced a reduction in departure delays following the implementation of the Data Comm service.

FAA said Monday Data Comm is a NextGen technology platform that works to help pilots and air traffic controllers send and receive revised flight plans, clearances and advisories through digital messages.

Miami International Airport ranks 12th in North America’s list of busiest airports and is considered the largest entryway to Latin America.

The agency has implemented the Data Comm service at control towers of 55 U.S. airports such as Atlanta, Boston and Denver.

FAA selected an industry team led by Harris Corp. in September 2012 to provide Data Comm engineering and integration services under a potential $331 million contract.

The Data Communications Integrated Services contract has a base period of seven years and 10 option years that could run through 2029.

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NASA will Conduct Space Experiment to Support Research on Gravity, Dark Energy
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NASA will Conduct Space Experiment to Support Research on Gravity, Dark Energy


NASA will Conduct Space Experiment to Support Research on Gravity, Dark EnergyNASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory aims to send a suite of instruments to the International Space Station as part of an experiment designed to support research on gravity and dark energy through the creation of the coldest spot in the universe.

The space agency said Tuesday the Cold Atom Laboratory suite of instruments will conduct an experiment that freezes gas atoms to approximately a billionth of a degree above absolute zero.

The CAL instrument suite, which includes lasers, a vacuum chamber and electromagnetic knife, will launch aboard SpaceX‘s Commercial Resupply Services-12 spacecraft in August.

“Studying these hyper-cold atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity,” said Robert Thompson, a project scientist at JPL for the Cold Atom Laboratory instrument.

“The experiments we’ll do with the Cold Atom Lab will give us insight into gravity and dark energy — some of the most pervasive forces in the universe.”

NASA noted that the Johnson Space Center’s International Space Station Program sponsors the Cold Atom Laboratory project which will undergo a testing phase in preparation for its delivery to Cape Canaveral.

The space agency added that five scientific teams look to conduct experiments using the Cold Atom Lab in a push to support the development of technologies such as atomic clocks, sensors and quantum computers.

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DHS Finalizes Draft Cyber Breach Notification Guidance
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DHS Finalizes Draft Cyber Breach Notification Guidance


DHS Finalizes Draft Cyber Breach Notification GuidanceThe Department of Homeland Security has crafted a set of guidelines on how government agencies can notify affected individuals in the event of a cyber breach, Federal News Radio reported Monday.

Nicole Ogrysko writes the DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee approved a final draft of the guidance during a committee meeting held Feb. 21

The guide suggests methods for notifying cyber breach victims, preparing and sending notices, avoiding “over-notifying” and providing additional assistance for affected personnel, Ogrysko reported.

DPIAC calls on organizations to conduct a risk analysis before notifying cyber breach victims to determine the nature and sensitivity of compromised data and provide prompt notification with accurate information.

The committee said agencies should deliver notification letters through first-class mail to help reach intended recipients.

The panel also recommended that organizations write only the basic details of the incident in plain language; establish a call center with staff that can handle specific questions in multiple languages; and set up a website when more information becomes available.

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US Begins Deployment of Lockheed-Built Anti-Missile Platform in South Korea
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US Begins Deployment of Lockheed-Built Anti-Missile Platform in South Korea


US Begins Deployment of Lockheed-Built Anti-Missile Platform in South KoreaThe U.S. military has started to roll out Lockheed Martin-developed anti-missile defense systems in South Korea following four ballistic missiles launches from North Korea, Reuters reported Tuesday.

James Pearson and Ju-min Park write the U.S. military has initiated the deployment of  Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense interceptors to South Korea amidst North Korean missile launches that landed in the sea off Japan’s northwest region.

Lockheed’s THAAD platform is designed to intercept missiles inside and outside the atmosphere as well as defend population centers and high value infrastructure.

“Japan and the U.S. confirmed that the latest North Korean missile launches were clearly against U.N. resolutions and a clear provocation against the regional and international community,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The report noted that officials from the U.S. and Japan have also called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the North Korean missile launch activity.

South Korea and the U.S. agreed to deploy THAAD units on the Korean Peninsula last year in response to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

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NAVAIR Master Chief Shaun Brahmsteadt Assigned to DLA as Senior Enlisted Leader
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NAVAIR Master Chief Shaun Brahmsteadt Assigned to DLA as Senior Enlisted Leader


NAVAIR Master Chief Shaun Brahmsteadt Assigned to DLA as Senior Enlisted Leader
Shaun Brahmsteadt

Shaun Brahmsteadt, a more than 31-year U.S. Navy veteran and master chief at the Naval Air Systems Command, has been appointed to succeed Army Sgt. Maj. Charles Tobin as command senior enlisted leader of the Defense Logistics Agency.

The Office of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman announced Brahmsteadt’s new assignment in a Defense Department release published Monday.

Brahmsteadt joined the Navy in July 1985 as a recruit trainee in San Diego.

His sea tours include service on board USS Truxtun, USS Arleigh Burke, USS Mississippi, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Duluth.

He also served as a command master chief of the Strike Fighter Squadron 14, Carrier Air Wing and the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan.

Brahmsteadt worked as a recruiter for Naval Recruiting District San Diego, assistant communications officer for the Naval Forces Pacific commander and a command master chief/chief of the Boat class facilitators at Command Leadership School in Rhode Island.

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