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Brig. Gen. Kirk Smith Named Deputy Commander of Special Ops Joint Task Force-Afghanistan
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Brig. Gen. Kirk Smith Named Deputy Commander of Special Ops Joint Task Force-Afghanistan


Brig. Gen. Kirk Smith Named Deputy Commander of Special Ops Joint Task Force-Afghanistan
Kirk Smith

Brig. Gen. Kirk Smith, formerly director of force management and deployment at the U.S. Special Operations Command, has been appointed as deputy commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Friday.

He will spearhead SOJTF-A in efforts to carry out counterinsurgency, security and counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan.

Smith has recorded 3,395 flight hours as a command pilot of T-37B, T-38A, UH-1H, MH-53J and MH-53M aircraft.

He previously served as director of strategic plans, programs and requirements at the Air Force Special Operations Command and special assistant and director of the commander’s action group at USSOCOM.

The brigadier general also held positions at the 27th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Senior Leader Management Office and 16th Special Operations Wing.

Smith’s military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in international relations from Troy State University.

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Navy Removes ‘Enterprise’ Aircraft Carrier From Active Service
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Navy Removes ‘Enterprise’ Aircraft Carrier From Active Service


Navy Removes 'Enterprise' Aircraft Carrier From Active ServiceThe U.S. Navy has decommissioned the Huntington Ingalls Industries-built USS Enterprise nuclear-powered aircraft carrier after nearly 55 years in active service.

The military service said Friday it held a ceremony at the ship’s hangar bay to mark the end of service branch’s utilization of the Big E.

Enterprise was the eight naval ship to carry the name and has sailed more than 1 million nautical miles across numerous deployments globally since 1961.

“For all that Enterprise represents to this nation, it’s the people that bring this ship to life,” said Capt. Todd Beltz, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise.

“I feel it’s appropriate to underscore the contributions of the thousands of Sailors and individuals that kept this ship alive and made its reputation.”

Defense News: Lack of Maintenance Budget Keeps 62% of Navy’s F/A-18 Jets from Flying
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Defense News: Lack of Maintenance Budget Keeps 62% of Navy’s F/A-18 Jets from Flying


Defense News: Lack of Maintenance Budget Keeps 62% of Navy’s F/A-18 Jets from FlyingSixty-two percent of the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Boeing-built F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft are not operational due to lack of funds to support maintenance and repair work on the fighter jets, Defense News reported Monday.

Christopher Cavas writes 35 percent of the fighter planes are still in the waiting process for parts, while 27 percent of the aircraft are in major aviation depot work.

Overall, 53 percent of the Navy’s aircraft that include approximately 1,700 combat planes, helicopters and transport and patrol aircraft are grounded, Cavas reported.

The report said the percentage of selected air crews that refused to take part in the service branch’s department head tours rose from 17 percent in 2013 to 29 percent in 2016.

Navy leaders associated the backlog in aviation maintenance with nine consecutive years of continuing resolutions as a result of Congress’ failure to pass a budget for fiscal year 2017.

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Report: DISA CTO David Mihelcic to Retire Before March
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Report: DISA CTO David Mihelcic to Retire Before March


Report: DISA CTO David Mihelcic to Retire Before March
David Mihelcic

David Mihelcic, chief technology officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency, will retire later this month after a three-decade career in government, C4ISR and Networks reported Friday.

Mark Pomerleau writes Mihelcic has advocated for efforts to reform the Defense Department‘s acquisition process and said he believes DoD should replace its current requirements-driven procurement system with a needs-based approach.

“If we can then buy a technology and determine that there is an unfulfilled need whether or not that’s a documented requirement or not we need to be able to move that quickly in acquisition,” said Mihelcic.

Before he became DISA CTO, Mihelcic previously served as the agency’s chief executive engineer and deputy program director for the Global Information Grid Bandwidth Expansion and chief executive engineer for network services.

He also served as an information assurance engineer at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and as a senior consultant at SRI International.

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Gen. David Goldfein: Air Force Should Act As ‘Lead Service’ for DoD’s Space Operations
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Gen. David Goldfein: Air Force Should Act As ‘Lead Service’ for DoD’s Space Operations


Gen. David Goldfein: Air Force Should Act As 'Lead Service' for DoD’s Space Operations
David Goldfein

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein has said the military branch should serve as the “lead service” for the Defense Department’s space training and operations, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

Colin Clark writes Goldfein told audience at a Mitchell Institute breakfast event Friday in Washington that he believes the Air Force has been the “stewards of space” for DoD and that the service branch oversees 90 percent of the department’s space operations.

He also cited the need for an “honest discussion” on how to address the space acquisition process in which he said is dispersed among 60 organizations.

The separation of acquisition functions through the organizations poses a “decision-making problem” for the Air Force, Goldfein added, according to the report.

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CNAS, Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone Launch New Database on UAS
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CNAS, Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone Launch New Database on UAS


CNAS, Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone Launch New Database on UASThe Center for a New American Security and Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone have introduced a database designed to help the public and policymakers learn about the implications of the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems worldwide, CNAS said Wednesday.

The Drone Database contains profiles of at least 150 unmanned systems from 48 countries that can be classified based on payload size, country of origin, range, endurance and other technical specifications, CNAS’ JaRel L. Clay wrote.

The database was created as part of the CNAS Proliferated Drones project that offers information on the development and acquisition of drones in Germany, South Korea, Singapore and other countries and includes a war game report on how state and non-state actors could use unmanned vehicles in conflicts.

Ben FitzGerald, director of CNAS’ technology and national security program, discussed the new database with Paul Scharre, director of CNAS’ Future of Warfare Initiative; and Dan Gettinger, co-founder of the Center for the Study of the Drone, through a podcast that can be accessed through CNAS’ SoundCloud and iTunes channels.

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Army’s Portable Ball Seeks to Provide Ground Satcom Support to Sustainment Units
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Army’s Portable Ball Seeks to Provide Ground Satcom Support to Sustainment Units


Army’s Portable Ball Seeks to Provide Ground Satcom Support to Sustainment UnitsThe U.S. Army has developed a portable ground satellite communications system designed to provide various communications services to deployed troops.

The ground antenna transmit and receive ball is an inflatable device built by the service branch’s 369th sustainment brigade and works to provide more bandwidth capacity for data transfer functions, the Army reported Thursday.

The GATR ball is designed to help sustainment units facilitate deployment of forces to new sites as well as allow commanders to maintain communications with subordinate units.

“For the sustainment community, this means that there will only be a small lag time between when supported units become aware of a requirement and when the supporting units can begin satisfying that requirement,” said Maj. John McBride, signal officer of the 369th SB.

Service personnel from the 369th SB underwent training in January on how to assemble the GATR ball system and received instruction on signal polarization and electromagnetic spectrum, among other topics.

 

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Gina Haspel Named CIA Deputy Director; Mike Pompeo Comments
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Gina Haspel Named CIA Deputy Director; Mike Pompeo Comments


Gina Haspel Named CIA Deputy Director; Mike Pompeo CommentsPresident Donald Trump has appointed Gina Haspel, former deputy director of the National Clandestine Service, as the new deputy director of CIA.

CIA said Thursday the selection of Haspel, who has been with the agency since 1985, makes her the first female career CIA officer to be appointed deputy director.

“Gina is an exemplary intelligence officer and a devoted patriot who brings more than 30 years of agency experience to the job,” said CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Haspel held various roles within CIA, including as deputy director of NCS for foreign intelligence and covert action and as the NCS director’s chief of staff, and she also served overseas as an undercover agent.

James Clapper, former director of national intelligence; Michael Hayden, former CIA director; Fran Moore, former CIA director for intelligence; and Stephen Kappes, former CIA deputy director are among the intelligence community leaders who have worked directly with Haspel and applauded her appointment.

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NASA to Perform Series of Flights to Test New Interval Mgmt Software Tech
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NASA to Perform Series of Flights to Test New Interval Mgmt Software Tech


NASA to Perform Series of Flights to Test New Interval Mgmt Software TechNASA‘s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will conduct a series of flights in Washington to test a new aircraft technology designed to help airlines mitigate air traffic delays and aid air traffic controller workloads.

The space agency said Friday the Federal Aviation Administration and other aviation partners will help conduct the Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 flights which will test the airborne flight deck interval management software.

ATD-1 will use a Boeing 757 aircraft, United Airlines-supplied Boeing 737 aircraft and a Honeywell business jet to conduct the flight test over Grant County International Airport.

Researchers from NASA Langley Research Center developed software and flight tests to be equipped on the Boeing aircraft to support the management of the arrival of aircraft to airports.

NASA added the research team aims to help airplanes spend less time in the air to address engine emission, fuel, money and noise concerns as well as mitigate potential delays.

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US Firms Launch Coalition to Back House Tax Reform Bill
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US Firms Launch Coalition to Back House Tax Reform Bill


US Firms Launch Coalition to Back House Tax Reform BillMore than 25 U.S. companies have established a coalition to support a House bill that seeks to impose a 20 percent tax on imports and reduce income tax from 35 percent to 20 percent and exempt revenue from taxable income, Reuters reported Friday.

The American Made Coalition is composed of several firms that include Boeing, Oracle, General Electric, Eli Lilly and Co., Pfizer and Dow Chemical, David Shepardson  and Ginger Gibson wrote.

“American workers and businesses are not competing today on a level playing field with foreign competitors because of an outdated and unfair tax system,” John Gentzel, a spokesman for the coalition, said in a statement released Thursday.

Gentzel noted the American Made Coalition will work to advance the proposed House legislation that aims to reform the tax system in an effort to incite investment as well as support job creation efforts and U.S.-made products.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and House Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced the tax reform proposal in the lower chamber.

The Tax Foundation said it expects the House tax reform bill to increase gross domestic product by 9.1 percent, create 1.7 million jobs and result in a 7.7 percent rise in wages.

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