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Report: China to Demo Stealth Fighter Jet at Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition
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Report: China to Demo Stealth Fighter Jet at Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition


China flag_EGovChina plans to conduct a first public flight demonstration of its stealth fighter jet next week at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the city of Zhuhai, Reuters reported Friday.

Shen Jinke, spokesman of China’s air force, said production of the J-20 fighter jet is on track and the aircraft will support efforts to protect sovereignty and national security, Michael Martina wrote.

China has said the event will serve as the first public appearance of “China’s indigenously manufactured new generation stealth fighter jet,” Martina reported.

China will also demonstrate the Y-20 military transport aircraft at the Zhuhai exhibition, the report said.

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Jeffery Anoka: Energy Dept to Establish Talent Mgmt Office
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Jeffery Anoka: Energy Dept to Establish Talent Mgmt Office


PeopleThe Energy Department plans to establish a talent management office to oversee DOE’s workforce development and recruitment efforts, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

David Thornton writes that DOE discovered gaps in workforce planning during a study that sought to determine how much money was spent on recruitment and training programs at the department.

Jeffery Anoka, DOE director of corporate recruitment and outreach, said during a webinar that the four primary functions of the new office include talent acquisition, onboarding, workforce development and organizational effectiveness.

“We have to be proactive in engaging the talent pipelines,” Anoka added, according to the station.

“We’re not only competing against the wonderful federal government, we’re competing against private industry.”

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Air Force to Reduce Non-Mission Related Training Courses
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Air Force to Reduce Non-Mission Related Training Courses


Air Force logoThe U.S. Air Force plans to eliminate training courses it believes are not related to uniformed personnel primary missions in efforts to optimize capacities to accomplish core duties.

The service branch said Monday a task force reviewed 42 training courses that are not part of an airman’s primary job and the Air Force looks to remove 15 stand-alone courses and streamline 16 others to reduce training time.

The task force reviewed courses such as total force awareness training, selected force training, event-driven training and basic Airman readiness training.

“We’ll continue to be deliberate about what we cut or streamline, but more is required as we continue to focus our efforts on the business of warfighting, respecting our Airmen’s time, and still meeting the necessary requirements to take care of our mission and our force,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein.

“Computer-based training impacts our Airmen’s time, so we’re looking at what we can eliminate, consolidate or substantially relax to cut the demand,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody.

The initiative will work to address redundant requirements since the review found that many training modules contain duplicated information provided in other trainings, the Air Force said.

The military branch added the initiative will also give Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel more time to focus on core skill set development during drill, unit training assembly and annual tour periods.

Reductions will take effect between January and April 2017 but soldiers are no longer required to complete courses that are slated for elimination.

The Air Force will update instructions to reflect changes on or before Jan. 1, 2017 and the Advanced Distributed Learning Service will be updated by April 1, 2017.

The service branch will also create a screening process to review new policies and identify areas that give additional duties or training requirements for uniformed personnel.

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NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System Designs
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NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System Designs


NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System DesignsNASA and the National Space Grant Foundation have awarded $117,000 in total prizes to eight student teams for their space habitation system designs that could support the Journey to Mars.

The space agency said Tuesday the concepts included approaches to space-based plant growth, astronaut fitness, vehicle integration and air purification as part of the eXploration Systems and Habitation Academic Innovation Challenge series.

Winners include teams from the University of Colorado, Oklahoma State University, Pratt Institute, Utah State University, University of Maryland, University of Puerto Rico and the University of South Alabama.

X-Hab designs can help address the efficiency of growing vegetables in space through updated water distribution methods and mechanisms for microgravity plant growth systems, NASA noted.

The agency has applied student concepts from previous X-Hab challenges such as waste handling, recycling and atmosphere scrubbing as well as fabrication concepts and design factors that affect human psychological and physiological conditions.

The Advanced Exploration Systems division of NASA’s human exploration and operations mission directorate sponsors X-Hab as part of efforts to foster academic, industry and international partnerships to support future human missions beyond Earth orbit.

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Report: OPM Says Personnel Data Breach Victims Need to Sign Up Again for Identity Monitoring Services
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Report: OPM Says Personnel Data Breach Victims Need to Sign Up Again for Identity Monitoring Services


cyber-hack-network-computerOfficials at the Office of Personnel Management have said former and current federal employees whose personal data were compromised in a cyber hack at OPM must register again to retain coverage for identity protection services, the Washington Post reported Monday.

OPM officials noted that employees who were affected by the personnel records breach need to sign up with ID Experts for such services as the agency’s contract with Winvale/CSID is set to expire on Dec. 1, Eric Yoder writes.

The report said ID Experts will start to provide additional identity and credit monitoring services to personnel files hack victims on Dec. 2 through a separate contract that will run through the end of 2018.

Officials told the publication that the expiration of the contract with Winvale/CSID will affect approximately 600 victims of the personnel data breach.

Federal, military and contractor staff who were affected by a breach that targeted records related to background checks and already signed up with ID Experts will not be required to re-enroll for additional monitoring services, Yoder reports.

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FCC Implements DHS Recommendations on New Wireless Emergency Alerts Tool
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FCC Implements DHS Recommendations on New Wireless Emergency Alerts Tool


FCC Implements DHS Recommendations on New Wireless Emergency Alerts ToolThe Federal Communications Commission has implemented recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security‘s science and technology directorate in the FCC’s wireless emergency alerts platform in an effort to update that system.

The WEA Report and Order has adopted the directorate’s recommendations on message effectiveness, increased character length, addition of URL links, pictures and videos to the alerts and employment of new technology to support geo-targeting functions, DHS said Monday.

DHS has financed academic research programs since 2012 to help advance WEA technology with plans to fund new studies to help address potential public and communication technology requirements.

“It’s essential that as technology and people’s perception and use of technology changes, the systems used to alert the public keep pace with these changes,” said Denis Gusty, WEA program manager at DHS S&T’s first responders group.

“We must continue to research the behavior of why people react one way or another after receiving an alert, especially when it comes to flooding,” he added.

GAO Evaluates DoD’s Efforts to Develop Inventory Monitoring Strategy
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GAO Evaluates DoD’s Efforts to Develop Inventory Monitoring Strategy


ContractSigningThe Defense Department is working to implement eight open recommendations from the Government Accountability Office on issues regarding the inventory of contracted services such as the development of a strategy to compile the inventory and define roles of stakeholders.

A GAO study published Monday says DoD faces issues such as an underlying inventory data collection system, staffing for the inventory management support office and the formalization of roles of office and stakeholders.

Military departments have not come up with a strategy to utilize the inventory to inform the workforce as well as support strategic workforce planning and budget decision-making processes as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act.

The auditor noted 21 out of 40 DoD components addressed all six of the required review elements and the department has made progress on the selection of an official to oversee efforts to develop strategies for the utilization of inventories in decision making.

GAO also found out that DOD has obligated approximately $28 billion for contracts in 17 categories including professional and management support services and components have identified $10.8 billion in obligations and dollars invoiced for contracts categorized as “closely associated with inherently governmental functions.”

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Treasury Tax IG: IRS’ Use of Data Elements Led to Detection of $72M in Suspected Tax Refund Fraud
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Treasury Tax IG: IRS’ Use of Data Elements Led to Detection of $72M in Suspected Tax Refund Fraud


TaxFormThe Treasury Department‘s inspector general for tax administration has found that as of March 25, the Internal Revenue Service identified suspected tax refund fraud cases valued at $72 million driven by the introduction of three data elements to the Return Review Program.

TIGTA said in a report issued Sept. 30 that it evaluated the IRS’ Information Technology Program and found that security of taxpayer information continues to be the top performance and management issue that IRS faces.

TIGTA also found weaknesses in the domains of identity and access management, configuration management and information security continuous monitoring as part of IRS’ cybersecurity program.

The IRS has conducted tests of additional data elements as well as the functionality of the Affordable Care Act Compliance Validation System, the report said.

The IG also identified vulnerabilities in other areas of IRS’ IT program such as electronic authentication process controls, physical security controls, enterprise e-mail acquisition, IT contract administration controls, data retrieval and SharePoint controls.

Profile: Bryon Young, Executive Director of Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground
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Profile: Bryon Young, Executive Director of Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground


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Bryon Young

Bryon Young serves as the executive director of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

He oversees the execution of contracts that support research and development initiatives across the U.S. Army as well as mission critical contracting work for warfighters, program executive office and institutional customers of the military branch.

Young joined the Senior Executive Service in November 2004 and also concurrently serves as the principal assistant responsible for contracting for the commander of the Army Material Command.

He previously served as director of the Army’s Research Development and Engineering Command Contracting Center, Mission and Installation Contracting Command and Contracting Agency in Falls Church, Virginia.

He also worked as deputy director and chief of staff at the Army Contracting Center, director for contracting and assistant secretary of the Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, commander of the Defense Contract Management Agency Raytheon and DCMA Milwaukee, chief of the procurement division at Defense Personnel Support Center-Europe and procurement team chief at the Army Missile Command.

Young was an Army air defense officer for 13 years and deployed to the XVIII Airborne Corps, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 32nd Army Air Defense Command as well as assigned as ROTC instructor at Princeton University before he joined the Army Acquisition Corps.

He is currently also a member of the Association of the United States Army and the National Defense Industrial Association.

His awards and military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and Army Commendation Medal.

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Vice Adm. Christopher Grady Assumes Command of US 6th Fleet, Naval Striking & Support Forces NATO
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Vice Adm. Christopher Grady Assumes Command of US 6th Fleet, Naval Striking & Support Forces NATO


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Christopher Grady

Vice Adm. Christopher Grady has officially taken over as commander of U.S. 6th Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO during a change-of-command ceremony at Naval Support Activity Naples.

The U.S. Navy said Friday Grady, formerly commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, will succeed Vice Adm. James Foggo, who will move on as the Navy’s staff director at the Pentagon.

Naples, Italy-based U.S. 6th Fleet conducts joint and naval operations with joint, allied and interagency partners in a push to advance U.S. national interests as well as boost security and stability in Africa and Europe.

President Barack Obama nominated Grady in September to serve as commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, Task Force 6, Striking and Support Forces NATO and the European Joint Force Maritime Component Command as well as deputy commander for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa.

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