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DOD Unveils Housing Feedback System for Service Members
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DOD Unveils Housing Feedback System for Service Members

The Department of Defense has unveiled a system to improve communication between service members and their privatized landlords throughout DOD military housing.

The DOD Housing Feedback System, or DHFS, will allow service members and their authorized dependents to submit public feedback on the condition of their current housing unit by opening an additional communication channel for occupants, the DOD announced Monday.

Deborah Rosenblum, acting deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said, “The Department of Defense has a moral obligation to ensure that the spaces where our Service members and their families live are healthy, functional, and resilient.”

The DHFS will provide a direct portal to place maintenance work order requests as the department continues to improve the housing quality of approximately 250,000 homes for service members and their families.

“This new feedback system is a critical step to ensuring transparent and timely responses to occupants’ concerns and aligns with Secretary Austin’s priority to Take Care of Our People,” Rosenblum emphasized.

“We are focused on putting our people’s experiences at the very center of all the work we do,” she added.

Earlier this year, the DOD unveiled a Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities Strategy designed to produce sustainable housing for service members and their families. The DHFS is currently up and running.

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Air Force Conducts QUICKSINK Demo to Enhance Naval Warfare Capabilities
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Air Force Conducts QUICKSINK Demo to Enhance Naval Warfare Capabilities

The U.S. Air Force recently conducted a demonstration to determine the capability of low-cost, air-delivered methods in neutralizing surface vessels.

The Air Force said Thursday a QUICKSINK demonstration took place in the Gulf of Mexico near Elgin Air Force. The test was done with the goal of strengthening the nation’s defense against maritime threats. In particular, the QUICKSINK program aims to develop the capability to quickly neutralize such threats despite the vastness of the oceans.

QUICKSINK is part of the Maritime Weapon Program spearheaded by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Navy. This program covers the development of enhanced weapons that can be launched from an aircraft to neutralize enemy vessels.

Another QUICKSINK demo was performed in July as part of the second RIMPAC SINKEX. In the demo, a low-cost air-delivered method was tested with the help of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber .

Col. Matthew Caspers, director of AFRL, Munitions Directorate, stressed the strategic importance of QUICKSINK. “The development of this technology helps deliver technological superiority to ensure the United States can defend our interests, maintain freedom of action, and seize the initiative over large maritime areas.”

“QUICKSINK is an answer to an urgent need to neutralize maritime threats to freedom around the world. This program is unique in that it can provide capabilities to modify existing and future Department of Defense weapons systems, giving combatant commanders and our national leaders new ways to defend against maritime threats,” added Caspers.

The Potomac Officers Club invites you to the 2024 Navy Summit, where naval leaders, experts, and innovators from government and industry will gather to discuss maritime security and other vital issues. Click here to register.

Air Force Conducts QUICKSINK Demo to Enhance Naval Warfare Capabilities
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Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks Mandatory Contractor Cyber Vulnerability Disclosure
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Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks Mandatory Contractor Cyber Vulnerability Disclosure

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and James Lankford, R-Okla. have put forward the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2024, which would extend the coverage of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s vulnerability disclosure policies, or VDPs, to federal contractors.

A companion House bill has been introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., calling for a Federal Acquisition Regulation update requiring federal contractors to implement VDPs, Warner’s office said Friday.

The policies currently cover civilian federal agencies but do not regulate the information systems that federal contractors use in their contracts, the senator’s office added.

One of the provisions of the Warner-Lankford bill requires the Secretary of Defense to direct revisions on the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement contract requirements to ensure contractors’ compliance to VDPs.

Warner describes VDPs as proactive tools to mitigate cyber vulnerabilities. “This legislation will ensure that federal contractors, along with federal agencies, are adhering to national guidelines that will better protect our critical infrastructure, and sensitive data from potential attacks,” he stressed.

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John Hill Named Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy
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John Hill Named Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy

John Hill, deputy assistant secretary for space and missile defense at the Department of Defense, has been selected to replace Vipin Narang as acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy.

Amanda Dory, acting undersecretary of defense for policy, announced the leadership transition in a news release published Friday.

Dory acknowledged Narang’s efforts in advancing DOD’s strategic capabilities for integrated deterrence and his leadership in space, nuclear systems and weapons of mass destruction mitigation.

Narang is leaving his post at the department to return to academia.

Hill has held various positions within DOD, including principal director for space policy, the department’s representative in negotiations with Afghanistan on the Security and Defense Cooperation Agreement, director for Northeast Asia and senior country director for Japan.

He is a Presidential Rank Award recipient whose experience spans international negotiations encompassing defense posture, nuclear non-proliferation, status of forces and defense industrial collaboration.

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ONCD Releases Summary Report of Public Feedback on Open-Source Software Security
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ONCD Releases Summary Report of Public Feedback on Open-Source Software Security

The Office of the National Cyber Director has released the summary report on the request for information it had issued in 2023 to call for recommendations on the areas that need to be focused on and prioritized in order to properly secure the open-source software, or OSS, ecosystem.

The report consolidates the feedback that was received from the OSS community, the ONCD said Friday. The feedback covered five areas, namely: secure OSS foundations; sustaining OSS communities and governance; behavioral and economic incentives to securing the OSS ecosystem; research and development; and international collaboration.

Feedback that did not fall under these groups were classified under a general sixth category named “other.”

Based on the comments, the public agreed on, among other things, the need to use memory-safe programming languages; investment in education to develop a workforce versed in programming; strong contribution on the part of the federal government, including participation in standards-setting, incentivizing the promotion of ecosystem safety and collaboration with international partners; and the need for better vulnerability disclosure mechanisms.

The RFI was issued in light of the growing use of OSS, as promoted by the National Cybersecurity Strategy, and the increasing cyber threat that accompanied it.

“It is imperative to bolster the security and resilience of the open-source software ecosystem while preserving the key features that foster innovation and economic prosperity,” the report said.

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FedRAMP Seeks Public Input on Draft Policy for Cryptographic Module Selection & Use
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FedRAMP Seeks Public Input on Draft Policy for Cryptographic Module Selection & Use

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has begun seeking public comments on a draft policy update that seeks to strengthen the use of cryptography to ensure the security of federal cloud systems.

The draft policy outlines the requirements for selecting and using cryptographic modules for cloud-based systems.

FedRAMP said Friday it wants input on the policy’s potential implications for how cloud providers develop their offerings and whether the policy addresses a specific challenge in applying cryptography in cloud services.

The program is also asking stakeholders whether there are specific requirements they think should be included in the document to effectively implement the policy.

According to the draft, FedRAMP has several goals for the draft policy update, such as ensuring that cryptographic algorithms and functions being used to protect the confidentiality or integrity of federal systems and data are approved and promoting the use of cryptographic modules that are free of known vulnerabilities.

Public comments on the draft policy are due Sept. 9.

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NAVWAR Welcomes Rear Adm. Seiko Okano as New Commander
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NAVWAR Welcomes Rear Adm. Seiko Okano as New Commander

Rear Adm. Seiko Okano took charge of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command during a change of command ceremony that took place on Aug. 9 in San Diego.

The new NAVWAR commander previously served as program executive officer for integrated warfare systems within Naval Sea Systems Command, according to a news article posted Friday on the U.S. Navy website.

Through her career, Okano has served in operational tours and has taken on roles in acquisition, including at the Missile Defense Agency, the Space and Missile Systems Center and at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme.

In her new position, Okano will be responsible for thousands of military and civilian personnel working on advanced Navy communications and information capabilities.

Okano succeeded Rear Adm. Doug Small, who has retired from military service. Small had led NAVWAR for four years, during which the organization was deemed the best place to work in the Navy in the 2023 Best Places to Work in Federal Government rankings. He was also responsible for establishing Project Overmatch, an initiative that seeks to field a new naval operating architecture and deliver rapid integration systems.

Regarding his successor, Small said during the ceremony, “Be proud of the amazing work you do here and keep holding onto the mission together. You will be in good hands with Rear Adm. Okano, and I can’t wait to see what else you all will accomplish.”

For his part, Third Fleet Commander Vice Adm. John Wade, who presided over the ceremony, said no one is better suited “to sustain and increase the momentum” Small established at NAVWAR than Okano.

“I look forward to serving with you and the NAVWAR team as we continue bring capability forward,” Wade added.

NAVWAR Welcomes Rear Adm. Seiko Okano as New Commander

Naval leaders, experts and innovators from government and industry will discuss how they’re enhancing maritime security, driving technological advancements and fostering strategic cooperation during the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit, which will take place on Aug. 15. Register now to attend this important event!

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NASA Seeks US Organizations Interested in Partnering With Government to Use VIPER Moon Rover
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NASA Seeks US Organizations Interested in Partnering With Government to Use VIPER Moon Rover

NASA has posted a request for information to identify U.S. organizations interested in using the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover for lunar missions.

VIPER was developed to map the distribution and concentration of ice on the moon’s south pole; however, the project was discontinued and will be replaced by alternative methods, NASA said Friday.

In July, NASA announced its plan to end the VIPER development due to cost increases, delays to the launch date and the risks of future cost growth.

The rover’s launch, originally scheduled in late 2023, was delayed to late 2024 to provide more time for preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander and then was moved to September 2025 because of additional schedule and supply chain delays.

Through the RFI, NASA will determine how organizations would use VIPER under a partnership with the space agency.

“We want to make the best use possible of the engineering, technology, and expertise that have been developed by this project to advance scientific knowledge of the Moon,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA.

“Partnership opportunities on VIPER would allow us to do this without impacting our future cadence of commercial deliveries to the Moon, to continue lunar science and exploration for everyone’s benefit,” she added.

Responses to the RFI are due Sept. 2.

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William LaPlante: DOD Laying Groundwork for ‘Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience’
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William LaPlante: DOD Laying Groundwork for ‘Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience’

William LaPlante, under secretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, said DOD is working to establish a new partnership initiative in the Indo-Pacific region that will seek opportunities for joint production and sustainment of weapons systems, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.

“We’re starting an initiative[…] which is a collection of the equivalent of myself and national armaments directors from the various countries around the Pacific Rim,” LaPlante told reporters Wednesday during the sidelines of a conference in Washington.

He noted that the proposed Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience will “work through common acquisition and sustainment issues, whether it’s co-development, coproduction [or] co-sustainment.”

According to the report, DOD has been looking for opportunities to advance weapons production partnerships amid China’s rising power, conflict in the Middle East and the surge in demand for weapons due to the war in Ukraine.

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FBI’s Ryan Young Wants to Collaborate With Industry at 2024 Intel Summit
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FBI’s Ryan Young Wants to Collaborate With Industry at 2024 Intel Summit

Ryan Young has been helping to shape the mission and direction of the FBI for the last near-quarter century. He currently serves as executive assistant director of the bureau’s intelligence branch, where he is driving collaboration efforts between the U.S. Intelligence Community and all other aspects of government, as well as religious organizations and the private sector.

FBI’s Ryan Young Wants to Collaborate With Industry at 2024 Intel Summit

On September 19, Young will bring his ideas about partnership to the Potomac Officers Club stage for the 2024 Intel Summit. If you’re a government contractor who wants to dialogue with the FBI about their needs from industry, it’s imperative you attend.

Who Is Ryan Young?

Young began his career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, laying a foundation of military service. He also earned a master’s degree in criminal administration and counseling, deepening his understanding of the world of law and order.

FBI Years

Since 2001, Young has worked at the FBI. He began as a special agent in Miami tasked to counterintelligence cases and eventually shifted to oversee the Cuban Counterintelligence Squad.

At the agency, Young has held the roles of chief of internal policy in the Resources Planning Office at FBI headquarters, section chief for the Directorate of Intelligence’s Strategic Technology Section — an enterprise technology-centric position — and special agent in charge of the counterterrorism division of the Los Angeles field office.

Immediately prior to his current role, Young was assistant director of the Directorate of Intelligence. He was appointed to executive assistant director in November 2021.

Ryan Young’s Counterterrorism Achievements at the FBI

In 2014, Young began working in the counterterrorism division and was responsible for standing up the Syria-Iraq Task Force. He was at the forefront of a 72-member interagency group that rebuffed a threat from an Islamic extremist group in Iraq and the Levant.

When Young was working in Los Angeles, he was the point-man for the bureau’s second largest joint terrorism task force and weapons of mass destruction investigations in southern California and in southeast Asia. He was the go-to authority on crisis management and response resources such as the SWAT Team, the Evidence Response Team, bomb technicians and more.

Ryan Young to Keynote 2024 Intel Summit

At the FBI, Young is increasingly dedicated to forging and maintaining cross-industry relationships. He is in charge of managing communications and contacts with more than 25 national and international organizations that include governments, law enforcement agencies, tribal councils and beyond.

Join Young and a host of other notable guests — such as Ramesh Menon, chief technology officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency — as the IC builds new partnerships at the 2024 Intel Summit on Sept. 19. You don’t want to miss this event, one of the only venues the IC feels comfortable being transparent with industry.

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