Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) in a letter he will recommend that President Barack Obama reject the fiscal year 2017 defense policy bill in its current form due to reform and war funding provisions, Defense News reported Monday.

Joe Gould writes Carter raised his concerns over the House and Senate versions of the 2017 NDAA as a joint conference committee works to reconcile differences between the two drafts.

“The [Defense Department] is engaged in multiple overseas conflicts, including in the ongoing fight against [the Islamic State group], and is about to experience a transition to a new presidential administration,” he noted.

“With this backdrop, the first rule for the NDAA must be: do no harm.”

He said he believes the Senate’s proposed DoD reforms and policy changes do not meet that standard.

Carter added a House proposal to shift a portion of overseas contingency funds to pay for the department’s routine operations would risk the safety of warfighters and embolden adversaries.

The Department of Homeland Security has published a report that outlines 24 focus areas of  technology research-and-development initiatives by DHS’ integrated product teams in fiscal year 2016.

DHS said Monday it categorized the IPTs’ technical focus areas into aviation security, biological threats, border security, cybersecurity and counterterrorism.

“Threats to our homeland are evolving quickly, and DHS operators need technologies that will best support their efficient response,” said Reginald Brothers, DHS under secretary for science and technology.

“Now that we have established the IPTs, DHS has a central process to allow our stakeholders to provide feedback on the varying technologies they need on the ground.”

Each team is chaired by a component executive and comprises senior-level representatives across the department.

DHS formed the IPTs to help centralize the department’s R&D data-gathering process and identify strategies to address homeland security challenges as part of the Unity of Effort initiative.

The groups will follow an annual cycle to provide information on future R&D projects, acquisition and budgets for the department to carry out its missions.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Joseph Delaney, formerly assistant chief of staff for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Japan, has been assigned as the new commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency‘s Pacific Field Command.

Delaney officially succeeded Col. Joseph Matos III during a change-of-command ceremony Thursday aboard USS Battleship Missouri in Hawaii, DISA said Monday.

Matos will serve as the new senior information technology officer for the Marine Corps Forces Pacific.

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn, DISA director and Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Networks commander, was the presiding officer at the ceremony.

Vice Adm. Michael Gilday has formally taken command of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet during a change-of-command ceremony Thursday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.

Gilday, formerly director of operations (J3) for U.S. Cyber Command, succeeds Vice Adm. Jan Tighe, who has been named deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare and director of naval intelligence, the U.S. Navy said Friday.

Tighe officially assumed the roles of director of naval intelligence and deputy CNO for information warfare on Friday.

Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, was the presiding officer at the ceremony and presented a Distinguished Service Medal to Tighe.

Gilday has held various Navy and joint assignments, including command roles for the destroyer USS Higgins during the early segment of the Iraqi Freedom operation and for Carrier Strike Group 8 embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

President Barack Obama nominated Gilday in June to lead the Fleet Cyber Command and for promotion to the vice admiral rank.