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Army’s PEO Simulation, Training & Instrumentation Seeks to Meet Rapid Acquisition Requirements Through New Project Office
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Army’s PEO Simulation, Training & Instrumentation Seeks to Meet Rapid Acquisition Requirements Through New Project Office

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, or PEO STRI, has established a new project office to help the service branch meet its modernization requirements through innovation and adoption of agile acquisition, modular open systems approach and common architecture to speed up capability acquisition and deployment, DVIDS reported Thursday.

PEO STRI expects Project Lead Enterprise Transformation and Integration, or PL ETI, to help address its rapid acquisition needs to advance the military branch’s modernization strategy and develop the Army of 2030.

Karen D. H. Saunders, program executive officer at PEO STRI, said the new project office will enable PEO STRI to collaborate with stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of training and testing products to the Army and its allies.

Destiny Laski, deputy project lead for PL ETI, said the project office aims to hire a project lead, finalize the charter and complete all required items by the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.

“We will be responsible for developing enterprise-level products and services that enable agile acquisition, MOSA, rapid prototyping, and technology modernization,” said Laski. “Our goal will be to transform PEO STRI to an enterprise product line that will support rapid development, deployment, and operations of training capabilities across the entire PEO portfolio of programs.”

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Col. Jason Quinter: Project Dynamis to Serve as ‘JADC2 Accelerator’ of Marine Corps
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Col. Jason Quinter: Project Dynamis to Serve as ‘JADC2 Accelerator’ of Marine Corps

Col. Jason Quinter, commanding officer of Marine Air Control Group 38, said Project Dynamis will serve as the accelerator of joint all-domain command and control for the U.S. Marine Corps and help strengthen the service branch’s network modernization plans, USNI News reported Wednesday.

He told the publication that the project seeks “to drive programmatics. It’s to replace old equipment with new equipment. It’s to replace old software with new software.”

Quinter said the project will have four lines of effort and the first one is modernizing the service’s command, control, communications and computers network and infrastructure.

He noted that the service is moving to the cloud and highlighted the need for a hybrid cloud architecture.

“We cannot, we will not accomplish JADC2 in any way, shape or form – the vision, the strategy – without cloud,” he said.

The other three lines of effort that Quinter discussed are developing data and migrating to the cloud; federating authoritative data for artificial intelligence, big data analytics and machine learning; and educating the service personnel with C3/cyber literacy.

POC - Achieving Transformative Cooperation for National Defense Forum

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s Achieving Transformative Cooperation for National Defense Forum on March 14. Register here for the event to see top military leaders, policymakers and defense experts explore the future of Combined JADC2 and its impact on international security.

Why You Should Join Potomac Officers Club
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Why You Should Join Potomac Officers Club

Founded in 2002, Executive Mosaic’s Potomac Officers Club program brings together government contracting executives through idea sharing, events and networking, giving each of its members the opportunity to connect with and learn from other thought leaders in the field while building their brand. 

Those who join the Potomac Officers Club have the chance to attend exciting events like last month’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit, which featured Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu as the opening keynote speaker. Before each summit, registered POC members receive exclusive research containing related news, upcoming contract opportunities and other relevant information that enhances their experience.

POC events cover a wide range of topics, and last year, the organization held summits focused on defense, homeland security, cyber and many more areas. The Potomac Officers Club also hosts regular forums, with recent gatherings centering contested logistics, the tactical edge and the customer experience.

Depending on your level of membership, you are eligible for reduced registration costs or even fully waived registration. Click here to explore our membership options and discover which one is right for you.

Another major perk of POC membership is the opportunity to participate in an Executive Spotlight interview. These interviews allow you to choose from a variety of questions focused on leadership, career experience and career reflection so you can share your insights with like-minded individuals.

Your Executive Spotlight will be featured on Executive Mosaic’s industry-leading news publications and social media platforms and be seen by our audience of over 300,000 subscribers. Click here to view examples of these interviews.

Don’t miss out on your chance to network with fellow GovCon leaders and build your brand. To join the Potomac Officers Club, click here.

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DOD Issues Request for Comment on Proposed Amendment of DFARS Clause on Copyright Disputes
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DOD Issues Request for Comment on Proposed Amendment of DFARS Clause on Copyright Disputes

The Department of Defense is seeking external feedback on its proposal to make changes to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, or DFARS.

The Pentagon is looking to add trademark and other designation policies to DFARS, according to the agency notice posted Thursday on Federal Register.

DFARS will be amended to include coverage and ownership claim of program names and other contract-specific designations to reduce the risk of conflict among DOD, its offerors and its contractors.

In the event of any conflict, the new rule would enable early resolution of disputes on rights to the designations before a contract award is even granted.

The amendment will appear in a new DFARS subpart in DFARS on patents, data, and copyrights. DOD is open to public comments on the matter until April 15.

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Hitachi Vantara’s Mark Serway and ECS’ John Heneghan Honored With 2024 Wash100 Awards
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Hitachi Vantara’s Mark Serway and ECS’ John Heneghan Honored With 2024 Wash100 Awards

On Friday, Executive Mosaic celebrated Hitachi Vantara Federal CEO Mark Serway and ECS President John Heneghan for their 2024 Wash100 Award wins.

The coveted Wash100 Award annually highlights the top executives in the government contracting industry. Those who join the ranks of Wash100 represent the most influential figures in the field and are identified through a rigorous selection process that weighs each nominee’s past accomplishments and forward momentum.

Serway won his first Wash100 Award this year for transforming Hitachi Vantara’s leadership team and providing data offerings to public sector clients. In 2023, the company appointed six new individuals to executive-level positions and joined the U.S. Artificial Intelligence and Safety Institute Consortium to support the U.S. government’s work to establish standards for trustworthy AI. Read his full profile here.

Hitachi Vantara’s Mark Serway and ECS’ John Heneghan Honored With 2024 Wash100 Awards

Heneghan’s win was his third, and this year, he was honored for driving innovation by hiring new company leaders and securing significant contracts. Last year, the company welcomed four new executives and booked prime spots on a $1.25 billion Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract and a 10-year, $60.7 billion information technology-focused Department of Veterans Affairs award. Click here to read his full profile.

ECS is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21, which will bring together public and private sector AI experts. Dr. William Streilein, chief technology officer of the Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and AI Office, will keynote the event. To learn more and register to attend the summit, click here.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite 2024 Wash100 winners in the annual popular vote contest! Visit Wash100.com to cast your 10 votes before the competition comes to a close.

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NIST Releases Final Version of Guidance on HIPAA Security Rule Implementation
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NIST Releases Final Version of Guidance on HIPAA Security Rule Implementation

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released the final revision of its special publication titled “Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide”.

The document, also referred to as SP 800-66r2, offers guidance for regulated entities like HIPAA-covered organizations and their associates on how they can improve their cybersecurity posture and comply with the HIPAA Security Rule, the NIST said Wednesday.

SP 800-66r2 also lists activities that regulated entities can implement as part of an information security program and offers guidance on how risks to electronic protected health information can be assessed and managed.

The guide was revised by the NIST with the help of the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services. Last year, NIST released a draft version of the special publication for further public comment. That draft version itself had incorporated public feedback gathered in 2021.

SEC Proposes Rule to Raise Threshold for Qualifying VC Funds
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SEC Proposes Rule to Raise Threshold for Qualifying VC Funds

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a new rule that would update the definition of a qualifying venture capital fund.

SEC said Wednesday it proposes to raise the dollar threshold for a fund to qualify as a qualifying venture capital fund from $10 million to $12 million aggregate capital contributions and uncalled committed capital based on the Personal Consumption Expenditures Chain-Type Price Index.

The proposed rule would also establish a process for future inflation adjustments every five years in accordance with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018.

According to the Commission, qualifying venture capital funds are excluded from the Investment Company Act’s definition of an “investment company.”

OSTP Provides Guidance on Conflict Disclosure, Talent Recruitment for Federal Projects With Other Countries
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OSTP Provides Guidance on Conflict Disclosure, Talent Recruitment for Federal Projects With Other Countries

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued two memos to ensure data security of government research projects that collaborate with foreign agencies and talent.

In a statement released Wednesday, OSTP explained its new Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms for federal research, accompanied by guidance on foreign talent recruitment programs for government research and development agencies.

The first memo serves as an aid to help agencies use the proper conflict disclosure forms when reviewing proposals for foreign R&D partnerships. With this guidance, OSTP aims to prevent conflict and duplication of the U.S. projects with other countries.

The second memo, which is backed by the CHIPS and Science Act, defines recruitment programs for foreign talent in federal projects. Part of its purpose is to weed out suspicious recruitment agencies.

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SSC Uses SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket to Launch Missile Detection, Tracking Satellites for MDA & SDA
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SSC Uses SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket to Launch Missile Detection, Tracking Satellites for MDA & SDA

Six satellites of the Space Development Agency and Missile Defense Agency aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Wednesday from a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as part of a U.S. Space Force mission.

USSF-124 is a National Security Space Launch mission launched by Space Systems Command to bring the satellites to low Earth orbit to deliver networked communications, missile detection and missile tracking capabilities to the U.S. and its allies, SSC said Wednesday.

For USSF-124, the command reused a first-stage booster that previously backed six missions.

“As we move forward together with SpaceX, we’re methodically expanding reuse to leverage the benefits for the USSF and our space vehicle teammates. The mission team was able to add the Tranche 0 satellites to USSF-124 in under 30 days, less than six months from the then scheduled launch date,” said Walt Lauderdale, AATS mission director at SSC.

“This unprecedented responsiveness is a needed capability for the Space Force to confront today’s threat environment,” added Lauderdale.

Two of the six spacecraft are for MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor and the remaining four satellites are for the Tranche 0 Tracking Layer of SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

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SBA Opens Up New Opportunities With Small Business Investment Company Program
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SBA Opens Up New Opportunities With Small Business Investment Company Program

The Small Business Administration has reported milestones as a result of the implementation of regulatory and policy reforms to the Small Business Investment Company program, or SBIC. Through the program, SBA is working to accelerate the flow of private investment in startups and small businesses in underserved communities and technology areas that are key to U.S. national security and economic development.

In July 2023, program reforms were implemented through the SBIC Investment Diversification Growth Rule, which updated the program’s structural aspects and launched the SBIC Accrual Debenture, SBA said Wednesday.

The SBIC Accrual Debenture is SBA’s new government-guaranteed loan that seeks to “match the cashflow patterns of equity-oriented investment strategies” and enable the agency to license and offer loans to private funds that invest in startups and small companies.

One of the milestones achieved is the approval received by Stifel North Atlantic to secure an SBA-DOD SBIC Critical Technologies license and receive a commitment of funds from SBA. Stifel intends to improve the resilience of the domestic supply chain by fostering the adoption of additive manufacturing capabilities in lower-middle market businesses.

The second milestone is the approval of the first SBA Accrual SBIC license in December. Salt Lake City-based technology venture capital firm Pelion Ventures will manage the license.

In fiscal year 2023, SBA released $4.05 billion in commitments to SBICs, which sustained or created approximately 130,281 jobs.

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