/
CDC Chief Data Officer Alan Sim to Exit Agency
Published on
Alan Sim exits as CDC chief data officer

Longtime public health practitioner Alan Sim shared on LinkedIn on Monday that he is stepping down as chief data officer in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology. Sim took the CDO role when he rejoined the agency in December 2020, subsequently contributing to its adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve health services. 

He had previously worked with CDC as a health informatics scientist from 2000 to 2002, when he participated in the development of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Sim’s Stints in the Private Sector 

Before his CDC comeback, Sim served as chief data scientist at Vista Defense Technologies for over three years, supporting the company’s services to the Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs’ operational and research projects. He also had a previous stint of more than seven years as chief of data discovery and research and senior epidemiologist/informatician at CNF Technologies, leading data processing services for the three major U.S. military branches.

His past experience also includes over four years work as senior epidemiologist/informatician at Conceptual Mindworks and as a business process consultant at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Sim holds a PhD in Epidemiology from Drexel University, as well as master’s of science degree in community health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health.

/
DCSA Issues IT Strategic Plan
Published on
The DCSA has revealed its first IT Strategic Plan

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, or DCSA, has issued its 2025-2030 Information Technology Strategic Plan. 

What Is the IT Strategic Plan?

The IT Strategic Plan aims unify the agency’s IT efforts by developing a secure digital system, DCSA said Tuesday. To support the overall goal, the plan includes six objectives for IT, including building a secure, flexible and scalable IT infrastructure; embracing innovation and modernizing technology; empowering and expanding a skilled digital workforce; strengthening partnerships and improving governance; maximizing secure and efficient use of cloud technologies; and enhancing data managing for data-driven decision-making. 

The plan was created by teaming up with stakeholders from headquarters leadership, directorates and field offices and is in line with the priorities in the DCSA Strategic Plan 2025-2030 and the DOD CIO’s Fulcrum: The Department of Defense Information Technology Advancement Strategy.

Remarks From DCSA’s David Cattler

Commenting on the plan, DCSA Director David Cattler said, “With this strategic plan, we are taking an enterprise-wide approach to integrating and unifying IT initiatives. This plan provides a blueprint for how DCSA leverages IT to fulfill mission requirements.”

“Transparency and effective coordination are essential across the entire digital ecosystem – including IT, data, cybersecurity, information systems and innovation initiatives. We will draw on the voices of its customers, industry and academic partners, and strategic stakeholders across the DOD and intelligence community,” he continued.

//
GSA Sees $1.9B in Savings From Discounted Government Airfare
Published on
GSA Sees $1.9B in Savings From Discounted Government Airfare

The General Services Administration expects that its City Pair Program, or CPP, will generate $1.89 billion in government savings for the fiscal year 2026 contracts it awarded seven U.S. airlines for fare discounts on official government trips.

GSA Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, noted that the FY26 CPP awards highlight the value of unified, harmonized and data-driven procurement for significant expense reduction while providing vital services to federal agencies.

“By aligning federal air travel purchasing under OneGov, we are achieving billions in taxpayer savings, decreasing government-wide administrative overhead, and fostering a more efficient government,” the GSA official stressed.

The agency initiated the OneGov Strategy in April, with CPP placed under it, as a shared government enterprise with standardized terms and pricing, as well as streamlined access to IT tools.

CPP’s Airline Contractors

The CPP contractors for FY 2026 are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. The discounts will apply to federal personnel bound for official government air travel starting Oct. 1.

The FY26 City Pair contracts offer an average fare discount of almost 50 percent compared to commercial rates. The program has also expanded to more than 16,000 markets from the 11 covered during its launching in 1980.

GSA strategically determines the routes under the program’s city-to-city contracts, based on previous government travel bookings, passenger volume and other factors, such as pricing and flight time and frequency. Besides cost savings, CPP’s advantages include full refundability, with no cancellation fees.

/
Army Seeks to Address Need for Improved Electromagnetic Warfare Capabilities
Published on
The Army has introduced a comprehensive electromagnetic warfare strategy

The U.S. Army has unveiled a new strategy and implemented a refined modernization approach to address the need for enhanced electromagnetic warfare, or EW, capabilities.

The Army’s Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors said Monday that the updates align with the defense secretary’s direction to ensure that the military branch achieves electromagnetic dominance by 2027.

Army Electromagnetic Warfare Strategy

In March, the Army issued a comprehensive EW Strategy to institutionalize EW capabilities across the service branch to support Joint Force operations.

The strategy comes as the Army increases its focus on improving targeting and providing commanders with the capability to support maneuver formations by manipulating the electromagnetic spectrum.

As part of the EW capability update, the Army also has started improving its approach to the Terrestrial Layer System, or TLS, for Brigade Combat Teams, or BCT, and the Multifunction Electronic Warfare-Air Large, or MFEW-AL, program.

Terrestrial Layer System Brigade Combat Teams Rapid Prototyping Program

According to the service, the recently concluded TLS BCT Rapid Prototyping program has informed the transition to TLS Manpack, which is set to become the key EW and signals intelligence system for all BCTs. Full deployment of TLS Manpack systems across all BCTs is expected to occur by fiscal year 2028.

The Army also plans to improve the TLS Manpack system’s capabilities with vehicle-agnostic modular adaptor kits for mounted operations to deliver increased power, enhanced processing and extended range at the brigade level.

Army Multifunction Electronic Warfare – Air Large Program

The Army’s MFEW-AL program will now focus on using commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf platforms to accelerate the delivery of incremental capabilities. The initial capabilities will be available for testing and feedback with Transformation in Contact units as early as FY 2026.

The program will use the incremental capability delivery strategy to meet the Army’s airborne electromagnetic attack requirements.

//
Federal Agencies Plan to Eliminate Hundreds of Government Websites
Published on
Agencies plan to eliminate hundreds of federal agency websites

Federal News Network reported Monday that the 24 largest federal departments and agencies that inventoried more than 7,200 websites as part of a General Services Administration analysis now plan to decommission 332 of those websites.

According to documents obtained by FNN, those government websites set for decommissioning account for less than 5 percent of the federal agencies’ total web presence.

Thomas Shedd, commissioner of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, said the “low-hanging fruit” of websites to be eliminated include standalone sites for agency blogs, forums and photo galleries.

According to the report, GSA asked agencies to remove standalone sites for “niche topics or working groups” and those for initiatives or events that have not been relevant for a number of years.

SBA, HHS Eye Drastic Cuts to Online Presence 

According to the report, the Small Business Administration plans to remove more than 50 percent of its total websites.

SBA is eliminating websites for defunct pandemic aid programs and consolidating small business certification websites into MySBA Certifications, its platform for federal contracting certifications.

The Department of Health and Human Services intends to decommission more than 7 percent of its websites. One of those websites is vaccines.cdc.gov, which tracks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s investments in efforts to sustain high vaccination coverage rates and achieve national immunization goals.

Although it would maintain the main site, HHS plans to eliminate 18 webpages that are part of cancer.gov.

A spokesperson for HHS told FNN that the inventory review is part of a governmentwide effort “to streamline digital services, eliminate redundancy, and improve the user experience across federal websites.”

//
GAO Urges NRC to Implement Cybersecurity, IT-Related Open Recommendations
Published on
Addressing Nuclear Regulatory Commission CIO Scott Flanders, GAO identified six open recommendations for NRC.

The Government Accountability Office has called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s chief information officer, Scott Flanders, to address open recommendations related to cybersecurity and IT acquisitions. 

In a letter addressed to Flanders, Nick Marinos, the congressional watchdog’s managing director for cybersecurity and IT, said it identified six open recommendations that fall under a pair of areas categorized as high risks: “ensuring the cybersecurity of the nation” and “improving IT acquisitions and management.”

According to GAO, implementing the open recommendations could improve NRC’s defense against threats and enhance its capability to manage critical systems, information and operations.

Recommendations to CIOs could also identify opportunities for critical systems, improve government IT and eliminate IT mismanagement. 

GAO’s Open Recommendations to NRC

One recommendation involves NRC’s implementation of event logging requirements as directed by the Office of Management and Budget. The letter revealed that, although NRC has made progress with the cybersecurity measure, the agency still needs to fully implement the requirement based on OMB’s guidance.

GAO also recommended that the NRC CIO develop guidance for establishing cloud service level agreements, or SLAs, with vendors. The SLAs should include clear performance metrics, continuous awareness of asset confidentiality and integrity, and detailed descriptions of roles and responsibilities. 

“In addition, we recommended that NRC complete annual reviews of its IT portfolio consistent with federal requirements,” Marinos wrote. “Until NRC implements this recommendation, investments with substantial cost, schedule, and performance problems may continue unabated without necessary corrective action.”

/
Treasury to Award New Contract to GOAA for Deep Water Horizon Project Tracker Access, Support
Published on
The Treasury-awarded GOAA contract will keep the Deep Water Horizon Project Tracker up to date

The Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service will award a firm-fixed-price contract to the Gulf of America Alliance, also known as GOAA, for access to and support of the Deep Water Horizon Project Tracker, or DWHPT.

The sole-source contract has a five-year period of performance, including four 12-month options, according to a special notice posted on SAM.gov Monday.

Deep Water Horizon Project Tracker Contract Details

Under the contract, GOAA will keep data on the DWHPT up to date by collecting information for funding programs and maintaining a database of project partners. The organization will also perform manual and automated quality assurance and submit quarterly reports on data updates.

Work on the contract is expected to create transparency and prevent duplicative efforts in the restoration of the Gulf of America about 15 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

GOAA, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, is a regional ocean partnership led by Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Members include representatives from state and federal agencies, academia, industry, non-government organizations and local communities.

//
Trump Nominates James Mazol, James Caggy for Defense Deputy Under Secretary, Assistant Secretary Roles
Published on
James Mazol and James Caggy have been tapped by President Trump to occupy top positions at the Department of Defense.

President Donald Trump has nominated James Mazol and James Caggy to serve as the deputy assistant secretary and assistant secretary of the Department of Defense, respectively. The White House announced the nominations of Mazol, the senior adviser of the Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Engineering, and Caggy, the adviser for DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office, on July 1.

Caggy could be the first assistant defense secretary for mission capabilities if he were confirmed by the upper chamber, according to Inside Defense. His new assistant secretary role was created through a 2023 memo issued by Deputy Defense Secretary and four-time Wash100 winner Kathleen Hicks.

Caggy said on LinkedIn that he was honored to be nominated.

“If confirmed, I’ll bring the same mission-first, bureaucracy-last mindset that’s driven me my entire career. Collaborating with all to deliver the best American capabilities for the Joint Force,” he said.

Career Backgrounds of James Mazol & James Caggy

Before Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael assumed his post, Mazol served as the acting under secretary of defense for research and engineering.

Before that, he worked in the Senate for eight years, serving as a national security adviser and a policy director for two of the chamber’s committees.

For his part, Caggy held two executive positions in Amazon Web Services prior to being part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including being the senior manager of DOD solutions. He also became an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He started his career as the chief engineer of MAP Digital: Metameetings.

/
Air Force Realignment Puts Aerial Networks Division Under C3BM PEO
Published on
PEO for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management to oversee Air Force Aerial Networks Division

The U.S. Air Force has repositioned the Program Executive Office for Cyber and Networks’ Aerial Networks Division, placing it under the service branch’s PEO for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management, or C3BM. 

In the Air Force Materiel Command announcement of the realignment Monday, Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey, C3BM’s program executive officer, called the division “absolutely core” to the future warfighting capability of the Air Force. “If we don’t figure this part of it out, and if we don’t keep pushing forward with the talent, the capabilities and the skill sets that this team brings to bear, we aren’t going to win the next one,” Cropsey, a Wash100 Award winner, remarked.

Air Force PEO Division Leadership Turnover

The realignment of the division was coupled with a turnover in its leadership to Col. Alan Louie from Col. Thomas Ward, whom Cropsey thanked for his past contribution to the team. The C3BM PEO also conveyed excitement for the “incredible wealth of experience and background” that Louie is bringing into the division.

Jeremy Thiele, acting PEO for the Cyber and Networks Directorate, cited the division’s previous accomplishments, including $900 million in annual acquisition, fielding and maintenance of critical communication capabilities for Air Force warfighters.

As an integrator within the Air Force, the C3BM PEO oversees the design and delivery of the DAF Battle Network connecting sensor, effector and logistics systems. An Air Force contribution to the Department of Defense’s Joint All Domain Command and Control approach, the network is designed to deliver better situational awareness and faster decision-making.

/
Trump Signs ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Into Law
Published on
President Trump has signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law

President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a massive budget reconciliation bill that includes $150 billion in additional funding for the Department of Defense and trillions of dollars in tax and spending cuts.

CBS News reported that the move came a day after the House voted 218-214 to pass the Trump administration-backed measure, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The Senate approved the bill on Tuesday in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie.

In late June, senior Department of Defense officials and military leaders released DOD’s proposed $961.6 billion fiscal year 2026 budget, which includes $113.3 billion in mandatory funding through congressional reconciliation. According to a senior DOD official, the mandatory reconciliation funding would support shipbuilding, munitions production, missile defense and other Trump administration priorities.

One Big Beautiful Bill’s Provisions

The law includes funding for the Golden Dome missile defense system and modernization of the U.S. military.

The measure will allocate $12.5 billion in funding to modernize the country’s air traffic control system and permanently increase the child tax credit for more than 40 million families.

Other provisions in the bill are expanding domestic oil and gas production capacity; completing the border wall and hiring thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents; reducing $1.5 trillion in spending; creating Trump Accounts for every American newborn; and implementing a tax deduction on Made in America auto loan interest.

1 … 48 49 50 51 52 … 2,626