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Leonel Garciga Named Army CIO
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Leonel Garciga Named Army CIO

Leonel Garciga, a U.S. Navy veteran, has been appointed chief information officer of the U.S. Army.

He will also serve as principal adviser to the secretary of the Army as he oversees the service’s technology modernization efforts and manages information systems, the Army said Monday.

Garciga has been serving as director of information management within the Army’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, since March 2019.

He previously served as chief technology officer and senior adviser on technology at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Before DTRA, Garcia spent three years at the Defense Intelligence Agency as an intelligence analyst.

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IRS Requests Info on IT Security Implementation Support Services
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IRS Requests Info on IT Security Implementation Support Services

The Internal Revenue Service has begun gathering information on potential sources of information technology security implementation contractor support for the IRS Cybersecurity organization.

A notice Wednesday on SAM.gov states that the IRS division requires support to modernize the agency’s IT cybersecurity core infrastructure and implement zero trust architecture capabilities.

Task orders under the recompete contract cover cybersecurity systems and capabilities assistance, Splunk technical expertise and project and program management services.

IRS Cybersecurity is seeking potential vendors to design, operationalize and maintain new security processes and applications and migrate the agency’s existing IT assets into a streamlined environment.

Responses are due July 24.

Commerce Department Expands 1st CHIPS for America Funding Opportunity
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Commerce Department Expands 1st CHIPS for America Funding Opportunity

The Department of Commerce has expanded the first CHIPS for America funding opportunity to accept applications for the construction, modernization and expansion of semiconductor supply chain projects with capital investments of $300 million or more.

Eligible large-scale supply chain projects may apply for funding to build or scale up their facilities to boost the production of leading-edge, current-generation, and mature-node semiconductors, the Commerce Department said Friday.

A separate funding opportunity is expected to be released in the fall for semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment facilities with capital investments below $300 million.

The department also released a “Vision for Success” outlining three primary goals to boost investments in the semiconductor supply chain: strengthening supply chain resilience, advancing U.S. technology leadership and supporting vibrant U.S. fab clusters.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has spurred billions in private sector investment to advance the semiconductor supply chain.

“We’re laying out our vision for how we’ll build on that progress by responsibly making investments to ensure resiliency and success for the clusters we will create,” she added.

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NASA to Wrap Up Operational Testing of Experimental All-Electric Plane in September
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NASA to Wrap Up Operational Testing of Experimental All-Electric Plane in September

NASA is set to finish the aircraft operations portion of the development of the X-57 Maxwell experimental all-electric plane by September.

The agency said Friday that it has collated lessons learned from the project and will continue documentation several months after the conclusion of operational activities.

The aim of the X-57 Maxwell program was not to create a prototype but to study the feasibility of an electric propulsion design and its regulatory implications. The vehicle was developed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The project ran into mechanical challenges that are causing delays to the aircraft’s first flight, including the unavailability of some critical hardware components.

The program provided “foundational information to industry through lessons learned, and we’re seeing the benefits borne out by American commercial aviation companies that are aiming to change the way we fly,” said Brad Flick, director of the Armstrong Flight Research Center. ”The future of electrified propulsion is possible because of their contributions.”

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Mark Kitz Selected as Army PEO for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors
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Mark Kitz Selected as Army PEO for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors

Mark Kitz, program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors of the U.S. Army, has been appointed as the service’s next PEO for command, control and communications-tactical, C4ISRNET reported Saturday.

Kitz, who is expected to leave IEW&S by the end of the month, will succeed Maj. Gen. Anthony Potts, who assumed command of PEO C3T in June 2022.

In his new role, Kitz will help oversee the Army’s network modernization initiatives to support communications systems that warfighters use to maintain information dominance in the battlefield.

Kitz was named PEO for IEW&S in May 2021 and has since provided oversight of the Army’s portfolio of electronic warfare; cyber; intelligence; target acquisition; and position, navigation and timing capabilities.

He served as the deputy PEO for IEW&S from June 2019 to May 2021.

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CISA Appoints David Carroll & Andrew Scott Associate Directors Within Cybersecurity Division
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CISA Appoints David Carroll & Andrew Scott Associate Directors Within Cybersecurity Division

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has appointed two associate directors to spearhead its cybersecurity division’s China and mission engineering operations.

Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, said in a blog post published Thursday that David Carroll will serve as associate director for mission engineering and Andrew Scott will be associate director for China operations.

Carroll’s 25-year career has taken him from Google to the U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Homeland Security. He spent eight years as a combat communications and control specialist and joined the private defense sector through MITRE. He was the principal cyber security scientist and portfolio director of the company’s national cyber defense operations.

His other career highlights include tenure as the DHS chief information security architect and division director, principal program manager of Microsoft Azure and technical director of the chief digital transformation office under the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Scott joins CISA from the White House National Security Council, where he was most recently the special assistant to the president and senior director for cyber policy. He worked for six years in the private sector, and was later chosen by the Department of State for the role of chief of the Bureau of Human Resources’ systems operations branch.

The latter executive has been a cybersecurity and data analytics expert for NSC and other federal agencies for nearly 15 years.

Navy Puts USS Carl M. Levin Destroyer Ship Into Operation; Carlos Del Toro Quoted
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Navy Puts USS Carl M. Levin Destroyer Ship Into Operation; Carlos Del Toro Quoted

The U.S. Navy marked the commissioning of the USS Carl M. Levin guided-missile destroyer, built by General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works subsidiary, with an event that took place Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland.

At the event, the service branch celebrated the keel laying, mast stepping and christening of the Arleigh Burke-class combat vessel named after the late Sen. Carl Milton Levin, D-Mich.

Milton was a chairman and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, advocating for the wage increases and other policies for servicemen and their families. He served the Senate for a record 36 years, during which he pushed for initiatives to improve and maintain the global leadership of American manufacturing.

Carlos Del Toro, secretary of the Navy and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, said the destroyer “supports not just the strike force, but our entire nation by guaranteeing our unencumbered access to a free and open maritime commons and serves as the lifeblood of our economy.”

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii will homeport the 510-foot-long and 9,496-ton vessel.

Air Force’s Software Factory Debuts User Experience Monitoring Service
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Air Force’s Software Factory Debuts User Experience Monitoring Service

The U.S. Air Force’s Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation team has unveiled a user experience monitoring service designed to enable software developers to quantify product issues and performance.

BESPIN’s UEM service is powered by the open-source web analytics tool Matomo and works to track location, engagement behavior and content interaction, as well as a web page’s loading time, the type of device used and other user data, the Air Force Materiel Command said Thursday.

With the tool, mobile and web application teams can make more data-driven decisions about where to invest resources to enhance customer experience.

“The true value of focusing on user experience comes from understanding how the user interacts with your capability and using those actions of the end users to adjust and provide the best product possible,” said Lt. Col. Tyler Hough, chief operating officer for BESPIN.

The UEM service will soon be available to enterprise-wide users.

BESPIN is the Air Force’s software factory that supports digital transformation initiatives across the service.

POC - 2023 Annual Air Force Summit

Major Department of the Air Force officials are scheduled to speak at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Air Force Summit on July 18 at the Hilton-McLean in Virginia. Click here to register and hear from the presenters about how the DAF is applying modern technology to support national security missions.

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General Dynamics Business Books $712M Army Order for 300 Stryker DVHA1 Vehicles
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General Dynamics Business Books $712M Army Order for 300 Stryker DVHA1 Vehicles

A General Dynamics business has secured a $712.3 million order from the U.S. Army as part of a five-year contract awarded in 2020.

Under the order, General Dynamics Land Systems will deliver 300 Stryker DVHA1 vehicles to the service branch, the Sterling Heights, Michigan-based company announced on Monday.

“Stryker is the Army’s largest combat vehicle fleet – combat-proven, cost-effective, highly mobile, versatile, sustainable and transportable,” said Gordon Stein, vice president of U.S. operations at General Dynamics Land Systems.

Stein noted the 450-horsepower engine, 60,000-pound suspension, 910-amp alternator and in-vehicle digital network of the Stryker A1 vehicles.

By purchasing these vehicles, the Army intends to increase survivability and capability in its Stryker brigades.

“We are proud that our innovation, research, development and investment have evolved the Stryker into a next-generation platform for Stryker Brigade Combat Team formations and beyond,” Stein remarked.

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US Lawmakers & Defense Firms Want Reform of ITAR
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US Lawmakers & Defense Firms Want Reform of ITAR

U.S. defense companies, lawmakers and allies are calling for a revision of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which they say appear to hinder collaboration and could impact the alliance of the U.S. with Australia and the U.K. codified by the AUKUS partnership, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Under ITAR, the State Department approves the export of sensitive defense-related services, equipment and technical data from U.S. businesses to foreign entities. ITAR rules apply to components in missiles, aircraft, lasers, guns, spacecraft and other equipment.

“Reform of export controls, particularly ITAR, must happen to meet that mandate of urgency,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn.

“Aukus is not a run-of-the-mill sale of military kit by a U.S. contractor,” added Courtney.

Officials with the State Department said they are developing an interim mechanism that would allow a preapproval process for exports between AUKUS countries.

“We want export controls to be able to safeguard our technology,” said Mira Resnick, a deputy assistant secretary at the State Department. “We also want Aukus to succeed. And for Aukus to succeed, we know that we need to be able to have much more robust, agile, flexible information sharing.”

Some U.S. lawmakers have already introduced reform measures, including a bill that would enable the State Department to employ more personnel to assess defense-related export license requests and speed up the process for exporting certain defense equipment to the U.K. and Australia.

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