USAF Launches 3rd BRAVO Hackathon to Explore Permissive Development Modeling of Weapon Capabilities
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USAF Launches 3rd BRAVO Hackathon to Explore Permissive Development Modeling of Weapon Capabilities

The Department of the Air Force will host its third BRAVO hackathon, this time to test whether permissive development modeling using classified data is more cost-effective than traditional means in prototyping weapon capabilities, Space Force News reported Wednesday.

The competition will be held on March 20 to 24 at Hurlburt Field air base in Florida, and is open to applicants within and outside the department.

BRAVO was launched in 2021 to leverage real data from the Department of Defense in testing and validating military innovations. Interested participants may apply for one of three roles. Non-government applicants can try out for the hacker role if they have competencies in product management, data science, machine learning, software development and/or user interface/user design.

The subject matter expert and supporter roles are open to government applicants and government contractors that can share their knowledge or use case to the teams. They will also be responsible for event security and organization.

“BRAVO moves from the traditional DoD development model operating at the unclassified level where we push code up to protected environments, to a permissive development model on protected data, which we refer to as ‘Dev High,’” said Stuart Wagner, DAF’s chief digital transformation officer and hackathon organizer. “This enables developers to build weapons’ capabilities and calibrations directly with the data at lower cost compared to traditional prototyping pipelines and at a rate faster than an adversary is likely to build countering capability. This event will test how ‘Dev High’ scales to joint multi-domain use cases,” he explained.

Report: Federal Agencies Turn to Cloud Computing to Transform Public Service
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Report: Federal Agencies Turn to Cloud Computing to Transform Public Service

The Partnership for Public Service has revealed in a new report the best practices federal government agencies employ to mobilize cloud computing to enhance operations and transform customer services.

The report, developed in collaboration with the IBM Center for the Business of Government, outlines five keys to a successful cloud strategy: planning and strategic collaboration; agile testing; zero trust architecture and data protection; workforce transformation; and cloud optimization.

In 2022, the partnership held a series of webinars to gain cloud computing strategy insights from agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Census Bureau, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

During the online events, the agencies shared how they planned and implemented cloud adoption strategies to transform service delivery, reduce cost and maximize performance.

“Carefully developed cloud environments, secure and optimized for performance, provide the foundation for a more modern federal government that offers better service to the public,” said Amanda Starling Gould, manager of Partnership’s Technology and Innovation.

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Applied Research Laboratories Awarded $171M NGA Earth Science Support Contract Modification
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Applied Research Laboratories Awarded $171M NGA Earth Science Support Contract Modification

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded Applied Research Laboratories at the University of Texas at Austin a $171.3 million contract modification to continue to support research, development and testing of earth science systems.

Work under the indefinite-delivery/indefinte-quantity contract modification will run through Dec. 2026, according to an NGA business opportunity notice.

ARL:UT initially secured the earth science support contract in December 2021 to help NGA evaluate, operate and maintain earth science software, hardware and equipment for geophysical modeling and geodetic surveys.

The five-year, $54.6 million sole source contract also covers the maintenance of precise navigation and timing government-off-the-shelf operational capabilities.

ARL:UT is one of the university-affiliated research centers of the Department of Defense designated by the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering.

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Lawmakers Ask for Briefing on Domestic Violent Extremism-Related Threats to Critical Infrastructure
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Lawmakers Ask for Briefing on Domestic Violent Extremism-Related Threats to Critical Infrastructure

Three House lawmakers have asked the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for a briefing on threats posed by domestic violent extremists to the U.S. energy sector and other critical infrastructure.

The legislators wrote a letter to Kenneth Wainstein, undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS, and CISA Director and 2023 Wash100 Award recipient Jen Easterly about a joint intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI and DHS on racially- or ethnically- motivated violent extremists seeking to target critical infrastructure and a disrupted plot by neo-Nazis to attack electric facilities in Baltimore, Maryland.

The congressional members also want I&A and CISA to provide information on how they work together to ensure the security of critical infrastructure and assess potential threats to the energy sector and the role of RMVEs in perpetuating such threats.

“Additionally, we would like to understand evolving cybersecurity threats to the energy sector, such as the PIPEDREAM malware, and how domestic extremists might seek to exploit cyber vulnerabilities for ideological purposes,” the Feb. 17 letter reads.

The letter was signed by Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee; Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., ranking member of the House panel’s subcommittee on cybersecurity and infrastructure protection; and Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., ranking member of the subcommittee on counterterrorism, law enforcement and intelligence.

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CBO: Navy’s Total Budget to Hit $290B Over 3 Decades Under Alternatives in FY23 Shipbuilding Plan
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CBO: Navy’s Total Budget to Hit $290B Over 3 Decades Under Alternatives in FY23 Shipbuilding Plan

A Congressional Budget Office report estimates that the U.S. Navy’s total budget would increase to approximately $290 billion by 2052, up from the current $220 billion, as the fleet size expands to between 282 and 340 aircraft carriers, ballistic missile submarines and other battle force ships under the three alternatives in the service’s fiscal year 2023 shipbuilding plan.

CBO said Wednesday the Navy estimates that new ship construction under the alternatives in its 2023 plan would cost between $23 billion and $25.4 billion on average per year.

According to the report, the military branch would see the number of total missile cells reduced by 13 percent by 2031 before increasing by 6 percent over the next three decades under alternatives 1 and 2 and by 19 percent under alternative 3.

CBO estimates that the Navy’s total number of ships and submarines that could launch missiles would drop by 5 percent in 2026 before rising by 23 percent under alternative 1, 30 percent under alternative 2 and 36 percent under alternative 3 by 2052.

The office said keeping a force of 31 large and midsize amphibious warfare ships as mandated in the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act would require the service to make changes to ship procurement and retirements.

“Ship purchases would need to increase by 65 percent to 130 percent compared with the alternatives in the Navy’s 2023 plan,” the CBO report reads.

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Retired USMC Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall Joins Sigma Defense Systems Board of Advisors
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Retired USMC Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall Joins Sigma Defense Systems Board of Advisors

Retired United States Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall has been selected as a member of Sigma Defense Systems’ board of advisors, where he will serve alongside the organization’s co-founders and numerous former military officials.

Crall’s appointment follows his retirement from active duty in October 2022, when he stepped down from his last assignment as chief information officer and director of command, control, communications and cyber for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sigma Defense announced from Perry, Georgia on Thursday.

Matt Jones, CEO of Sigma Defense, singled out a quote from Crall in which he emphasized the importance of outcomes for the warfighter, who must “live with” the results of industry efforts. He said that this line of thinking reflects the company’s philosophy.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a leader with his insight and experience join our team. His depth of knowledge within C4 and his focus on connecting data and people at speed will help us deliver greater capabilities and better results for our customers across the Department of Defense,” said Jones.

Crall joined the USMC in 1987 and has since engaged in strategic capacities furthering C4, cyberspace operations, cybersecurity and data and artificial intelligence strategy. In his final position with the service branch as CIO of C4, Crall led the development of all C4 administrative and operational policy.

Before assuming the CIO role, Crall was the senior military advisor to the undersecretary of defense for policy, in which he advised the secretary of defense on cyberspace activities and cybersecurity while implementing DOD cyberspace critical vulnerability mitigations.

Throughout his time with the USMC, Crall accumulated over 350 flight hours and served in 34 combat missions.

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Watch: Microsoft Federal’s Rick Wagner Shares JWCC Insights With Executive Mosaic
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Watch: Microsoft Federal’s Rick Wagner Shares JWCC Insights With Executive Mosaic

Rick Wagner, president of Microsoft Federal and six-time Wash100 Award winner, was featured in a new video interview with Executive Mosaic to shed light on Microsoft’s role on the Department of Defense’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract. 

Wagner is part of the 2023 Wash100 class, and you can vote for him now in the Wash100 popular vote competition! Visit Wash100.com to cast your vote.

In the video, the first of four in a series that provides insights from all JWCC awardee companies, Wagner described what the contract win means to Microsoft and outlined the capabilities the company can bring to the enterprise-wide cloud effort.

Wagner also gave his thoughts on how cloud intersects with security, and how Microsoft deploys a “secure by design” approach to its capabilities and offerings.

Further into the cybersecurity conversation, Wagner spoke about the importance of knowing what’s on your network before trusting it, and he also outlined the three principles of zero trust. The first principle, verifying explicitly, states that every process, user and application should be verified and validated at every step. 

From there, the second principle explains that each user should be assigned the least privilege necessary to execute their functions without compromising security. Lastly, Wagner said organizations should assume a breach has already occurred and bad actors are already on their networks. 

But as organizations shift to a zero trust cybersecurity model, the challenge will be in the implementation, according to Wagner. Zero trust shifts the cybersecurity paradigm from a compliance-based model to an outcome-focused one, and it’s a method that requires continuous learning at all tiers of the organization.

Hear more of what Wagner had to say about cloud, zero trust and more by watching his full video interview here. 

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Executive Mosaic Profiles 2023 Wash100 Award Winners Frank Kendall & Lou Von Thaer
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Executive Mosaic Profiles 2023 Wash100 Award Winners Frank Kendall & Lou Von Thaer

On Thursday, Executive Mosaic debuted the 2023 Wash100 profiles of Battelle President and CEO Lou Von Thaer and United States Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. 

Every year, Executive Mosaic hand-picks the top 100 most consequential executives working in the government contracting sector. The resulting list is the Wash100, composed of high-powered individuals from across the dynamic GovCon ecosystem. These elite leaders are recognized not only for their past accomplishments and impact on critical government missions, but also for their anticipated future contributions in the GovCon space.

Executive Mosaic celebrates each of the 100 winners with individual profiles, and today’s recognition was bestowed upon two exceptional leaders. 

Lou Von Thaer earned his 2023 Wash100 Award for his leadership in environmental cleanup and energy programs at the helm of Battelle, an independent, non-profit research and development organization. Under Von Thaer’s leadership, Battelle has more than doubled its revenue to over $11 billion, and the company reached more than 1.4 million students through its STEM education outreach program in the last year.

Click here to read Lou Von Thaer’s full Wash100 profile.

Frank Kendall has been instrumental in shaping the Air Force’s priorities as the U.S. military shifts from a focus on counterterrorism to one on peer and near-peer threats like China. Kendall’s seven operational imperatives have helped to strategically guide the Air Force in its quest to maintain technological dominance on the global stage. This marks Kendall’s fourth year of Wash100 recognition. 

Read Frank Kendall’s Wash100 profile here. 

Don’t forget to vote for Lou Von Thaer and Frank Kendall in Executive Mosaic’s exciting popular vote competition! Cast your vote for your favorite Wash100 winner at Wash100.com. Who will win the top spot? Find out in April!

TriWest Healthcare Alliance Leaders, Founders, And Executives
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TriWest Healthcare Alliance Leaders, Founders, And Executives

Image from Triwest Official Website

Since 1996, TriWest Healthcare Alliance has been dedicated exclusively to meeting the healthcare requirements of the military and Veteran communities. The company has been a reliable partner of the DoD in providing healthcare assistance. Meet the TriWest Healthcare Alliance leaders, founders, and executives here!

About TriWest Healthcare Alliance

TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a healthcare provider comprising business partners and a medical provider network that helps veterans and military communities. Its primary goal is to provide active military members and veterans with proper health care.

History of TriWest Healthcare Alliance

In 1996, David McIntyre co-founded TriWest Healthcare Alliance with university health systems and nonprofit health plans. The company’s initial mission was to serve the Defense Department with its TRICARE contract in Regions 7 and 8.

TriWest managed the TRICARE program for the DoD for 17 years and was chosen in 2013 to provide care services support for the Veterans Affairs (VA).

Executive Team of TriWest Healthcare Alliance

TriWest’s Core Leadership Team (CLT) members have extensive backgrounds in customer service, operations, and clinical healthcare administration, as well as senior-level military leadership experience. Meet the TriWest Healthcare Alliance leaders, founders, executives, and officers.

David J. McIntyre, Jr., President, and Chief Executive Officer

David J. McIntyre, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, triwest healthcare alliance ceo

David J. McIntyre, Jr is TriWest Healthcare Alliance’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. McIntyre co-founded TriWest Healthcare Alliance in 1996 and has been its CEO since the company started. He has worked in leadership positions in the public and private sectors for over three decades, during which time he has developed and implemented national healthcare policy.

In addition to being the CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance, he also sits on the boards of several charitable organizations, including the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and the Fisher House Foundation.

James L. Robbins, M.D., Chief Medical Officer

James L. Robbins, M.D., Chief Medical Officer

TriWest Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Robbins manages clinical quality, telemedicine, medical management, and psychological health. He spent over three decades in private practice and the VA before joining TriWest.

In 2016, Dr. Robbins joined TriWest as Medical Director for Patient-Centered Community Care and Veterans Choice. He was VISN 18’s Chief Medical Officer before joining TriWest. From 1988 to 1990, Dr. Robbins worked full-time as a VA staff physician in Grand Junction, Colorado.

James Griffith, Chief Network and Administrative Officer

James Griffith, Chief Network and Administrative Officer

As Chief Network and Administrative Officer at TriWest, Jim Griffith ensures the company’s overall efficiency and success. He oversees the network growth, contracting, provider education, and relations and implements any necessary changes to existing contracts or procedures.

Jim is known as a leader in innovations in the healthcare marketplace. Jim has developed a successful career as a manager by expanding and developing top-tier companies regarding customer service, technological innovation, efficient operations, and sound financial planning.

Elizabeth Kinsley, Chief Financial Officer

Elizabeth Kinsley, Chief Financial Officer

Elizabeth Kinsley currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at TriWest Healthcare Alliance. As CFO, she oversees all financial operations, including accounting, treasury, tax, claims administration, infrastructure, database management, and information technology. She works with external auditors as TriWest’s principal point of contact from affiliated companies, such as McGladrey.

Beth started working with TriWest in 1998, and between 2005 and 2013, she held the position of senior vice president of finance. She’s been working in the industry of numbers for over two decades.

Julie A. Townsend, Chief Planning and Implementation Officer

Julie A. Townsend, Chief Planning and Implementation Officer

Julie A. Townsend currently serves as the Chief Planning and Implementation Officer of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Townsend oversees the Enterprise Project Management Office, quality and performance improvement initiatives, and TriWest’s strategic and operational planning efforts.

In 2001, Townsend became a part of TriWest’s executive team. She brings her three decades of health care administration experience. She has also led as an executive in managed care and healthcare provider associations at the state level.

Donna Hoffmeier, Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Advocacy

Donna Hoffmeier, Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Advocacy

Donna Hoffmeier is the TriWest Healthcare Alliance’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications and Advocacy. She participates in  Community Care programs that fill the gap of what the VA can’t provide and addresses the needs and circumstances of individual Veterans.

She brings over three decades of expertise as a senior executive in the private and public sectors. Donna spent 20 years in the Navy, 11 of which were in active service and the other nine in the Navy Reserves. She was a Navy Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for most of her Navy career.

Jeanne Ong, Vice President, Human Capital

Jeanne Ong, Vice President, Human Capital

Jeanne Ong is the Vice President, Human Capital at TriWest Healthcare Alliance. She oversees all the Human Resource activities, such as employee recruitment, training, benefits, compensation, and compliance. Jeanne and her group collaborate closely with company-wide leaders and their teams to address the ongoing adjustments needed to achieve contract standards.

Jeanne has worked with TriWest in various roles since joining in 2003, including Employee Relations Manager, Talent Effectiveness, and Director of Organizational. She has worked as a recruiter and a human resources manager during her 20-year career in the Human Capital industry, including her current job at TriWest.

(Above Executive Photos from TriWest Healthcare Alliance Official Website)

TriWest Healthcare Alliance Leaders, Founders, And Executives

Image from Triwest Healthcare Alliance‘s official website.

TriWest Healthcare Alliance: On a Mission to Serve

TriWest has always been “On a Mission to Serve®” the Veteran and military communities by providing them with the high-quality, cost-effective healthcare they have earned and deserve. The Department of Defense (DoD) awarded TriWest the contract for the West Region of the TRICARE replacement program in December 2022.

34 University Transportation Centers to Share Up to $435M in Grants From DOT; Pete Buttigieg Quoted
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34 University Transportation Centers to Share Up to $435M in Grants From DOT; Pete Buttigieg Quoted

The Department of Transportation has awarded up to $435 million in grants to 34 university transportation centers to support research and development projects that can advance the country’s infrastructure.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday revealed the university-led groups chosen to receive $4 million, $3 million or $2 million a year.

Project leaders include the University of California, Davis; University of Texas at Austin; Prairie View A&M University in Texas; Clemson University in South Carolina; and Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

Their studies will focus on areas such as cybersecurity for transportation cyber-physical-social systems, decarbonization of transport hubs in historically disadvantaged communities, and new data-driven technologies to be incorporated into next-generation vehicles.

“We are proud to support University Transportation Centers across the country that are developing cutting-edge technologies to improve our transportation systems for years to come,” Buttigieg said. “With this investment, we’ll be able to support a new generation of leaders as they continue to pursue research that will usher in safer, cleaner, and more accessible ways to get people where they need to go.”  

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