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Report: Marshals Service CIO Karl Mathias to Join HHS in Same Role
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Report: Marshals Service CIO Karl Mathias to Join HHS in Same Role

Karl Mathias, chief information officer of the U.S. Marshals Service, has been appointed to serve as CIO at the Department of Health and Human Services starting March 14, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

FNN learned about Mathias’ appointment through an email and noted that he will join HHS nearly 10 months after former full-time CIO Perryn Ashmore stepped down.

The report said George Chambers, who replaced Janet Vogel as acting CIO of the department in January, will return to his permanent role as executive director of the HHS Office of Application and Platform Solutions once Mathias assumes office.

Mathias was appointed CIO at the Marshals Service in January 2015. He supervises approximately 350 government and contractor personnel and information technology modernization efforts at the federal law enforcement agency, according to his LinkedIn account.

He previously worked for the U.S. Air Force in civilian positions such as deputy director of information management at the AF headquarters, a program manager at the Air Force Research Laboratory and deputy head of the Air Force Institute of Technology’s electrical engineering department.

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DOD’s Mara Karlin: Troop Allocation in Eastern Europe to be Reviewed Amid War
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The Department of Defense is looking at a potential increase of U.S. military personnel in Eastern Europe following the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Mara Karlin, assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans, and capabilities, told a House committee that the Pentagon leadership will reconsider its troop allocation plan to deter Moscow from attacking NATO-member countries in the Eastern European front.

“So we’re looking at what sort of troop presence – whether it’s rotational or permanent – is necessary given this current security environment, both in the near term and frankly, and in the long term,” she explained during House Armed Services Committee hearing.

The U.S., which has been supplying Ukraine with anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles and other material, has yet to commit military personnel into the embattled non-NATO member.

However, the superpower has already deployed around 14,000 troops, F-35 strike fighters and Apache helicopters to Hungary, Poland and the Baltics in a move President Joe Biden said was aimed at reinforcing allies’ defense and not engaging Russian soldiers.

Even before the invasion, NATO members near the Russian border have been asking for more military presence in addition to the currently existing alliance battlegroups in Poland and the Baltics for deterrence.

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Hughes Modem Provides Key Functionality for Army’s Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft; VP/GM Rick Lober Quoted
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Hughes Modem Provides Key Functionality for Army’s Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft; VP/GM Rick Lober Quoted

Satellite and network services company Hughes Network Systems has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to develop a modem for a U.S. Army unmanned aircraft system.

The two organizations recently put their work on display, providing evidence of the HM400 modem’s communication capabilities in support of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range unmanned aircraft systems, the Germantown, Maryland-based company said on February 22.

Hughes Defense Vice President and General Manager Rick Lober emphasized Gray Eagle’s requirement of a satellite communication system that is able to host an exchange of “high-quality, high-throughput data intelligence in any domain.”

“Employing software-defined technologies, the HM System is flexible and customizable, with an open architecture that interfaces with a variety of antenna technologies and satellite constellations to maintain information assurance, no matter where the Gray Eagle flies,” Lober continued.

The Gray Eagle is equipped to traverse both land and water environments and uses satellites to report its findings to warfighters stationed at potential thousand-mile distances. It is therefore a crucial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance instrument of the Army.

The HM400 modem wields a container built for all environments, especially high-altitude, and a facility to toggle between geostationary and nongeostationary satellite beams and frequencies.

These features are intended to empower the Gray Eagle’s communication bandwidth to endure any conditions and maintain connectivity.

The project builds on a history of collaboration between Hughes and GA-ASI, for whom the company has lent its satellite communications equipment and integration services for a number of years.

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LinQuest Lands $48M AFRL Task Order for Engineering Support on Skyborg Program; Tim Dills Quoted
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LinQuest Lands $48M AFRL Task Order for Engineering Support on Skyborg Program; Tim Dills Quoted

LinQuest Corporation, a provider of air and space systems technology and electronic warfare solutions for U.S. defense and intelligence communities, has received a potential $48 million, five-year task order from the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Under the task order, the LinQuest team will provide services and engineering support as a part of a contract assisting the AFRL’s Skyborg Vanguard Program, an AI-powered aircraft teaming apparatus.

“LinQuest is excited to work with AFRL to facilitate the rapid development and integration of new technologies, solutions, and innovations into the Skyborg architecture,” said Tim Dills, LinQuest President and CEO.

Skyborg is a system designed to provide warfighters with information about potential air and ground threats, including an analysis of threat proximity and courses of action for rebuttal or evasion. It is an autonomous technology aimed not to replace human pilots a la drones but rather deliver the most up-to-date data for comprehensive human air combat.

LinQuest’s contributions to the Skyborg Vanguard Program are poised to decrease financial and industrial hurdles and expedite hardware and software developments. These efforts are intended to aid in acquisition, fielding and continuance of mission systems.

“LinQuest has proven its ability to combine relevant operations domain expertise with outstanding decision support tools and innovative analytical methodologies that continue to exceed the demanding requirements of the Skyborg Vanguard,” said the Skyborg Program Manager.

The task order was issued on January 31 and is a function of LinQuest’s Small Business Innovation Research Phase III contract. Work will be performed in partnership with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.

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Jason Goodfriend Added to Akima’s RiverTech Team as General Manager; President Duncan Greene Quoted
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Jason Goodfriend Added to Akima’s RiverTech Team as General Manager; President Duncan Greene Quoted

Public sector business leader Jason Goodfriend has been appointed general manager of RiverTech, a defense and space contractor owned by Akima.

At RiverTech, Goodfriend will be expected to utilize the subsidiary’s OASIS Small Business contract and grow its global network of government clients, the Herndon, Virginia-based company said Wednesday.

“Jason’s experience in strategy development, business planning, and operations management will aid him in his new leadership role,” commented Duncan Greene, Akima Mission, Systems Engineering & Technology Group President.

Goodfriend’s expertise lies in creating and implementing market growth plans, handling large-scale government contracts and overseeing multi-purpose teams in leadership roles.

Previously, Goodfriend worked in executive positions at BAE Systems. He went on to spearhead small business graduation and acquisition integration as president of Illuminate Mission Solutions.

His time at Illuminate also included assimilating technical advancements and modernizations into the company’s intelligence and mission strategies.

Goodfriend expressed excitement to identify and infiltrate new markets as general manager at RiverTech.

“I look forward to building on the company’s many achievements and delivering mission-focused value to our customers across the globe,” Goodfriend added.

Goodfriend was initially hired by Akima in November 2020 before receiving his new RiverTech placement.

The executive’s appointment follows the November 2021 hire of Candy Curtin as Akima’s chief human resources officer. Akima President and CEO Bill Monet also received his third consecutive Wash100 Award in February.

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DOE to Invest $125M in Small Business-led Clean Energy R&D
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DOE to Invest $125M in Small Business-led Clean Energy R&D

The Department of Energy has opened a $125 million funding opportunity for small business projects on clean energy research and development.

DOE said Monday it will fund projects that tackle a range of clean energy topics including carbon removal, energy storage, renewable energy and grid modernization.

The department manages the funding opportunity under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which aim to diversify participation in federal technology projects and bolster the commercialization of government-funded technologies.

Small businesses that have worked under previous SBIR or STTR awards from the department may apply for the funding opportunity. DOE is interested in businesses whose work includes electric vehicle batteries, carbon capture systems and cost reduction in solar module manufacturing.

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Transportation Department, FAA to Bar Russia From U.S. Airspace; Pete Buttigieg Quoted
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Transportation Department, FAA to Bar Russia From U.S. Airspace; Pete Buttigieg Quoted

The Federal Aviation Administration is blocking Russian aircraft, including commercial airlines, from entering U.S. airspace amid Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

FAA and the larger Department of Transportation will issue a notice to air missions and regulatory orders that bar Russian aircraft operations from entering the U.S., effective March 2, DOT said Tuesday.

The bar to entry applies to cargo flights, passenger transport, commercial air carriers and civil aircraft operated by, leased by, registered under or in support of Russia.

“The United States stands with our allies and partners across the world in responding to Putin’s unprovoked aggression against the people of Ukraine,” said Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. secretary of transportation.

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NCCoE Seeks Public Feedback on Draft for Manufacturing Cybersecurity Project
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NCCoE Seeks Public Feedback on Draft for Manufacturing Cybersecurity Project

National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has drafted a document that describes the scope, software, hardware and project requirements of a laboratory environment for demonstrating cyber attack response.

NCCoE now seeks feedback to refine the scope of the project description titled “Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack: Cybersecurity for the Manufacturing Sector,” the National Institute of Standards and Technology said Monday.

The center seeks to demonstrate response to and recovery from a cyber attack in a manufacturing setting. The demonstration would use commercial technologies to perform the following cybersecurity activities: event reporting and analysis, log review and incident handling and response.

The project aims to inform a future cybersecurity practice guide to be published by NIST. Interested parties may submit comments through April 14th.

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Space Force Adds University of Southern California to Partnership Program; Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein Quoted
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Space Force Adds University of Southern California to Partnership Program; Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein Quoted

The U.S. Space Force has signed a memorandum of understanding to include the University of Southern California in its program for training students to become future guardians.

USC’s membership in the University Partnership Program provides over 49,000 graduates opportunities for research, scholarships and advanced academic degrees that are related to the military’s space missions, the Space Systems Command said Tuesday.

USC, now the 14th member of the collaboration program, spends nearly $900 million every year to finance research on topics such as computer science, engineering and health.

Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, SSC commander, explained in a signing event that the partnership will enable the Space Force to tap into a potential workforce that could provide the technical expertise and problem-solving skills needed for developing advanced space systems.

“Advanced research in space-applied topics and technologies is critical to national security, and this new University Partnership Program is another important way for the Space Force to connect with future Guardians – tomorrow’s leaders — and the world-class research conducted at USC,” added Guetlein.

Following the MOU signing, the Space Force and USC will proceed to define implementation milestones as part of their partnership.

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GSA Introduces 25 New Presidential Innovation Fellows; GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan Quoted
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GSA Introduces 25 New Presidential Innovation Fellows; GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan Quoted

The General Services Administration has announced the 25 technology and corporate leaders selected for the 2022 class of Presidential Innovation Fellows and the addition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the PIF program.

The new class of fellows will work at 14 agencies for a year to help improve the way the government delivers services to citizens and serve as strategic advisers to assist agencies in modernizing technology capabilities, GSA said Monday.

The 2022 fellows will bring to the agencies their expertise in various areas such as engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, change management, customer experience and digital strategy. They will also work on several projects, including Federal Data Strategy development and implementation and modernization of public health data systems.

“We’re thrilled to have these experienced professionals coming to us from private industry who want to do a year-long tour in public service, helping the government uncover new and better ways to deliver for taxpayers,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan.

The PIF program is under GSA’s Technology Transformation Services and was established by the White House Office of Science and Technology in 2012. As of February, the program has recruited over 200 fellows to help advance innovation in more than 40 agencies.

The 2022 fellows and their agency partners are:

  • Abby Nydam, Executive Office of the President
  • Altin Ilirjani, CDC
  • Andrea Levy, FEMA
  • April Chen, EOP
  • Awalin Sopan, Small Business Association
  • Becky Slogeris, Department of Justice
  • Bennett Gebken, U.S. Agency for International Development
  • Cen Liu, Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Charles Borges, CDC
  • Daniel Jason, CDC
  • Emilia Ndely-Ogundipe, Department of Labor
  • Ha-Hoa Hamano, NASA
  • James Villarrubia, NASA
  • Jay Davis, Department of Transportation
  • Jeff Lee, GSA
  • Jim Rymarcsuk, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  • Karin Underwood, EOP
  • Kevin Luo, FEMA
  • Olivia Zhu, Office of Management and Budget
  • Pamela Jennings, DOT
  • Peter Marks, GSA
  • Renata Phillippi, Department of Veterans Affairs – Veterans Experience Office
  • Ryan Harrison, CDC
  • Stefany Holguin, VA
  • Varoon Mathur, VA
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