DOD WORKS TOWARD NEW CYBER STRATEGY

Air Force Tech Sgt. Kevin Garner and Air Force Senior Airman David Solnok, cyber transport technicians assigned to the 354th Communications Squadron, hook cables in to the new Air Force Network router system at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Jan. 26, 2012. The system enhanced cyber capabilities by providing network oversight to all U.S. Air Force installations. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD at Work on New Cyber Strategy, Senior Military Advisor Says

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2013 - The Defense Department released its first strategy for operating in cyberspace two years ago this month, and officials are at work on the next version, the senior military advisor for cyber to the undersecretary of defense for policy said in Baltimore last week.

Army Maj. Gen. John A. Davis spoke to a lunch audience at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International Cyber Symposium, noting that two years might equal 20 in the domain that accommodates distanceless travel.

"Senior leaders in the department and beyond the department understand that cyber is a problem [and] cyber is important. They've made cyber a priority, and there is a sense of urgency," the general said.

The strategy's five initiatives were to treat cyberspace as an operational domain, use new defense operating concepts to protect Defense Department networks, partner with other federal agencies and the private sector for a whole-of-government approach, partner with international allies for a global approach, and leverage the nation's ingenuity through an exceptional cyber workforce and technological innovation.

The department's method for implementing the strategy is called the cyber initiative group, the general said. "It's a process that includes engagement at all levels, from the action-officer level all the way to senior defense leadership," he explained.

A great deal of work remains, he added, "but we have made some really good progress in a number of areas under each of these strategy components." The process has been difficult and complex, he added, which reflects the complex interrelationships involved in the cyberspace arena.

Over the past two years, Davis said, the department has made progress in several areas. For example, he told the audience, DOD has:

-- Established service cyber components under U.S. Cyber Command;

-- Established joint cyber centers at each combatant command;

-- Implemented a military-orders process to handle cyber action as it is handled in other operational domains in a process supported by an emergency conferencing procedure that links key organizations and leaders from across DOD and government to quickly assess major cyber threats and make decisions;

-- Established an interim command-and-control framework for cyberspace operations across joint service and defense agency organizations;

-- Developed a force structure model for cyber force organizations;

-- Established a plan and developed orders to transition to a new network architecture called the Joint Information Environment, or JIE, that will make DOD networks more effective, defendable and efficient; and

-- Conducted two years of Cyber Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada that were joint, full-spectrum cyberspace operations exercises using live opposition forces and a virtual environment that mirrored current cyber threats.

DOD's mission is to defend the nation in all domains, but in cyberspace, the department shares its role with other members of the federal cybersecurity team, including the Justice Department and its FBI, the lead for investigation and law enforcement, the general said.

Other team members are the Department of Homeland Security -- the lead for protecting critical infrastructure and government systems outside the military -- and the intelligence community, which is responsible for threat intelligence and attribution, he added, noting that there are even roles and responsibilities for public-private and international partners.

DOD has begun to refine its role in defending the nation in cyberspace, Davis said.

"We have three main cyber missions, and three kinds of cyber forces will operate around the clock to conduct those missions," the general explained.

National mission forces will be prepared to counter adversary cyberattacks, he said. A second, larger set of combat mission forces will be prepared to support combatant commanders as they execute military missions, integrating cyber capabilities and effects into their military contingency plans and operations alongside traditional capabilities and effects, he added.

Still other cyber protection forces -- the largest set, Davis said, will operate and defend the networks that support military operations worldwide.

"We will deter, disrupt and deny adversary cyberspace operations that threaten vital U.S. interests when approved by the president and directed by the secretary of defense," he said. "If a crippling cyberattack is launched against our nation, the Department of Defense must be ready for an order from the commander in chief to act."

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

STATEMENT FROM EDUCATION SECRETARY DUNCAN ON TITLE VI ANNIVERSARY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Statement by Secretary Arne Duncan on the Anniversary of Title VI

July 2, 2013

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released the following statement regarding the anniversary of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:


"The 49th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of education in America's progress toward racial equality.

"Title VI has prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity - including all elementary and secondary schools and colleges and universities, public or private - receiving Federal financial assistance.

"The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has used Title VI to promote equal access to college- and career-preparatory courses and programs and to combat school segregation, discriminatory discipline, harassment, and other barriers to equal education for students of different racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

"We still have a long way to go to achieve racial equity. Last week, in the Fisher case, the Supreme Court preserved the well-established legal principle that colleges and universities have a compelling interest in achieving the educational benefits that flow from a racially and ethnically diverse student body, and can pursue that interest in their admissions programs. Lack of access to college- and career preparatory school programs persist, and racial disparities in discipline deny equal opportunity to too many of our students of color. Many of our nation's schools are still racially isolated, and racial gaps continue to exist in important measurements of learning.

"Today, we at the Department of Education recommit ourselves to enforcing Title VI to help end illegal discrimination in our country's schools and promote equitable opportunities for all students. We salute the states, districts, communities and advocates across America that have worked tirelessly to ensure that racial discrimination is eliminated as a barrier to student learning and success."

Dernières images d'une icône

Dernières images d'une icône

SENATOR LEVIN'S STATEMENT ON GLEEPA

FROM: U.S. SENATOR LEVIN'S WEBSITE
Senate Floor Statement on the Introduction of the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Great Lakes are a magnificent resource and unique in the world. These water bodies, formed during the last ten thousand years, are the largest source of surface freshwater on the planet. The lakes shaped how people settled and secured resources for their survival. Native Americans, French explorers, early European settlers, immigrants flocking to new industrial cities, along with the current populations of today all rely on the lakes for their survival – providing food and drinking water, transportation, power, recreation, and magnificent beauty.


However, the vast resources the Great Lakes provide must not be taken for granted. We must do all we can to protect these waters and clean up the areas that have been harmed by toxic contaminants, polluted runoff, untreated wastewater, and destructive invasive species. That is why as co-chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Senator Kirk and I, along with several of our colleagues, are introducing today the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013, or GLEEPA.

This bill builds upon the work of a multitude of stakeholders -- environmental organizations; business associations; tribal governments; community leaders; and federal, state and local officials – who worked together to craft the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a 2005 plan to guide restoration and protection for the Great Lakes. The legislation we are introducing today would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an inter-agency program designed to implement the plan articulated in the Collaboration Strategy.

The GLRI is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems in the Great Lakes, including aquatic invasive species, toxics and contaminated sediment, nonpoint source pollution, and habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. While broadly authorized under the Clean Water Act, the GLRI should be specifically authorized in law to clarify its purpose and objectives and to demonstrate support from Congress. Since the GLRI was launched in fiscal year 2010 with $475 million in funding, real progress has been made to restore the health of the Great Lakes: More than a million cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been cleaned up. More than 20,000 acres of wetland, coastal, upland and island habitat have been restored or enhanced. New technologies are being developed to combat the sea lamprey. Asian carp have been prevented from establishing a sustaining population in the Great Lakes. Hundreds of river miles have been restored to enable free fish passage from the Great Lakes to their spawning grounds. Reduction of nutrient loading from agriculture runoff has lessened occurrences of harmful algal blooms.

In addition to authorization of the GLRI, this legislation would reauthorize two existing programs: (1) the Great Lakes Legacy program, which supports the removal of contaminated sediments at more than thirty Areas of Concern (AOCs) across the Great Lakes; and (2) the Great Lakes National Program Office, which handles Great Lakes matters for the EPA.

The health and vitality of the Great Lakes not only provide immense public health and environmental benefits, but they are also critical to the economic health of the region. For example, in Muskegon Lake, which is directly connected to Lake Michigan, cleanup of 430,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, also provided jobs to barge and dredge operators, truck drivers, biologists, chemists, toxicologists, and general laborers. The cleanup will help lift fish consumption advisories and restore fish habitat, which is vital to this area that is a popular fishing and boating destination.

Reports find a two to three dollar return for every dollar invested in cleanup and restoration activity. And preventing future damage to the lakes – from aquatic invasive species for example – could easily save the public hundreds of millions of dollars in future expenditures. With a $7 billion fishery, $16 billion in annual expenditures related to recreational boating, and about 37 million hunters, anglers and bird watchers enjoying the Great Lakes each year, we cannot afford to not protect and restore this precious resource.

The legislation we are introducing today includes important safeguards to ensure that tax dollars are wisely spent on activities that actually achieve results. Projects are directed to be selected so that they achieve strategic and measurable outcomes and which can be promptly implemented through leveraging additional non-federal resources. The bill would also authorize an inter-agency task force to coordinate federal resources in a way that most efficiently uses taxpayer funds, focusing on measurable outcomes such as cleaner water, improved public health, and sustainable fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Finally, state and local officials, tribal governments, business organizations, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders need an avenue to communicate on matters pertaining to Great Lakes restoration. Recently, the EPA created a board that advises the EPA and other federal agencies on Great Lakes cleanup and protection activities. This bill would make the advisory board permanent to ensure that the many voices across the Great Lakes region can have a direct conduit to the federal government.

Mr. President, the Great Lakes are home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals and support 1.5 million direct jobs, $62 billion in wages and a $7 billion fishery. This legislation is needed to address the threat of invasive species such as Asian carp, polluted runoff that can harm aquatic and public health, toxic sediments, and harmful algal blooms that kill fish, foul coastlines, and threaten public health. The legislation will also help the United States implement its commitment to the bi-national 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. We hope the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will promptly act on this important legislation, as it did in 2010 when it approved similar legislation.

WATERSHEDS AFFECTED BY BARK BEETLES

 

Lodgepole Pines.  Credit:  Widimedia.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Ghosts of Forests Past: Bark Beetles Kill Lodgepole Pines, Affecting Entire Watersheds

In mountains across the Western United States, scientists are racing against time--against a tiny beetle--to save the last lodgepole pines.


Forests are bleeding out from the effects of the beetles, their conifers' needles turning crimson before the trees die.

Now, researchers are also hurrying to preserve the region's water quality, affected by the deaths of the pines.

"When these trees die," says hydrologist Reed Maxwell of the Colorado School of Mines, "the loss of the forest canopy affects hydrology and the cycling of essential nutrients."

Maxwell and other scientists recently published results of their study in the journal Biogeochemistry.

Co-authors, in addition to Maxwell, are Kristin Mikkelson, Lindsay Bearup, John McCray and Jonathan Sharp of the Colorado School of Mines, and John Stednick of Colorado State University. Mikkelson is the paper's first author.


Bark beetle numbers: heating up
"The mountain pine beetle outbreak in Western states has reached epidemic proportions," says Maxwell.

Bark beetles, as they're known, are native to the United States. They're so-named as the beetles reproduce in the inner bark of trees. Some species, such as the mountain pine beetle, attack and kill live trees. Others live in dead, weakened or dying hosts.

Massive outbreaks of mountain pine beetles in western North America since the mid-2000s have felled millions of acres of forests from New Mexico to British Columbia, threatening increases in mudslides and wildfires.

Climate change could be to blame. The beetles' numbers were once kept in check by cold winter temperatures and trees that had plenty of water to use as a defense.

But winters have become warmer, and droughts have left trees water-stressed and less able to withstand an onslaught of winged invaders.

"A small change in temperature leads to a large change in the number of beetles--and now to a large change in water quality," says Tom Torgersen, director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Water, Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Program, which funded the research.

WSC is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education portfolio of investments.

"Bark beetles have killed 95 percent of mature lodgepole pines," says Maxwell.

Death of a lodgepole pine

But the trees don't die immediately.

When beetles invade, a blue fungus spreads inside a tree's trunk, choking off transpiration and killing the tree in about two years.

The trees turn blood-red, then the ashen gray of death, dropping their needles to the forest floor.

"Some of the most important effects of bark beetles may be changes in the hydrologic cycle," says Maxwell, "via snow accumulation under trees and water transpiration from trees and other plants."

Biogeochemical changes may be even more important, he says, with carbon and nitrogen cycles interrupted.

"We're studying these hydrologic and geochemical processes through a combination of field work, lab research and computer modeling," says Maxwell.


Whither the beetles, so the trees, forests...and waters
Changes in tree canopies affect snowpack development and snowmelt.

For example, a lack of needles on branches lets more snow fall through the canopy--snow that would otherwise be caught on branches. A tree without needles also has less shade beneath it.

The result is a shallower snowpack, earlier snowmelt and less water in spring.

"The real question," Maxwell says, "is how these processes translate from individual trees to hillslopes to large watersheds."

Dead trees don't transpire water. Once a forest has died, this important flow of moisture from the ground to the atmosphere ceases.

That can mean a loss of as much as 60 percent of the water budget, although increases in ground evaporation or transpiration from understory shrubs and bushes may compensate for some of the lack.

"Combined with what's happening to snowpack depth," says Maxwell, "it becomes a complicated relationship that can change the timing and magnitude of spring runoff from snowmelt--and an entire year's water resources."

Tree mortality also appears to affect forest carbon and nitrogen cycles through increases in dissolved organic carbon.

"We've seen changes in drinking water quality in beetle-affected watersheds that are almost certainly related to high dissolved organic carbon levels," says Maxwell.

As Maxwell, Mikkelson, Bearup and colleagues discovered, there's a lag time between beetle infestation and water quality declines, "so tree and forest water transport processes are very likely involved," says Maxwell.


All watersheds great and small
The observations prompted the researchers to study processes at the individual tree and hillslope scale to better understand what's happening in watersheds large and small.

"Watersheds are complex, interrelated systems," says Maxwell, "which makes understanding them more challenging.

"We're developing complex, numerical models of bark beetle-infested watersheds that include our best understanding of how and where water flows. The models are allowing us to isolate individual processes by turning them on and off in 'what-if' scenarios."

Along with on-the-ground observations, he says, "they're showing us more of the complex story of pine beetle effects on Western watersheds.

"We now know that healthy watersheds ultimately depend on healthy forests."

Western streams and rivers soon may be part of dead and dying forests, surrounded only by the ghosts of lodgepole pines past.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AT DINNER IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts -- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

State House
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

8:58 PM EAT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Kikwete, Madam First Lady, distinguished guests -- on behalf of myself and Michelle, our delegation, our daughters -- we want to thank you for the incredible warmth and hospitality with which you've greeted us throughout the day. We could not be more grateful.

I am not the first American leader to visit this beautiful country. Other Presidents and prominent citizens have come before me. We just came from South Africa, where Robert Kennedy famously spoke of how every time we stand up for an ideal, we send out a "tiny ripple of hope." Less known is that after that trip to South Africa, Robert Kennedy also came here to Tanzania. It was a little different back then. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, rode in the back of an open truck. The Secret Service has me and Michelle inside a fortified limousine. We call it "The Beast." (Laughter.) As Kennedy's truck made its way through the crowds, he picked up two boys and let them ride alongside them. The Secret Service doesn't let me do these things. (Laughter.) When Kennedy came, it was a public holiday here. I apologize to Tanzanians that you all had to work today. (Laughter.)

But while these times have changed, the good feelings stay the same. We've been deeply touched by the welcome and the warm wishes from the Tanzanian people along the streets as we came in here with you tonight. Dar es Salaam means "harbor of peace," and we thank you for sharing that sense of peace and brotherhood for which this country and its people have long been known.

Mr. President, you've shown wisdom and strength in seeking reforms so that more Tanzanians can enjoy progress, more opportunity. And like me, you're strengthened by a woman who is a leader in her own right. (Applause.) I am told that Mama Kikwete is fond of a traditional Tanzanian saying -- "My neighbor's child is my child." And that sentiment I think also captures the feeling, the partnership between -- our two countries must have. We live thousands of miles apart, but as fellow human beings, we share a sense of obligation to each other, especially to the youngest among us.

So you might say an American child is my child. We might say a Tanzanian child is my child. In this way, both of our nations will be looking after all of our children and we'll be living out the vision of President Nyerere. The core values that he proclaimed for Tanzania also describe what both our countries seek -- wisdom, unity, and peace -- Hekima, Umoja, na Amani. (Applause.)

So what I'd like to do is to propose a toast -- if I can get my water here -- to our gracious Tanzanian hosts, to our Tanzanian friends and to wisdom, unity and peace that we all seek in the world. Cheers.

Department of State Daily Press Briefing - July 2, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - July 2, 2013

DOD Contracts for July 02, 2013

Contracts for July 02, 2013

New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers

New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers

Meets With Staff and Families of Embassy Brunei

Meets With Staff and Families of Embassy Brunei

THREE ARRESTED FOR ROLES IN ALLEGED FRAUDULENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SCHEME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Monday, July 1, 2013

Three Florida Residents Arrested on Charges of Fraud

Indictment Alleges That Defendants Operated Fraudulent Companies for Years Despite December 2000 Court Order

Three individuals charged in connection with operating a series of fraudulent business opportunity companies were arrested Friday following their indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami on June 25, 2013, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today. Mitchell Berman (aka Brian Griffin), of Boca Raton, Fla., Robert Gallo (aka Bobby Pace, Vincent Pastone, Joe Barone, Bobby Marino, Anthony Russo), of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Steven Axelrod (aka Michael Hutton), of Wellington, Fla., were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. Mitchell Berman was also charged with criminal contempt of court.


The indictment alleges that the defendants operated a series of fraudulent companies that sold coffee display racks business opportunities. Buyers were told they would receive display racks and packets of coffee, as well as assistance in establishing and maintaining a business selling the coffee.

Beginning in August 2000 and continuing through October 2011, the indictment charges that Berman, Gallo, and Axelrod operated a series of five coffee display rack business opportunity companies: Selective Services Business, Best Gourmet Coffee, Cambridge Coffee, Royal Gourmet Coffee and South Beach Coffee. The business opportunities the defendants sold cost a minimum of approximately $10,000. Each company operated for six months to a year, and after one company closed, the next opened.

The indictment alleges that Berman and Gallo ran the companies, while working as salesman together with Axelrod. All three defendants allegedly made numerous false statements to potential purchasers of the business opportunities to induce them to buy. Among the misrepresentations alleged in the indictment are that purchasers would likely earn substantial profits, that prior purchasers of the business opportunities were earning substantial profits, that purchasers would be given lucrative "commercial accounts," and that the company would provide assistance in establishing and maintaining the business. According to the indictment, purchasers made little to no money on their investments, were unable to find profitable locations or accounts, and were not provided the support promised by defendants. In making misrepresentations to potential purchasers, Berman was violating a December 2000 federal court order barring him from misrepresenting profits, locations, and other aspects of business opportunities.

According to the indictment, once purchasers began filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau or state authorities, the defendants shut down each of their companies in turn, and opened the next one. In order to evade detection, all the defendants allegedly used aliases and gave out false addresses for the company. The indictment alleges that Berman and Gallo also avoided listing their own names on corporate and promotional documents, and instead paid people who did not work at the companies to be titular presidents.

"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting consumers from business opportunity fraud schemes," said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "As this indictment demonstrates, we will continue to prosecute individuals who seek to swindle innocent Americans out of their hard-earned money."

All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In addition, Berman was charged with 8 counts of mail fraud and 9 counts of criminal contempt; Gallo was charged with 8 counts of mail fraud; and Axelrod was charged with 4 counts of mail fraud. If convicted, Berman, Gallo, and Axelrod face a maximum statutory term of 20 years in prison, a possible fine, and mandatory restitution on each conspiracy and mail fraud count. Berman faces a maximum statutory term of up to life in prison, a possible fine, and mandatory restitution on each of the criminal contempt counts.

"Business opportunity schemers use deceit to target and victimize hard-working Americans who are seeking opportunities to better provide for themselves and their families," said Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "We will continue to vigorously pursue these individuals who seek to steal the American Dream from their victims."

"Cases like this one illustrate the Postal Inspection Service’s dedication to investigating business opportunity fraud that insidiously targets innocent victims," said Ronald Verocchio, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge in Miami.

The charges in the indictment form part of the government’s continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants.

Acting Assistant Attorney Stuart Delery commended the investigative efforts of the Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director Richard Goldberg and Trial Attorney Cindy Cho of the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

President Obama Speaks at the University of Cape Town | The White House

President Obama Speaks at the University of Cape Town | The White House

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

130629-N-ZG290-010
ARABIAN GULF (June 29, 2013) Sonar Technician 2nd Class Brennan Lukas, from Ventura, Calif., prepares to test fire a surface vessel torpedo tube launcher aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76). Higgins is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devin Wray/Released)

130627-N-QL471-099
ARABIAN GULF (June 27, 2013) The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) fires a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) during a live-fire exercise. Monterey is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho/Released)

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER'S STATEMENT ON U.S. V. WINDSON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, June 28, 2013

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Implementation of the Supreme Court’s Decision in United States v. Windsor

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement regarding the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance to Federal agencies. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in United States v. Windsor, holding Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, unconstitutional. As a result of this decision, the Federal government will now be able to extend benefits to Federal employees and annuitants who have legally married a spouse of the same sex.


"Today’s announcement represents a historic step toward equality for all American families. The Supreme Court ruled this week that Americans in same-sex marriages are entitled to equal protection and equal treatment under the law. By extending health insurance and other important benefits to federal employees and their families, regardless of whether they are in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages, the Obama Administration is making real the promise of this important decision.

"These initial changes in federal benefits will make a meaningful, positive difference in the lives of many. But this is only the beginning. As the President directed, the Department of Justice will continue to coordinate with other federal agencies to implement this ruling as swiftly and smoothly as possible. I look forward to sharing additional information as it becomes available. We will never stop fighting to ensure equality, opportunity, and – above all – justice for everyone in this country."

DVIDS - Video - Town Hall with Secretary of Defense

DVIDS - Video - Town Hall with Secretary of Defense

Gute Reise, Gaia!

Gute Reise, Gaia!

U.S. DEDICATES EMBASSY IN BELGRADE, SERBIA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

United States Dedicates New U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 1, 2013 　


In an important symbol of America’s commitment to an enduring friendship with the Republic of Serbia, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, Michael D. Kirby, dedicated the new U.S. Embassy in Belgrade today.

Occupying a 10-acre site adjacent to the Beli Dvor, the $149 million multi-building complex provides a secure, state-of-the-art, environmentally-sustainable workplace for over 350 embassy personnel.

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP was the concept design architect and The Louis Berger Group of Washington, D.C. was the architect of record. The project was constructed by Framaco International of Rye Brook, New York.

The new facility incorporates numerous sustainable features to reduce operating costs and conserve resources, most notably a storm water detention pond; solar hot water technology; low-flow plumbing fixtures; and the careful selection of plantings to reduce the amount of irrigation needed. The facility has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^{®) certification.}

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 103 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 39 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE FOR B-52 STRATOFORTRESS BOMBERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
B-52s to receive communications upgrade
by Mike W. Ray
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

6/28/2013 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) -- Installation of a communications system upgrade earmarked for the venerable U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet is scheduled to start here in July.

The Combat Network Communications Technology system will enable aircrews to send and receive information via satellite links, allowing them to change mission plans and retarget weapons while in flight. In addition, pilots will be able to interact better with other aircraft and with ground forces. Currently, mission information must be uploaded to a B-52 before each flight.

Other improvements will include a state-of-the-art computing network with workstations at each crew position and an integrated digital interphone with increased capacity that will allow crew members to talk with each other over headsets equipped with noise-canceling technology.

The $76 million CONECT upgrade will be performed by Boeing and covers a low-rate initial production of the first CONECT kits, along with spare parts, maintenance and service at Tinker AFB here.

Low-rate initial production is the first effort in the production phase of the program. The first eight CONECT kits in lot 1 will establish an initial production base for the system and will permit an orderly increase in the production rate for the CONECT system that is sufficient to lead to full-rate production upon successful completion of operational testing.

The contract for lot 2 is projected to be awarded in May 2014, for 10 CONECT kits. Then the full-rate production contract, projected for award in January 2015, will be for 10 CONECT kits.

Ultimately, CONECT is expected to be installed on all B-52H in the fleet.

The first B-52H to receive a CONECT kit will enter programmed depot maintenance at Tinker AFB in July and is scheduled to depart PDM next April. Each upgrade will take an estimated nine months to complete.

A CONECT kit was installed in a modified B-52 at Edwards AFB, Calif., and has been field tested for several years, Boeing spokesperson Jennifer Hogan said.

The B-52H was delivered to the Air Force in 1961-62. The aircraft have been kept aloft through regular maintenance and periodic upgrades. For example, GPS capabilities were incorporated into their navigation systems in the late 1980s.

"We are bringing this amazing workhorse of a bomber into the digital age and giving our customer the infrastructure necessary for continued future improvements," said Scot Oathout, Boeing's B-52 program director.

Citing engineering studies, Air Force officials said the heavy bombers could keep flying for at least another quarter-century.