Welcome to MeriTalk News Briefs, where we bring you all the day’s action that didn’t quite make the headlines. No need to shout about ‘em, but we do feel that they merit talk.
Lt. Gen. Fogarty Takes Over Army Cyber Command
Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty became the official head of U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) during a ceremony on Friday. The ceremony symbolized Fogarty’s official acceptance of the position; however, he’s been serving as ARCYBER’s commanding general since May 11. Fogarty was also promoted to the rank of lieutenant general during the ceremony. In his new role, Fogarty heads the agency that conducts electronic warfare and information and cyberspace operations for the Army. Fogarty is taking over the position from Gen. Paul Nakasone, who now heads U.S. Cyber Command and the NSA. Fogarty received Senate confirmation for the position in April.
Rear Adm. Fears Is Trump’s New Homeland Security Advisor
President Trump on Friday named Rear Adm. Douglas Fears his new homeland security and counterterrorism adviser on the National Security Council. Fears’ new role comes with the rank of deputy assistant to the president. He will be charged with coordinating interagency efforts during disaster response, according to the White House. He previously served as special assistant to the president and senior director for resilience policy at the NSC. Fears replaces Tom Bossert, who resigned in April at the request of White House National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Second Union Sues Trump Over Workforce EOs
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) filed a lawsuit last Friday against President Trump and Office of Personnel Management head Jeff Pon over two executive orders (EO) the President signed last month related to the Federal government workforce. NTEU joins the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), who sued Trump last Wednesday. NTEU argues that Trump exceeded executive branch authority in establishing a performance review period of no more than 30 days as part of an EO that many argue makes firing underperforming government workers easier. NTEU and AFGE are also contesting President Trump’s EO that puts limitations on official time – or time spent on union duties.
New DoD Business Operations Plan Cites Workforce and IT Needs
The Department of Defense (DoD) released to the public last week its National Defense Business Operations Plan, covering FY2018-2022. The plan outlines the imperative to “rebuild military readiness” and increase lethality. Among several organizational management goals, the plan suggests that a larger civilian workforce may be necessary to better support warfighters. Enhancing information technology and cybersecurity capabilities is listed as one of the key strategic objectives, and the plan outlines responsibilities for new DoD CIO Dana Deasy to accomplish that objective.
DoE Cyber Conference Begins Today
The Department of Energy (DoE) is hosting its 2018 DoE Cyber Conference June 4-7 in Austin, Texas. The event is “designed to bring together the DoE enterprise, the Federal interagency, academia, international partners, and private industry to advance cyber and IT modernization efforts across DoE’s diverse and shared missions,” the department said.
