Atwa, Wanted for Role in 1985 Hijacking That Killed Local Sailor, Dies
Ali Atwa, a senior Hezbollah operative who was on the FBI’s most wanted list for his role in in the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 that led to the death of a US Navy diver Robert D. Stethem of Waldorf, MD.
Morning Coffee Is Off the Burner
Morning Coffee is off the burner today, in recognition of Columbus Day, but will be back percolating Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021.
DoD’s Continuous Vetting Begins
All DoD security clearance holders are now subject to continuous vetting to maintain their clearance. And the new continuous vetting will also include DoD personnel who do not have a clearance.
Confederate Renaming ‘Intense’
The military’s Naming Commission, charged with renaming military installations and other military assets which honor leaders of the Confederacy, faces “intense” verbiage from opponents, according to retired GEN Michelle Howard, head of the Confederate renaming panel.
OPM Outlines Discipline Policy for Unvaccinated Federal Employees
Federal agencies have received guidance from the Office of Personnel Management outlining the discipline process for employees who refuse to be vaccinated. Employees must get the vaccine by Nov. 8 to comply with the federal mandate. Disciplinary action could begin the next day.
New Task Force Will Hunt Russian Subs
The US Navy has created Task Force Greyhound on the East Coast to ensure it has Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that can deploy on short notice to counter the Russian submarine threat in the Atlantic Ocean.
DoD Tests Cheap Drone Busters
After soliciting whitepapers in May, the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office and the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office chose five solutions to go up against threat targets at Yuma Proving Ground. The five drone busters are Northrop Grumman’s XM1211 30mm Proximity Round, the Smash Hopper from Smart Shooter, Flex Force’s Agile Small Deflection Precision Stabilized Weapon System, IXI’s DroneKiller, and the DroneGun MKIII from Drone Shield.
Remote Work Brings Cyberattacks
An industry study found 74% of organizations attribute recent business-impacting cyberattacks to remote work tech vulnerabilities and that remote and hybrid work models are eroding businesses’ security perimeters.
Navy Gets First Block III Super Hornets
Boeing delivered the first two Block III F/A-18 Super Hornets to the US Navy this month. The first of 78 new Super Hornets was ferried to Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Pax River for continued developmental testing.
House OKs Its Version of Defense Budget
The US House has approved its version of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, and also gave the OK to open an independent investigation of US failures in Afghanistan, require women to register for the draft, and change how the military prosecutes sex assault.
