New Policy Restricts Press Access at Pentagon
DefSec Pete Hegseth and GEN Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conduct a press briefing at the Pentagon in June 2025. (DoD photo by Kashif Basharat via dvidshub.net)
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The Pentagon has unveiled new restrictions for reporters covering the Defense Department, reports The Hill. Members of the media cannot publish information that has not been authorized by the administration, or they risk losing access to the building. The move is part of an effort by the Trump administration to help quash leaks to the press. The agreement represents a departure from the practice over decades of military and civilian defense leaders who have felt comfortable openly talking to and even going into war zones with the press, reports The Washington Post on MSN.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska slammed the new policy, reports Washington Examiner. “This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true,” Bacon writes on X. “We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better. This sounds like more amateur hour.”
Conservative influencer James O’Keefe spoke out against new press restrictions on reporters at the Pentagon, writing on X that the US government “should not be asking us to obey,” reports The Hill. O’Keefe is the founder and former leader of conservative group Project Veritas.
In the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, at least eight service members have been suspended from their jobs or investigated over comments made on social media about his killing, reports Task & Purpose. DefSec Pete Hegseth indicated the day after Kirk’s killing that Pentagon officials would be monitoring and reacting to social media posts.
Janelle Marra, a US Navy doctor, was removed from her leadership position after Hegseth publicly reposted a social media link chastising her for a position it appears she never held, reports Navy Times. Hegseth announced her firing on X. She was the director of medical services at Expeditionary Medical Facility 150-Bravo in San Diego, CA. Hegseth shared an X post that contained incorrect information from the Libs of TikTok, a conservative account with 4.4 million followers on the platform.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wants tech billionaire Elon Musk to remove anonymous users from X, calling the social platform a “cesspool,” reports The Hill. “My friend @ElonMusk. How about you start fighting back by cleaning up the cesspool otherwise known as X,” Navarro wrote in a Monday post online. “No more anonymous posts.”
President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Pentagon chief information officer position is advocating for “great change” at the department, reports Defense Scoop. “The department has challenges to overcome. It is weighed down with legacy systems and un-optimized data,” Kirsten Davies said at her confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Armed Services Committee. She said she plans to shake up the Pentagon’s IT enterprise. A letter sent to the committee’s leaders, signed by more than 100 cybersecurity professionals, asks the Senate to confirm Davies to her post as quickly as possible, reports Government Executive.
Katherine Sutton was confirmed as assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, reports Defense Scoop. Sutton served as US Cyber Command’s chief technology adviser to the commander and director of Pentagon operations. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill for the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Senate confirmed 48 of Trump’s nominees in a single vote on Thursday after the Republican majority triggered the “nuclear option,” reports NBC News. They include former Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) as undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece, and Callista Gingrich, wife of the former House speaker, as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Trump wants to regain control of Bagram Air Base, which has been under Taliban control since the US withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, reports The Hill. “We gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news, we’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” he said at a press conference in the UK on Thursday. On Friday, Taliban officials rejected Trump Bagram Air Base return suggestion.
The Taipei Aerospace and Defense Exhibition began last week to promote the latest Taiwanese defense products and to showcase recent acquisitions, reports Defense News. Current Taiwanese thinking is that asymmetric weapons – ones that do not cost too much to buy but which exact a heavy price on the enemy – are the best way for Taipei to deter a Chinese invasion.
Retired RADM Robert Burke, who was convicted of corruption offenses, was sentenced last week to six years in prison, reports The Washington Post. This came days after the trial of the tech executives who were accused of bribing him ended with a hung jury. During Burke’s four-decade-long military career he rose to become the Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer. He is appealing his conviction.
A name change is planned for the Space Operations Command, reports Task & Purpose. The change to Combat Forces Command will take place when the US Space Force’s nominee for commander, MAJ GEN Gregory Gagnon, is approved. “The name change better reflects the field command’s critical responsibility as the Space Force’s proponent for combat space power, including generating and improving combat-ready forces to execute service and combatant command assigned missions,” a spokesperson said.
Space Force will stand up several new mission-focused acquisition units as it pushes to speed delivery of satellites, launch services, and other space systems needed to counter China and Russia, reports Space News.
Some US senators want to make it easier to exhume and remove the remains of veterans convicted of serious crimes from national cemeteries, reports The Associated Press. Legislation would give the Department of Veterans Affairs authority to disinter the remains of any “disgraced veteran” who wouldn’t be deemed eligible for burial under the standards and practices of current law.
The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into whether the Navy ignored evidence of widespread traumatic brain injuries among aviators, reports Marine Corps Times. Lawmakers want to know why there has been no study and why projects like “Odin’s Eye” — an internal Navy project to evaluate the physiological and psychological effects inflicted on trainees — were kept in the shadows.
New grooming regulations for US Army soldiers will go into effect next month, reports Army Times. The grooming standards for hairstyles, jewelry, nail length, and makeup use will change for men and women.
Northrop Grumman said last week that it can now offer microelectronics made in the US to three of its partner firms, reports Breaking Defense. Previously the Northrop parts were only available to military programs that Northrop itself was working on. Northrop’s three government-certified semiconductor factories are now taking orders from other aerospace and defense firms. The facilities are the Advanced Technology Lab in Linthicum, MD; Micro-Line in Apopka, FL; and Space Park Foundry in Redondo Beach, CA.
A dozen state manufacturers have been awarded grants to implement smart manufacturing efforts, the Maryland Department of Commerce announced. Among the companies is Parraid, a St. Mary’s County electronics manufacturer advancing its services through 3D printing. The funding is through the Maryland MADE grant program, which helps small manufacturers invest in the adoption and deployment of smart manufacturing and high-performance manufacturing technologies that will increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enable lasting improvements. Here is the list of the 12 recipients.
The US Space Force guardians will be getting new service dress uniforms, reports Task & Purpose. The service plans to make its first service dress uniform available later this year with staged rollouts in 2026.
Four US service members were aboard an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed during a routine training mission near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state last week, reports Military Times.
The Navy is decommissioning ships from the fleet as FY2025 wraps up, reports USNI News. Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Dextrous decommissioned Sept. 3, followed by USS Gladiator on Sept. 4, at Manama, Bahrain. The 1980s-era ships are being replaced by Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships outfitted with MCM mission packages.
Aerospace Mass Properties Analysis Inc.,* North Wales, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $9,465,493 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide continued development efforts for upgrades to the ultrafast switch technology in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III research and development topic N093-164, titled “Holographic Optical Aperture Gate for Single-pixel and Imaging Light Detection and Ranging systems” in support of the P-8A and Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Navy. Additionally, this contract provides for developmental payloads, integration, manufacturing, installation, testing, repair, troubleshooting, and fielded support and fleet repair of systems utilizing the ultrafast optical switch. Work will be performed in North Wales, Pennsylvania (85%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (15%), and is expected to be completed in September 2028. Working Capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,219,839; fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $180,000; fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $30,000; and foreign cooperative project (Navy) funds in the amount of $80,000, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action was competed; one offer was received. Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N6833525C0250).
Advon Corp.,* Tallahassee, Florida (W912HP-25-D-5010); Boyer Commercial Construction Inc.,* Columbia, South Carolina (W912HP-25-D-5011); C & C Contractors LLC,* Notasulga, Alabama (W912HP-25-D-5012); Hamilton Pacific Chamberlain LLC,* Waldorf, Maryland (W912HP-25-D-5013); Harbor Services Inc.,* North Charleston, South Carolina (W912HP-25-D-5014); Paramount Construction Group LLC,* Madison, Mississippi (W912HP-25-D-5015); Red Eagle 3 JV,* Coweta, Oklahoma (W912HP-25-D-5016); Reliance Construction Management Co.,* Cary, North Carolina (W912HP-25-D-5017); and The Construction Services Group Inc.,* Charleston, South Carolina (W912HP-25-D-5018), will compete for each order of the $99,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for general construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2031. US Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, is the contracting activity.
ABL Technologies LLC, Madison, Alabama (FA8533-25-D-0001); Advanced Testing Technologies Inc., Hauppauge, New York (FA8533-25-D-0002); Aging Aircraft Consulting LLC, doing business as Aging Aircraft Solutions, Warner Robins, Georgia (FA8533-25-D-0003); Atec Inc., Stafford, Texas (FA8533-25-D-0005); Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0006); BAE Systems Information & Electronic Systems Integration Inc., San Diego, California (FA8533-25-D-0007); Black Dog Solutions LLC, Branchville, New Jersey (FA8533-25-D-0008); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0009); CACI Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0010); DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0011); E-Spectrum Technologies, San Antonio, Texas (FA8533-25-D-0013); Innovation Defense Technologies LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0014); KIHOMAC Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0015); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida (FA8533-25-D-0016); LogiSys Technical Services Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (FA8533-25-D-0017); Marvin Test Solutions Inc., Irvine, California (FA8533-25-D-0018); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Warner Robins, Georgia (FA8533-25-D-0019); Orbis Sibro Inc., Charleston, South Carolina (FA8533-25-D-0020); Peraton Inc., Herndon, Virginia (FA8533-25-D-0021); Photon sbFlux LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (FA8533-25-D-0022); Science and Engineering Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (FA8533-25-D-0023); Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas (FA8533-25-D-0024); Teradyne Inc., North Reading, Massachusetts (FA8533-25-D-00025); Testeract LLC, Draper, Utah (FA8533-25-D-0026); Tevet, LLC, Greeneville, Tennessee (FA8533-25-D-0027), Textron Systems Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland (FA8533-25-D-0028); The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri (FA8533-25-D-0029); Tyonek Engineering & Agile Manufacturing LLC, Warner Robins, Georgia (FA8533-25-D-0031); Universal Technical Resource Services Inc., Marlton, New Jersey (FA8533-25-D-0032); Vertex Modernization and Sustainment LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana (FA8533-25-D-0033); WesTest Engineering Corp., Layton, Utah (FA8533-25-D-0034); WilliamsRDM Inc., Fort Worth, Texas (FA8533-25-D-0035); and X Technologies Inc., San Antonio, Texas (FA8533-25-D-0036), were awarded a combined $980,000,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity and multiple award contract for Automatic Test Systems (ATS) Acquisition-I. This contract provides for rapid support and sustainment of the full life cycle of legacy items and future requirements of commercial and non-commercial products and services of the ATSA-I division’s portfolio. Work will be performed through identified locations at the individual order level and is expected to be completed by Sept. 18, 2035. This contract involves foreign military sales to be determined as needed on individual delivery orders. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition, and 38 offers were received. Fiscal 2024 procurement funds in the amount of $1,000 to each awardee for a total of $33,000 to be obligated at the time of award. Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity.
Salient CRGT Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling not to exceed $865,000,000 for 9th Air Force communications technical support services. This contract provides for support across multiple locations throughout the US Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Al Udeid Air Base; Al Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia; Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Azraq, Jordan; and Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 16, 2025. This contract was the result of a competitive acquisition, and five offers were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,975,698 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-24-D-0007).
Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, is being awarded $219,888,472 for a firm-fixed ceiling-priced delivery order (N00383-25-F-NE02) under a previously awarded performance based contract (N00383-25-D-NE01) for the fulfillment of 1,719 requirements of 62 parts used on the MK99 fire control system, and the Army Navy Joint Electronics Type Designation Systems Water/Surface Ship, Radar, Surveillance and Control Transmitter Group. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (95%); and Chesapeake, Virginia (5%). Work is expected to be completed by December 2027. Annual working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $164,916,354 will be obligated at the time of award as an undefinitized contract action with a commitment of $54,972,118 for the remainder of the performance period. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 US Code 3204 (a)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded $48,731,029 for a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for contractor support for the Department of Navy Financial Management Training Academy. The contract includes a five-year ordering period with an additional six-month option period pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-8, which if exercised will bring the total estimated value of the contract to $53,539,657. The predominance of work will occur in the National Capital Region and work is expected to be completed by September 2030; if the option is exercised, work will be completed by March 2031. Support may also occur at Navy installations worldwide as needed to support individual task orders. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) appropriations in the contract’s minimum guaranteed amount of $25,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2025. Subsequent task orders under the contract will be funded with appropriate fiscal year operations and maintenance funding. The requirement was competitively procured through the System for Award Management website (Sam.gov) as an unrestricted, competitive procurement with five offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery/Financial Management and Comptroller Directorate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-25-DZ034).
The Columbia Group, Alexandria Virginia, is awarded a $7,901,165 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-23-C-6118) to exercise year two options for Computer Optimized Batch Reconciliation Application (COBRA) and Manual Execution Tracking System (METS)/Package Action Tracking System (PATS). This procurement is for software licenses and related technical support for COBRA and METS/PATS to meet the Navy’s requirements to support analysis and reconciliation of problem disbursement and contract closeout requirements. Work is expected to be completed by September 2026. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,625,789 (74%) will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The period of performance will be extended for the operation and maintenance (Navy) funds to cover work for the period of Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 27, 2026. Additionally, fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $373,299 (8%); fiscal 2025 working capital fund funds in the amount of $194,286 (4%); and Foreign Military Sales Administration funds in the amount of $687,345 (14%), will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC, Houston, Texas, was awarded a $25,485,000 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. The amount of this action is $25,485,000. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 15, 2026. Fiscal 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025 civil operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $25,485,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-25-C-A010).
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $19,500,000 cost-plus fixed-fee contract for an automated fuel handling equipment system refresh and installation at Pituffik Space Force Base, Greenland. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. The performance completion date is Sept. 30, 2028. Using military services are Air Force and Space Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4706-25-C-0002).
Sysco Hampton Roads, Suffolk, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $388,369,787 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food and beverage items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 518-day bridge contract. The ordering period end date is Feb. 20, 2027. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2027 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-25-D-3021).
CDM Federal Programs Corp., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-25-D-0007) for professional services to support Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic and Pacific activities worldwide to assist in the management of the Navy’s electric, civil and mechanical utility systems. The contract has a maximum value of $90,000,000 and has a base period of twelve months with four one-year option periods. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of Sept. 18, 2030. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $10,000 are awarded at the time of award as a minimum guarantee. This contract was competitively procured via the sam.gov website with three offers received. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Ecology Mir Group LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded an $11,993,274 requirements contract for explosion proof human lifts. This contract provides for procurement of explosion proof scissor and bool lifts, as well as spare batteries and chargers. Work will be performed at Fairfax, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 15, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is the Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (FA8571-25-D-0006).
FCN Inc.,* Rockville, Maryland, was awarded a maximum $10,996,871 firm-fixed-price task order for Department of Defense Enterprise Software Initiative. This contract provides for original equipment manufacturer Palo Alto Enterprise Software Licenses and support services to support the upgrade and operation of the products within the Air Force Network Operations infrastructure. Work will be performed at San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 26, 2026. This contract was a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,996,871 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Cryptologic Cyber Systems Division/Defensive Cyber Systems branch, Joint-Base San Antonio – Lackland is the contracting activity (FA8307-25-F-B141). (Awarded Sept. 12, 2025)
Bam Technologies LLC, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $9,977,622 firm-fixed-price Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to deliver, further derive, enhance, extend, and sustain capabilities related to the Digital Transformation Kit effort. This contract provides additional work performed under the SBIR Phase II contract (FA8649-23-P-1107) and its modifications. Work will be performed at Arlington, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 18, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition at original Phase II award and as a result a direct award in accordance with SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer policy. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds are being used in the amount of $4,756,105 are being obligated at time of award. Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-25-C-0045).
Software Information Resource Corp., Washington, DC, was awarded an $8,336,549 firm-fixed-price contract for Informatica licenses. This contract provides for annual subscriptions for Informatica software licenses. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region and is expected to be completed by Sept. 29, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,084,137 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, contracting directorate is the contracting activity (FA7014-25-F-0319). (Awarded Sept. 18, 2025)
