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LBUQUERQUE, N.M., – Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $29.5 million contract to design and develop a beam control system that could provide exceptional accuracy for laser weapons on U.S. Navy warships.

Boeing will begin to design a prototype High Power Beam Control Subsystem (HP BCSS) that’s compatible with High Energy Lasers (HEL) based on solid-state laser (SSL) technology. Boeing’s solution will be compatible with systems other companies are designing for the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Solid State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) program.

The resulting beam control system will focus and hold a laser on a moving aimpoint long enough to disable the target. Doing that with a ship-based laser is particularly challenging, given the maritime environment and constant movement of an at-sea vessel.

“Boeing innovations in beam control and directed energy technologies are keys to understanding laser weapon system configurations that could yield a capability for the Navy in their maritime environment,” said Peggy Morse, vice president, Boeing Directed Energy & Strategic Systems (DESS).

The Boeing beam control system capitalizes on the company’s work with the U.S. Army’s High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD). In demonstrations at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 2014, in which Navy program team members participated, HEL MD acquired, tracked and destroyed targets in windy and foggy conditions. Important technical data was collected on energy systems within a maritime environment, which ONR shared with the Army and Boeing. HEL MD has disabled mortars and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) during recent testing.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Defense, Space & Security is a $31 billion business with 53,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

ST. LOUIS, – Boeing [NYSE:BA] is consolidating management of key defense and space development programs into a new organization to enhance its performance on the pre-production development activities that significantly influence its ability to provide customers with the right capabilities at the right time and cost.

“This BDS Development organization is the next step in breaking the cost curve on our programs,” said BDS President and CEO Chris Chadwick. “We expect our customers to see step-function improvements in affordability and schedule performance as we more effectively apply engineering expertise, development program best practices, and program management and integration from across Boeing to our most important development activities.”

BDS Development is patterned on the Airplane Development organization in Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Those groups demonstrate the company’s best-of-Boeing approach to reducing risk and improving the affordability of key development activities.

Six programs now managed elsewhere in BDS will be the first ones overseen by BDS Development:
U.S. Air Force KC-46 aerial refueling tanker.
The Air Force’s presidential aircraft.
CST-100 spacecraft for NASA’s Commercial Crew program.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, which will take humans beyond Earth orbit.
Boeing’s 502 small satellite effort.
BDS work on Boeing’s 777X commercial airplane.

Jim O’Neill, formerly president of the BDS Global Services & Support unit, will lead BDS Development while Leanne Caret, the BDS chief financial officer, will succeed O’Neill as president of GS&S.

“Jim’s experience across development, production, and support activities will position us to exceed the expectations of our customers and stakeholders, while Leanne’s financial insights, and experience leading a variety of programs, makes her ideal to take us to the next level in terms of providing customers with robust, affordable support,” Chadwick said.

Jim Zrust, Boeing’s corporate vice president of Tax, has been named BDS CFO. Zrust will report to Chadwick and Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith.

“Jim is a proven leader who brings nearly 35 years of business experience and who will help continue to strengthen BDS and position that unit for profitable growth,” Smith said. The leadership changes are effective immediately.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Defense, Space & Security is a $31 billion business with 53,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

The President visited Stanford University to speak at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. The summit brought together leaders from a number of areas — Congress, industry, tech companies, law enforcement, students, and others — to work together and explore partnerships that will help develop the best ways to bolster our cybersecurity.

President Obama remarked that our nation is doing more business online than ever before, at the rate of trillions of dollars each year. And consumers are doing more online as well — managing bank accounts, shopping, paying bills, handling medical records, just to name a few. But, these new opportunities and conveniences also bring a unique set of risks.

“When companies get hacked, Americans’ personal information, including their financial information, gets stolen,” the President explained. “Identity theft can ruin your credit rating and turn your life upside down. In recent breaches, more than 100 million Americans had their personal data compromised, including, in some cases, credit card information.”

“Our connectivity brings extraordinary benefits to our daily lives, but it also brings risks.”

Four principles for combating cybersecurity

Shortly after taking office, President Obama said that threats to our cybersecurity were a major economic and national security challenge to our nation, and committed to confront these threats. In today’s remarks, he laid out four basic principles for doing so:

This has to be a shared mission. Much of our country’s computer networks and infrastructure are in the private sector, but government often has the most up-to-date information on new cyber threats. The only way to fully defend our country from these threats is by government and industry working together.
We have to focus on our unique strengths. As capable as our government is, it’s not always appropriate or even possible for the government to secure private businesses’ computer networks. At the same time, in the instance of a cyber attack, private businesses don’t always have the necessary capabilities, situational awareness, ability to warn other companies in real time, or capacity to coordinate a response across different companies and sectors.
We have to constantly evolve. Cyber attacks are growing more sophisticated each and every day, and we have to be just as fast and flexible in improving our defenses.
We must protect the privacy and civil liberty of the American people. The President noted that we’ve pursued important reforms to ensure that, while keeping our nation secure, we’re also respecting the privacy of Americans. “When government and industry share information about cyber threats, we’ve got to do so in a way that safeguards your personal information,” he said. “When people go online, we shouldn’t have to forfeit the basic privacy we’re entitled to as Americans.
In addition to proposed legislation to promote greater information sharing between the government and the private sector, and the creation of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, the President announced an additional step to improve our cybersecurity.

“I’m signing a new executive order to promote even more information sharing about cyber threats, both within the private sector and between government and the private sector,” he said. The executive order — which he signed immediately after his remarks — encourages more companies and industries to set up hubs to share information with each other. It also calls for a common set of standards so the government can share information on threats with these hubs more easily.

NEW YORK– L-3 Communications (NYSE:LLL) announced today that it acquired the assets of MITEQ, Inc. on January 21, 2015 for $41 million, subject to customary adjustments. The business will be combined with L-3’s Narda Microwave-East business located in Hauppauge, N.Y., and the new organization will be called L-3 Narda-Miteq.

The Miteq business develops and manufactures specialized RF microwave products and solid-state SATCOM components that complement the existing Narda product line. The combined L-3 Narda-Miteq business will employ approximately 700 people, providing products for the U.S. military, government agencies, prime contractors and commercial customers. The Miteq acquisition is expected to generate approximately $60 million in sales for the year ending December 31, 2015.

“Miteq adds key products, technical capabilities and other synergies, strong engineering talent and new customers to L-3’s Advanced Communications sector within our Communication Systems segment,” said John S. Mega, president of L-3 Communication Systems. “Together, Narda-Miteq is a stronger and more scalable supplier that creates cross-selling opportunities and helps us build strategic partnerships with our expanding customer base.”

Miteq offers a broad product line of active and passive RF microwave components and low-power SATCOM products for space and military applications. The RF microwave product line includes low-noise and power amplifiers, mixers, solid-state switch assemblies, synthesizers, oscillators and multipliers. SATCOM products include components for airborne and Earth Station systems, as well as solid-state power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, uplink power control units and frequency converters.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 48,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aerospace systems and national security solutions. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2013 (revised) sales of $12.6 billion.

To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com. L-3 uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding L-3 is routinely posted on the company’s website and is readily accessible.

We face a critical juncture in Ukraine. There is no real ceasefire; indeed, there was a significant increase in fighting along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine in mid-January, with Russian/separatist forces launching attacks on the Donetsk airport and other areas. Instead of a political settlement, Moscow currently seeks to create a frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine as a means to pressure and destabilize the Ukrainian government. Russians continue to be present in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in substantial numbers and have introduced significant amounts of heavy weapons. This could be preparation for another major Russian/separatist offensive.

Russian success would fatally undermine Ukraine’s stability and embolden the Kremlin to further challenge the security order in Europe. It might tempt President Putin to use his doctrine of protecting ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in seeking territorial changes elsewhere in the neighborhood, including in the Baltic States, provoking a direct challenge to NATO.
Maintaining Western sanctions are critical but not by themselves sufficient. The West needs to bolster deterrence in Ukraine by raising the risks and costs to Russia of any renewed major offensive.

That requires providing direct military assistance—in far larger amounts than provided to date and including lethal defensive arms—so that Ukraine is better able to defend itself. The U.S. government should provide Ukraine $1 billion in military assistance as soon as possible in 2015, followed by additional tranches of $1 billion in FY 2016 and FY 2017.
Additional non-lethal assistance should include: counterbattery radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic counter-measures for use against opposing UAVs, secure communications capabilities, armored Humvees and medical support equipment.

Lethal defensive military assistance should include light anti-armor missiles, given the large numbers of armored vehicles that the Russians have deployed in Donetsk and Luhansk and the abysmal condition of the Ukrainian military’s light anti-armor weapons. Other NATO members should provide military assistance as well. Of particular use to the Ukrainian military would be equipment and weapons from NATO members who operate former Soviet equipment compatible with the arms currently in the Ukrainian inventory.

Assisting Ukraine to deter attack and defend itself is not inconsistent with the search for a peaceful, political solution—it is essential to achieving it. Only if the Kremlin knows that the risks and costs of further military action are high will it seek to find an acceptable political solution. Russia’s actions in and against Ukraine pose the gravest threat to European security in more than 30 years. The West has the capacity to stop Russia. The question is whether it has the will.

By: Steven Pifer, Strobe Talbott, Ambassador Ivo Daalder, Michele Flournoy, Ambassador John Herbst, Jan Lodal, Admiral James Stavridis and General Charles Wald

The President’s Budget includes $612 billion of national defense discretionary funds, a $26 billion, or 4.5 percent, increase from the 2015 enacted level, to provide the resources needed to sustain the President’s national security and defense strategies. The Budget reverses the decline in national defense spending of the past five years and proposes to transition enduring overseas contingency operations (OCO) costs to the base budget, to fully fund and account for the costs of keeping the Nation secure. Discretionary national defense function spending has fallen by 18 percent since 2010 as the military has ended its ground combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and adjusted to the sequestration cuts of 2013 and flat base budget funding levels of 2014 and 2015. This spending — which comprises all base and OCO funding for DOD, as well as funding for certain programs in DOE, DOJ, and other Departments and agencies — peaked in 2010 at $714 billion, and has since decreased $128 billion, to the 2015 enacted level of $586 billion. Accounting for the effects of inflation, the decrease over this period is even steeper, at 24 percent.

Part of the decrease reflects the declining costs of OCO-funded operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as highlighted below. However, sequestration also reduced the base budget significantly in 2013, and the Bipartisan Budget Act essentially straight-lined the defense base budget in 2014 and 2015. These levels required sharp cuts to training, maintenance, and modernization. Combined with a continued demand for U.S. forces to respond to emergent crises while preparing for a widening spectrum of future challenges, reduced budgets contributed to degraded levels of readiness throughout the military, and delays in fielding equipment and technology that will be critical for future security. Going forward, defense base budgets at or near the sequestration level would undermine the military’s capacity and capability to respond to contingencies, deter aggression, project power, and decisively win against potential adversaries — leaving it insufficiently prepared to protect and advance U.S. interests.

The President’s Budget provides $561 billion in base discretionary funding for national defense (of which $534 billion is for DOD), which is $40 billion, or eight percent, above the 2015 enacted level. The Budget makes strategic investments to sustain and advance U.S. global leadership while ensuring the Nation’s long-term fiscal health. It provides for the training, maintenance, and support needed to restore military readiness over the next several years, and for investment in recapitalization and modernization needed to ensure America’s continued technological edge. Along with these funding increases, the Budget provides savings (detailed below) through critical reforms that slow growth in compensation and divest unnecessary overhead, infrastructure, weapons, and end strength. The Budget also increases outyear projections for defense spending across the 2017 to 2020 period to accommodate select investments in key capabilities, such as space security, nuclear deterrence, power projection, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. These targeted increases will further enhance the U.S. military’s ability to execute the defense strategy as the Nation continues to adapt to a changing threat environment. The Budget presents a responsible alternative to current law, since risks to the Nation would grow significantly if sequestration-level funding returns, if proposed reforms are not accepted, or if uncertainty over budget levels continues.

DOD’s OCO request is $51 billion, which is $13 billion, or 21 percent, below the 2015 enacted level. It provides the funding needed to combat diverse terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); to ensure a responsible transition in Afghanistan, where the United States and international partners will train, advise, and assist Afghan-led operations; and to counter Russia’s aggressive actions and reassure allies and partners in Europe. The OCO budget includes certain costs that will endure past these current contingencies, and thus the Budget proposes to transition enduring OCO costs to the base budget, as described later in this chapter.

The President’s Budget also provides $53.4 billion for the Department of State and Other International Programs (State/OIP), including $46.3 billion in base funding and $7.0 billion in OCO, which is a $4.0 billion, or eight percent, increase from the 2015 enacted level, excluding emergency Ebola funding. This funding will make strategic investments that will help provide not only for a stronger and safer America, but also for a more stable and prosperous world. The Budget supports sustainable security and shared prosperity at home and abroad through critical investments in diplomacy and development, from life-saving humanitarian assistance to counterterrorism programs aimed at defeating terrorist organizations. It provides strong support for U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad, security partnerships, global engagement, and development programs that advance economic growth, health, education, and democratic governance. The Budget advances American leadership and engagement at a time when diplomacy is most needed to confront the many challenges facing the world today.

2.7.1
Advancing National Security Priorities
Degrading and Defeating ISIL and Responding to the Syria Crisis. As part of the U.S. effort to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL, support security and governance, continue efforts in Iraq, support regional partners, and bring stability and promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict in Syria, the Budget proposes $8.8 billion in OCO funds for DOD and State/OIP. ISIL poses an immediate threat to Iraq, Syria, and American allies and partners throughout the region as it seeks to overthrow governments, control territory, terrorize local populations, and attack the United States and coalition partners throughout the world. The ongoing conflict in Syria also continues to threaten regional stability and has displaced over 10 million people. The Budget provides funding for military operations, diplomacy, governance, and humanitarian and security assistance programs to address these challenges. This includes $5.3 billion for DOD to continue Operation Inherent Resolve, which includes conducting airstrikes, collecting intelligence, as well as training, advising, and equipping the Iraqi security forces and properly vetted members of the moderate Syrian opposition. For State/OIP, the Budget provides $3.5 billion to strengthen regional partners, counter ISIL, provide humanitarian assistance, and strengthen Syria’s moderate opposition to advance the conditions for a negotiated political transition.

Ensuring a Responsible Transition in Afghanistan. The Budget continues to support long-term national security and economic interests in Afghanistan and help sustain political, economic, and security gains in the country as the United States draws down its forces, assistance levels gradually decline, and the Afghans assume greater responsibility for securing their country. The Budget includes resources to reinforce Afghanistan’s security and development by supporting military training and assistance, as well as health, education, justice, economic growth, governance, and other civilian assistance programs necessary to preserve the gains of the last decade, strengthen diplomatic ties with the international community, and promote stability. The Budget also facilitates the transition of the U.S. military from a combat mission to a mission of training, advising, and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces and maintaining a limited counterterrorism capability to continue targeting the remnants of al Qaeda.

Countering Russian Pressure and Aggressive Action. In response to the Russian Federation’s aggressive acts and attempts to constrain the foreign and domestic policy choices of neighboring countries, the Budget includes proposals for political, economic, and military support to NATO allies and partner states in Europe. To increase resilience within the governments and economies most targeted by Russian pressure, the Budget provides an additional $117 million in foreign assistance funds directed specifically toward countering Russian aggressive acts in Ukraine, and $51 million for countering Russian pressure and destabilizing activities in Moldova and Georgia. This assistance will support efforts to bolster democracy and good governance, increase the capabilities of security forces, strengthen the rule of law and anti-corruption measures, and promote European Union integration, trade, and energy security. In addition, through a $16 million investment in U.S. international media activities, the United States will seek to engage vulnerable populations in periphery countries, expand U.S. support to freedom of press and independent journalism in the region, and advance America’s foreign policy interests. Building on the $1 billion sovereign loan guarantee provided in 2014 and the forthcoming $1 billion sovereign loan guarantee in 2015, the Budget includes funding that could support an additional loan guarantee providing up to $1 billion in financing in 2016, if conditions warrant, to help Ukraine continue on its path of economic recovery, reforms, and normalized access to international financial markets in the wake of destabilizing Russian actions and violations of Ukrainian sovereignty. To bolster security and reassure NATO allies and partner states in Europe, the Budget provides $789 million to continue the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI). ERI funding will enable the Unites States to continue increased military exercises, training, and rotational presence in Europe, enhance U.S. preparedness to reinforce NATO allies through the prepositioning of equipment, and build the capacity of partner states in Europe to operate alongside the United States and NATO in strengthening regional security.

Strengthening Government-wide Efforts to Combat Terrorism. The Budget provides $2.5 billion for the Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund to support a sustainable and effective approach for combating terrorism, with a focus on enabling and empowering partners facing terrorist threats. The $2.1 billion proposed for DOD would increase partner capacity-building, facilitate partner counterterrorism operations, and enhance DOD’s counterterrorism activities. The $390 million proposed for State/OIP would enable the Department to bolster global counterterrorism partnerships, as well as address underlying conditions conducive to terrorism.

Countering Violent Extremism. The Administration has developed a strategy to address recent domestic terror incidents and the emergence of groups attempting to recruit Americans to take part in ongoing conflicts in foreign countries. As part of this effort, DOJ’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative is an Administration priority and supports the United Nations’ efforts to address foreign terrorist fighters. Additional resources are provided to support community led-efforts, including $4 million to conduct research targeted toward developing a better understanding of violent extremism and advancing evidence-based strategies for effective prevention and intervention; $6 million to support flexible, locally-developed CVE models; $2 million to develop training and provide technical assistance; and $3 million for demonstration projects that enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies nationwide to partner with local residents, business owners, community groups, and other stakeholders to counter violent extremism.

Rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific Region. The Budget supports the Presidential priority of advancing security, prosperity, and human dignity across the Asia-Pacific region. Recognizing that security in the Asia-Pacific region underpins regional and global prosperity, the Budget aligns resources and activities to strengthen U.S. alliances, to forge deeper partnerships with emerging powers, and to pursue a productive relationship with China. Building on the President’s successful November 2014 trip, the Budget provides resources to help deepen U.S. trade in the region as the United States leads the way in negotiating the high-standard Trans-Pacific Partnership with 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, which will boost American exports and create jobs at home by promoting strong rules to protect labor, the environment, and intellectual property. To promote universal and democratic values, the Budget expands education and cultural exchanges and strengthens regional cooperation with organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In pursuit of security cooperation, the Budget enhances and modernizes U.S. defense relationships, posture, and capabilities with a focus on maritime security. DOD funding remains consistent with the priorities identified in the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance and the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. To address security, development, and economic challenges, the Budget prioritizes advancing regional and country capabilities. These investments are critical to the Administration-wide effort to promote regional security and economic cooperation.

Investing in Adolescent Girls’ Education, Safety, and Health. In collaboration with the Office of the First Lady and building on ongoing U.S. efforts that currently support more than a million adolescent girls worldwide every year, the Budget provides $250 million in new and reallocated funds to broaden opportunities for adolescent girls around the world. This new, expanded Let Girls Learn initiative — building on USAID’s initial funding and programs — will improve access to quality education and health care, and help address violence and other barriers to education that adolescent girls face. The Budget also continues support for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) interventions to reduce HIV infections in young women, and expands USAID’s programs in support of adolescent girls’ education, including expanded investments in educating adolescent girls in Afghanistan. These and other investments will deepen the United States’ commitment to adolescent girls, helping girls and young women thrive and play a fuller role in their respective societies and economies.

Maintaining Technological Superiority. Technological superiority enables the United States to project power to dangerous environments, defend against threats in all domains, and continuously adapt, innovate, and prevail as new threats arise. Maintaining this superiority is becoming increasingly challenging as potential adversaries have accelerated their investments in modernizing their militaries, and as disruptive technologies have proliferated, resulting in growing threats where U.S. access had formerly been assured. The Budget makes needed investments in DOD and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) procurement, and research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) to address this challenge and maintain technological superiority. Base budget funding for DOD’s procurement and RDT&E accounts — which took disproportionate reductions under sequestration to achieve rapid savings in recent years — and funding for NNSA increase to $190 billion, a $22 billion, or 13 percent, increase compared to the 2015 enacted level. With this funding, the Administration is prioritizing investments in cybersecurity; missile defense; nuclear deterrence; space; precision strike; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and air and sea capabilities for projecting power and operating in denied environments. In addition, DOD recently announced in November 2014, the establishment of a broad, Department-wide initiative to pursue innovative ways to sustain and advance U.S. military superiority for the 21st Century and improve business operations throughout the Department. The Defense Innovation Initiative will pursue breakthrough technologies and new concepts of operations to enhance the U.S. military’s dominance even as the diffusion of disruptive technology to potential adversaries makes the future operating environment more challenging. Scientific discovery and applied research are central to all these efforts, and thus the proposed funding for DOD’s RDT&E accounts includes $12 billion for science and technology investments in areas including quantum information science, cognitive neuroscience, nanoscience, synthetic biology, autonomy, cybersecurity, and countering weapons of mass destruction, among other investments.

Strengthening Space Security. Space capabilities are vital to U.S. national security and the ability to understand emerging threats, project power globally, conduct operations, support diplomatic efforts, and enable global economic prosperity. It is also the shared interest of all nations to act responsibly in space to help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust. The Budget supports a variety of measures to help assure the use of space in the face of increasing threats to U.S. national security space systems. The Budget also supports the development of capabilities to defend and enhance the resilience of these space systems. These capabilities help deter and defeat interference with, and attacks on, U.S. space systems.

Transitioning Overseas Contingency Operations Spending.

Since 2001, the Nation has financed the incremental costs of overseas conflicts, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan, outside of the base budget. From 2001 to 2009 these funds were designated for the “Global War on Terror” (GWOT), and from 2009 to the present these funds have been designated for “overseas contingency operations” (OCO). Following the institution of statutory budget caps in the Budget Control Act of 2011, funding designated as OCO/GWOT has remained flexible and separate from base budget constraints, which has enabled the United States to fully fund wartime costs principally associated with these major combat operations.

As the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan ends, it is time to reconsider the appropriate financing mechanism for costs of overseas operations that are enduring. As the chart below shows, the Administration’s transitions in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a $129 billion, or 69 percent, reduction in OCO costs, from their peak of $187 billion in 2008 to the Administration’s 2016 request for $58 billion. Beyond 2016, some costs currently funded in the OCO budget will endure. The United States will continue to provide support to its Afghan partners, counter terrorism abroad, maintain a strong forward presence in the Middle East region, and ensure U.S. military forces are ready to respond to a wide range of potential crises. The Nation’s fiscal and defense policies must fully plan and account for these costs, and the transition must be accomplished in a manner that protects the defense strategy. Accordingly, early this year the Administration will propose a plan to transition all enduring costs currently funded in the OCO budget to the base budget beginning in 2017 and ending by 2020. This plan will describe which OCO costs should endure as the United States shifts from major combat operations, how the Administration will budget for the uncertainty surrounding unforeseen future crises, and the implications for the base budgets of DOD, the Intelligence Community, and State/OIP. This transition will not be possible if the sequester-level discretionary spending caps remain in place. The Administration continues to support the replacement

Addressing Cyber Threats. Cyber threats targeting the private sector, critical infrastructure, and the Federal Government demonstrate that no sector, network, or system is immune to infiltration by those seeking to steal commercial or Government secrets and property or perpetrate malicious and disruptive activity. Addressing these threats requires a comprehensive approach that brings all elements of government together with private industry, academia, and the public, while also protecting individual privacy. The Budget identifies and promotes initiatives and priorities, including the deployment of intrusion detection and prevention capabilities and enhancement of Government information sharing capabilities with the private sector so that they can be more vigilant and better protect themselves against emerging threats. It also makes investments in cyber research and development to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity defenses and make cyberspace inherently more secure. In addition, the Budget includes funding to enhance U.S. capabilities to respond to cyber threats and incidents once they have occurred, begin building a civilian cyber campus to better share information on cyber threats and incidents with those being targeted, improve the ability to share evidence of cyber-crimes with other nations, and maintain efforts to increase the Nation’s cyber workforce.

As cybersecurity challenges continue to impact Federal agencies, the protection of the Government’s information and information systems has become critical to protecting national infrastructure. The Budget funds key investments to enhance the Federal Government’s cybersecurity posture. These include Continuous Diagnostics and Monitoring of Federal systems, the EINSTEIN intrusion detection and prevention system, and Government-wide testing and incident response training to mitigate the impact of evolving cyber threats. These resources will allow the Government to more rapidly protect American citizens, systems, and information from cyber threats.

Modernizing Military Compensation. The Budget continues to provide a robust compensation and benefits system that honors the service of the Nation’s men and women in uniform and their families. For 2016, the Budget provides a 1.3 percent increase to basic pay, a 1.5 percent increase in the Basic Allowance for Housing, and a 3.4 percent increase in the Basic Allowance for Subsistence. In addition, the Budget proposes to modernize the TRICARE Program and continues to pursue commissary operational efficiencies and revenue generating enhancements. These proposals will ensure that DOD continues to recruit and retain a high quality All-Volunteer Force, while addressing costs in a responsible and balanced manner. In addition to these proposals, the Administration looks forward to reviewing the report from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, and working with the Congress to ensure a strong and sustainable military compensation and retirement system.

Promoting Defense Reforms. The defense strategy depends on investing every dollar where it will have the greatest effect, which the Budget will accomplish through critical reforms that divest unneeded force structure, slow growth in compensation, and reduce wasteful overhead. To direct investments toward a ready, technologically superior force, the military must shed unnecessary force structure now that ground combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended. Venerable weapons systems, such as the A-10 aircraft, have performed decades of service, yet would now face survivability challenges against a technologically advanced adversary. Therefore, the Budget reproposes the retirement of this and other systems, and directs the money saved toward investment in the most capable, versatile, and survivable systems to perform their missions. The Budget also reduces overhead and waste by continuing the initiative to reduce DOD’s major headquarters’ operating budgets by 20 percent, pursuing acquisition reform through the Better Buying Power initiative, and proposing another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) to free resources currently consumed by maintaining unneeded facilities. The need to reduce unneeded facilities is so critical that, in the absence of authorization of a new round of BRAC, the Administration will pursue alternative options to reduce this wasteful spending.

Suitability and Security. It is critical to the safe and effective operation of the Federal Government to ensure that Federal employees continue to be good stewards of sensitive information and worthy of the public trust their positions require. In order to protect against threats from individuals within the Government, and drive increased efficiency of the security clearance processes, the Administration is pursuing several reforms in the personnel security, suitability, and credentialing mission space.

Following the Washington Navy Yard shooting, the President directed OMB to conduct a comprehensive review of Federal procedures for background investigations and security clearances. The Performance Accountability Council delivered a Report to the President (120 Day Report), which was approved in March 2014. The Report established a set of recommendations to increase the availability of critical information, reduce risk inherent in the system, and increase oversight and accountability. The Administration established an interagency Program Management Office focused on implementing the Report’s recommendations. The immediate and meaningful progress to date includes:

Continuous Evaluation. The Administration is committed to shifting security and suitability evaluations to a continuous evaluations approach, allowing agencies to gather real-time information that may be relevant to these clearances. In the past year, initial pilots have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of more frequent investigations of cleared personnel. The Budget provides funding in DOD and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to expand these initial pilots and move to making “Continuous Evaluation” a Government-wide practice. While agencies transition to Continuous Evaluation, the Federal Investigative Standards has already established a new five-year re-investigation requirement for all individuals with a security clearance.
Improved Access to Law Enforcement Records. The National Defense Authorization Act-mandated Records Access Task Force report provided recommendations for improving information sharing among State, local, and Federal law enforcement entities when conducting background investigations. The Budget continues to invest in improving agencies’ information technology (IT) systems to enhance data sharing between the Federal Government and State and local entities.
Access to Classified Information. The Director of National Intelligence issued a requirement for all agencies to validate whether each individual identified as eligible for access to classified information still required eligibility. Through this process, the Administration achieved its objective to reduce the total number of security-cleared individuals by 10 percent. This reduction will allow agencies to better deploy resources to priority activities, such as completing periodic reinvestigations for the most sensitive populations.

2.7.2
Honoring America’s Commitment to Veterans
The Budget includes $70.2 billion in discretionary 2016 resources for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a 7.8-percent increase over 2015. The Budget also includes an advance appropriation request of $63.3 billion for 2017 medical care, a 5.5-percent increase over the 2016 request. This funding will ensure continued investment in the five pillars the President has outlined for supporting the Nation’s veterans: providing the resources and funding they deserve; ensuring high-quality and timely health care; getting veterans their earned benefits quickly and efficiently; ending veteran homelessness; and helping veterans and their families get good jobs, education, and access to affordable housing.

Implementing the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. On August 7, 2014, the President signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Veterans Choice Act). The Budget supports implementation of the Veterans Choice Act and the Administration’s goal of providing timely, high-quality health care for the Nation’s veterans. The Veterans Choice Act provided $5 billion in mandatory funding to increase veterans’ access to health care by hiring more physicians and staff and improving VA’s physical infrastructure. It also provided $10 billion in mandatory funding through 2017 to establish a temporary program (Veterans Choice Program) improving veterans’ access to health care by allowing eligible veterans who meet certain wait-time or distance standards to use health care providers outside of the VA system. The Veterans Choice Program provides a measure of short-term relief from the pressure of escalating health care requirements as current patients in the VA system elect to receive their care through the program. These investments, together with the Budget request of $70.2 billion, will provide authorities, funding, and other tools to enhance service to veterans in the short term while strengthening the underlying VA system to better serve veterans in the future. However, more resources will be required to ensure that the VA system can provide timely, high-quality health care into the future. In the coming months, the Administration will submit legislation to reallocate a portion of Veterans Choice Program funding to support essential investments in VA system priorities in a fiscally-responsible, budget-neutral manner.

Speeding the Processing of Disability Compensation Claims. VA has made tremendous progress reducing the veteran disability claims backlog. The Budget provides additional funding to continue investment in the Veterans Claims Intake Program and paperless claims, helping provide faster and more accurate benefits claims processing decisions. The Budget also includes funding to hire additional employees to address the growth in related claims and improve the VA’s timeliness in resolving appeals. Further, the Budget funds efforts to ensure consistent, personalized, and accurate information about services and benefits, especially in the delivery of compensation and pension claims processing.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jan. 27, 2015 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) provided invaluable assistance for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Excellent rating from the Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI) conducted on the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (MDIOC) networks at Schriever Air Force Base.

The CCRI evaluates a site’s compliance with information assurance and network defense policies and configuration standards for technologies as dictated by the Department of Defense (DOD) security technical implementation guide.

“The network must be operationally capable at all times as its compromise would negatively affect the warfighter’s mission,” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, integrated air and missile defense division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems. “Collaboratively and aggressively, Northrop Grumman and the MDA pursued the readiness and we are gratified with the validation of a successful security posture.”

The CCRI is a five-day comprehensive, graded inspection involving all cybersecurity areas including physical security, administration, training, network configuration, network operations, organizational culture and leadership management.

The MDIOC is the DOD’s premier missile defense center for integration, deployment and operation of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system (BMDS). As the MDA’s prime contractor at the center, Northrop Grumman leads a world-class team to conduct BMDS-level modeling and simulation, ground and flight tests, war games, exercises, mission-critical operations and related analysis.

Northrop Grumman also manages and operates the MDA’s computer emergency response team at the MDIOC to defend MDA networks and computing enclaves against cyberattacks. The team was reaccredited and recommended for another three-year authority to operate as one of 23 DOD tier 2 computer network defense service providers.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 January 2015 – The civilized world will not bow to the threat of terrorism, said John F. Kerry, US Secretary of State. “The 20th century was defined by the civilized struggle to uphold values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” he said. We will not be derailed by criminal anarchists who illegitimately claim a religious cause, he added. Kerry was speaking at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

The first step is to defeat Daesh, Kerry said, referring to the rebel group also known as ISIS. They are better armed, better trained and have claimed more ground than any other terrorist group in history, he added. “Daesh represents a threat to individual nation states as well as the entire region.”

Much has been achieved by the coalition of 60 partners formed to defeat Daesh, Kerry said, but the speed of progress is not yet fast enough. To succeed, Iraq also needs to enhance outreach efforts to its Sunni population, he asserted. Referring to Daesh-controlled areas that are languishing, as well as specific atrocities, he said the world needs to see the terrorist group as it is, rather than as it claims to be.

To effectively combat violent extremism over the long term, we need to better understand the underlying conditions, he argued. “We can’t change minds without knowing what’s in them.” This understanding, he emphasized, is not the same as acceptance. There are no grounds of religion, ideology or politics that will ever justify the terrorist atrocities we see around the world, Kerry said.

“Eliminating terrorists we confront today only solves part of the problem.” We need to transform the very environment from which terrorism and fundamentalism arises, he asserted. We need to take the long-term view, identify vulnerabilities early, and do more to counteract and prevent radicalization.

Kerry concluded his address on an optimistic note – citing historic international cooperation in the battle against Ebola, new trade pacts, progress towards an international climate-change agreement, as well as steps towards a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear negotiations.

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 January 2015 – Haidar Al Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq, today made an urgent appeal to the international coalition to provide more arms, air strikes and military training to help his troops combat the “barbarians” of ISIS. Abadi, speaking at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, described ISIS, also known as Daesh, as the best-funded and most organized terrorists the world had ever seen.

In the face of falling oil prices, Abadi added: “Our economy cannot sustain two major spendings – one to sustain our society and two to sustain this awful war.”

The Prime Minister said that Daesh’s momentum had not only been halted but reversed. In the past two to three weeks he had noted an increase in airstrikes against Daesh and better coordination between coalition and Iraqi troops. However, Abadi said Daesh had developed and grown in power due to the situation in Syria.

This war must be stopped, he said, but added: “I am pessimistic because I cannot see a plan to save Syria.” Referring to the role of Iran, Abadi said “they have been very helpful” but he denied that any Iranian soldiers were fighting on Iraqi soil.

Since his government took power in September, Abadi said it has recruited Sunni tribes in the fight against Daesh and carried out a purge of corrupt officials in both the army and judiciary. He announced plans to diversify Iraq’s economy – 85% of which is currently fuelled by oil – towards agriculture and petrochemicals.

Abadi added that he is trimming state bureaucracy and encouraging foreign investment: “We are moving from a state-dominated system to a more vibrant mixed economy.” He said that with large reserves of oil and an educated workforce, the economic fundamentals of Iraq remain strong.

More than 2,500 participants are taking part at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland from 21 to 24 January 2015.

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., – The U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] are ready to launch the third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, MUOS-3, here on Tuesday, Jan. 20 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The launch window is between 7:43 p.m. and 8:27 p.m. EST.

A live launch broadcast will begin at 7:23 p.m. EST and will be accessible via the United Launch Alliance webcast. Click here for the live launch broadcast and webcast details.

MUOS operates like a smart phone network in the sky, vastly improving current secure mobile satellite communications for warfighters on the move. Unlike previous systems, MUOS provides users an on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive high-quality, prioritized voice and mission data, on a high-speed Internet Protocol-based system.

“The launch of MUOS-3, and the near-term certification of our fourth and final Radio Access Facility, brings us to the brink of the global coverage we anticipate for MUOS communications. This government and contractor team knows how important this capability is for our protectors in harm’s way,” said Iris Bombelyn, vice president of Narrowband Communications at Lockheed Martin. “To deliver a satellite like MUOS is no small task and the team worked around the clock and through every holiday. We are honored to do so, because we know that our warfighters never stop in their own mission to keep us safe.”

Replacing the legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Follow-On system, MUOS satellites have two payloads to ensure access to UHF narrowband communications as well as new capabilities. MUOS’ advanced Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) payload incorporates commercial technology and a new waveform to provide users priority-based capacity. Once fully operational, MUOS will provide 16 times the capacity of the legacy system. More than 50,000 terminals that are in the field today can be retro-fitted with WCDMA.

The MUOS-3 satellite was built at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, California manufacturing facility. The satellite was shipped to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 5, and encapsulated into its launch fairing on Dec. 18.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, California, is the MUOS prime contractor and system integrator. The Navy’s Program Executive Office for Space Systems and its Communications Satellite Program Office, San Diego, California, are responsible for the MUOS program.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

DULLES, Va., — The U.S. Air Force has awarded one of its most important space procurements, potentially a multi-billion-dollar contract to operate, maintain, and sustain launch ranges at Florida’s Space Coast and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, to a joint venture of Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and General Dynamics.

The joint venture, called Range Generation Next (RGNext) is responsible for operations, as well as organizational and depot-level maintenance and sustainment for safe and effective launch, testing, and tracking of Department of Defense, civil, commercial, and international spacelift vehicles. It will also support ballistic missile, guided weapon, and aeronautical tests and evaluations.

The $1.5 billion, single-award contract has a one-year base period with nine one-year options. Raytheon and General Dynamics formed RGNext to pursue the opportunity, known as the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) Integrated Support (LISC) contract, supporting the U.S. Air Force Space Command.

Existing operations and maintenance at the Eastern and Western launch ranges and the engineering and sustainment work for the entire LTRS are being consolidated into LISC, primarily a fixed-price-incentive firm (target) contract.

“Together, Raytheon and General Dynamics offer the U.S. Air Force more than 40 years of operations and maintenance experience, along with leadership across information technology domains,” said Lynn Dugle, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “In this cost-sensitive environment, LISC will deliver efficiencies and economies of scale that could not be obtained under separate contracts. Our team is eager to play its part in helping the customer ensure safe mission operations.”

“As part of this proven team, General Dynamics Information Technology will leverage lessons learned and proven processes to ensure the ranges continue as the nation’s premier launch facilities,” said Dan Johnson, president of General Dynamics Information Technology.

For more information about General Dynamics Information Technology, please visit www.gdit.com.

More information about General Dynamics is available at www.generaldynamics.com.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

“In this interconnected, digital world, there are going to be opportunities for hackers to engage in cyber assaults both in the private sector and the public sector. Now, our first order of business is making sure that we do everything to harden sites and prevent those kinds of attacks from taking place…But even as we get better, the hackers are going to get better, too. Some of them are going to be state actors; some of them are going to be non-state actors. All of them are going to be sophisticated and many of them can do some damage.

This is part of the reason why it’s going to be so important for Congress to work with us and get an actual bill passed that allows for the kind of information-sharing we need. Because if we don’t put in place the kind of architecture that can prevent these attacks from taking place, this is not just going to be affecting movies, this is going to be affecting our entire economy in ways that are extraordinarily significant.”

– President Obama, December 19, 2014.

Since the start of his Administration, when he issued the Cyberspace Policy Review — the first top-to-bottom, Administration-wide review of cybersecurity — President Obama has led efforts to better prepare our government, our economy, and our nation as a whole for the growing cyber threats we face.

That’s why in 2011 he issued his Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal, calling on Congress to take urgent action to give the private sector and government the tools they need to combat cyber threats at home and abroad. It’s why he issued the International Strategy for Cyberspace to make clear to nations abroad the foreign policy priority cybersecurity issues have become. And when Congress failed to pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation, the Administration pressed forward, issuing an Executive Order to protect critical infrastructure by establishing baseline cybersecurity standards that we developed collaboratively with industry.

Today, at a time when public and private networks are facing an unprecedented threat from rogue hackers as well as organized crime and even state actors, the President is unveiling the next steps in his plan to defend the nation’s systems. These include a new legislative proposal, building on important work in Congress, to solve the challenges of information sharing that can cripple response to a cyberattack. They also include revisions to those provisions of our 2011 legislative proposal on which Congress has yet to take action, and along with them, the President is extending an invitation to work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to advance this urgent priority for the American people.

Specifically, today’s announcements include:

Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal

Enabling Cybersecurity Information Sharing: The Administration’s updated proposal promotes better cybersecurity information sharing between the private sector and government, and it enhances collaboration and information sharing amongst the private sector. Specifically, the proposal encourages the private sector to share appropriate cyber threat information with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), which will then share it in as close to real-time as practicable with relevant federal agencies and with private sector-developed and operated Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs) by providing targeted liability protection for companies that share information with these entities.

The legislation also encourages the formation of these private-sector led Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations. The Administration’s proposal would also safeguard Americans’ personal privacy by requiring private entities to comply with certain privacy restrictions such as removing unnecessary personal information and taking measures to protect any personal information that must be shared in order to qualify for liability protection. The proposal further requires the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General, in consultation with the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and others, to develop receipt, retention, use, and disclosure guidelines for the federal government. Finally, the Administration intends this proposal to complement and not to limit existing effective relationships between government and the private sector. These existing relationships between law enforcement and other federal agencies are critical to the cybersecurity mission.

Modernizing Law Enforcement Authorities to Combat Cyber Crime: Law enforcement must have appropriate tools to investigate, disrupt and prosecute cyber crime. The Administration’s proposal contains provisions that would allow for the prosecution of the sale of botnets, would criminalize the overseas sale of stolen U.S. financial information like credit card and bank account numbers, would expand federal law enforcement authority to deter the sale of spyware used to stalk or commit ID theft, and would give courts the authority to shut down botnets engaged in distributed denial of service attacks and other criminal activity. It also reaffirms important components of 2011 proposals to update the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a key piece of law used to prosecute organized crime, so that it applies to cybercrimes, clarifies the penalties for computer crimes, and makes sure these penalties are in line with other similar non-cyber crimes. Finally, the proposal modernizes the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by ensuring that insignificant conduct does not fall within the scope of the statute, while making clear that it can be used to prosecute insiders who abuse their ability to access information to use it for their own purposes.

National Data Breach Reporting: As announced yesterday, the Administration has also updated its proposal on security breach reporting. State laws have helped consumers protect themselves against identity theft while also encouraging business to improve cybersecurity, helping to stem the tide of identity theft. These laws require businesses that have suffered an intrusion to notify consumers if consumers’ personal information has been compromised. The Administration’s updated proposal helps business and consumers by simplifying and standardizing the existing patchwork of 46 state laws (plus the District of Columbia and several territories) that contain these requirements into one federal statute, and puts in place a single clear and timely notice requirement to ensure that companies notify their employees and customers about security breaches.

White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection

On February 13, 2015, the White House will host a Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, to help shape public and private sector efforts to protect American consumers and companies from growing threats to consumers and commercial networks.

The Summit will bring together major stakeholders on cybersecurity and consumer financial protection issues – including senior leaders from the White House and across the federal government; CEOs from a wide range of industries including the financial services industry, technology and communications companies; computer security companies and the retail industry; as well as law enforcement officials, consumer advocates, technical experts, and students. Topics at the Summit will include increasing public-private partnerships and cybersecurity information sharing, creating and promoting improved cybersecurity practices and technologies, and improving adoption and use of more secure payment technologies.

The Summit is also the next step in the President’s BuySecure Initiative, which was launched in November 2014, and will help advance national efforts the government has led over the last two years with executive orders on consumer financial protection and critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and small group workshops, participants will build on efforts in the public and private sectors to further improve cybersecurity practices at a wide range of companies.

Grants to Historically Black Colleges for Cybersecurity Education

As the President stated in Executive Order 13532, “Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities” in February 2010, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have made historic and ongoing contributions to the general welfare and prosperity of our country. Established by visionary leaders, America’s HBCUs, for over 150 years, have produced many of the Nation’s leaders in business, government, academia, and the military, and have provided generations of American men and women with hope and educational opportunity. Recognizing that HBCUs serve as engines of opportunity, innovation, and economic growth, Vice President Biden will travel to Norfolk, VA on Thursday to announce that the Department of Energy will provide $25 million in grants over the next five years to support a cybersecurity education consortium consisting of 13 HBCUs and two national labs.

This program, part of the President’s jobs-driven training initiative, will help to fill the growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals in the U.S. job market at the same time that it helps to grow the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula for HBCUs. The participating schools include two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and research institutions in seven states, plus the Virgin Islands.


Trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve is essential to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective delivery of policing services.