The events are also revealing where industry is building redundant software, the Army said.
Michele Sandiford
- Need to order a new vehicle part? Now there’s an app for that and more. The Army is connecting its logistics data with apps that soldiers can use in the field. Through Operation Jailbreak, they are exploring how those apps can save soldiers time by eliminating the need to return to a command post to look at information like spare parts inventories. The events are also revealing where industry is building redundant software, the Army said. The monthly exercises started in May and will finish in July at Project Convergence.
- The National Security Agency and the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command are launching a new initiative aimed at accelerating the U.S. quantum computing ecosystem. The program, called QuantumEAGLe, is a partnership between NSA’s Laboratory for Physical Sciences and the Army Research Office and is designed to improve the performance and manufacturing of specialized components that are essential for building quantum computers. Officials said the initiative will use flexible contracting authorities and work directly with industry to better align research with commercial needs and expand U.S. quantum capabilities.
- A panel of defense and industry officials said Tuesday that manufacturing, not money, is now the biggest problem facing companies trying to move fast. The Pentagon is pushing contractors to put new tech in troops’ hands in a matter of months, but a lack of factory space and skilled workers can drag out the process. Pentagon acquisition boss Michael Duffey pointed to a recent agreement between Lockheed Martin and General Motors as an example of how companies can work together in new ways to strengthen national security.
- The departments of Treasury and Health and Human Services are facing lawsuits over thousands of stalled telework requests from disabled employees. The National Treasury Employees Union is suing the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, claiming employees have been denied timely access to workplace accommodations for disabilities and medical conditions. The lawsuit claims employees are waiting months for their reasonable accommodation requests to be processed, far from the standard of 20 calendar days. In some cases, the defendant agencies have also restricted telework as an interim accommodation for employees while their request for long-term accommodation is under review. Agencies are required under the Rehabilitation Act to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities.
- The IRS still doesn’t recognize a union that represents much of its workforce. But the agency has agreed it will no longer bar employees from keeping materials from the National Treasury Employees Union on their desks or in common areas. NTEU previously complained to a federal court that the IRS removed union materials from employees’ workstations and covered up NTEU information on bulletin boards. The IRS told the court that it will pause further implementation of its directive ordering the removal of NTEU materials from the workplace.
- A new law prohibits the Pentagon from contracting with companies that retain consultants lobbying for certain Chinese military-linked firms. The fiscal 2025 defense policy bill bars the Defense Department from entering into contracts with defense companies that work with firms lobbying on behalf of certain Chinese companies blacklisted by the Pentagon. This year, the department significantly expanded its blacklist, adding dozens of companies that span key industries including artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, e-commerce, energy and semiconductors. Defense contractors are now under an obligation to certify that their outside consultants, law firms, lobbying shops and public relations firms are not representing companies on the Pentagon’s blacklist.
- The Environmental Protection Agency is facing further legal challenges from employees who were fired last year. New lawsuits from seven former EPA workers allege that they were terminated in violation of their First Amendment rights. The new cases this week come on top of several related legal challenges against the agency. Hundreds of EPA employees signed a “declaration of dissent” in 2025 that criticized the Trump administration, resulting in suspensions and terminations for dozens of workers.
- The CIA is looking to drastically speed up acquisition timelines to acquire cutting edge technology. CIA Director John Ratcliffe says the spy agency is aiming to complete most enterprise acquisitions within six months, instead of the usual two to three years. The spy agency also recently reorganized its digital mission directorate to focus on core functions like cybersecurity and data. During a keynote address at the Amazon Web Services public sector summit in Washington on Tuesday, Ratcliffe says the changes are more than just reorganizing deck chairs. “This is a fundamental reshaping of the CIA’s entire approach to technology,” he said. The spy agency also recently opened up an Office of Corporate Partnerships. Ratcliffe says he wants to make the CIA an easier customer for private industry.
- The Department of Homeland Security is reviving a key authority that allows agencies to work closely with critical industry sectors to thwart cyber attacks. In a public notice released this week, DHS announced the establishment of the Alliance of National Councils for Homeland Operational Resilience – Critical Infrastructure. The group is an advisory body that facilitates confidential meetings between government officials and critical infrastructure representatives to discuss security issues. The new group replaces the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, or CIPAC, a similar authority that was terminated last year under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
- The Pentagon is looking to recruit more software engineers and other tech experts. A new federal hiring program, called “War Force,” aims to attract hundreds of candidates for temporary, two-year positions at DoD. The department is searching in particular for those with experience in engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and data systems. Applications for the program are open until July 17. It comes after thousands of IT employees have left their jobs at the DoD since President Trump took office. The new hiring effort is also part of the Office of Personnel Management’s larger Tech Force program.
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