We wanted to honor the holiday spirit of giving a little back by highlighting these outstanding nonprofits that go above and beyond for our veterans. If you are thinking of contributing money to nonprofits this year, give one of these organizations consideration!

• Wounded Warrior Project, which provides mental health services for wounded vets.
• The Fisher House Foundation, which provides access to lodging and logistics for vets and their families.
• K9s For Warriors, the nation’s largest veteran service org providing vets with service dogs.
• The Battle Within, a nonprofit focused on assisting returning vets who are living with PTSD.
• No Boundaries, a nonprofit that helps build up severely disabled veterans through adaptive sports.
• Gary Sinise Foundation, which offers mortgage-free housing to vets nationwide.
• Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America, whose mission is to provide support in health, education, and employment for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.
• Semper Fi And America’s Fund, an organization providing personalized support for vets navigating their emotional and medical recoveries.
• National Veterans Foundation, which provides vet-to-vet assistance for veterans in crisis.

• Four things for contractors to look for now and into FY23: R&D tax credits, expect contracting officers to be hired, and lots of money just aching to be spent within civilian agencies.
• To get AI right, start with a trained workforce: A government technologist panel said that agencies need to train their workforce in AI.
• GAO denies USAID protest over $800M task order: Credence can work on its task order, after the dismissal of a Tetra Tech protest.
• Polaris protests question bid due date and self scoring steps: GSA small business GWAC faces two vendor protests.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

ICYMI Snippets

• NASA is seeking vendor info for V3 of the Safety and Mission Assurance Engineering Contract (SMAEC III). SAIC is the incumbent.
• USAF has posted a sources sought notice for Analytic Collaborative Environment Multi-INT sustainment and training for STRATCOM.
• DOD must enhance cyber incident reporting and sharing.
• New Space Force procurement shop subscribes to the space-as-a-service model.
• ♥USA + Taiwan = 4Ever♥. U.S. is committed to Taiwan’s defense.

Defense Job Openings

• Raytheon needs an Associate Director of BD, Strategy & Ops Integration, Space & C2.

Defense Contract Awards

• KBR awarded $157M Army UH-60V black hawk upgrade task order.
• Northrop books $99M USAF award for additional F-16 aircraft radar production.
• Air Force selects SandboxAQ, an Alphabet spinoff, to help quantum-proof its networks.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• General Dynamic Mission Systems has named a new VP of Strategy and Business Development.
• Ultra Intelligence and Communications has turned to a former SAIC exec to be its new president and CEO.
• Equitus names new president after announcing new national defense-focused subsidiary.

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(If you have a question you’d like to see pitched to the GovBrew Crew, just let us know!)

INTEL COMMUNITY

Trade groups urge Congress to pass digital identity bill.

The Cybersecurity Coalition, Better Identity Coalition, Identity Theft Resource Center, US Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center, and others want Congress to include digital identity legislation in its year-end spending bill. The Improving Digital Identity Act was originally introduced in 2020. Read more

NGA DevCorps puts land navigation skills to test.

Forty team members of the NGIA DevCorps broke out their compasses and protractors and shot their azimuths while participating in the second annual land navigation field training exercise. The exercise was conceived by DevCorps Branch Chief Rodney “RJ” Mosquito and conducted by Army ROTC cadets, in coordination with Missouri Army National Guard UH60 Blackhawk helicopter pilots. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• NGA drops Stardust RFI to gauge industry interest, understanding of the Stardust program.
• DCSA’s new regional field structure merges field mission areas into four regions.
• ESF partners, NSA, and CISA release software supply chain guidance for customers.
• NRO achieved its 14th clean financial audit, which is basically affirmation plus a gold star that the financial people are doing their jobs. Good work, NRO!

CIVILIAN

House modernization committee disbands; leaders express high hopes.

Even as their committee says “buh-bye!” members of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress express high hopes that it won’t be an actual end of modernization of the elite group of politicians. Here’s to hoping! Read more

Watchdog faults DOS for information security flaws.
In an annual audit of its information security program for FY22, the DOS’s OIG found weaknesses in eight of nine DOS domains, putting information security at risk, despite the department’s significant expenditure on this issue. Read more

FAA seeks IT products and services through multi-billion dollar contract (a RFI).

FAA may spend between $5B and $10B over 10 years through an IT product and services contract it has unveiled through a Sources Sought posting, eschewing customized tech in favor of commercial off-the-shelf technology. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• SSA needs to do more to support vulnerable populations, such as those applying for disability benefits, through improvements in offering online applications and SSA applications in Spanish, according to a GAO report.
• This online event will take a deep dive into the GSA OASIS+ Draft RFP.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• Air Products books $1B NASA contract for liquid helium supply.
• NASA has awarded a $553.7M financial services and support contract at several research centers around the country to a small business.
• Change Healthcare Technologies snags $328M contract mod for digitial imaging support.

Civilian Job Openings

• NIST hiring a director of Diversity and Inclusion.
• The Department of Education needs an IT Specialist focusing on information security.
• The FCC is looking for a National Community Impact Manager.

M&A CORNER

Deep Water Point to buy Wolf Den.

Two government market consulting companies are joining forces, as Deep Water Point, a portfolio company of Renavus Capital Partners, has agreed to purchase Wolf Den, which has 400 clients in the federal government market. Read more

Cycurion to go public via a SPAC.

Cycurion, Inc., a provider of tech-enabled cybersecurity solutions, and Western Acquisition Ventures Corp. (Nasdaq: WAVS) (“Western”), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement. Read more

Albers Aerospace buys Garrett Container Systems.

Albers Aerospace has acquired Garrett Container Systems in a transaction aimed at expanding its capabilities in support of military customers. GCS will run as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Albers. Read more