The SIGNAL Blog

Budget Crisis “a Wolf” That Threatens National Security

January 29, 2013

By Robert K. Ackerman

Sequestration is “a wolf in the fold” that will force potentially catastrophic cuts to the U.S. military, crippling its ability to defend U.S. and allied interests around the globe. This gloomy assessment comes not from a politician or industrialist, but from the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Beefing Up the Apache Helicopter

January 29, 2013

George I. Seffers

The latest version of the Apache Block III attack helicopter, the AH-64E, was approved for full rate production in October 2012. Improvements to the aircraft include an Improved Drive System, increased engine capabilities, technologically advanced composite main rotor blades and sensor enhancements. For more information—and some pretty cool video of the AH-64E in action—see the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command YouTube Channel video.

Departments:

Defense

Cool App-titude: Urgent Care

January 22, 2013

By Rachel Eisenhower

Flu season is in full swing, and the minute the symptoms hit, many of us hop online to check out the latest information. Now, an interactive app goes one step further, providing health news and access to medical professionals right on your iPhone.

The Urgent Care app by GreatCall Incorporated lets users check their symptoms, peruse a consumer-friendly medical dictionary and even contact a registered nurse for advice at any time, day or night.

While the app itself is free, contacting a nurse will cost $3.99 per call; if needed, a doctor will call back within 30 minutes.

Services are available in both English and Spanish.

Anyone with a medical emergency should immediately seek help or medical attention; however, this app can provide fast resources for anyone with non-urgent symptoms or questions about their health.

Download the free app from the iTunes App Store. The Android version is expected later this month.

Would you use an app to seek out information about your symptoms? Let us know in the comments.

These sites are not affiliated with AFCEA or SIGNAL Magazine, and we are not responsible for the content or quality of the products offered. When visiting new websites, please use proper Internet security procedures.

Dramatics to Drama: From the Fiscal Cliff to “Zero Dark Thirty”

Joe Mazzafro

Unless we are existing in a weird parallel universe, the Mayan’s were clearly wrong about the world ending last month, but the National Intelligence Council’s “Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds” does warn the U.S. will likely lose its status as the planet’s only superpower by then. And how about that fiscal cliff?!? Lots of drama for New Year’s Day legislation that only raised taxes on those making $400k or more without any meaningful impact on reducing the deficit or dealing with sequestration. More or less a two month “U” turn at the fiscal cliff or a demonstration of “Democracy Inaction!”

The White House and the Congress “agreeing “ to defer dealing with either the debt ceiling or sequestration for two months only insures that budgetary uncertainty for almost all national security accounts will continue until “March Madness.” Sequestration will then join raising the debt ceiling and extending the Continuing Resolution (CR) for the rest of FY 13 as requiring legislative action of some type in March. While there could be some kind of grand bargain providing a comprehensive solution to all three of these separate but related tectonic fiscal issues, I remain unable to see what will change between now and March given the political posturing that has been going since 2010 without any significant increases in revenues or cuts in spending. And as we heard the President and the Republican leaders of Congress publicly “trash talking” with each other on January 14, any discussion about raising the debt ceiling is an opportunity for political brinkmanship regarding shutting down the government.

Departments:

Intelligence

Energy Boost for Materials Development

January 15, 2013

By Maryann Lawlor

Critical Materials Institute to bring together researchers from academia, the private sector and four DOE national laboratories to find solutions that can be applied to a material’s life cycle and increase U.S. global competitiveness in the materials marketplace.

Cool App-titude: Readability

January 15, 2013

By Rachel Eisenhower

Want to surf your favorite sites without all the clutter? The free Readability app for iOS and Android turns any website into a clean view.

Readability automatically changes sites into a simple, one-column view for easy reading. You can even save a webpage to your computer or smartphone, and the article will be available for you later whether you are online or offline.

Customize the reading view by setting the type size, contrast and margins.

Once you're done reading, share the article with friends through Facebook, Twitter or email; mark it as a favorite; or archive it. Then, use the Top Reads list to quickly find another interesting article.

Download the free app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Homefront Help: Purple Heart Homes

January 24, 2013

By Rita Boland

For many wounded warfighters, leaving the hospital is only the first step on a long journey toward healing and a renewed sense of belonging in the world. Purple Heart Homes reaches out to such service-connected disabled veterans from any conflict and their caregivers through two specialized programs. Veterans Aging in Place helps older veterans who currently own a home, while the Veteran Home Ownership program aids disabled former troops with becoming homeowners. Assistance ranges from adapting homes to accommodate injuries, building a home from the ground up or modifying a foreclosed home, all with the purpose of assisting veterans reintegrate into their communities.

Purple Heart Homes partners with local contractors who can take ownership of the process and thereby work with existing supply networks. This process involves members of the community from the outset. In addition to looking for volunteers from the building trades to lend a hand, the organization seeks people who can help with registration, fundraising, publicity or feeding volunteers, and is happy to use the enthusiasm of any hard workers willing to help out. Anyone interested in participating can learn more on the volunteer page. Disabled veterans interested in taking advantage of the available resources can fill out an application online to participate in the programs.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

Homefront Help: Defending the Blue Line

January 17, 2013

By Rita Boland

The NHL strike is over, and amateur hockey is going strong. Defending the Blue Line helps military children enjoy the sport by providing free equipment, hockey camps, special events and financial assistance for other costs associated with playing the game. Families interested in taking advantage of the offerings can learn more on the website. Certain programs and the grants for 2013 open later in the year.

Hockey enthusiasts who want to help out can donate equipment, volunteer or offer services associated with hockey.

Homefront Help: Operation American Dream

January 10, 2013

By Rita Boland

The Operation American Dream contest sponsored by Signal 88 Security is taking a veteran “From Battlefield to Boss” by offering start-up money for an entrepreneurial venture. Each month through May 15, eligible veterans can submit a 500-word essay on why they deserve to be their own boss. Three monthly finalists will be selected by Signal 88 Security and the winner will be determined by a public vote. Those winners receive $500 and are eligible for the Grand Prize of $5,000. If the winner decides to open a Signal 88 Security franchise with the winnings, the company will increase the amount to $10,000.

Essays are due by January 15 for the first round of the contest. More complete information is available on the website.

Micrometer Materials Form 3-D Military Tools

January 9, 2013

By Rita Boland

Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University have discovered methods to control folding pathways and enable sequential folding on a millimeter scale using a low-intensity laser beam. Lasers at a low intensity worked as a trigger for tagging applications. Developers are fabricating sheets of millimeter-size structures that serve as battery-free wireless actuators that fold when exposed to a laser operating at eye-safe infrared wavelengths. The metallic structures may respond even to high-powered LED lighting. At the millimeter scale, the structures could attach, jump, apply friction and perform as mechanical switches serving a number of defense functions such as the remote initiation of energetic materials, micro thrusters for robotics and the attachment of transponder tags to fabric surfaces. They also could possibly integrate with logic/memory circuits, sensors, transponder tags and optical modules such as light emitting diodes. 

Departments:

Defense

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