SIGNAL Extras

The world is buzzing about the Summer Olympics in London, and a new webpage from the American Forces Press Service is helping fans track some very special athletes. The Olympic report features profiles, articles and images of service members competing in the games.

Every day at airports around the country airplanes land and take off with a rhythm and flow we don't really appreciate until--usually--something disrupts it. But this past May, one blogger witnessed an impromptu reception for World War II veterans that encapsulates what honor really looks like.

After several months of drafts and comments, the U.S. Navy now has released the request for proposal (RFP) for its Next Generation Enterprise Network, or NGEN. The 1,100-page RFP provides guidance for prospective bidders on a contract that likely will total 4.5 billion dollars.

Capt. Shawn P. Hendricks, USN, is the program manager for PMW-205 Naval Enterprise Networks. He says that the RFP's size is what makes it stand out among other RFPs. "It's enormous," he states, "and they [bidders] will have to eat it one bite at a time. Yet, at the end of the day, it all has to work together."

The captain adds that hardware and software costs ultimately will constitute only about one-third of the contract. The other two-thirds will involve personnel, and this may put pressure on industry to keep personnel costs down "in a technically acceptable way," he says. The NGEN program would comprise a conglomerate of many disparate networks serving Navy and Marine Corps personnel (SIGNAL Magazine, December 2011, page 18).

Unlike its predecessor, the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI)-which took the form of a service provided by a contractor-NGEN will be controlled by the government.

The RFP originally was expected to be issued in December 2011, but officials delayed its release to seek further comments from industry on two important sections. The penultimate draft RFP was issued this past March; and the program management office received more than 170 comments from industry in the ensuing 10 days. After reviewing those comments and incorporating changes where appropriate, the RFP was designated for release on May 9, 2012.

Industry now has until July 18 to respond. The contract is expected to be awarded in February 2013. Click here for the NGEN RFP. The RFP number is N00039-12-R-0009.

Better networks mean more opportunities for cyber marauders--and greater difficulty for network defense experts, noted Lt. Gen. Robert Schmidle, USMC, the deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. He cited knowledge about network health, adversary space and "the gray area in between" as the criteria for successful cyber situational awareness, but he also warned of personnel structure shortcomings.

The staff at AFCEA headquarters wishes everyone a safe and joyous holiday season. HQ offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 26 and 27,  as well as on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. See you next year!

AFCEA International wishes everyone  a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Our U.S. office will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of the holiday. What are you thankful for today?

At a time when the European Union and the United States are both facing moderate to severe austerity in the years ahead, it's more important than ever to do more with less. Claude-France Arnould, chief executive of the European Defense Agency, discussed key priorities for the organization in the coming lean years.

Through the Department of Defense National Survey of Employers, the department hopes to better understand the benefits and challenges of employing members of the National Guard and Reserve. Now that the survey has reached its halfway point, the defense department would like all employers who received the survey to respond, as their feedback is needed to develop future Guard and Reserve policies.