Tom Porter

Worth tracking. There may be a quiet but meaningful shift underway in how Inspector General oversight of foreign assistance is structured at the State Department. The State–Foreign Operations appropriations bill included language providing full-year funding to the USAID Office of Inspector General, which also oversees Millennium Challenge Corporation, U.S. African Development Foundation, and the Inter-American Foundation, to continue oversight of foreign assistance programs now administered by the U.S. Department of State. Notably, the House’s initial bill allocated $62.5 million to the State Department Inspector General for foreign assistance oversight. In the final bill passed by Congress, that funding was transferred instead to the USAID OIG account. That move appears to reflect congressional confidence in USAID OIG’s long track record managing complex overseas investigations involving grant and contract fraud. As oversight responsibilities continue to settle under this legislative framework, implementers would be well advised to continue reporting allegations of potential misconduct involving U.S. government foreign assistance funds to the USAID OIG hotline, which, as of last check, remains operational. Hoteline: https://lnkd.in/e2ibZFwP

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"Technology may win battles, but ecosystems win wars." Our CEO, Toni Townes-Whitley, offers great perspective on the need for a mindset shift from the DIB to an Innovative National Security Ecosystem.

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Sources Sought - Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) for the United States Army The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Aviation, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Project Office released a Sources Sought Notification on SAM.gov to identify commercially available low-cost Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (SUAS). The Army is looking to field thousands of low-cost UAS immediately. https://lnkd.in/eJScecgJ

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#TuneInTuesday This Success After Service episode opens the year with a reality check for GovCon professionals navigating defense innovation without losing sight of the mission. Luke Shabro shares what really matters after military service, why good ideas stall inside government systems, and how empathy and persistence shape outcomes more than tools ever will. If you work in defense innovation, BD, capture, or program execution, this one hit close to home. 🎧 Listen now on: 🔹 Apple: https://lnkd.in/gk7ETW2i 🔹 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g6QBeyqz Like and follow us: 🔹 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gNQJcg84 🔹 Facebook: https://lnkd.in/ghWSzWwA 🔹 LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dm2YCdbi Join our #govcon #community: https://lnkd.in/g2cTncsd New to GovCon? Here’s a guide for you: https://lnkd.in/gZnnhxaJ 21 AI Prompts to Supercharge Your GovCon BD Engine: https://lnkd.in/gnF7w2pe #govcon #govconunscripted #successafterservice #defenseinnovation #governmentcontracting #veterantransition #smallbusiness #federalcontracting Luke Shabro Marsha Lindquist Lawrence Pokroy David S. Renee Glendenning Greg Glendenning Gene Moran, Ph.D. Katie Bigelow Kevin Plexico Brian Pultro Tan Wilson Jena Jones Giles W. Robert Fehlen Al Vega Natasha Velez, CECM, CF APMP Art Trevethan Kris Brinker Tom Barrow Katie Helwig Alexa Tsui Andy Semotiuk Callye Keen Noura Bashshur Christine Hopkins Stacey Piper David D. Doerrier Timothy Balz Barry Furey Aubrey Gainfort Graham Plaster Sharon Heaton Chris Bennett Dana Bonsell Mark Amtower Stacey Piper Jennifer Schaus Judy Bradt

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During Monday’s Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Director of Golden Dome for America (GDA) General Mike Guetlein noted the Department of War has stood up a new GDA Ecosystem Hub and has brought on Govini as part of it “to do supply chain resilience down to multiple levels deep in the supply chain to look for alternatives to expand the supply chain and diversify it.” Golden Dome represents a generational shift in a national priority (homeland defense). To succeed against unprecedented, machine-speed threats, it requires more than just advanced technology—it demands a resilient industrial base capable of delivering high magazine depth and a drastically lower cost-per-kill. At Govini, we believe true resilience is achieved when the Pentagon fundamentally changes how it partners with the private sector. Through initiatives like the Arsenal of Freedom, Economic Defense Unit and the GDA Ecosystem Hub, leadership is using data-driven insights to slash bureaucratic red tape, mobilize private capital, and secure the foundations of our supply chain—from critical minerals to the factory floor. We are proud to support GDA in building an industrial base as agile as the threats we face. “Govini is honored to collaborate with Gen. Guetlein and the Department to ensure our critical national security programs are built on a foundation of continuous innovation and enduring resilience,” said Tara Murphy Dougherty, Govini CEO. #Govini #GoldenDome #SupplyChainResilience #Pentagon

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Speed to scale is becoming one of the most important conversations in the defense industry. Revitalizing the defense industrial base will require more than policy discussions — it will require operational execution, resilient supply chains, and strong partnerships across industry. Looking forward to seeing the insights that come from this hearing.

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Recognizing a critical need at Andersen Air Force Base, the Department of the Air Force Community Partnership (DAFCP) team supported the DoD's first-ever Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) with the Government of Guam Department of Agriculture for animal control services. This innovative partnership addresses the stray animal population, benefiting both the military community and the island of Guam. The local community’s dedication to finding innovative solutions with available partnership tools and authorities made this IGSA possible. (USAF 📸 by A1C Adasha Williams)

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New innovative capabilities are critical to our nation’s success, but we must also bridge legacy and modern environments, making them operations-ready and integrating and scaling them into complex national security missions. SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley captures this perfectly in her latest Forbes Business Council article. She outlines how a new kind of mission integrator is needed and why the future of national security depends on how we connect and build the ecosystem. Mission integration brings the ecosystem together, infused by deep mission experience and broad technology expertise  — it’s a flywheel that turns great ideas into national advantage. #Leadership #NationalSecurityEcosystem https://lnkd.in/dazjjs9W

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Defense and military leaders are gathering in 2026 to advance warfighting capabilities and explore emerging technologies. From naval missions to special operations forces, these 10 events provide hands-on demonstrations, strategic insights and innovative solutions that strengthen mission readiness across Federal, State and Local defense organizations: https://ow.ly/7y5W30sUFtg

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Thrilled to present alongside former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and other thought leaders in medicine at the 12th Annual World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit. Patients and families when seen as a resource and part of the care team possess the power to change the course of safety in healthcare. Safe care is a FUNDAMENTAL human right. Patients for Patient Safety US Master's Clinical Quality, Safety & Leadership

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The White House released its 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy document outlining the terrorist threat, CT principles, CT priorities, and goals of CT strategy. It goes on to describe CT resources, and more. https://lnkd.in/eM7KQ4pP

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Leadership change at GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service signals continuity in one of the federal government’s most influential procurement engines. Laura Stanton has been named acting FAS Commissioner following Josh Gruenbaum’s departure, overseeing how civilian agencies access commercial solutions at scale. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gcYKWisr #FederalAcquisition #GovCon #GSA

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I have been to the Army Services Selection Boards multiple times. The first stage is the PPDT exercise. A picture appears for a few seconds, everyone writes a short story in four minutes, and then the group must discuss and agree on one common story. The moment the discussion begins, the group often slips into disorder. Many speak at once. Some try to push their version. Others raise their hands and wait but never get a chance. In the rush to be heard, the group loses direction. Across attempts, I understood that PPDT is not a test of storytelling skill or forceful speaking. The real test is whether a group of strangers can align quickly, organise the discussion, and close a decision under pressure. It becomes clear who brings structure and movement, and who adds noise. Many who dominated the discussion were not selected. Some who spoke less but guided the group toward closure were selected. This is the same challenge inside organisations. Decision-making slows down when people optimise for not being wrong rather than moving forward. In competitive environments, the cost of slow decisions is greater than the cost of wrong decisions. Most decisions are reversible. It is better to move, learn, and correct course than to wait for perfect consensus that never arrives. Momentum matters more than perfection. #Leadership #DecisionMaking #Alignment #Execution #SpeedOfDecision #Teamwork

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Several years of Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition leadership and advocacy to expand domestic defense industrial base partnership with the Department of War through the #DefenseProductionActTitleIII program culminated last week as President Trump signed a Presidential Waiver extending funding authorities to "soldier systems." This industrial base includes American manufacturers of products "necessary to maximize the warfighter's survivability, lethality, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness, and field quality of life" and a broad range of items manufactured in the U.S. by WPRC members. #WPRC looks forward to working with #DepartmentOfWar leaders to optimize DPA investments within the industrial base. This is a critical inflection point for domestic manufacturers who continue to provide innovative 100% American-made equipment in a challenging environment. The Presidential Waiver document is linked in the below announcement.

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This is a resource for veteran-owned businesses in #Florida and elsewhere, as well as other businesses that do work within the SBA 8a program. Major shifts are happening in contracting within the DOW and other agencies.

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"Congress should pass a proposal known as the Bivens Act, which would let individuals sue for damages when a federal agent violates their constitutional rights, as they can do when a state or local agent violates those rights. (It has this somewhat confusing name because it would write into statute the approach of a Supreme Court decision from 1971, Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents.) Lawmakers should also continue to make clear that under the Fourth Amendment, ICE cannot enter homes without a judicial warrant. Congress should also bar ICE from using federal funds to collect data on and surveil peaceful protesters. Most importantly, Congress should pull back the $170 billion it gave to DHS for immigration enforcement last July, which gives the department the ability to replicate the surge in Minneapolis elsewhere. That way, Congress can use its control of the purse strings to make sure immigration enforcement is done within the bounds of the Constitution, the law, and our country’s values."

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