Michael Reid

Police brutality is being captured on video DAILY with these brutal crackdowns on peaceful student protests by police. Where is the outrage??? Where is the accountability? Many of those being terrorized and abused by police are black and brown students. Where is the BLM movement? Are the leaders too comfortable in their $6 million mansion in California to give a damn about police brutality now? 1. Stop victimizing our students. 2. Stop suppressing peaceful protests. 3. Stop suppressing free speech. 4. STOP POLICE BRUTALITY! #freespeech #studentprotests

7

2 Comments

“Cost-minus contracting” is not a thing. Fixed Price Incentive-Firm Target (FPIF) contracts, however, have been around for a while. DoD goes through a cycle of Cost Plus and Fixed Price contracting. When costs seem to grow, DoD goes FP, shifting cost risk to contractors ever since the Air Force’s “Total Package Procurement” movement in the 1950s. When time to field capabilities grows and quality of capability declines (as has been the historical consequence of FP contracting), DoD assumes some cost risk back and welcomes CP to the fold again. In contracting, incentives are king. If we are shifting back to more FPIF contracts - especially for software development - DoD must be able to effectively manage product quality, time to deployment, and time to update/refresh. They also must understand and be able to scale the OTA lifecycle, from pilot to production to major program (if necessary). All of this is hard and involves risk…where to place that risk has been a cyclical question for DoD contracting since the Commission on Government Procurement. Rather than picking industry partners who say the rights things, DoD must focus on those who deliver outcomes and results. Industry partners must be honest and transparent with government - qualities that require more incentive for some - to prove that delivering those outcomes and results to the end user really is the highest goal instead of maximizing profit at their expense. In short: we don’t need Contracting Ad Libs. We need Effective Incentive Managament and Transparency in Contracting. #defensereform #contracting #nationalsecurity #defenseindustry #innovation #procurement #CP #FPIF

4

Heads Up...DoD News related to Architect - Engineering (AE) Services! (1) FINAL RULE Effective 8/26/2024 - DFARS Case 2024-D019 Architect and Engineering Service Fees. This rule changes DFARS to implement Section 2881 of the FY24 NDAA to increase the limitation of the contract price (i.e., "fee") for A-E services for the preparation and delivery of designs, plans, drawings, and specifications from 6% of the project's estimated construction cost to 10%. It is applicable to Army, Navy, and Air Force projects (references in 10 U.S.C. 7540,8612, and 9540). The new 10% limit replaces the 6% fee limitation on contract modifications for work not initially included in the contract and redesign, and applies only to that portion of the contract (or modification) price attributable to the preparation of designs, plans, drawings, and specifications. If a contract or modification also includes other services, the part of the price attributable to the other services is not subject to the fee limitation. (Personally, I've been waiting since the early 1990's for this percentage to change (and yes, I've been doing this THAT long). This makes it easier for small AE businesses to participate in the Federal space. So, YEA!) Permalink: https://lnkd.in/g7vF95R6 (2) PROPOSED RULE Comments due 9/27/2024 -- DFARS Case 2023-D007 Task Order and Delivery Order Contracting for Architectural and Engineering Services. This rules proposes a corresponding change to DFARS Subpart 216.5, Indefinite-Delivery Contracts, to require DoD Contracting Officers (KOs) to use qualification-based selections when awarding task orders and delivery orders for AE services that was previously implemented procedurally under FAR Subparts 16.500, 16.505, and 36.6 procedures in 2005 under the final rule for FAR Case 2004-001 Improvements in Contracting for Architect-Engineer Services. This proposed rule adds DoD-specific statutory guidance (10 U.S.C. 3406(h)(2)) to DFARS directing KOs not to request additional info regarding qualifications unless necessary to determine qualifications for a particular task order or delivery order under a multiple-award contract. There should be little to no impact from this proposed rule since there are no procedural changes, new clauses or provisions, and no new applicability in terms of thresholds or types of contracts. Permalink: https://lnkd.in/gwh2_38J

5

The United States Department of Defense is revamping its SkillBridge program to better facilitate immediate employment for transitioning service members. New requirements mandate that participating companies must demonstrate a "high probability" of job offers post-internship and ensure that 75% of participants receive job offers. This overhaul follows concerns about balancing troop readiness with the demand for the program, which has seen over 12,000 service members enroll in just the first half of FY 2024. While the changes aim to improve job placement outcomes, some veterans worry it may limit participation in this popular program. #DOD #SkillBridge #Veterans #Employment #TransitioningServiceMembers #MilitarySupport #CareerDevelopment #JobTraining #Workforce #Hiring #Internships

2

Body camera footage from the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania reveals significant communication breakdowns and chaotic responses among law enforcement. The footage shows police officers scrambling to respond to the attack, with confusion over the shooter’s location and frustration over missed security measures. One officer repeatedly expressed his concerns that the Secret Service failed to adequately secure the area, despite prior warnings. The footage highlights the disarray and lack of coordination between federal, state, and local agencies, ultimately raising questions about the effectiveness of their emergency protocols and the adequacy of their preparations. https://lnkd.in/gYsqS6Um The secret service agency should own up to its gross failure instead of passing the buck. The mature thing to do would be to acknowledge this as one of the gravest mistakes in recent times and ensure it never happens again. Such diffusion of responsibility should not be acceptable. This lapse in security protocols put the former president's life at unnecessary risk, exposing a critical vulnerability in the Secret Service’s ability to perform its most essential duty. #SecurityFailure #EmergencyResponse #TrumpAssassinationAttempt

1

Let's create a repository of questions and answers for those who have "Earn a PMP" on their 2025 Bingo Card. Post a question below. Answer one while you are there! #pmp #projectmanagement #militarytransition

2

They get it from around the world. No, the man in the video clip does not reside in this country, but is merely a person who has logic and common sense and provides a great message to us all. It’s not just America that is impacted by our presidency, as we know, the impacts of the office has global implications! For Biden-Harris, they have been a huge negative as their incompetence and mistakes have led to the botched withdrawal out of Afghanistan, a war in Ukraine, and a complete mess in the Middle East. This did not happen under Trumps watch. Domestically, Biden-Harris were even worse. The wide open border (even during a pandemic) has put this country and citizens at great risk in a multitude of ways - we see it virtually everyday in the news. There is a reason why Americans are responding to Donald Trump, despite all the actions the current administration has taken to stop him, and despite all the money and power used to convince you otherwise. They attack him using Marxist tactics, stating he is facist, a “Hitler”, that he is unstable (can you imagine that after we have witnessed the 3+ years of the total cognitive decline of our current president, and being told by Harris herself that Joe is sharp as a tack and on top of everthing with energy and gusto(?)!!). It did not stop Trump, nor the people who support him for two reasons. One, we know they are lying and using Marxist tactics to smear their opponent, and two, we agree with Trump’s policies, which are for the American citizens and the betterment of this country. So what do the Democrats do knowing this? In a last ditch effort, they attack their own citizens of this country, like the power loving elitist that they are. They label us as a “cult”, “white supremacist”, a “threat to democracy” and others, but they saved their best for last, that we are “garbage”. All in an effort to shame you, to make you feel guilty, to silence you, and to get you to support them by psychological force. Like all their power hungry tactics, it is not working and is having the opposite effect. These politicians don’t make this country, the “we the people”, the citizens of this country, do, and it is time for us to wield our power! I am talking about our power to vote. They answer to us, and it is time for us to send our message to them - we aren’t having it anymore. The biased msm who cater to their masters within the Democratic Party cannot influence us any longer with the lefts propoganda. It’s important we independently make our choices on November 5th! I hope and pray that everyone exercises their right to vote, and they use the type of logic that is clearly being displayed by concerned people around the world. America should be seen as a great beacon for the world, but that is not happening with this administration. It’s not about “turning the page”, it’s about finding a new book (not the Marxist book the Democrats use!). 🇺🇸🇺🇸

526

96 Comments

Stick to your word

1

U.S. Department of Defense: Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine (PDF) ~ November 1, 2024 "The United States has committed more than $61 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $60.4 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24, 2022." https://lnkd.in/dYD_XQEy The White House: Remarks by President Biden on the End of the War in Afghanistan ~ August 31, 2021 "$2 trillion spent in Afghanistan — a cost that researchers at Brown University estimated would be over $300 million a day for 20 years in Afghanistan — for two decades — yes, the American people should hear this: $300 million a day for two decades. Aug 31, 2021" https://lnkd.in/dyFt4-J7 Russia War Cost "The study found that direct losses in the first four days of the war amounted to about $7 billion, including military equipment and personnel losses." ~ Ground Report, May 28, 2022 https://lnkd.in/djDha7xs "Some estimates put the cost of Putin's invasion of Ukraine at $1 billion a day. Meanwhile, there is growing support for claims that Russia is misrepresenting the state of its economy." ~ August 22, 2022 https://lnkd.in/dKPe6fYX "Putin Ally Warns 'Most Companies' in Russia Face Collapse" ~ News Week, October 25, 2024 https://lnkd.in/d2pfRj3y China War Cost China lost 36% of its billionaires to years of economic troubles and crackdowns ~ Business Insider, October 30, 2024 https://lnkd.in/dXh6tprb

This needs to be investigated.

2

1 Comment

I see this op ed from former SECDEF Gates and I'll raise it: we need a WPA for Defense. I'm talking about President Franklin Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration, a massive investment in public jobs and infrastructure to build many of the roads, bridges, and public places we frequent today. A WPA-D would include training for and placement in defense work - both hardware and software - alongside necessary-but-woefully-lacking investments in construction, fabrication, and assembly facilities to revitalize everything from American shipbuilding to munitions manufacturing. Yes, this would require a massive increase in defense spending. But it would also provide a steady paycheck and a massive up-skilling of the American workforce, especially for those struggling in today's economy. With the right leadership in Congress, it could even be bipartisan. I am under no illusions that increasing government-direct investment in defense can alone solve the problems that Secretary Gates describes below. Paired with an enhanced Advana platform administered by DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, I am hopeful that we can make DoD more accountable and efficient with the taxpayer dollars it already has. But America needs a catalyst to improve its military readiness in a way that tilting and squinting at the POM cannot provide in this moment. And it would provide a needed signal to any potential adversaries that America is not asleep at the geopolitical wheel - we are working on a massive scale to defend and expand freedom around the globe. https://lnkd.in/eF9qkK3F

6

1 Comment

Free speech is the foundation of our democracy. Do you really want to sacrifice our democracy so that Israel can continue its genocide, ethnic cleansing, & brutal, racist apartheid, WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS? Around 70% of the people that Israel has been killing have been WOMEN (>10K) & CHILDREN (>14K), & they have been killing & starving everyone, including babies, disabled kids, elderly, & pregnant women, so this is definitely genocide & NOT a “war”. If we can’t protest the killing of over 14,000 innocent children with our tax dollars, what else can they silence us about? Shouldn’t we all oppose the killing & starving of innocent children regardless of their race or religion? 🙏Please write & call your representatives to demand they stop helping Israel kill children & maintain its brutal, racist apartheid with our tax dollars. And please listen this Jewish Columbia University professor explain how false claims of antisemitism & violence are being weaponized to silence students peacefully protesting U.S. funding of Israel’s genocide, ethnic cleansing, & apartheid: https://lnkd.in/ggb4Gwq8 Professor Milanich also explains that many of the protesters on U.S. campuses are Jewish, so the claim that the protests are anti-Jewish or motivated by antisemitism is ridiculous.

8

2 Comments

🤔 QUICK QUESTION: How much do you know about Federal systems integrators and the role they play in public sector sales and partnerships? If you bring tech to the public sector markets, you need to know the role they play and how to work with them. I'm referring to companies such as Leidos, Raytheon, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and L3Harris Technologies 🙋🏼‍♂️ I'm asking because you're in luck, if you want to know more. On today's #SalesGameChangersPodcast, my guests give a masterclass on how to build, maintain, and grow your relationships and partnerships with these types of companies. 🎤 EPISODE 707: Building Strong Federal Systems Integrator Partnerships with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Leaders Michael Blake and Jillian Swenson. 📖🦻🏼 Listen to the show or read the transcription at https://lnkd.in/eS2iRwsf. 🎙️Subscribe and rate the podcast at http://bit.ly/sgcitunes ⭐ JILLIAN’S ‘TIP: “Differentiate yourselves from your peers by leveraging new #GenAI tools to reduce repetitive time-consuming tasks and gain new insights into your customers. It’s going to free you up and help you bring more unique value to your customers.” 🌟 MIKE’S TIP: “Cultivate a positive mindset and resilience. Selling to large integrators can be very challenging. Develop techniques to maintain motivation, overcome rejections, because there will be rejections, and celebrate your successes. Prioritize building those relationships and really understanding these companies. Focus on the customer’s needs, earning their trust, rather than just going for the hard sale.” ❓Have you partnered with large systems integrators in your career? #governmentcontracting #primecontractor #cloud #fedramp #fisma

53

29 Comments