The Insider

The Pentagon announced today that Arsenio Gumahad has been named deputy director for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the Defense Department's acquisition office. Gumahad previously served as chief executive of IC Vets.

Wendin Smith, the former vice president for strategic development at Scitor, has been named deputy assistant secretary of defense for countering weapons of mass destruction, while Christopher Maier, former senior adviser to the National Counterterrorism Center director, has been named deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combating terrorism.

Andrew Exum, previously a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, has been appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, and Aaron Hughes, formerly vice president for intelligence community support at In-Q-Tel, has been appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy.

Additionally, Abraham Denmark, previously an executive at the National Bureau of Asian Research, has been picked to be deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, and Maura Sullivan, formerly with the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been named assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs.

The Air Force successfully launched its 10th Global Positioning System IIF satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.

The Boeing-built satellite lifted off at 11:36 a.m., the front end of its launch window. It flew on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

The Air Force has just two more GPS IIF satellites in storage. The next will be launched in October and the last satellite next February.

Inside the Air Force reported last month that Senate appropriators are calling for two cost and requirements reviews of the next-generation GPS:

In the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee's mark of the fiscal year 2016 defense spending bill, which the full committee approved June 11, lawmakers directed the cost assessment and program evaluation office and the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to "review the cost of and validate the requirements for" the Air Force's plan to accelerate the GPS III launch schedule. The panel is concerned that launching satellites too early could cause a capability gap if the new ground segment is not yet operational.

(This regular feature highlights protests decided by the Government Accountability Office.)

Agency: Defense Human Resource Activity

Awardee: Interactive Government Holdings

Protester: Task Source/Military Personnel Services Corp.

What GAO found: Task Source protested the award to IGH of a Defense Human Resource Activity contract for support staff services for its Family Employer Programs and Policy Office. The GAO notes DHRA originally awarded the deal to Task Source, but learned that one of the principals of Military Personnel Services Corp. -- with which Task Source had formed a joint venture -- had pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges and that another individual associated with MPSC had previously pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges. The agency terminated the contract and awarded it to IGH, according to GAO.

"Task Source argues that the agency’s actions were improper because it was unreasonable for the agency to have considered the two individuals that had pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as 'principals' of MPSC," GAO writes. "Task Source also alleges that the agency’s actions were improper because MPSC had withdrawn from the joint venture."

However, GAO denied the protest.

The decision: http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/671403.pdf

Defense Secretary Ash Carter is being dispatched to Israel by President Obama next week to reassure the Israelis of the United States' continued commitment to their security in wake of a historic nuclear agreement with Iran that has been denounced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a White House statement.

In a call with Netanyahu earlier today, Obama "noted that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's visit next week to Israel is a reflection of the unprecedented level of security cooperation between the United States and Israel, and that the visit offers a further opportunity to continue our close consultation on security issues with Israeli counterparts as we remain vigilant in countering the Iranian regime's destabilizing activities in the region," according to a White House readout.

Though Carter released a statement praising the new deal with Iran, he asserted that the United states remained ready to defend its interests and those of its allies, noting that military options remain on the table to "check Iranian malign influence."

"The Department of Defense is today, and will always be ready, to defend the United States and our interests," Carter said. "Our military -- including tens of thousands of U.S. forces in the Middle East -- are full speed ahead maintaining a strong presence in the Gulf. We remain prepared and postured to bolster the security of our friends and allies in the region, including Israel; to defend against aggression; ensure freedom of navigation in the Gulf; and check Iranian malign influence. We will utilize the military option if necessary."

The week ahead features a high-profile nomination hearing and a think tank appearance by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) likely to address lawmakers' ongoing work on the proposed National Defense Authorization Act and the Obama administration's veto threat.

Tuesday

The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing to consider Air Force Gen. Paul Selva's nomination to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Selva is the current chief of U.S. Transportation Command. The committee is also scheduled to consider Air Force Gen. Darren McDrew's nomination to succeed Selva at TRANSCOM.

Wednesday

McCain is scheduled to appear at the Heritage Foundation in Washington to discuss Pentagon budgets, reforms and the proposed NDAA.

The bill is scheduled to reach Obama's desk at the end of the month, but he has threatened to veto it unless the legislation lifts 2011 Budget Control Act spending caps for non-defense and defense priorities alike.

McCain is expected to depart after his remarks, but will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Todd Harrison, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; Roger Zakheim, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and John Bonsell, vice president for government affairs at Science Applications International Corp. The discussion will be moderated by Justin Johnson, senior policy analyst for defense budgeting policy at Heritage.

Friday

Alan Estevez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, is scheduled to appear at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Friday to discuss defense acquisition reform.

Jacques Gansler, the former Pentagon acquisition chief who now serves as director for the Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the University of Maryland, and retired General John P. Jumper, a former Air Force chief of staff and SAIC CEO, are also set to attend. The discussion will be moderated by Andrew Hunter, former director of the Pentagon's joint rapid acquisition cell who now runs the defense-industrial initiatives group at CSIS.

(This regular feature highlights protests decided by the Government Accountability Office.)

Agency: Defense Logistics Agency

Awardee: Bremen-Bowdon Investment Co.

Protester: Omega Apparel

What GAO found: Omega Apparel filed a protest with the GAO over a DLA contract awarded to Bremen-Bowdon for Army men's dress trousers with braid. Though Omega had received a better evaluation, its price of $10.4 million was higher than Bremen-Bowdon's $8.6 million.

Omega argued its proposal should not have received the same past-performance rating as Bremen-Bowdon and contended DLA "essentially converted the best value competition set forth in the solicitation to a lowest-priced, technically-acceptable competition in order to award the contract to Bremen." GAO denied the protest.

(This regular feature highlights protests decided by the Government Accountability Office.)

Agency: Army Materiel Command

Awardee: AHR Metals

Protester: ThermoAir Spray Booths

What GAO found: ThermoAir Spray Booths protested its elimination from a competition for four spray/bake booths at Anniston Army Depot, arguing Army Materiel Command improperly ruled its quotation unacceptable and was biased against ThermoAir.

"ThermoAir appears to argue, at best, that the Army’s requirement that vendors provide all information required under the solicitation is evidence of bias, as the required information should have been 'evident,'" GAO writes. "The protester’s allegation fails to meet the high standard for demonstrating that an agency’s actions were tainted by bias." GAO denied the protest.