Feral Jundi

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Iraq: Bodies of Two British Hostages Identified

Filed under: Canada,Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 10:18 AM

   Rest in peace to these men.  And what really kills me about this news, is that it will be snuffed out by all the other crap going on.  These contractors had been in captivity for awhile, and this is a sobering ending to a bad deal.  If any of the readers have any more to add, feel free to post in the comments section.  I also posted a small deal through the FJ Facebook page. –Matt

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Bodies of 2 British hostages identified

Sunday, June 21, 2009

LONDON — Two bodies handed over to British authorities in Iraq have been identified as bodyguards kidnapped in Baghdad two years ago, the government said Sunday.

The Foreign Office said the two bodies were “highly likely” those of Jason Creswell, from Glasgow, Scotland, and Jason Swindlehurst, from Skelmersdale in northwest England.

The two men worked for Canadian security firm GardaWorld and were abducted in May 2007 along with information technology consultant Peter Moore and two other bodyguards, identified only as Alan and Alec.

(more…)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Industry Talk: Wars Test Limits of Law Requiring Insurance for Overseas Contractors

Filed under: Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 10:16 AM

Wars test limits of law requiring insurance for overseas contractors

By Robert Brodsky rbrodsky@govexec.com

June 19, 2009

A 1941 law mandating insurance for contractors working overseas was not designed to handle conflicts on the scale of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and should be reformed, witnesses told a House panel on Thursday evening.

The Defense Base Act originally was intended to cover a small contingent of engineers and construction workers overseas, officials told the House Oversight and Government Reform Domestic Policy Subcommittee during a hearing delayed by five hours due to a marathon lineup of votes on the fiscal 2010 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. But about 200,000 civilian workers are involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and nearly 35,000 contractor employees have been injured or killed since the wars began.

(more…)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Industry Talk: ExecutiveBiz, The CEO’s Blog

Filed under: Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:02 AM

     Hey gang, here is an interesting little blog that I stumbled upon.  These guys have been pumping out stories and content since 2004, yet this is the first time I have ever heard of them.  I am always surprised by the amount of resources there are out there.  

     I wanted to highlight their last couple of stories in the blog, and the job board.  One story is called “Ten Questions for DynCorp International CEO Bill Ballhaus“.  You don’t hear much about Bill, but it sounds like he was born and bred for being the CEO of Dyncorp, and really did well when he worked for BAE.

    The second story is called “What’s next in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan: Mary Beth Long“, and talks about some interesting contracting issues coming up in those places.  

     The job board is cool too, if you are looking to become the VP of BAE or some high level management type in some defense company.  Check it out, and this is essential reading if you want to collect some intel on the movers and shakers out there. –Matt

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Executive Biz Logo 

ExecutiveBiz.com is dedicated to covering the executives making business in and around Washington, DC.  Since its inception in 2004, ExecutiveBiz.com has focused on ‘C level’ executives and thought leaders making their mark on both the federal and commercial sectors.

Through our weekly emagazine and daily blog, ExecutiveBiz.com offers our readership of nearly 50,000 executives an insider’s view of news and trends shaping small, medium, and large companies within industries such as defense, technology, and health care.  We turn the spotlight on national thought leaders as well through interviews with Tim Ferris, Patrick Lencioni, David Allen, Carly Fiorina, and Stedman Graham, among others.

ExecutiveBiz also connects executives offline. We engage the DC business community in an ongoing dialogue through some of the area’s most respected business events including breakfast roundtables, executive dinners, and all-day conferences. Past events include the largest-ever Web 2.0 event in the DC area and high-profile luncheons featuring a list of speakers that reads like a who’s who in business, government, and public policy.

Website Here.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Publications: At What Cost? Contingency Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, By the CWC

 

   Interesting report and check it out.  The things I thought were interesting was the discussion about the TWISS2 contracts, the RUF, and the fear of repeating the same mistakes in Afghanistan.  You think? pfffffft.-Matt

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Wartime Contracting Report

At What Cost? Contingency Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan

By the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan 

 

Let the commission know what you think, click here. 

Technology: The Cantenna–A Field Expedient WiFi Antenna

     On most contracts out there, you will have access to some kind of WiFi or internet connection.  If you have access to some WiFi, yet you are a little far from that WiFi hub to get a full signal, you just might have to make a field expedient antenna to make a connection.  This little DIY site is awesome, and explains the parts and process for building a cheap WiFi Antenna that you could throw away after your contract is over.(save the nuts and bolts, the N type female chassis-mount connector, and wire if you want) You can also buy an amplifier to increase the strength of the signal. These parts are small and light for just a basic Cantenna, and I like that. To read more about WiFi antennas, check this out.

     Also, if you are going to use WiFi over there, make sure to use password protected WiFi hubs, and only use the unsecured WiFi hubs at your own risk.  Also, make sure it is authorized in your AO to set something like this up.  Some camps would not be down with this stuff and others probably don’t care. As to the FCC’s thoughts on WiFi antennas, here you go. –Matt

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Tin Can Waveguide Antenna

How To Build A Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna

Got no dough for a commercial WiFi antenna? Looking for an inexpensive way to increase the range of your wireless network? A tin can waveguide antenna, or Cantenna, may be just the ticket. This design can be built for under $5 U.S. and reuses a food, juice, or other tin can.

I am not an electrical engineer, nor do I have access to any fancy test equipment. I’ve built some antennas that worked for me and thought I would share what I learned. I have no idea if this is safe for your radio or wireless network equipment. The risk to you and your equipment is yours.

Building your Cantenna is easy, just follow these steps.

   1. Collect the parts

   2. Drill or punch holes in your can to mount the probe

   3. Assemble the probe and mount in can

Learn How to Build Antenna Here.

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