The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
April 1, 2024
SFPC Early Bird Rates End This Week
Don’t miss your chance to join the Surface Force Projection Conference (SFPC), May 14-17, 2024! Early bird discounted registration rates are available until Friday, April 5, 2024. SFPC, brought to you by the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies (CAS), offers an unparalleled educational and networking experience. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with experienced government and industry attendees at insightful panel sessions and interact with exhibitors. The 2024 SFPC theme, “Ready Now – Contested Joint Force Deployments to & through Strategic Ports,” promises to provide a deeper understanding of our current defense landscape. […READ MORE…]
Meeting with Purpose: GovTravels Goes Carbon-Neutral
By Sharon Lo Managing Editor, Defense Transportation Journal and The Source
A final touches are prepared for the 2024 NDTA-DTMO GovTravels Symposium, NDTA is pleased to announce that some important new plans have been laid for this year’s event. The conference hotel and venue, the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel, has agreed to fund the carbon offset that will enable the Symposium to be carbon-neutral for the first time—an act that feels even more apropos given this year’s meeting theme, “The Future of Government Travel: Trends in Sustainability, Innovation, and Evolving Technologies.” […READ MORE…]
Your Source
Updates Regarding the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore, MD
At approximately 1:30 a.m. ET on March 26, 2024, a cargo ship leaving the Port of Baltimore in Baltimore, MD struck the (I-695) Francis Scott Key Bridge. This caused a collapse of the bridge. Here are helpful details for commercial carriers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). […READ MORE…]
Travel Partner Programs: System for Award Management (SAM) Basics
During the 2024 NDTA-DTMO GovTravels Symposium, representatives from GSA’s Center for Travel and Transportation Acquisition provided an overview of the System for Award Management (SAM). Topics included the purpose of Sam.gov, how to register, and how it impacts a potential offeror’s ability to do business with the Federal Government. […READ MORE…]
DOD Releases Strategy to Bolster Cybersecurity Across Industrial Base
By Joseph Clark, DOD News
The Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy plots a course for increased focus and collaboration between the Defense Department and the U.S. defense industrial base on cybersecurity initiatives amid what officials say are persistent cyberthreats. […READ MORE…]
Editor’s Picks
Spotlight on Service Budgets:
- Navy Wishlist Seeks Red Sea Missiles, Backs Submarine-Industrial Base
- Space Force’s Unfunded Wishlist comes to $1.15B, Including Several Classified Programs
- Marines Expect ‘Big Year’ for Drone, Ship and Logistics Testing
- Air Force’s Wishlist Includes Money for Parts and Readiness
- Army, CENTCOM Ask Congress for Spending Jump for Counter-Drone Mission
- How the Pentagon Found $300M for Ukraine, But is Still Deep in the Red
How to 3D-Print a School in a War Zone
(CNN) With its soft gray lines and sleek, curving exterior, Project Hive looks less like a school and more like a wellness retreat or modern art museum. It’s the first 3D-printed education center in Europe and the first building to be 3D-printed in a war zone, according to Jean-Christophe Bonis, founder of Team4UA, the non-profit responsible for the pilot project.
How to Keep China Out of the Pentagon’s Weapons
(Defense One) Two summers ago, when Honeywell told the Pentagon it feared that a subcontractor had improperly put Chinese metals in some F-35 jet engines, the reaction was swift. We were lucky that time. Next time, could sabotaged or defective Chinese parts, or secret surveillance devices, be slipped into weapons or communications systems by unwitting vendors further down the defense supply chain?
‘MV Roy P. Benavidez’ Sets Sail on Gaza Pier Mission
(gCaptain) The U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Ready Reserve Fleet vessel, MV Roy P. Benavidez, set sail on Wednesday on a mission to construct a temporary pier to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Thank You Corporate Members
Please join us in welcoming NDTA’s newest Sustaining member Wertz Motor Coaches, as well as thanking C5T Corporation for upgrading to the Sustaining level of membership.
Southwest Airlines Acquires SAFFiRE Renewables and Strengthens Focus on Sustainability
(Southwest Airlines) Southwest Airlines Co. has announced the acquisition of SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC, as part of the investment portfolio of its wholly owned subsidiary Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, LLC (SARV). SARV is dedicated to creating more opportunities for Southwest® to obtain scalable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAFFiRE is part of a project supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and produce scalable renewable ethanol that can be upgraded into SAF.
BNSF Railway Builds Upon Safety Record by Utilizing Virtual Reality for Training
(BNSF) With the help of VR Learning Solutions, BNSF has created training solutions to address risk-specific scenarios to potentially avoid incidents and injuries while on the job. This new initiative upholds BNSF’s standards of innovation, while keeping its commitment for safety front and center.
Get Ahead of Travel Disruptions with TripIt Pro Risk Alerts
(SAP Concur) Whether it’s an airline pilot strike, a sudden snowstorm, or a technology outage, travel disruptions happen. And when they do, it’s helpful to know about them as early as possible so you can pivot your travel plans quickly—and save valuable time, money, and peace of mind. Introducing: Risk Alerts—the newest notification from TripIt Pro.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.