The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
November 13, 2025
Registration Now Open
Travel Academy Overview
Register for GovTravels today! The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA), in association with the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) and the General Services Administration (GSA), will host GovTravels 2026, February 23-26, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria, VA. The 2026 GovTravels theme, “Navigating New Horizons: Empowering Government and Travel Industry through Education & Training,” highlights the importance of staying mission-ready through continuous learning. Don’t miss the Travel Academy’s unique and interactive breakout classes that offer an unparalleled educational experience. Be part of the future of government travel! […READ MORE…]
Sean Duffy Warns Air Travel Is ‘Only Going to Get Worse’ as Thanksgiving Approaches
(NBC News) Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air travel will worsen before the holidays as the U.S. enters the third day of federally mandated flight reductions.
“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union. “I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving. You’re going to see air travel reduced to a trickle.” […READ MORE…]
Unveiling Acquisition Overhaul, Hegseth Tells Industry to Get with the Program
By Lauren C. Williams
(Defense One) Move faster and invest more, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told hundreds of defense-industry executives on Friday—or we just might make you. Hegseth, who spoke to a packed auditorium at the National War College, formally unveiled a slew of policy changes intended to replace his department’s Cold War-era acquisition processes with ones that value speed over rigid requirements.
Click to read Secretary Hegseth’s official memorandum to leadership with the subject line: “Transforming the Defense Acquisition System into the Warfighting Acquisition System to Accelerate Fielding of Urgently Needed Capabilities to Our Warriors,” followed by the Acquisition Transformation Strategy.
Click to view the DoD Acquisition Transformation Strategy. […READ MORE…]
One Month In, U.S. Halts Port Fees Aimed at Countering China’s Shipbuilding Dominance
By Mike Schuler
(gCaptain.com) The United States has officially suspended port fees targeting China’s maritime dominance for one year, effective November 10, following a trade deal between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The move ends fees that had been active for less than a month and suspends what labor unions call a cornerstone of the administration’s strategy to rebuild American shipbuilding. […READ MORE…]
Pentagon Begins Enforcing CMMC Compliance, but Readiness Gaps Remain
By
Experts said that readiness gaps are fueled by CMMC’s controversial history, misconceptions of what the rule change means and challenges in proving compliance. And while the road to get CMMC 2.0 across the finish line has been six years in the making, there are still disparities among the defense industrial base’s readiness to validate the cybersecurity controls required by the program. […READ MORE…]
NDTA and Toys for Tots are recruiting your support to help Santa’s Elves!
How does Santa get around to all the children in just one night?
He has LOTS of help: Elves, Marines, & YOU!
Join NDTA in our effort to support the annual
Marine Toys for Tots Program.
Please send or bring any new, unwrapped toys to our office
between Friday, November 7 and Monday, December 8, 2025.
Or, bring a toy AND celebrate with us and the Marines on
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Our doors will be open between 12 and 2pm.
At 1:15pm an official celebration of contributions will be held.
Enjoy refreshments and photographs with a pair of dedicated Marines!
If you are not able to drop off a toy in person, please send new, unwrapped toys to NDTA at the address below.
Financial donations are also welcome.
You may drop off or mail a check payable to Toys for Tots to:
NDTA
Attention: Jennifer Reed
50 S. Pickett Street, Suite #220
Alexandria, VA 22304
If you would like to make a donation via credit card, please call NDTA
703-751-5011
NDTA truly appreciates your support for this incredible Toys for Tots campaign!
WELCOME NEW MEMBER
Editor’s Picks
Golden Dome Missile Shield Key to Ensuring Nuclear Second Strike Capability: U.S. Admiral
(TWZ.com) A key aspect of the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative is ensuring America’s ability to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes, the nominee to become the next head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) has stressed. This comes amid particular concerns within the halls of the U.S. government about the new deterrence challenges posed by China’s ongoing push to expand the scope and scale of its nuclear capabilities dramatically.
Can U.S. Intel Keep Up with China’s Tsunami of Weapons Developments?
(TWZ.com) China has ramped up its weapons development programs to a breathtaking degree, introducing waves of new missiles, ground combat systems, and vessels, as well as vastly expanding its nuclear triad. In just the past few months alone, China showed off gobs of new hardware, especially during its Victory Day parade in September.
Army Sets Out to Buy a Million Drones By 2028
(TWZ.com) Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll talked about his service’s new drone acquisition plans in a recent phone interview with Reuters from Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. The service also hopes the purchases will foster an industrial base that can churn out uncrewed aerial systems at similarly high rates for years to come.
Building the Hybrid Fleet: Unmanned Subsurface Awareness for Naval Superiority
(gCaptain.com) Unmanned and autonomous systems are rapidly reshaping naval operations, advancing from experimental to essential. Naval forces across the globe are aggressively pursuing hybrid fleet archetypes merging traditional manned naval operations alongside unmanned surface vessels (USV). In many cases, this integrated dynamic is already being fielded; however, the doctrine for the roles these platforms will play is largely unwritten.
Coast Guard Grants Temporary Relief to Mariners as Shutdown Paralyzes Credentialing
(gCaptain.com) The U.S. Coast Guard has extended merchant mariner credentials and medical certificates through January 31, 2026, as the federal government shutdown approaches its fifth week with no resolution in sight.
The National Maritime Center (NMC), which is the centralized credentialing authority within the U.S. Coast Guard responsible for evaluating applications and issuing Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMCs) and medical certificates, remains closed along with all Regional Examination Centers and walk-in services.
(FedEx) Last month, FedEx continued its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) procurement momentum, beginning to take delivery of blended SAF at two additional U.S. airports for the first time: Chicago-O’Hare Airport and Miami International Airport. The start of these fuel deliveries in October marked the company’s second and third deployments of blended SAF at a major U.S. airport in six months.
GEODIS Honored Twice at the 2025 Supply Chain Resilience & Sustainability Awards
(Geodis.com) Geodis Transportation Solutions was recognized at the 2025 Supply Chain Resilience & Sustainability Awards, earning two distinctions for its road network operation in Asia – Ground Transportation Excellence in Asia Pacific (MNC) and Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence. The awards celebrate companies that demonstrate exceptional performance in strengthening supply chain resilience and sustainability worldwide.
Matson, Inc. Takes $6.4 Million Hit from U.S.-China Port Fee Standoff
(gCaptain.com) Honolulu-based carrier Matson, Inc. says it absorbed $6.4 million in port entry fees in the first three weeks of U.S. and China imposing reciprocal charges on each other’s vessels before reaching a suspension agreement.
The port entry fees began on October 14 when both the United States and China simultaneously implemented measures targeting each other’s shipping.
The standoff ended quickly when Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping reached a trade and economic deal announced on October 30, with the suspension becoming effective November 10.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.