The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
October 22, 2025
Register Today
February 23 – 26, 2026
The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA), in association with the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) and the General Services Administration (GSA), is hosting the 2026 GovTravels February 23-26, 2026, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA.
GovTravels is a four-day event that brings together bringing together experts from across the federal government and the commercial travel industry to examine a wide range of issues that impact the government’s multi-billion dollar travel enterprise. During this event we educate and train DoD travel managers on best practices and strategies, allow government program administrators to learn more about emerging technologies, exchange ideas and collaborate on travel issues, identify & capture actions and build relationships among government and industry commercial travel experts. […READ MORE…]
Virtual Webinar: “Technology’s Role in Modern Irregular Warfare: Access, AI, and Adversaries”
Although the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting was cancelled due to the U.S. Federal Government Shutdown, a Transportation Academy panel conducted a virtual webinar this week called “Technology’s Role in Modern Irregular Warfare: Access, AI, and Adversaries.” This high-value session was conducted by the leaders listed below.
Moderator & Panelists:
• MG (Ret) Ed Dorman III — Moderator, Irregular Warfare Center
• Aaron Stanek — IBM
• Dave Bradley — r4 Technologies
• Jim Utley — Bennett Motor Express
Click here for a recap of the webinar and learn about how state and non-state actors increasingly leverage commercial tech (drones, AI, cyber) to observe, disrupt, and degrade logistics and mobility. This webinar explores the dual nature of technology — how we can use it for predictive sustainment and red-teaming while adversaries use the same tools for kill-chain mapping, deception, and supply-chain attacks. Expect practical takeaways for industry, government, and allied partners.
DOD Decides Against Privatizing Service Members’ Household Goods Moves
(Military Times) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decided to reverse course on the idea to privatize the process that moves service members’ household goods.
Instead, he directed officials to improve the current program, which will remain in place for at least three years, according to an advisory sent to the military services and personal property shipping offices, as well as companies previously approved to move troops and families under the “tender of service” program, the DOD’s legacy system for managing moves. […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
NDTA truly appreciates your support for this incredible Toys for Tots campaign!
Editor’s Picks
Army Budget Prioritizes Counterspace for First Time
(Breaking Defense) The Army has included counterspace capabilities as a top priority in its five-year budget program starting in fiscal 2027 as it moves closer to establishing a new space branch.
“This year during program budget review, we included counterspace capabilities for the first time in our strategic priority list. Again, that’s the Army prioritizing how important these consequential capabilities are in making sure that they get the requisite resources, a consequential action,” Col. Pete Atkinson, space division chief at the Army Strategic Operations Directorate, said at the annual Association of US Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, DC.
Counterdrone Tech Has a Production Problem
(Defense One) The defense industry must produce counterdrone technology quickly—and in high numbers—to stay ahead of a potential drone threat. But delicate supply chains can make it harder for some companies to meet demand.
“I have a lot of niche capabilities that are out there, but we may be challenged in scaling from an industrial perspective,” said Col. Marc Pelini, who leads the Army’s air and missile defense cross-functional team.
Pentagon’s New Counterdrone Task Force to Arm Future ACE Airmen
(Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Pentagon’s new counterdrone task force will play a direct role in arming Airmen with new weapons to defend remote air bases against enemy drone attacks, the director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said.
The Pentagon has launched multiple programs to counter growing concerns about inexpensive, hard-to-detect drones. Options range in size and complexity, from hand-held Dronebusters to trailer-size high-power microwave systems like the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR.
The Army’s New Watercraft Plan Banks on Autonomy, Commercial Ships
(DefenseNews) The Army’s long-awaited watercraft strategy charts a course that prioritizes sustaining an aging fleet, leveraging commercial solutions, and accelerating experimentation with autonomous vessels.
The strategy, which has yet to be published publicly, takes “a much more holistic or comprehensive approach to Army watercraft,” said Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, the Army deputy chief of staff G-8 chief.
(Seapower Magazine) Eureka Naval Craft unveiled the AIRCAT Bobcat, a 57-foot, ultra high-speed catamaran landing craft designed to move personnel and materiel rapidly into littoral zones, up rivers, and through estuaries where ports and infrastructure are limited or denied. Autonomous or optionally manned, the all-aluminum Bobcat can carry up to 10 tons of cargo or 36 troops.
Boeing Launches New Family of Tiltrotor Combat Drones
(TWZ.com) Boeing has announced plans for a family of new, tiltrotor drones that are intended to support existing crewed military helicopters, especially those of the U.S. Army, providing something like an equivalent to the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Boeing describes the drones as “collaborative rotorcraft” and expects them to serve alongside more conventional helicopters.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Accelerates Rewards with Return of ‘Plus Your Points’ Promotion
(Enterprise Mobility) Enterprise Rent-A-Car is offering the opportunity to double your rewards. Beginning Oct.15, Enterprise Plus members can preregister for the Plus Your Points promotion, which returns Oct. 29 through Feb. 28, 2026. The promo offers double points on qualifying rentals open to registered members in select markets, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.
(Leidos.com) Leidos and VML have created Imperium, a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technology platform designed to enhance U.S. capabilities to conduct information operations. The platform can automatically recognize shifting narratives, emerging threats, and opportunities for proactive response in support of U.S. information operations.
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