Thomas D. Cairns Named Chief Human Capital Officer at DHS

President Bush announced on May 8 his intention to appoint Thomas D. Cairns to be Chief Human Capital Officer at the Department of Homeland Security.  

Cairns currently serves as a Principal at the Cairns Blaner Group, LLC.  Prior to this, he served as Senior Vice President for Human Resources at NBC Universal.  Earlier in his career, he served as the Vice President of Employee Relations at NBC.  Cairns received his bachelor's degree from Rider University.  He received his master's degree and DBA from Nova Southeastern University. 

Chertoff Announces First Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Technology Directorate

On April 25 Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced he had chosen Bradley Buswell as the department’s first Deputy Under Secretary for the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate.

Prior to joining the department, Buswell served for more than 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine officer, and also worked as a manager for General Electric Global Research, GE’s corporate laboratory. He most recently served as the S&T Chief of Staff, and has led its transformation in strategy and operations over the last 18 months. His efforts in restructuring the organization have significantly enhanced S&T’s ability to transition technology from research to implementation.

Navy Re-Establishes U.S. Fourth Fleet

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced on April 24 the re-establishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet and assigned Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, currently serving as commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, as its new commander. Kernan will be the first Navy SEAL to serve as a numbered fleet commander.

U.S. Fourth Fleet will be dual-hatted with the existing commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO), currently located in Mayport, Florida. U.S. Fourth Fleet has been re-established to address the increased role of maritime forces in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of operations, and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to regional partners. Fourth Fleet will be responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft, and submarines operating in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Established in 1943, the U.S. Fourth Fleet was a major U.S. Navy command in the South Atlantic during World War II. The Fourth Fleet was disestablished in 1950 when responsibilities were taken over by the U.S. Second Fleet.

Douglas O’Dell Selected to be Coordinator of Gulf Coast Recovery

President Bush announced April 18 his selection of Douglas O’Dell as the Coordinator of Federal Support for the Recovery and Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Region.

O’Dell has extensive command and control experience, including emergency response and the transition to ongoing management, notably serving as commander of U.S. Marine Forces, Joint Task Force Katrina / Rita during Gulf Coast relief operations.

O’Dell completed a 39-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring last year as a Major General with command of the New Orleans-based 4th Marine Division, the largest combat unit in the Corps. Immediately after 9/11, he was activated to lead 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism), and also served as Vice Commander of Marine Forces for Europe, the Atlantic and South America.

Department of Homeland Security Appoints Chief Information Officer

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced on April 8 that Richard Mangogna has been appointed to serve as the Department of Homeland Security’s Chief Information Officer.

Mangogna came from the Mason Harriman Group where he served as a senior advisor to our various component agencies. Mangogna’s previous experience include being a chief information officer for JP Morgan Chase, the division head of Business Re-engineering Management at Chase Manhattan Bank, and President and CEO of COVIDEA online technology services.

DNI Names New Director of Public Affairs

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced on April 3 that veteran newsman Richard Willing has joined DNI as its Director of Public Affairs. Willing, 59, covered civil and criminal justice issues, as well as intelligence and national security, for USA Today from 1997 until this January. Previously, Willing covered the auto industry and organized labor for the Washington bureau of The Detroit News. Willing’s work has also appeared in the Washington Post Style section, Washingtonian magazine and the Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies. On radio, he has reported for BBC-Ulster and Radio Canada.

Willing holds honors degrees from Yale and Ohio State universities. He began work March 31.

Director Picked to head DHS's National Cyber Security Center

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced on March 20 the appointment of Rod Beckstrom as the first director of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). Beckstrom will serve the department by coordinating cyber security efforts and improving situational awareness and information sharing across the federal government.

The department is leading efforts to protect federal networks and enhance capabilities that defend and reduce cyber-associated risks.

Beckstrom has over 25 years of experience in designing and implementing new internet technologies. He brings to the department a specialized Internet expertise, and unique entrepreneurial and creative business thinking. Beckstrom received both his BA and MBA from Stanford University, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Switzerland.