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On August 17, Steve Atkiss, a Command Consulting Group principal, was featured in the New York Times where he shared his experience as a former member of the White House staff:

Because it was so remote, with few hotels nearby, the White House leased 11 acres outside the gates from a neighbor of Mr. Bush, and put in five trailers, said Steve Atkiss, a former special assistant to the president for operations, who helped set up the outpost.... “They were pretty run-of-the-mill double-wide trailers,” said Mr. Atkiss, who now works for Command Consulting Group, a security and intelligence consultancy. “They were functional spaces without being in the least bit luxurious. It was not Martha’s Vineyard.”

He also offered an insider's view of presidential vacations:

As with Mr. Obama, Mr. Bush’s sojourns were not vacations in the normal sense of the word. He played host to world leaders at the ranch, and held national security meetings. Mr. Atkiss argued that presidents can actually get more done on vacation, since they are not interrupted by White House ceremonial duties.

To view the full article, please go to For President at Play, Family Outings, Golf and Lots of Advisers in the New York Times.

Airbnb, the leading community marketplace to discover and book unique spaces from people around the world, launches the $50,000 Airbnb Host Guarantee as a part of a suite of safety features, tools, and improvements.

Airbnb retained internationally recognized security and risk management expert and former White House CIO, Theresa Payton of Command Consulting Group, to review Airbnb's current security measures and make recommendations on additional ways the company can enhance the safety and security of its service.

To read the full article, please go to Airbnb Launches Host Guarantee and Suite of Tools and Features to Improve Trust and Safety on Reuters.

R. David Paulison of Command Consulting Group was featured on MSNBC TV to discuss what lies ahead for Japan in face of the devastation left by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

 

 

To watch this video and view the transcript, go to How to assess Japan's humanitarian crisis? on MSNBC TV.

Command Consulting Group principal, Steve Atkiss, was featured in Forbes regarding the the Tuscan Shooting and how it will effect security for members of Congress.  Mr. Atkiss expects to see additional funding for the U.S. Capitol Police, which provides protection for Congress, and that there will be a greater role for the Capitol Police in assessing threats in members’ districts and at their residences. However, he adds:

“I don’t think that they’re going to be looking at protective details for each one of the members.” Right now the Capitol Police provide round-the-clock protection only to top congressional leaders, such as the Speaker and top Democrats and Republicans in each chamber, Atkiss says.

To read the full article, please go to More Government Spending On Security A Likely Result Of Tucson Shooting at Forbes.