American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn't envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later. While on a dismounted patrol in Kandahar province in July, Wright led his platoon through a dangerous area where he thought a weapons cache was hidden. As he walked in the direction where he thought the stockpile was located, his foot triggered an improvised explosive device.
"I don't remember the blast or the pressure or the heat from the explosion," he said. "I just remember waking up afterwards and realizing that my leg was missing."
Last night, Wright and other wounded warriors recovering at local Fisher Houses and their families joined Vice President Joe Biden and the vice president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, at their residence here for a family-style Thanksgiving meal.
"I think it was a wonderful thing that the vice president and his wife did to open their home to soldiers and wounded warriors," Wright said today in an interview. "The hospitality was amazing, the conversation was great. I sat right next to Dr. Biden for part of the meal, and the other part of the meal, the vice president sat down with me. The conversation was common folk conversation. It was Anywhere, USA."
Though Wright is now fitted with a prosthetic leg that allows him to walk, he needs a wheelchair until he's able to build his endurance to remain mobile for long periods of time. "Within 3 to 4 months, I should be able to ditch the wheelchair and be able to walk," he said optimistically.
Speaking to Wright and about 35 other wounded warriors, military families and other guests, Biden recalled that the vice presidential home through the years has hosted presidents, heads of state and famous world leaders.
"But I can say without fear of contradiction, never before has this place been accorded such honor as with your presence here today, and I mean that sincerely," he said. "You possess more courage, dignity and a sense of patriotism than any other group of Americans."
The Bidens, whose son Beau served in Iraq as a captain in the Delaware National Guard, felt the sacrifice a family experiences when their loved one is deployed over the holidays.
"Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and this year I feel especially thankful that we have our son Beau home with us, because like Joe said, we're a military family," she said. "I'm a military mom, and I remember what it was like on Thanksgiving for our whole family. We pretended like everything was OK, but our hearts felt heavy. I know how many of you feel or many of you have felt."
Dr. Biden, who has reached out to military families across the country since her husband joined the campaign trail, said she tries to impart a message to Americans.
"One thing I've tried to do is to say to American families, 'Reach out to a military family in your community,'" she said. "It doesn't matter what you're doing. Take them cookies. Put a wreath on the door. Stuff a stocking. Take some books over for their children. Whatever it is, reach out to a military family and say, 'Thank you.'"
As Wright continues his physical recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, he also has embarked on another form of recuperation: learning to be comfortable with his place in society.
"When I got hurt, I kind of wanted to stay within myself and draw away from the public eye because of my injuries," he said. "I was kind of self-conscious about my scars. I didn't really want to interact with anybody, except my wife and my family."
But the more he interacted with the world outside his family, he said, the more his sense of normalcy began to return. A family-style dinner like last night's, he added, is a welcome shift of focus away from his injuries.
"You tend to focus on other activities such as the football game last night or the upcoming holiday season -- other than just, 'Oh, I got hurt, and now I've got this godawful scar, and now I have this leg,'" he said. "So it's very helpful. The social interaction really helps the psyche.
"It's a shame that more people did not accept the invitation because I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he continued. "It was the chance to meet the vice president and his wife, and just come to find out that they're normal Americans that like to open their home to wounded warriors."
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Secretary Issues Holiday Season Message
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today issued a holiday season message giving thanks to the military men and women who put their lives on the line every day. "This time of year calls on Americans to reflect on and give thanks for the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy. Of course, we can only do so because of those who put their lives on the line every day: the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who bear repeated deployments, hardships, and danger – without fail and without complaint.
"Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our nation will always honor their memory. For the loved ones of the fallen, I offer my deepest sympathies and prayers for your loss. And, in the wake of the shootings at Fort Hood, know that I am committed to ensuring that our home bases are safe and secure.
"I know the holiday season can be especially difficult for service members and their families, who may be separated from each other by thousands of miles. To the families of our men and women in uniform: know that the American people are indebted to you for the sacrifices of your husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters.
"This will be my third holiday season spent as Secretary of Defense. During these years nothing has impressed me as much as the determination, resilience and good humor of those who defend our nation. This holiday season, along with "Happy Thanksgiving," "Happy Hanukkah," and "Merry Christmas," I would add two words on behalf of millions of your countrymen: "Thank you."
Nov. 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today issued a holiday season message giving thanks to the military men and women who put their lives on the line every day. "This time of year calls on Americans to reflect on and give thanks for the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy. Of course, we can only do so because of those who put their lives on the line every day: the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who bear repeated deployments, hardships, and danger – without fail and without complaint.
"Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our nation will always honor their memory. For the loved ones of the fallen, I offer my deepest sympathies and prayers for your loss. And, in the wake of the shootings at Fort Hood, know that I am committed to ensuring that our home bases are safe and secure.
"I know the holiday season can be especially difficult for service members and their families, who may be separated from each other by thousands of miles. To the families of our men and women in uniform: know that the American people are indebted to you for the sacrifices of your husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters.
"This will be my third holiday season spent as Secretary of Defense. During these years nothing has impressed me as much as the determination, resilience and good humor of those who defend our nation. This holiday season, along with "Happy Thanksgiving," "Happy Hanukkah," and "Merry Christmas," I would add two words on behalf of millions of your countrymen: "Thank you."
HONORING THOSE THAT STAND ON THE WALLS
Nandell Palmer hosted a recent event honoring unsung heroes. We honored men and women that raise families, nurture churches and encourage others. The program included song, dance, oratory and a feast that Nandell and his family prepared and served themselves!
We are talking to Federal Way about such an event to honor law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other emergency personnel. The event should call attention to the need for the whole community to prepare for emergencies.
We are asking everyone in and around Federal Way to think about how we can honor our First Responders. Surrounding communities contain agencies such as South King Fire and Rescue that work in and around Federal Way so we may have to reach out and consider personnel from the surrounding area.
We also need to honor men and women like a JAG officer I know that had to leave his business for a year and assist as an active-duty military lawyer helping soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. We now realize that stateside duty is just as dangerous as going to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Every place is now a danger zone! Modern tactical doctrine has evolved to the point where recognizable fronts and uniformed armies have been replaced with committed packs of warriors that randomly circulate in small teams looking for opportunities. Thus, a teacher, a firefighter or a janitor may need to be just as vigilant as a member of our special forces in Afghanistan!
The risks are all around us every day, not just during an obvious catastrophe. This is why churches and pastors may be the most important key to getting ready for future events. The sense of community that already exists in churches requires that pastors, priests and rabbis- even imams and other leaders- train those within our various spiritual communities so that we do not just react to crises. Get into CERT training and classes provided by the City, state and federal governments and recognize First Responders that labor among you.
Many of us already have extra food and emergency supplies. Many people meet the criteria to be honored as First Responders in one capacity or another. We need a committee to handle the nominations and determine which individuals will be honored. Each individual will represent all responders from the various agencies in and around Federal Way.
None of us are able to take all the steps necessary to prepare for every contingency. We depend on each other. The beginning of good government is when neighbors voluntarily pool resources in order to provide for each other’s well-being and for the common defense. Historically, public order starts with volunteerism. A militia is formed. We divide into specialties. Eventually a strongman starts using force to extort goods and services from his neighbors.
Every Thanksgiving, I appreciate America’s Biblical roots, the U.S. Constitution and the freedom to talk and write about such things. I also appreciate the professionals that have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and stand guard over the City!
Mark S Knapp, Attorney
(253) 661-1252
(Fax) 661-1263
www.firearmslawyer.net
We are talking to Federal Way about such an event to honor law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other emergency personnel. The event should call attention to the need for the whole community to prepare for emergencies.
We are asking everyone in and around Federal Way to think about how we can honor our First Responders. Surrounding communities contain agencies such as South King Fire and Rescue that work in and around Federal Way so we may have to reach out and consider personnel from the surrounding area.
We also need to honor men and women like a JAG officer I know that had to leave his business for a year and assist as an active-duty military lawyer helping soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. We now realize that stateside duty is just as dangerous as going to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Every place is now a danger zone! Modern tactical doctrine has evolved to the point where recognizable fronts and uniformed armies have been replaced with committed packs of warriors that randomly circulate in small teams looking for opportunities. Thus, a teacher, a firefighter or a janitor may need to be just as vigilant as a member of our special forces in Afghanistan!
The risks are all around us every day, not just during an obvious catastrophe. This is why churches and pastors may be the most important key to getting ready for future events. The sense of community that already exists in churches requires that pastors, priests and rabbis- even imams and other leaders- train those within our various spiritual communities so that we do not just react to crises. Get into CERT training and classes provided by the City, state and federal governments and recognize First Responders that labor among you.
Many of us already have extra food and emergency supplies. Many people meet the criteria to be honored as First Responders in one capacity or another. We need a committee to handle the nominations and determine which individuals will be honored. Each individual will represent all responders from the various agencies in and around Federal Way.
None of us are able to take all the steps necessary to prepare for every contingency. We depend on each other. The beginning of good government is when neighbors voluntarily pool resources in order to provide for each other’s well-being and for the common defense. Historically, public order starts with volunteerism. A militia is formed. We divide into specialties. Eventually a strongman starts using force to extort goods and services from his neighbors.
Every Thanksgiving, I appreciate America’s Biblical roots, the U.S. Constitution and the freedom to talk and write about such things. I also appreciate the professionals that have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and stand guard over the City!
Mark S Knapp, Attorney
(253) 661-1252
(Fax) 661-1263
www.firearmslawyer.net
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 24, 2009
NAVY
Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $105,417,721 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee multi-year contract (N00019-07-C-0001) for efforts associated with the Block C upgrade of 91 MV-22 and 21 CV-22 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for the engine air particle separator upgrade and installation of a shaft driven compressor inlet barrier filter. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (90 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (5 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,533,237 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $64,612,516 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0080) for the procurement of one C-40A Clipper aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Renton, Wash. (88 percent), and Wichita, Kan. (12 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Mitchel Field, N.Y., is being awarded a $62,932,901 cost-plus incentive fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the FY10 and FY11 United States and United Kingdom TRIDENT II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services requirements. Specific efforts include United States and United Kingdom fleet support, strategic weapon system shipboard integration support and trainer, United States and United Kingdom trainer systems support, sea based strategic deterrent support, engineering refueling overhaul support, and navigation subsystem studies. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $141,389,203. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, N.Y. (95.4 percent); Oldsmar, Fla. (3.6 percent); Baltimore, Md. (.4 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (.4 percent); Eagan, Minn. (.1 percent) and Manassas, Va. (.1 percent). Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2011. With options exercised the completion date will be Sept. 30, 2013. The contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $30,135,013 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0002).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $34,302,846 delivery order on a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0001) for the full recertification of up to 172 All-Up-Round (AUR) Tomahawk missiles for the Navy (162) and the government of the United Kingdom (10). In addition, this order provides for fixed support for encanisterization/decanisterization of MK-14 AUR missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent) and Camden, Ark. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $32,302,846 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($32,340,646; 94.3 percent) and the United Kingdom ($1,962,200; 5.7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being issued a $26,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of E/A-18G aircraft components. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (90.34 percent), and St. Louis, Mo. (9.66 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $19,223,702 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0020 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Kuwait and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $19,223,702 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an $18,045,324 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus incentive fee/award fee contract (N00019-08-C-0033) to exercise an option for special tooling and special test equipment for Navy and Air Force Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (70 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (19 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($13,340,870; 73.9 percent) and the U.S. Air Force ($4,707,454; 26.1 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,860,585 a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 (AESA) radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (92.5 percent); and St. Louis, Mo. (7.5 percent); and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $12,325,371 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0021 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Iraq, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $12,325,371 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Hurst, Texas, is being issued $9,769,650 for ceiling priced order #0030 under previously awarded contract (N00383-05-G-048N) to repair various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received in response to the solicitation. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., is being awarded $8,987,591 for ceiling priced delivery order #0027 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-05-G-049N) for repair of various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $8,741,602 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0022 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $8,741,602 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Defensive Systems Div., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a $7,526,205 delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) to perform upgrades to the V-22 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, including modifications to the Direct Infrared Countermeasure, the missile warning sensor and processor, and equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $5,777,994 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order # D001 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-07-G-5433) for Canadian uplink on behalf of Foreign Military Sales customer, Canada. The primary goal of this is to upgrade the Canadian Mk-48 guided missile vertical launching system to include the uplink capability for engaging targets with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. This will include both hardware and software upgrades. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I. (85 percent); and Sudbury, Mass. (15 percent);, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $25,730,506 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of two line items in support of F/A-18 flight surfaces systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-004H-THAK).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $15,500,000 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of twenty line items in support of the F/A-18 AESA APG73 radar system. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-001J-TH07).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $23,700,000 contract which will extend range standardization and Automation IIA support to complete the mission flight control center. At this time, $15,224,822 has been obligated. SMC/LRSW/PK of El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-95-C-0029, P00311).
Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $105,417,721 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee multi-year contract (N00019-07-C-0001) for efforts associated with the Block C upgrade of 91 MV-22 and 21 CV-22 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for the engine air particle separator upgrade and installation of a shaft driven compressor inlet barrier filter. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (90 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (5 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,533,237 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $64,612,516 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0080) for the procurement of one C-40A Clipper aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Renton, Wash. (88 percent), and Wichita, Kan. (12 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Mitchel Field, N.Y., is being awarded a $62,932,901 cost-plus incentive fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the FY10 and FY11 United States and United Kingdom TRIDENT II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services requirements. Specific efforts include United States and United Kingdom fleet support, strategic weapon system shipboard integration support and trainer, United States and United Kingdom trainer systems support, sea based strategic deterrent support, engineering refueling overhaul support, and navigation subsystem studies. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $141,389,203. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, N.Y. (95.4 percent); Oldsmar, Fla. (3.6 percent); Baltimore, Md. (.4 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (.4 percent); Eagan, Minn. (.1 percent) and Manassas, Va. (.1 percent). Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2011. With options exercised the completion date will be Sept. 30, 2013. The contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $30,135,013 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0002).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $34,302,846 delivery order on a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0001) for the full recertification of up to 172 All-Up-Round (AUR) Tomahawk missiles for the Navy (162) and the government of the United Kingdom (10). In addition, this order provides for fixed support for encanisterization/decanisterization of MK-14 AUR missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent) and Camden, Ark. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $32,302,846 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($32,340,646; 94.3 percent) and the United Kingdom ($1,962,200; 5.7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being issued a $26,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of E/A-18G aircraft components. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (90.34 percent), and St. Louis, Mo. (9.66 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $19,223,702 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0020 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Kuwait and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $19,223,702 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an $18,045,324 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus incentive fee/award fee contract (N00019-08-C-0033) to exercise an option for special tooling and special test equipment for Navy and Air Force Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (70 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (19 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($13,340,870; 73.9 percent) and the U.S. Air Force ($4,707,454; 26.1 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,860,585 a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 (AESA) radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (92.5 percent); and St. Louis, Mo. (7.5 percent); and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $12,325,371 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0021 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Iraq, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $12,325,371 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Hurst, Texas, is being issued $9,769,650 for ceiling priced order #0030 under previously awarded contract (N00383-05-G-048N) to repair various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received in response to the solicitation. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., is being awarded $8,987,591 for ceiling priced delivery order #0027 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-05-G-049N) for repair of various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $8,741,602 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0022 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $8,741,602 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Defensive Systems Div., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a $7,526,205 delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) to perform upgrades to the V-22 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, including modifications to the Direct Infrared Countermeasure, the missile warning sensor and processor, and equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $5,777,994 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order # D001 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-07-G-5433) for Canadian uplink on behalf of Foreign Military Sales customer, Canada. The primary goal of this is to upgrade the Canadian Mk-48 guided missile vertical launching system to include the uplink capability for engaging targets with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. This will include both hardware and software upgrades. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I. (85 percent); and Sudbury, Mass. (15 percent);, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $25,730,506 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of two line items in support of F/A-18 flight surfaces systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-004H-THAK).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $15,500,000 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of twenty line items in support of the F/A-18 AESA APG73 radar system. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-001J-TH07).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $23,700,000 contract which will extend range standardization and Automation IIA support to complete the mission flight control center. At this time, $15,224,822 has been obligated. SMC/LRSW/PK of El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-95-C-0029, P00311).
Progress Continues for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - A program to develop a new family of light tactical vehicles for Army, Marine Corps and special operations forces is moving ahead at full steam, almost halfway through its technology development phase. The joint light tactical vehicle is an Army, Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command program to replace the Humvee with a family of higher-performing, more survivable vehicles able to carry greater payloads, said Kevin Fahey, Army program executive officer for combat support and combat service support during a recent interview.
The goal, he explained, is to fill a critical capabilities gap while developing a family of vehicles capable of performing multiple missions and sharing common components.
The Army, lead agent for the program, announced just over a year ago that it had awarded three contracts valued at about $166 million for the program's 27-month technology development phase. The three contractors are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Ground Systems Division; General Tactical Vehicles, a joint venture between General Dynamics Land Systems and AM Genera; and Lockheed Martin Systems Integration.
During this phase, each of the three competing contractors is developing prototype vehicles in three different payloads configured for specific operational missions, Fahey said.
Category A is intended for general-purpose mobility and would carry the lightest payload, about 3,500 pounds. Category B models would transport infantry troops or weapons, serve as platforms for command-and-control and reconnaissance missions and carry payloads in the 4,000-to-4,500-pound range. Category C models would serve as shelter carriers, prime movers and ambulances, and would carry payloads just over 5,000 pounds.
The vehicles are being designed with an "open architecture" concept to accommodate extra armor, sensors, radios or other equipment, as required, without sacrificing power or payload, Fahey said. In addition, the vehicles will have a digital architecture incorporated into their design to support current networking requirements, as well as on-board diagnostics so they're easier to maintain.
As a unique twist to past development programs, the contractors are developing prototype companion trailers along with the tactical vehicles, with both meeting the same standards. "In the past, we rarely developed a trailer with its vehicle," Fahey said. "So the focus of this program is to demonstrate the maturity of the technology in an integrated platform."
By the year's end, the three contractors are expected to provide the vehicles and associated equipment for performance and reliability testing. Joint warfighters will provide their personal assessments.
The trick, Fahey said, is to avoid the pitfall of adding new requirements along the way that's plagued many past development programs.
"Our system very much opens the door up to, 'Wouldn't this widget be neat?" he said. "This is the phase where we need to prove that the technology is mature and can be integrated. ... We continue to emphasize to them that it has to be integratable, because when we make a decision at the end of this phase, we are going to execute."
When that decision is made, Fahey said, he feels confident it will be based on proven performance that demonstrates it can meet delivery goals. A production decision is expected by the end of 2014, with full-rate fielding to begin in 2016.
Fahey emphasized the benefit of designing the next-generation light tactical vehicles from the ground up for their specific use rather than simply being adapted to meet operational requirements.
The military's fleet of Humvees, estimated at about 160,000, was developed in the 1970s and delivered in the early 1980s with a focus on Cold War threats rather than on today's needs, he noted.
When the vehicles proved vulnerable to roadside bombs in Iraq and, increasingly, in Afghanistan, the military responded by adding heavy armor plating. The typical Humvee was designed to weigh a maximum of about 12,000 pounds, but now weighs closer to 18,000 pounds.
"It's way overweight, so it is underpowered, and mobility is lacking," Fahey said. "Another problem is [that] they don't have the payload they used to."
Mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, in contrast, were purchased essentially as quickly as they were built to meet a wartime requirement quickly.
"With the MRAP, the thought was, 'I need a more survivable truck that is available today to save soldiers' and Marines' lives," Fahey said. "We made the requirement meet what was available."
Fahey is quick to note that there's really little about the MRAP that's "light," but he recognizes that MRAPs are being used in the combat zones for missions typically conducted by light tactical vehicle crews.
Fahey welcomes the deliberate process and long-term focus being dedicated to the joint light tactical vehicle's development.
"Unlike MRAP, which we basically bought off the shelf and tested as we fielded it, we are designing [the joint light tactical vehicle] from the start with a focus on reliability and maintainability and commonality," he said.
Although the Army is leading the program, it's done "a fantastic job of integrating Marine Corps management" into the effort, said Bill Taylor, executive officer for the Marine Corps' land systems programs.
The biggest challenge in a joint program, Fahey said, is agreeing to a common set of requirements. The Marine Corps puts the highest emphasis on making the vehicles lightweight to meet its mobility requirements. The Army tends to focus more on troop protection.
"But I think we can come to that balance because of the way the program is structured," Fahey said. "After all, the bottom line is we all are in the same fight."
The program has received a lot of international attention, too. Australia and India both signed agreements to provide development support and share the associated costs, and other countries have expressed interest in participating as well.
"Everyone is interested," Flahey said. "When you go around the world, everybody has this capability gap that we are focused on: the light tactical vehicle that brings a balance of performance and protection."
Wounded Warrior Begins Second Career
By Alison KohlerSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - A former soldier who spent about 16 months in the warrior transition battalion here now looks forward to a rewarding career as an Army civilian. Former Army Capt. Erik Stewart advises other warriors in transition not to rush the process.
"Make sure you're healthy and as whole as you can be," Stewart said. "It's all about your attitude. If you have a positive attitude and you work with the doctors, it goes well."
Stewart, 38, from Wakefield, Kan., currently on leave, saw his Army career of more than 19 years officially end Nov. 18. He now has a promising future ahead of him working in the plans, mobilization, training and security directorate here as an emergency management specialist.
Stewart uses his 15 years of experience as a military police officer and four years as an engineer in his new job.
"There's some stuff I'm still learning, but the emergency management aspect of it, it works out," he said. The married father of four said he spent a lot of time looking before he landed the GS-12 civil service position. Learning to navigate the online civil service application process was tough, he acknowledged.
"In the Army, you get orders [and] you show up," he said. "You don't have to bring your accomplishments with you. You don't have to worry about that in the military. That was stressful."
His civilian job has him preparing emergency management plans and, if necessary, assisting in emergency response. He's in charge of Fort Riley's Ready Army program, currently concentrating on the post's management of H1N1 flu.
Though he misses the Army's unit camaraderie, he said, working as a civilian has its advantages.
"No more deployments, and no more alerts," he said. "[You] come home every weekend and every night."
Stewart was wounded by a roadside bomb in the tenth month of his third deployment. For a while, he tried to tough it out, he said.
"I got to where I was trying to get in and out of a vehicle and I couldn't do it, and I was in pain all the time - my back, my groin, my head and my arm," he said. "I was having trouble holding on to my rifle, and I couldn't wear my gear without my back or my groin hurting. I was having trouble concentrating."
He was sent here through the Army's regional medical center at Landstuhl, Germany, and was assigned to the warrior transition battalion.
"[I was] scared at first, because I've been doing this since high school," he said. "When I first got there, I was just going to appointments, and that was OK at first, because I had been gone for like 39 months with deployment, home, deployment, home. Then I realized I was bored; I needed to find something to do."
He tried to take college classes, but ended up having to withdraw three times, he said, because he couldn't focus and study. Stewart completed an unpaid internship with a nature center and looked into a welding program at a technical college. His wife mentioned looking for a job on Fort Riley, so he began to learn about applying for civil service positions.
Though he expected a long wait after he interviewed for his current position, he said, he was selected the following day, and he has been on the civilian payroll since September.
He advises other warriors in transition to make a plan, including financial plans, for what they need to have and where they will be in three months and in five years.
"They can't just [say], 'I'm going to get out and live at my folks' house', or 'I'm going to move home,'" he said. That's not a plan."
But before they make plans for life after the Army, Stewart said, soldiers should first get all the help they need.
"Don't get out just to get away from it all," he advised.
Most importantly, he added, warriors in transition need to take a step back when everything seems overwhelming.
"It's easy to get caught up in 'Woe is me,' and it's easy to go to the dark, depressed place," he said. "Take a big problem and break it down. It's like a wall, but if you take it down a brick at a time, eventually the wall's gone."
(Alison Kohler works in the Irwin Army Community Hospital public affairs office at Fort Riley.)
Trade Commission Offers Gift Card Tips
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Because distance often separates extended and even immediate families in military life, gift cards are a popular choice for holiday gift-giving. After all, one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. But the Federal Trade Commission advises servicemembers and their families, as well as Defense Department civilians and contractors to think before they buy holiday gift cards this season, and buy from sources they know and trust.
"Avoid buying gift cards from online auction sites, because the cards may be counterfeit or may have been obtained fraudulently," said Carol A. Kando-Pineda, counsel for the commission's consumer and business education commission. So before you shell out your hard-earned money and buy a stack of gift cards, you should know a few things first.
It's true that shopping for gifts can be a real dilemma. Just what do you get your finicky Aunt Mary, your co-worker, or your child's babysitter? Though a gift card can be the answer, Kando-Pineda said, be sure to know what you're getting.
"Read the fine print before you buy," she said. "If you don't like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere. Ask about expiration dates and fees when you're buying a card."
This type of information will always appear on the card itself, on the accompanying sleeve or envelope, or on the issuer's Web site. "If you don't see it, ask," Kando-Pineda cautioned. "If the information is separate from the gift card, give it to the recipient with the card to help protect the value of the card."
And buyers may not be aware, she added, that merchants often tack fees on to the gift cards -- for activation, maintenance or transactions, for example -- that may be deducted from the card's value at the recipient's end.
"It might be embarrassing to give someone a $50 gift card and find out later that fees gobbled up most of the amount," Kando-Pineda said.
Another note of caution to buyers of gift cards is what to do if the company you purchased the card from goes out of business.
"Well first, before you buy, you may want to consider the financial condition of the business and whether it has filed for bankruptcy," Kando-Pineda advised. "But if you do buy a card from a company that goes out of business or ultimately files for bankruptcy, it's as you might expect: the recipient may end up with a card that's worth less than the face value."
She added that before you decided to buy that gift card for Aunt Mary, you should consider how easy it will be for her to redeem that card. "Let's say the business closes stores near where the recipient lives or works," she said. "They may not be able to get to another location to redeem their card."
Kando-Pineda also recommends that recipients of gift cards shouldn't wait to use them. "Use your card as soon as you can," she said. "It's not unusual to misplace gift cards or forget you have them. Using them early will help you get the full value."
She noted that if a card does expire, the recipient should contact the issuer. "They may still honor the card," she said, "although they may charge a fee to do that."
Anyone who has a problem with use of a gift card should contact the company that issued it as soon as possible, Kando-Pineda said. If you can't resolve the problem at that level, she added, file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. If that doesn't fix the problem, she said, contact the Federal Trade Commission through its Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) toll-free. Complaints also may be filed with your state's attorney general.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Because distance often separates extended and even immediate families in military life, gift cards are a popular choice for holiday gift-giving. After all, one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. But the Federal Trade Commission advises servicemembers and their families, as well as Defense Department civilians and contractors to think before they buy holiday gift cards this season, and buy from sources they know and trust.
"Avoid buying gift cards from online auction sites, because the cards may be counterfeit or may have been obtained fraudulently," said Carol A. Kando-Pineda, counsel for the commission's consumer and business education commission. So before you shell out your hard-earned money and buy a stack of gift cards, you should know a few things first.
It's true that shopping for gifts can be a real dilemma. Just what do you get your finicky Aunt Mary, your co-worker, or your child's babysitter? Though a gift card can be the answer, Kando-Pineda said, be sure to know what you're getting.
"Read the fine print before you buy," she said. "If you don't like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere. Ask about expiration dates and fees when you're buying a card."
This type of information will always appear on the card itself, on the accompanying sleeve or envelope, or on the issuer's Web site. "If you don't see it, ask," Kando-Pineda cautioned. "If the information is separate from the gift card, give it to the recipient with the card to help protect the value of the card."
And buyers may not be aware, she added, that merchants often tack fees on to the gift cards -- for activation, maintenance or transactions, for example -- that may be deducted from the card's value at the recipient's end.
"It might be embarrassing to give someone a $50 gift card and find out later that fees gobbled up most of the amount," Kando-Pineda said.
Another note of caution to buyers of gift cards is what to do if the company you purchased the card from goes out of business.
"Well first, before you buy, you may want to consider the financial condition of the business and whether it has filed for bankruptcy," Kando-Pineda advised. "But if you do buy a card from a company that goes out of business or ultimately files for bankruptcy, it's as you might expect: the recipient may end up with a card that's worth less than the face value."
She added that before you decided to buy that gift card for Aunt Mary, you should consider how easy it will be for her to redeem that card. "Let's say the business closes stores near where the recipient lives or works," she said. "They may not be able to get to another location to redeem their card."
Kando-Pineda also recommends that recipients of gift cards shouldn't wait to use them. "Use your card as soon as you can," she said. "It's not unusual to misplace gift cards or forget you have them. Using them early will help you get the full value."
She noted that if a card does expire, the recipient should contact the issuer. "They may still honor the card," she said, "although they may charge a fee to do that."
Anyone who has a problem with use of a gift card should contact the company that issued it as soon as possible, Kando-Pineda said. If you can't resolve the problem at that level, she added, file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. If that doesn't fix the problem, she said, contact the Federal Trade Commission through its Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) toll-free. Complaints also may be filed with your state's attorney general.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 23, 2009
NAVY
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $45,041,786 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee task order for prepositioning and Marine Corps logistics support services, under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a $43,988,555 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0012) for the upgrade of seven P-3C aircraft for the government of Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. This modification in support of the Pakistan Navy P-3C upgrade program will replace the obsolete and unsustainable avionics systems currently installed with modern equipment that provides increased capabilities, reliability and will be sustainable for future operations. Work will be performed in Eagan, Minn. (70 percent), and Greenville, S.C. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
Stedman & Dyson Structural Engineers, San Diego, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for structural engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for structural engineering studies and site investigation reports, structural design, preparation of Request for Proposal for design-build projects, fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects, preparation of DD1391 documents, cost estimates, evaluations, construction inspection and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, California (87 percent), Arizona (5 percent), Nevada (5 percent), Colorado (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), and Utah (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 16 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-10-D-5401).
Valley Tech Systems, Inc., Folsom, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0002); Advanced Integrated Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0003); LC Engineers, Inc., Rahway, N.J.* (N68936-10-D-0004); and New Directions Technologies, Inc., Ridgecrest, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0005) are each being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts for advanced technology products in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Weapons Prototype Division. Products and support to be provided include electronic components and systems, mechanical components and systems, energetic materials and systems, chemical materials and components, fabrication, assembly, plating/painting/finish, and packing and shipping. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts is $8,166,666, and the companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Valley Tech Systems, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Folsom, Calif.; Advanced Integrated Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Barbara, Calif.; LC Engineers, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Rahway, N.J.; and New Directions Technologies, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Ridgecrest, Calif.. Work is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited via a multiple award electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set aside, with five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $7,599,582 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0005) to exercise an option for control and guidance section repairs for the AGM-88 high speed anti-radiation missile for the Air Force. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,599,582 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Volvo Construction Co., North, Ashville, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $14,596,158 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for wheel loaders. Other location of performance is Sweden. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally four proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-05-D-0006-0064).
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $9,528,310 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for motor grader. Other location of performance is in Decatur, Ill. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally three proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0395).
US Foods International, Gardena, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,766,894 firm-fixed-price, prime vendor, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is La Miranda, Calif. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and child development center. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-08-D-3084).
Campbellsville Apparel Co., LLC, Campbellsville, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,760,000 firm-fixed-price, total set-aside contract for men's undershirts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year two of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-08-D-1026).
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $45,041,786 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee task order for prepositioning and Marine Corps logistics support services, under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a $43,988,555 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0012) for the upgrade of seven P-3C aircraft for the government of Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. This modification in support of the Pakistan Navy P-3C upgrade program will replace the obsolete and unsustainable avionics systems currently installed with modern equipment that provides increased capabilities, reliability and will be sustainable for future operations. Work will be performed in Eagan, Minn. (70 percent), and Greenville, S.C. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
Stedman & Dyson Structural Engineers, San Diego, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for structural engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for structural engineering studies and site investigation reports, structural design, preparation of Request for Proposal for design-build projects, fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects, preparation of DD1391 documents, cost estimates, evaluations, construction inspection and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, California (87 percent), Arizona (5 percent), Nevada (5 percent), Colorado (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), and Utah (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 16 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-10-D-5401).
Valley Tech Systems, Inc., Folsom, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0002); Advanced Integrated Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0003); LC Engineers, Inc., Rahway, N.J.* (N68936-10-D-0004); and New Directions Technologies, Inc., Ridgecrest, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0005) are each being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts for advanced technology products in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Weapons Prototype Division. Products and support to be provided include electronic components and systems, mechanical components and systems, energetic materials and systems, chemical materials and components, fabrication, assembly, plating/painting/finish, and packing and shipping. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts is $8,166,666, and the companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Valley Tech Systems, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Folsom, Calif.; Advanced Integrated Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Barbara, Calif.; LC Engineers, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Rahway, N.J.; and New Directions Technologies, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Ridgecrest, Calif.. Work is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited via a multiple award electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set aside, with five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $7,599,582 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0005) to exercise an option for control and guidance section repairs for the AGM-88 high speed anti-radiation missile for the Air Force. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,599,582 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Volvo Construction Co., North, Ashville, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $14,596,158 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for wheel loaders. Other location of performance is Sweden. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally four proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-05-D-0006-0064).
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $9,528,310 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for motor grader. Other location of performance is in Decatur, Ill. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally three proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0395).
US Foods International, Gardena, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,766,894 firm-fixed-price, prime vendor, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is La Miranda, Calif. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and child development center. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-08-D-3084).
Campbellsville Apparel Co., LLC, Campbellsville, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,760,000 firm-fixed-price, total set-aside contract for men's undershirts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year two of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-08-D-1026).
Contracts Manager Retires After 38 Years
By Debra R. Bingham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - There's a pair of shoes at Utah's Hill Air Force Base that will be hard to fill. They once belonged to Pamela Day, who retired last week after 38 years of federal service. Day, who most recently served as director of depot-level reparable procurement operations for Defense Logistics Agency-Ogden, was recognized during a Nov. 19 retirement ceremony at Hill Aerospace Museum.
"Finding a professional contracting manager who is Pam's equal in federal government will be difficult, to say the least," said Yvette Burke, acquisition executive for DLA's aviation demand and supply chain, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va. DLA Ogden is the forward arm of the Richmond supply center at Hill. "Her knowledge, experience, dedication and enthusiastic approach have been invaluable assets throughout her career, and they have been of immeasurable benefit to the warfighters she dedicated her life to supporting."
Burke praised Day for her leadership and willingness to take on challenging missions and accomplish them based on her understanding and steadfast support of America's military men and women.
"After all, the first breath Pam ever took in this world was on a military installation," Burke said, noting that Day was born at Alameda Naval Station in California while her father served in the Navy. "But at heart, Pam is a Utah girl through and through—she was raised in Clinton, graduated from Clearfield High School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State and Park College."
Day began working for the federal government as a supply clerk at the Bureau of Reclamation in 1971 and later became a purchasing agent. Recalling that first job and her subsequent Air Force career, Day said, "I learned that it takes longer to process an environmental statement than it does to complete a source selection – amazing."
In 1976, Day entered the contracting field and began working for the Air Force at Hill, where she has been ever since. She has served in a variety of positions, including contract negotiator; contracting officer; chief of the commodities, services and construction branches in operational contracting; chief of the aircraft contracting division; and as chief of contracting for the aircraft and commodities sustainment wings.
Day distinguished herself on numerous successful department programs, including her work on the Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements contract – a pilot program – and the $450 million, multiple-award Remedial Action Contract program. She was an instrumental leader in the A-76 Consolidated Study involving 1,200 full-time employees at Ogden Air Logistics Center. Day played a key role in the $13 billion F-16 Sustainment Contract, managed the first strategic sourcing contract at Hill, and supervised the Decentralized Design Engineering Support Contract – a complex multiple-award contract with involvement from multiple Air Force sites.
"Pam was a key player in the $1.2 billion Secondary Power Logistics Solution, Hill Air Force Base's first performance-based logistics contract," Burke said. "And, most recently, Pam was actively involved in and supervised the administration of the incredibly innovative $1.5 billion Landing Gear Prime Vendor Contract, an enterprise solution used by both DLA and the Air Force to support the worldwide sustainment of landing gear."
Day was hard pressed to pick a favorite assignment, but said she enjoyed working construction and environmental contracts. "F-16 [Sustainment Contract] was at the top of my list. I love being challenged, but also being able to see something from beginning to a successful end," she said.
Day played a key role in the standup of DLA Ogden, which came out of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law calling for the transfer of supply, storage and distribution and depot-level reparable procurement operations from the military services to DLA.
"DLA Ogden was activated with minimal difficulty and without impact to customers or employees. The standup went off without a hitch thanks in large part to her management and procurement expertise," Burke said.
Under Day's leadership, Burke said, the organization has shown exemplary performance through its 17 months of operations – including two successful year-end closeouts.
"Her keen oversight of Ogden DLR operations resulted in continuous improvements in procurement lead times and overall strategic performance – one of the primary visions of BRAC," Burke said.
Day worked closely with the Air Force to combine procurement efforts, find more savings for the taxpayers and improve DLA performance to keep warfighters flying – and landing – safely.
That sentiment was echoed by Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
"The Air Force and DLA could not have successfully transferred the DLR procurement functions as part of BRAC without Pam's engaged leadership," Busch said. "Ogden was the first of the five DLR procurement sites that Ms. Burke transferred to the aviation demand and supply chain, and Pam's willingness to partner with DLA and work through tough issues was the foundation for the sustained success of the transfer process."
Busch was commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond when Day joined the DLA team, but he knew about her reputation of excellence long before that.
"Pam is widely respected within the Air Force and brought with her a huge amount of credibility that was needed to convince the Ogden team that DLA was a trustworthy partner on this BRAC challenge," Busch said.
In the course of her career, Day was named Air Force Materiel Command's Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year, AFMC Professional Contracting Officer of the Year, Ogden ALC Manager of the Year, Ogden ALC Civilian of the Quarter and Civilian of the Year, and earned the Spirit of the American Woman Professional Award.
During her retirement ceremony, Day was able to add some final awards to the list. Busch presented Day with the Air Force's Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award; Burke presented her with the DLA Distinguished Career Service Award, a Silver Letter from the DLA director, Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson, and the Aviation Demand and Supply Chain Commander's Plaque.
Despite her success, Day was humble when it came to taking credit for her accomplishments.
"The job isn't about me – it's about the mission, and if that isn't your focus, you'll make decisions for the wrong reasons, which could lead to poor results. Fortunately, I learned that really early in my career," she said.
(Debra R. Bingham works for Defense Supply Center-Richmond public affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - There's a pair of shoes at Utah's Hill Air Force Base that will be hard to fill. They once belonged to Pamela Day, who retired last week after 38 years of federal service. Day, who most recently served as director of depot-level reparable procurement operations for Defense Logistics Agency-Ogden, was recognized during a Nov. 19 retirement ceremony at Hill Aerospace Museum.
"Finding a professional contracting manager who is Pam's equal in federal government will be difficult, to say the least," said Yvette Burke, acquisition executive for DLA's aviation demand and supply chain, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va. DLA Ogden is the forward arm of the Richmond supply center at Hill. "Her knowledge, experience, dedication and enthusiastic approach have been invaluable assets throughout her career, and they have been of immeasurable benefit to the warfighters she dedicated her life to supporting."
Burke praised Day for her leadership and willingness to take on challenging missions and accomplish them based on her understanding and steadfast support of America's military men and women.
"After all, the first breath Pam ever took in this world was on a military installation," Burke said, noting that Day was born at Alameda Naval Station in California while her father served in the Navy. "But at heart, Pam is a Utah girl through and through—she was raised in Clinton, graduated from Clearfield High School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State and Park College."
Day began working for the federal government as a supply clerk at the Bureau of Reclamation in 1971 and later became a purchasing agent. Recalling that first job and her subsequent Air Force career, Day said, "I learned that it takes longer to process an environmental statement than it does to complete a source selection – amazing."
In 1976, Day entered the contracting field and began working for the Air Force at Hill, where she has been ever since. She has served in a variety of positions, including contract negotiator; contracting officer; chief of the commodities, services and construction branches in operational contracting; chief of the aircraft contracting division; and as chief of contracting for the aircraft and commodities sustainment wings.
Day distinguished herself on numerous successful department programs, including her work on the Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements contract – a pilot program – and the $450 million, multiple-award Remedial Action Contract program. She was an instrumental leader in the A-76 Consolidated Study involving 1,200 full-time employees at Ogden Air Logistics Center. Day played a key role in the $13 billion F-16 Sustainment Contract, managed the first strategic sourcing contract at Hill, and supervised the Decentralized Design Engineering Support Contract – a complex multiple-award contract with involvement from multiple Air Force sites.
"Pam was a key player in the $1.2 billion Secondary Power Logistics Solution, Hill Air Force Base's first performance-based logistics contract," Burke said. "And, most recently, Pam was actively involved in and supervised the administration of the incredibly innovative $1.5 billion Landing Gear Prime Vendor Contract, an enterprise solution used by both DLA and the Air Force to support the worldwide sustainment of landing gear."
Day was hard pressed to pick a favorite assignment, but said she enjoyed working construction and environmental contracts. "F-16 [Sustainment Contract] was at the top of my list. I love being challenged, but also being able to see something from beginning to a successful end," she said.
Day played a key role in the standup of DLA Ogden, which came out of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law calling for the transfer of supply, storage and distribution and depot-level reparable procurement operations from the military services to DLA.
"DLA Ogden was activated with minimal difficulty and without impact to customers or employees. The standup went off without a hitch thanks in large part to her management and procurement expertise," Burke said.
Under Day's leadership, Burke said, the organization has shown exemplary performance through its 17 months of operations – including two successful year-end closeouts.
"Her keen oversight of Ogden DLR operations resulted in continuous improvements in procurement lead times and overall strategic performance – one of the primary visions of BRAC," Burke said.
Day worked closely with the Air Force to combine procurement efforts, find more savings for the taxpayers and improve DLA performance to keep warfighters flying – and landing – safely.
That sentiment was echoed by Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
"The Air Force and DLA could not have successfully transferred the DLR procurement functions as part of BRAC without Pam's engaged leadership," Busch said. "Ogden was the first of the five DLR procurement sites that Ms. Burke transferred to the aviation demand and supply chain, and Pam's willingness to partner with DLA and work through tough issues was the foundation for the sustained success of the transfer process."
Busch was commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond when Day joined the DLA team, but he knew about her reputation of excellence long before that.
"Pam is widely respected within the Air Force and brought with her a huge amount of credibility that was needed to convince the Ogden team that DLA was a trustworthy partner on this BRAC challenge," Busch said.
In the course of her career, Day was named Air Force Materiel Command's Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year, AFMC Professional Contracting Officer of the Year, Ogden ALC Manager of the Year, Ogden ALC Civilian of the Quarter and Civilian of the Year, and earned the Spirit of the American Woman Professional Award.
During her retirement ceremony, Day was able to add some final awards to the list. Busch presented Day with the Air Force's Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award; Burke presented her with the DLA Distinguished Career Service Award, a Silver Letter from the DLA director, Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson, and the Aviation Demand and Supply Chain Commander's Plaque.
Despite her success, Day was humble when it came to taking credit for her accomplishments.
"The job isn't about me – it's about the mission, and if that isn't your focus, you'll make decisions for the wrong reasons, which could lead to poor results. Fortunately, I learned that really early in my career," she said.
(Debra R. Bingham works for Defense Supply Center-Richmond public affairs.)
Top Air Force NCO Visits Canada to Develop Partnership
By Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. StumpSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Air Force's top enlisted leader visited multiple locations in Canada in recent days to start building a permanent enlisted professional military education partnership with one of America's closest allies. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited Ottawa, Ontario, and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Nov. 17 to 20 in an effort to continue building on the development of enlisted airmen, which Roy has named as one of his top priorities.
During his visit, Roy met with his Canadian counterpart, Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force René Couturier, to discuss developing a permanent agreement to send U.S. Air Force senior noncommissioned officers to the Canadian equivalent course, Advanced Leadership Qualification.
"We already have a partnership," Roy said. "The Canadian air force has an instructor in our Senior NCO Academy, they send students to our Senior NCO Academy and we have a U.S. Air Force instructor in the Royal Military College. This is the next logical step."
The Advanced Leadership Qualification uses a combination of distance learning and residential training. The distance learning is about 10 days of work over the course of 10 weeks and the residential training is 15 days in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, about 30 miles outside of Montreal. The course has three modules: leadership and military ethos; national defense policy and national security; and Canadian Forces structure, defense team structure, and general systems of war and conflict.
"This is about a partnership, not just about sending a master sergeant or senior master sergeant to a school," Roy said. "These exchanges help us work together closer as two nations."
The exchange also is important because of the close working relationship the two countries have through the North American Aerospace Defense Command partnership.
"This enhances our ability to defend our homeland," said Chief Master Sgt. W. Allen Usry, who helped coordinate the trip and serves as command chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.
The goal is to eventually develop an exchange at the NCO level by sending U.S. airmen to the Canadian Intermediate Level Qualification and sending Canadian airmen to one of the U.S. Air Force NCO academies, Roy said. This will help get maximum return on investment since the servicemembers will have up to 20 years left in their respective services.
"NCOs are a good target because they can develop a relationship early so when they are in Kandahar [Afghanistan], they can work with a friend," Couturier said. "The benefit isn't the different curriculum. The biggest benefit is the exchange between the students. The curriculum facilitates that exchange."
The two countries will be working in the coming months to look at curriculum to make sure the classes are equivalent, said Chief Master Sgt. Brye McMillon, the Air University command chief and a visitor on the trip. The Canadian air force already is looking into accepting Senior NCO Academy as an equivalent for its course and has the instructor exchange in place, said Chief Master Sgt. Alex Perry, Senior NCO Academy commandant and a visitor on the trip.
The United States and Canada already have a history of enlisted professional military education partnerships. The United States sent two National Guard airmen through Primary Leadership Qualification, the Canadian version of Airman Leadership School.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump serves in the Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.)
Health Care Gains Recognition as Bridge to Stability
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - A theory gaining momentum among counterinsurgency and military medical experts is that the health of a nation's people affects the health of a nation. While no formal study has confirmed a causal connection, evidence culled from U.S. commanders as well as American allies and adversaries, suggests a correlation between health and stability. With the Defense Department's growing emphasis on stability operations, a better understanding of this relationship could help inform U.S. foreign policy.
"It is increasingly recognized that health is a critical bridge to peace and stability around the globe," said Navy Cdr. David Tarantino, M.D., in a presentation on Defense Department stability operations policy. "Health is perhaps the quintessential service among all essential services."
Early recognition of health as a stabilizing factor appears in the Geneva Convention of 1949, which requires an occupying force to contribute to its host nation's health-care infrastructure. Over the following decades, world superpowers including the United States and China and paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army and even al Qaida have recognized the strategic role health plays, officials said.
In modern-day counterinsurgency conflicts, where gaining support of the people is the prime objective, one of the crucial aspects is to provide the population essential services that improve quality of life, said retired Army Col. Pete Mansoor, the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Mansoor, a professor at the Ohio State University, served as the executive officer to Army Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. He assisted in the strategic planning for the U.S. war effort in Iraq, including the troop surge that is largely credited with increasing Iraq's stability.
"Medical care is among the most sought after resource in this regard, as people worldwide appreciate good health over most other aspects of the human condition," he said in an e-mail today. "In counterinsurgency operations, doctors and other health-care professionals can be as important as soldiers."
Dr. Lynn Lawry, the senior health stability and humanitarian assistance specialist in the Defense Department's International Health Division, characterized health care as a "moderator" of stability.
"If you think about it, health is a basic need like food, shelter, clean water, health-care access --being able to get your kids help," she said in an interview last month. "What the anecdotal evidence points to is that health is really stability."
Lawry described two phenomena that suggest a link: the correlation between infant mortality rates and stability, and the incidence of mortar attacks on an area's health-care infrastructure.
As the stability of an area decreases, Lynn said, there is a dramatic increase in infant mortality, which is defined as the number of deaths of children one year or younger per 1,000 live births. Conversely, improved stability is met with a drop in infant mortality.
"That's a disproportionate marker," Lawry said of infant death rates. "It goes way up, as opposed to some of the other markers. So you can look at infant mortality, and that is directly related to having health-care services as a marker for stability."
Anecdotal evidence from the battlefield also suggests that health care can create stability. Military units in the field that are being shelled with artillery fire have found that medical care has proven to be a defensive measure in some instances, Lawry said.
"They go out into the community and set up some type of medical programming in the surrounding area," she said, noting that such facilities often meets the needs of communities lacking infrastructure to treat women and immunize children. "Then, all of a sudden, the mortars stop."
Evidence from conflict zones like the Gaza Strip, where Hamas' first social priority has been to provide health care, followed by education, and data from the Kosovo War in the late 1990s also suggest a connection, Lawry said.
"If you look at Gaza where there was a huge amount of uprisings and problems, they went in and put in a health clinic basically on every corner and stability ensued," she said. "The same thing happened in the opposite way in Albania where there was lots of health-care services. As health care started dwindling, so did stability."
Navy Lt. Cdr. William J. Hughes, MSC, the program director for contingency planning at the International Health Division, said insurgent groups have long recognized the value of health care in winning popular support.
"Michael Collins of the IRA wrote in his doctrine that if you break down the state and you want to view yourself -- the insurgency -- as the legitimate form of government, then health care is [critical]," he said in an interview last week.
Hughes noted that after the earthquake in Kashmir, the disputed region between India and Pakistan, the first medical unit to respond was one with direct links to al Qaida. "Now there's an adversary of ours who's learned what health can do to an environment," he added.
Hughes noted that countries like Venezuela and Cuba send their doctors around the globe to perform health care, and that China recently converted one of its ships into a floating hospital.
The move by China is similar to efforts by two American vessels, the USNS Mercy and USS Comfort, which travel to impoverished or disaster-stricken countries to provide medical care.
Such "soft power" operations, which emphasize non-military government efforts, have gained visibility with the Defense Department this year, reaffirming a policy directive that puts stability operations on equal footing with major combat operations.
"This directive said that stability operations were on par with major combat operations," Hughes said of directive 3000.05. "Now that's groundbreaking. That's transformational because now when you do that, you say you have to train, equip and fund people to do these kinds of operations."
Hughes said critics expressed concern that the directive, created in 2005, would place the military at the front of America's image abroad, echoing concern that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has voiced about U.S. foreign policy's "creeping militarization." But Hughes said medical workers in uniform are unique in that they often are viewed as "neutral players," with an interest primarily in providing care.
"We have this Hippocratic Oath. It's in our blood to want to care and do good things," he said. "You can provide [health care] and you're not necessarily going to be viewed as an agent of your nation's policies."
Further, Hughes emphasized that the department's International Health Division, which aids the combatant commands in coordinating and carrying out health aspects of the department's stability operations, is concerned primarily with helping partner nations build their own capacity to provide health and maintain stability.
"[Sometimes] we work with the host nation so that we can work ourselves out of a job," he said of the division's mission to train its allied counterparts. "That's what we want to do with stability ops -- we don't want to stay."
Lawry, Hughes' colleague at the division, underscored that no formal evidence-based assessment has been conducted that establishes the link between health and stability.
"But you can say, anecdotally, that's what it looks like," she said. "It deserves a study."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - A theory gaining momentum among counterinsurgency and military medical experts is that the health of a nation's people affects the health of a nation. While no formal study has confirmed a causal connection, evidence culled from U.S. commanders as well as American allies and adversaries, suggests a correlation between health and stability. With the Defense Department's growing emphasis on stability operations, a better understanding of this relationship could help inform U.S. foreign policy.
"It is increasingly recognized that health is a critical bridge to peace and stability around the globe," said Navy Cdr. David Tarantino, M.D., in a presentation on Defense Department stability operations policy. "Health is perhaps the quintessential service among all essential services."
Early recognition of health as a stabilizing factor appears in the Geneva Convention of 1949, which requires an occupying force to contribute to its host nation's health-care infrastructure. Over the following decades, world superpowers including the United States and China and paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army and even al Qaida have recognized the strategic role health plays, officials said.
In modern-day counterinsurgency conflicts, where gaining support of the people is the prime objective, one of the crucial aspects is to provide the population essential services that improve quality of life, said retired Army Col. Pete Mansoor, the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Mansoor, a professor at the Ohio State University, served as the executive officer to Army Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. He assisted in the strategic planning for the U.S. war effort in Iraq, including the troop surge that is largely credited with increasing Iraq's stability.
"Medical care is among the most sought after resource in this regard, as people worldwide appreciate good health over most other aspects of the human condition," he said in an e-mail today. "In counterinsurgency operations, doctors and other health-care professionals can be as important as soldiers."
Dr. Lynn Lawry, the senior health stability and humanitarian assistance specialist in the Defense Department's International Health Division, characterized health care as a "moderator" of stability.
"If you think about it, health is a basic need like food, shelter, clean water, health-care access --being able to get your kids help," she said in an interview last month. "What the anecdotal evidence points to is that health is really stability."
Lawry described two phenomena that suggest a link: the correlation between infant mortality rates and stability, and the incidence of mortar attacks on an area's health-care infrastructure.
As the stability of an area decreases, Lynn said, there is a dramatic increase in infant mortality, which is defined as the number of deaths of children one year or younger per 1,000 live births. Conversely, improved stability is met with a drop in infant mortality.
"That's a disproportionate marker," Lawry said of infant death rates. "It goes way up, as opposed to some of the other markers. So you can look at infant mortality, and that is directly related to having health-care services as a marker for stability."
Anecdotal evidence from the battlefield also suggests that health care can create stability. Military units in the field that are being shelled with artillery fire have found that medical care has proven to be a defensive measure in some instances, Lawry said.
"They go out into the community and set up some type of medical programming in the surrounding area," she said, noting that such facilities often meets the needs of communities lacking infrastructure to treat women and immunize children. "Then, all of a sudden, the mortars stop."
Evidence from conflict zones like the Gaza Strip, where Hamas' first social priority has been to provide health care, followed by education, and data from the Kosovo War in the late 1990s also suggest a connection, Lawry said.
"If you look at Gaza where there was a huge amount of uprisings and problems, they went in and put in a health clinic basically on every corner and stability ensued," she said. "The same thing happened in the opposite way in Albania where there was lots of health-care services. As health care started dwindling, so did stability."
Navy Lt. Cdr. William J. Hughes, MSC, the program director for contingency planning at the International Health Division, said insurgent groups have long recognized the value of health care in winning popular support.
"Michael Collins of the IRA wrote in his doctrine that if you break down the state and you want to view yourself -- the insurgency -- as the legitimate form of government, then health care is [critical]," he said in an interview last week.
Hughes noted that after the earthquake in Kashmir, the disputed region between India and Pakistan, the first medical unit to respond was one with direct links to al Qaida. "Now there's an adversary of ours who's learned what health can do to an environment," he added.
Hughes noted that countries like Venezuela and Cuba send their doctors around the globe to perform health care, and that China recently converted one of its ships into a floating hospital.
The move by China is similar to efforts by two American vessels, the USNS Mercy and USS Comfort, which travel to impoverished or disaster-stricken countries to provide medical care.
Such "soft power" operations, which emphasize non-military government efforts, have gained visibility with the Defense Department this year, reaffirming a policy directive that puts stability operations on equal footing with major combat operations.
"This directive said that stability operations were on par with major combat operations," Hughes said of directive 3000.05. "Now that's groundbreaking. That's transformational because now when you do that, you say you have to train, equip and fund people to do these kinds of operations."
Hughes said critics expressed concern that the directive, created in 2005, would place the military at the front of America's image abroad, echoing concern that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has voiced about U.S. foreign policy's "creeping militarization." But Hughes said medical workers in uniform are unique in that they often are viewed as "neutral players," with an interest primarily in providing care.
"We have this Hippocratic Oath. It's in our blood to want to care and do good things," he said. "You can provide [health care] and you're not necessarily going to be viewed as an agent of your nation's policies."
Further, Hughes emphasized that the department's International Health Division, which aids the combatant commands in coordinating and carrying out health aspects of the department's stability operations, is concerned primarily with helping partner nations build their own capacity to provide health and maintain stability.
"[Sometimes] we work with the host nation so that we can work ourselves out of a job," he said of the division's mission to train its allied counterparts. "That's what we want to do with stability ops -- we don't want to stay."
Lawry, Hughes' colleague at the division, underscored that no formal evidence-based assessment has been conducted that establishes the link between health and stability.
"But you can say, anecdotally, that's what it looks like," she said. "It deserves a study."
Obama, Mullen Send Thanksgiving Day Messages
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released Thanksgiving messages today. Obama recalled that President George Washington proclaimed the first public thanksgiving, and President Abraham Lincoln established the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday to mend the nation during the Civil War.
It is Thanksgiving as a unique American tradition that "binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings," the president said.
Obama added, "As we gather once again among loved ones, let us also reach out to our neighbors and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year.
"In doing so, we pay tribute to our country's men and women in uniform who set an example of service that inspires us all. Let us be guided by the legacy of those who have fought for the freedoms for which we give thanks, and be worthy heirs to the noble tradition of goodwill shown on this day."
Mullen's Thanksgiving Day message follows in its entirety.
"On behalf of the Mullen family, I wish all of you serving in uniform today -- as well as your families -- a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
"We certainly have much for which to be grateful. Today, due in no small measure to your dedication, our nation -- indeed the world -- is a safer place to live. All around the globe and in all manner of ways, you stand a vigilant watch. From Afghanistan to Iraq and a thousand places in between, you help ensure peace and stability in places that have historically known neither. Giving hope to those in need and pause to those who threaten us, you make sure the fight remains on the enemy's doorstep and that lives torn asunder by war and natural disaster are restored and renewed.
"The people you have helped are grateful ... Americans everywhere are grateful ... and I am grateful for your service.
"That service, of course, can and does demand the highest of sacrifices. We should be especially mindful this year of those families who will have one less chair at the table, as well as those who have no chair at all, much less a home in which to keep it. Theirs will be a particularly poignant holiday, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
"We live in a country that doesn't force its young men and women to pick up arms. You do it willingly, even eagerly -- not because you enjoy danger or killing or sacrifice, but rather in spite of those things. You and your families serve and work so hard so that someday perhaps your children and grandchildren might not have to. That is the greatest gift you can give a grateful nation.
"Again, from my family to yours, thank you for all you do."
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released Thanksgiving messages today. Obama recalled that President George Washington proclaimed the first public thanksgiving, and President Abraham Lincoln established the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday to mend the nation during the Civil War.
It is Thanksgiving as a unique American tradition that "binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings," the president said.
Obama added, "As we gather once again among loved ones, let us also reach out to our neighbors and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year.
"In doing so, we pay tribute to our country's men and women in uniform who set an example of service that inspires us all. Let us be guided by the legacy of those who have fought for the freedoms for which we give thanks, and be worthy heirs to the noble tradition of goodwill shown on this day."
Mullen's Thanksgiving Day message follows in its entirety.
"On behalf of the Mullen family, I wish all of you serving in uniform today -- as well as your families -- a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
"We certainly have much for which to be grateful. Today, due in no small measure to your dedication, our nation -- indeed the world -- is a safer place to live. All around the globe and in all manner of ways, you stand a vigilant watch. From Afghanistan to Iraq and a thousand places in between, you help ensure peace and stability in places that have historically known neither. Giving hope to those in need and pause to those who threaten us, you make sure the fight remains on the enemy's doorstep and that lives torn asunder by war and natural disaster are restored and renewed.
"The people you have helped are grateful ... Americans everywhere are grateful ... and I am grateful for your service.
"That service, of course, can and does demand the highest of sacrifices. We should be especially mindful this year of those families who will have one less chair at the table, as well as those who have no chair at all, much less a home in which to keep it. Theirs will be a particularly poignant holiday, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
"We live in a country that doesn't force its young men and women to pick up arms. You do it willingly, even eagerly -- not because you enjoy danger or killing or sacrifice, but rather in spite of those things. You and your families serve and work so hard so that someday perhaps your children and grandchildren might not have to. That is the greatest gift you can give a grateful nation.
"Again, from my family to yours, thank you for all you do."
Army Joins With Mental Health Institute to Study Suicides
By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Army is collaborating with the National Institute of Mental Health to launch the largest study ever undertaken of suicide and mental health among military personnel. "The bottom line is, we want to apply science in a way that it's going to solve this problem to the benefit of soldiers," Robert Heinssen, NIMH's acting director of intervention research said during a Nov. 18 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast, "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
The institute is partnering with an academic team led by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences that includes researchers from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Michigan. The team aims to develop a research agenda and research projects that look at the causes of, and areas for intervention in, a variety of mental disorders.
The project is going to capitalize on the data the Army already collects on servicemembers including training experiences, deployments, exposure during deployment, as well as information about health problems and utilization of health services, Heinssen said.
The first part of the study will look at the records of soldiers who committed suicide between 2004 and 2009, compared to a control group of soldiers from the same period that did not commit suicide, but have other characteristics that would be important for purposes of comparison, he said.
"By doing this kind of case-controlled study where the individual suicides are the cases and the controls are drawn from the rest of the Army, we think that we'll get some early leads on signals that may tell us something about potential risk and protective factors that will help us target the second part of the study, which will be a survey of soldiers who are currently serving in the active duty component," he said.
The survey will be conducted with several thousand soldiers every month over three consecutive years, covering about 90,000 servicemembers, Heinssen said. The investigators also will survey 100,000 new recruits a year over a three-year period and continue to follow them over time, he said.
Studies are a great way to identify risk factors and prevention and intervention practices, Heinssen said. He referenced the landmark Framingham Heart Study where participants agreed to have aspects of their lifestyle and medical conditions followed over time to shed light on the causes of heart disease and strokes, and how to better intervene before problems become critical.
"Our belief is that if we roll out a research program similar in its characteristics to what was done in heart disease, that we will identify risk and protective factors," Heinssen said, adding that such a program will help identify targets for intervention before acute distress leads to suicides.
"The end game here is to be able to intervene with preventive strategies early in the process so that we keep soldiers healthy and robust, and that we interrupt the kind of process that would lead to acute distress and the tragic choices to take one's life," he said.
Project researchers will use an adaptive research design that allows them to re-target the study based on what is happening in the Army at the time. Heinssen said doing the study in this method allows them to deliver "actionable information" to the Army at least twice a year and sooner if they find anything that may be relevant to treatment or intervention.
"It could not have been easy to look outside your own organization to ask somebody whether they had tools and perspectives that might be helpful," he said. "But the Army showed tremendous courage and leadership in doing that."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Army is collaborating with the National Institute of Mental Health to launch the largest study ever undertaken of suicide and mental health among military personnel. "The bottom line is, we want to apply science in a way that it's going to solve this problem to the benefit of soldiers," Robert Heinssen, NIMH's acting director of intervention research said during a Nov. 18 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast, "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
The institute is partnering with an academic team led by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences that includes researchers from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Michigan. The team aims to develop a research agenda and research projects that look at the causes of, and areas for intervention in, a variety of mental disorders.
The project is going to capitalize on the data the Army already collects on servicemembers including training experiences, deployments, exposure during deployment, as well as information about health problems and utilization of health services, Heinssen said.
The first part of the study will look at the records of soldiers who committed suicide between 2004 and 2009, compared to a control group of soldiers from the same period that did not commit suicide, but have other characteristics that would be important for purposes of comparison, he said.
"By doing this kind of case-controlled study where the individual suicides are the cases and the controls are drawn from the rest of the Army, we think that we'll get some early leads on signals that may tell us something about potential risk and protective factors that will help us target the second part of the study, which will be a survey of soldiers who are currently serving in the active duty component," he said.
The survey will be conducted with several thousand soldiers every month over three consecutive years, covering about 90,000 servicemembers, Heinssen said. The investigators also will survey 100,000 new recruits a year over a three-year period and continue to follow them over time, he said.
Studies are a great way to identify risk factors and prevention and intervention practices, Heinssen said. He referenced the landmark Framingham Heart Study where participants agreed to have aspects of their lifestyle and medical conditions followed over time to shed light on the causes of heart disease and strokes, and how to better intervene before problems become critical.
"Our belief is that if we roll out a research program similar in its characteristics to what was done in heart disease, that we will identify risk and protective factors," Heinssen said, adding that such a program will help identify targets for intervention before acute distress leads to suicides.
"The end game here is to be able to intervene with preventive strategies early in the process so that we keep soldiers healthy and robust, and that we interrupt the kind of process that would lead to acute distress and the tragic choices to take one's life," he said.
Project researchers will use an adaptive research design that allows them to re-target the study based on what is happening in the Army at the time. Heinssen said doing the study in this method allows them to deliver "actionable information" to the Army at least twice a year and sooner if they find anything that may be relevant to treatment or intervention.
"It could not have been easy to look outside your own organization to ask somebody whether they had tools and perspectives that might be helpful," he said. "But the Army showed tremendous courage and leadership in doing that."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
CHAIRMAN'S CORNER: Mullen Offers Thanks to Military Families
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama has proclaimed the week of Nov. 22-28 as National Family Week, and the nation's top military officer has issued a message to all military families in honor of their contributions to the nation. Here is the text of the message from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to military families worldwide:
As we count our blessings this month, America's soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen serve day and night around the globe to defend our Nation. We are all very proud of them, and yet we should never forget that none of them do it alone. The extraordinary families who support them sacrifice every bit as much to make their service possible. In the spirit of giving thanks, we devote this week to honor and appreciate our military families.
Our families serve as the bedrock for our Nation's defense. Family members may not shoulder a weapon, drive a ship or fly combat sorties, but their commitment, support and endurance is a source of great pride and inspiration for us all. From care packages to emails to invaluable friendship, your love and devotion helps our forces do their very best. I can think of no better words to express this than those spoken by a Soldier from the 25th Infantry Division upon his return from Afghanistan. Reflecting on his family's help while deployed, he said "just receiving letters ... seems to give you the motivation needed to stay upbeat. I couldn't do this without your support."
Our combat readiness stems from readiness at home, and America's might is a reflection of the power of military families. As a Nation, we can certainly never say or do enough to express our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice, but this week is one way in which we show our appreciation.
On behalf of my family and those of the Joint Chiefs, to all our military families, past and present, we thank you for your service and for your love. Our Nation's strength and honor depend upon you. Because of you, we truly accomplish far more than we ever could alone.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama has proclaimed the week of Nov. 22-28 as National Family Week, and the nation's top military officer has issued a message to all military families in honor of their contributions to the nation. Here is the text of the message from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to military families worldwide:
As we count our blessings this month, America's soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen serve day and night around the globe to defend our Nation. We are all very proud of them, and yet we should never forget that none of them do it alone. The extraordinary families who support them sacrifice every bit as much to make their service possible. In the spirit of giving thanks, we devote this week to honor and appreciate our military families.
Our families serve as the bedrock for our Nation's defense. Family members may not shoulder a weapon, drive a ship or fly combat sorties, but their commitment, support and endurance is a source of great pride and inspiration for us all. From care packages to emails to invaluable friendship, your love and devotion helps our forces do their very best. I can think of no better words to express this than those spoken by a Soldier from the 25th Infantry Division upon his return from Afghanistan. Reflecting on his family's help while deployed, he said "just receiving letters ... seems to give you the motivation needed to stay upbeat. I couldn't do this without your support."
Our combat readiness stems from readiness at home, and America's might is a reflection of the power of military families. As a Nation, we can certainly never say or do enough to express our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice, but this week is one way in which we show our appreciation.
On behalf of my family and those of the Joint Chiefs, to all our military families, past and present, we thank you for your service and for your love. Our Nation's strength and honor depend upon you. Because of you, we truly accomplish far more than we ever could alone.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Army Reserve Focuses On Balancing Ranks, Specialties
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - Satisfied that it's increased its ranks by about 20,000 soldiers and continues to meet its recruiting goals, the Army Reserve now is focused on recruiting more troops as they leave active duty to fill gaps at the mid-level ranks and in specific specialties. Army Brig. Gen. Leslie A. Purser, the Army Reserve's deputy chief, praises recruiters and Army Reserve soldiers whose efforts enabled the Army Reserve to boost its numbers from about 185,00 to the current 206,000 in recent years.
The problem, she said, is that the force is bottom-heavy, particularly at the E-1 to E-4 ranks, but has shortages among mid-level commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The Army Reserve is short about 10,000 captains and majors, but has too many lieutenant colonels and colonels. Meanwhile, it's been able to fill only 54 percent of its sergeant first class billets.
Equally troubling, the Army Reserve has too many soldiers in some specialties and too few in others. It's currently at 170 percent strength for chaplain assistants, but has big gaps among wheeled-vehicle mechanics and, ironically, retention NCOs.
Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Army Reserve chief, summed up the problem during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in October.
"We have 208,000 [soldiers], but it's not the right 208,000," he said. "It's not in the right rank, in the right [specialties], in the right location."
Stultz has charged Purser to come up with a campaign plan to balance and man the force.
"We need to figure out ways to get more precise," Purser said. "We have to look more closely at the really significant shortfalls, and not just go for blanket numbers."
The reshaping effort is focusing on several fronts. The Army Reserve is seeking more prior-service recruits. It's targeting slightly older recruits who bring more experience than most 18-year-olds. And it plans to offer incentives so soldiers in over-strength occupational specialties will retrain into those experiencing shortfalls.
Purser said she's working closely with the Army's accessions and recruiting commands to ensure recruiters know what the Army Reserve is looking for – and what it's not.
"She must get very precise and tell them what the Army Reserve needs," Stultz explained, using Army shorthand for unit supply specialists as an example. "No more 92 Yankees in this location, only in that location," she said, "and no more chaplain assistants." Then, she added, she has to figure out how to give chaplain assistants incentive to become military police.
A central front in the reshaping plan is the network of points at which active-duty soldiers begin the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life. The Army Reserve plans to take a tip from the National Guard's playbook, assigning recruiters directly to transition points, where they can pitch the Army Reserve to troops still on active duty.
"We need to reach these guys as early out as we can, ... to make sure they understand the opportunities that we have," Purser said. "The idea is to get there and talk with them early enough to encourage them to come over to the Reserve side so they can continue to reap the benefits [of military service], ... rather than have them stop completely when they get off active duty."
One big selling point the Army Reserve hopes to benefit from is the Employer Partnership Initiative. The program links Army reservists with civilian job opportunities in their military career field, and with employers who recognize and support their Army Reserve obligations. So far, more than 700 companies have signed on, Purser said, eager to recruit workers who bring the skills, discipline and leadership they've developed in the military.
Stultz said he sees the program as a way to help the Army Reserve achieve the balance it needs.
"We've got plenty of [employer] partners," he said. "So we must get scientific about finding companies with opportunities we can fill with our soldiers or future soldiers. We're satisfying corporate America, and we're satisfying our needs."
At the same time, recognizing that some soldiers leave active duty because they've grown deployment-weary, the Army Reserve is taking the novel step of guaranteeing more "dwell time" at home between deployments for some prior-service recruits.
"We have incentivized these active-component guys, saying we will guarantee a two-year dwell, at least, before they have to go again," Purser said. "Even if they go to a unit that is scheduled to deploy, the Army Reserve will honor that commitment."
That's a guarantee even the Individual Ready Reserve can't offer, she said.
Stultz calls these efforts part of a precise human capital strategy that will ensure the Army Reserve has the right people with the right skills in the right units at the right time.
"As we look ahead," he said, "we know that building the right force is crucial for success."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - Satisfied that it's increased its ranks by about 20,000 soldiers and continues to meet its recruiting goals, the Army Reserve now is focused on recruiting more troops as they leave active duty to fill gaps at the mid-level ranks and in specific specialties. Army Brig. Gen. Leslie A. Purser, the Army Reserve's deputy chief, praises recruiters and Army Reserve soldiers whose efforts enabled the Army Reserve to boost its numbers from about 185,00 to the current 206,000 in recent years.
The problem, she said, is that the force is bottom-heavy, particularly at the E-1 to E-4 ranks, but has shortages among mid-level commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The Army Reserve is short about 10,000 captains and majors, but has too many lieutenant colonels and colonels. Meanwhile, it's been able to fill only 54 percent of its sergeant first class billets.
Equally troubling, the Army Reserve has too many soldiers in some specialties and too few in others. It's currently at 170 percent strength for chaplain assistants, but has big gaps among wheeled-vehicle mechanics and, ironically, retention NCOs.
Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Army Reserve chief, summed up the problem during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in October.
"We have 208,000 [soldiers], but it's not the right 208,000," he said. "It's not in the right rank, in the right [specialties], in the right location."
Stultz has charged Purser to come up with a campaign plan to balance and man the force.
"We need to figure out ways to get more precise," Purser said. "We have to look more closely at the really significant shortfalls, and not just go for blanket numbers."
The reshaping effort is focusing on several fronts. The Army Reserve is seeking more prior-service recruits. It's targeting slightly older recruits who bring more experience than most 18-year-olds. And it plans to offer incentives so soldiers in over-strength occupational specialties will retrain into those experiencing shortfalls.
Purser said she's working closely with the Army's accessions and recruiting commands to ensure recruiters know what the Army Reserve is looking for – and what it's not.
"She must get very precise and tell them what the Army Reserve needs," Stultz explained, using Army shorthand for unit supply specialists as an example. "No more 92 Yankees in this location, only in that location," she said, "and no more chaplain assistants." Then, she added, she has to figure out how to give chaplain assistants incentive to become military police.
A central front in the reshaping plan is the network of points at which active-duty soldiers begin the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life. The Army Reserve plans to take a tip from the National Guard's playbook, assigning recruiters directly to transition points, where they can pitch the Army Reserve to troops still on active duty.
"We need to reach these guys as early out as we can, ... to make sure they understand the opportunities that we have," Purser said. "The idea is to get there and talk with them early enough to encourage them to come over to the Reserve side so they can continue to reap the benefits [of military service], ... rather than have them stop completely when they get off active duty."
One big selling point the Army Reserve hopes to benefit from is the Employer Partnership Initiative. The program links Army reservists with civilian job opportunities in their military career field, and with employers who recognize and support their Army Reserve obligations. So far, more than 700 companies have signed on, Purser said, eager to recruit workers who bring the skills, discipline and leadership they've developed in the military.
Stultz said he sees the program as a way to help the Army Reserve achieve the balance it needs.
"We've got plenty of [employer] partners," he said. "So we must get scientific about finding companies with opportunities we can fill with our soldiers or future soldiers. We're satisfying corporate America, and we're satisfying our needs."
At the same time, recognizing that some soldiers leave active duty because they've grown deployment-weary, the Army Reserve is taking the novel step of guaranteeing more "dwell time" at home between deployments for some prior-service recruits.
"We have incentivized these active-component guys, saying we will guarantee a two-year dwell, at least, before they have to go again," Purser said. "Even if they go to a unit that is scheduled to deploy, the Army Reserve will honor that commitment."
That's a guarantee even the Individual Ready Reserve can't offer, she said.
Stultz calls these efforts part of a precise human capital strategy that will ensure the Army Reserve has the right people with the right skills in the right units at the right time.
"As we look ahead," he said, "we know that building the right force is crucial for success."
Gates Urges More Western Hemisphere Cooperation
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The United States and other Western Hemisphere nations must increase cooperation and collaboration for their continued security, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates addressed defense leaders from around the world at the Halifax International Security Forum.
Noting that the challenges facing Western Hemisphere nations have changed since the end of the Cold War -- a period of tension that inspired the United States and Canada to establish the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- Gates said he wants the United States and Canada to build on this legacy of cooperation and interoperability to face the challenges of new threats.
"This engagement and this partnership are so necessary because the emerging security challenges we face are increasingly interconnected, and the nontraditional threats require a collective approach," Gates said.
And it requires more than simple defense cooperation, the secretary said. Threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling and others require "an uncommon degree of coordination among the national-security, homeland-defense and criminal-justice agencies of our governments," the secretary said.
The nations are working together more closely. In 2006, Canada and the United States agreed to expand the NORAD mission to include maritime warning. The two nations also signed a new emergency management cooperation agreement in December, and the U.S. military is prepared – at Canada's request – to assist the nation as it hosts the Winter Olympics early next year.
One area where cooperation is needed is in the Arctic, as global warming has increased access to the normally ice-bound region. While there are disagreements – Canada asserts that the Northwest Passage is in Canadian waters, and the United States and Western European nations say it is an international waterway – there are areas of cooperation.
"We share an interest in developing more icebreaking ships for mobility and improving domain awareness to support search-and-rescue operations in light of increased tourism up north," Gates said.
Russia, Canada, Norway, Demark and the United States have claims on parts of the Arctic. "Even as the U.S. 'resets' relations with Russia, we will work with Canada to ensure that increased Russian activity in the Arctic does not lead to miscalculation or unnecessary friction," Gates said.
The nations of the hemisphere have to band together to handle natural or man-made disasters, Gates said, noting recent examples of that cooperation. Canada and Mexico assisted New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The United States assisted Haiti last year after Hurricane Ike hit the island nation, and helped El Salvador last month after rainstorms caused mudslides in that Latin American nation.
Global warming could cause more frequent and intense storms, Gates said, and the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review will examine how the U.S. armed forces can respond to such natural disasters. But man can be the biggest threat, he added, and the nexus of drug trafficking and terrorism poses a danger to both the United States and Canada.
"The same means and routes used to transport drugs could also be used for dangerous weapons and materials," Gates said. Smugglers have used semi-submersible vessels that can carry tons of drugs and are difficult to detect, he said.
The terrorist group known as FARC has used ungoverned areas of Colombia to grow and refine drugs, and must be met with the force of law, Gates said. "We cannot expect to make headway on narcotics without a multifaceted, multinational comprehensive approach to the problem," he said. "We need to work together to fortify judicial institutions and the rule of law."
Gates emphasized that this must be accomplished in ways respectful of human rights. Police in many countries often are outgunned by their adversaries, and military forces have stepped in. Colombia and Mexico are working to instruct soldiers in how to defeat the enemy while respecting the rights of the people, the secretary said.
Gates also stressed that the military should not be the lead agency in confronting many of the threats in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to keep front and center that the military is in a supporting – not a lead – role in dealing with most of the problems," he said, though he acknowledged that in some situations, only the military can provide the manpower, logistics, transportation or expertise to handle crises or threats.
Through increased cooperation and collaboration, the secretary said, Western Hemisphere nations must address these issues before they find themselves working through them at a disaster site.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The United States and other Western Hemisphere nations must increase cooperation and collaboration for their continued security, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates addressed defense leaders from around the world at the Halifax International Security Forum.
Noting that the challenges facing Western Hemisphere nations have changed since the end of the Cold War -- a period of tension that inspired the United States and Canada to establish the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- Gates said he wants the United States and Canada to build on this legacy of cooperation and interoperability to face the challenges of new threats.
"This engagement and this partnership are so necessary because the emerging security challenges we face are increasingly interconnected, and the nontraditional threats require a collective approach," Gates said.
And it requires more than simple defense cooperation, the secretary said. Threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling and others require "an uncommon degree of coordination among the national-security, homeland-defense and criminal-justice agencies of our governments," the secretary said.
The nations are working together more closely. In 2006, Canada and the United States agreed to expand the NORAD mission to include maritime warning. The two nations also signed a new emergency management cooperation agreement in December, and the U.S. military is prepared – at Canada's request – to assist the nation as it hosts the Winter Olympics early next year.
One area where cooperation is needed is in the Arctic, as global warming has increased access to the normally ice-bound region. While there are disagreements – Canada asserts that the Northwest Passage is in Canadian waters, and the United States and Western European nations say it is an international waterway – there are areas of cooperation.
"We share an interest in developing more icebreaking ships for mobility and improving domain awareness to support search-and-rescue operations in light of increased tourism up north," Gates said.
Russia, Canada, Norway, Demark and the United States have claims on parts of the Arctic. "Even as the U.S. 'resets' relations with Russia, we will work with Canada to ensure that increased Russian activity in the Arctic does not lead to miscalculation or unnecessary friction," Gates said.
The nations of the hemisphere have to band together to handle natural or man-made disasters, Gates said, noting recent examples of that cooperation. Canada and Mexico assisted New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The United States assisted Haiti last year after Hurricane Ike hit the island nation, and helped El Salvador last month after rainstorms caused mudslides in that Latin American nation.
Global warming could cause more frequent and intense storms, Gates said, and the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review will examine how the U.S. armed forces can respond to such natural disasters. But man can be the biggest threat, he added, and the nexus of drug trafficking and terrorism poses a danger to both the United States and Canada.
"The same means and routes used to transport drugs could also be used for dangerous weapons and materials," Gates said. Smugglers have used semi-submersible vessels that can carry tons of drugs and are difficult to detect, he said.
The terrorist group known as FARC has used ungoverned areas of Colombia to grow and refine drugs, and must be met with the force of law, Gates said. "We cannot expect to make headway on narcotics without a multifaceted, multinational comprehensive approach to the problem," he said. "We need to work together to fortify judicial institutions and the rule of law."
Gates emphasized that this must be accomplished in ways respectful of human rights. Police in many countries often are outgunned by their adversaries, and military forces have stepped in. Colombia and Mexico are working to instruct soldiers in how to defeat the enemy while respecting the rights of the people, the secretary said.
Gates also stressed that the military should not be the lead agency in confronting many of the threats in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to keep front and center that the military is in a supporting – not a lead – role in dealing with most of the problems," he said, though he acknowledged that in some situations, only the military can provide the manpower, logistics, transportation or expertise to handle crises or threats.
Through increased cooperation and collaboration, the secretary said, Western Hemisphere nations must address these issues before they find themselves working through them at a disaster site.
Mullen Sees Operational Structure in Guard's Future
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The National Guard's transformation from a strategic reserve to an operational force since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, should continue beyond the current conflicts, the nation's top military officer told Guard leaders yesterday. As operations in Iraq and Afghanistan change over the next few years, the Guard should not be allowed to revert to being simply a strategic reserve, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience at the National Guard's Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"Without leadership, we will snap back in too many areas to the way it was," Mullen said. "So we have to look to the future and lead to the future, taking advantage of who we are, what we've become and what we think those challenges will be."
Mullen said he's considering what the military's force structure should look like after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I've started to ask the question, 'Well, what's after Iraq and Afghanistan?'" the chairman said. "What does the force look like? How do we make sure that the lessons that we've learned, the best combat force we have ever fielded, ... how do we make sure we retain the right individuals, how do we train them? How do we educate them? And what does it look like, and particularly on the Guard side, what does it look like in the future?"
Mullen said he foresees some sort of strategic reserve, but that the operational structure needs to be in place as well.
"I believe we should have some level of strategic reserve," he said. "And yet, we have to have an operational response that keeps that strategic reserve healthy, tied to a training regimen and a preparation regimen that takes advantage of who we are and who we've become in these two wars and looks to a future that leverages that in preparation for what might be coming down the road."
That does not mean a return to how things were before 2001, he said,
"As we look to a future ... where the deployments aren't as high as they are right now, the one thing I don't want to do is ... reset to 2000," he said.
Mullen said the transition in the Guard has been "absolutely spectacular."
"I've seen an awful lot of troops in theater ... who ... unless somebody told me they were in the Guard or the Reserve or active, I couldn't tell," he said, "because in the fight, everybody is the same: side by side, shoulder to shoulder and making such a difference."
Mullen said maintaining that high level of readiness in the future comes down to leadership.
"Leading in a time of change – if you've spent any time in leadership – is the hardest kind of leadership there is," he said. "And it is leadership that has been very well executed here, and will need to be in the future."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The National Guard's transformation from a strategic reserve to an operational force since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, should continue beyond the current conflicts, the nation's top military officer told Guard leaders yesterday. As operations in Iraq and Afghanistan change over the next few years, the Guard should not be allowed to revert to being simply a strategic reserve, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience at the National Guard's Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"Without leadership, we will snap back in too many areas to the way it was," Mullen said. "So we have to look to the future and lead to the future, taking advantage of who we are, what we've become and what we think those challenges will be."
Mullen said he's considering what the military's force structure should look like after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I've started to ask the question, 'Well, what's after Iraq and Afghanistan?'" the chairman said. "What does the force look like? How do we make sure that the lessons that we've learned, the best combat force we have ever fielded, ... how do we make sure we retain the right individuals, how do we train them? How do we educate them? And what does it look like, and particularly on the Guard side, what does it look like in the future?"
Mullen said he foresees some sort of strategic reserve, but that the operational structure needs to be in place as well.
"I believe we should have some level of strategic reserve," he said. "And yet, we have to have an operational response that keeps that strategic reserve healthy, tied to a training regimen and a preparation regimen that takes advantage of who we are and who we've become in these two wars and looks to a future that leverages that in preparation for what might be coming down the road."
That does not mean a return to how things were before 2001, he said,
"As we look to a future ... where the deployments aren't as high as they are right now, the one thing I don't want to do is ... reset to 2000," he said.
Mullen said the transition in the Guard has been "absolutely spectacular."
"I've seen an awful lot of troops in theater ... who ... unless somebody told me they were in the Guard or the Reserve or active, I couldn't tell," he said, "because in the fight, everybody is the same: side by side, shoulder to shoulder and making such a difference."
Mullen said maintaining that high level of readiness in the future comes down to leadership.
"Leading in a time of change – if you've spent any time in leadership – is the hardest kind of leadership there is," he said. "And it is leadership that has been very well executed here, and will need to be in the future."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 20, 2009
AIR FORCE
DTS Aviation Services, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $13,893,827 contract which will provide aircraft backshop maintenance, munitions and equipment support services for the Air Armament Center and for their command and control, communications, computers and intelligence systems testing for a 12 month period. At this time, $11,517,159 has been obligated. 96 CONS/PKB, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08651-02-C-0085, P00066).
Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colo., was awarded a $9,103,824 contract which will provide aircraft weapon integration. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-10-C-0069).
Duncan Aviation, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., was awarded a $5,549,950 contract which will provide three Gulfstream engines to support the Egyptian government fleet. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 727 ACSG/PKB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-07-C-0005, P00035).
NAVY
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0008), and Valley Power Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0009), are being awarded a combined $19,500,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Detroit brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $25,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Cummins brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N55236-10-D-0007).
ARMY
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $15,855,517 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is a Change Order Modification to fund re-wing engineering change Proposal for the Shadow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Shadow UAS provides flexible and responsive near real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and battle management support to Army ground maneuver commanders. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, CCAM-AR-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Reams Enterprises, Inc., East Point, Ga., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $15,532,835 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the base facility maintenance services. The service procured will be to support Fort McPherson Garrison located at Fort McPherson, Ga., with facility services through base realignment and closure. Work is to be performed in Fort McPherson, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited using the Army Single Face to Industry web site with three bids received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Center McPherson, Fort McPherson, Ga., is the contracting activity (W911SE-10-C-0001).
Cox Construction Co., Vista, Calif., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $13,416,600 firm-fixed-price contract. The project is to construct a general instruction building at the Presidio of Monterey. The building includes classroom, offices, storage, test control area, conference room, multi-purpose training areas, cultural rooms and curriculum resource areas. Work is to be performed in Presidio of Monterey, Calif., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 15 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-10-C-0005).
Mustang Technology Group, Allen, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $8,189,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The object of this effort is to provide 25 CROSSHAIRS systems for integration into Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and to begin integration of the CROSSHAIRS system, equipped with the Iron Curtain Active Protection System, onto an MRAP platform for testing evaluation. Work is to be performed in Allen, Texas, (83.47 percent) and Herndon, Va. (16.53 percent), with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0026).
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $5,559,750 firm-fixed-price contract for the maintenance dredging, Wilmington Harbor Outer Ocean Bar, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Work is to be performed in Brunswick County, N.C., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Wilmington Office, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-10-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bay Area Diablo Petroleum Co., Concord, Calif.*, is being awarded a minimum $5,362,113 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in California and Utah. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-4510).
DTS Aviation Services, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $13,893,827 contract which will provide aircraft backshop maintenance, munitions and equipment support services for the Air Armament Center and for their command and control, communications, computers and intelligence systems testing for a 12 month period. At this time, $11,517,159 has been obligated. 96 CONS/PKB, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08651-02-C-0085, P00066).
Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colo., was awarded a $9,103,824 contract which will provide aircraft weapon integration. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-10-C-0069).
Duncan Aviation, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., was awarded a $5,549,950 contract which will provide three Gulfstream engines to support the Egyptian government fleet. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 727 ACSG/PKB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-07-C-0005, P00035).
NAVY
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0008), and Valley Power Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0009), are being awarded a combined $19,500,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Detroit brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $25,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Cummins brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N55236-10-D-0007).
ARMY
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $15,855,517 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is a Change Order Modification to fund re-wing engineering change Proposal for the Shadow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Shadow UAS provides flexible and responsive near real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and battle management support to Army ground maneuver commanders. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, CCAM-AR-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Reams Enterprises, Inc., East Point, Ga., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $15,532,835 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the base facility maintenance services. The service procured will be to support Fort McPherson Garrison located at Fort McPherson, Ga., with facility services through base realignment and closure. Work is to be performed in Fort McPherson, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited using the Army Single Face to Industry web site with three bids received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Center McPherson, Fort McPherson, Ga., is the contracting activity (W911SE-10-C-0001).
Cox Construction Co., Vista, Calif., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $13,416,600 firm-fixed-price contract. The project is to construct a general instruction building at the Presidio of Monterey. The building includes classroom, offices, storage, test control area, conference room, multi-purpose training areas, cultural rooms and curriculum resource areas. Work is to be performed in Presidio of Monterey, Calif., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 15 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-10-C-0005).
Mustang Technology Group, Allen, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $8,189,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The object of this effort is to provide 25 CROSSHAIRS systems for integration into Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and to begin integration of the CROSSHAIRS system, equipped with the Iron Curtain Active Protection System, onto an MRAP platform for testing evaluation. Work is to be performed in Allen, Texas, (83.47 percent) and Herndon, Va. (16.53 percent), with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0026).
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $5,559,750 firm-fixed-price contract for the maintenance dredging, Wilmington Harbor Outer Ocean Bar, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Work is to be performed in Brunswick County, N.C., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Wilmington Office, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-10-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bay Area Diablo Petroleum Co., Concord, Calif.*, is being awarded a minimum $5,362,113 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in California and Utah. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-4510).
Friday, November 20, 2009
VA Recognizes Agent Orange Link to More Diseases
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - An independent study by the Institute of Medicine last month resulted in broadened health coverage by the Veterans Affairs Department for Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Research found that three illnesses – B cell leukemias, Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease -- possibly are associated with Agent Orange exposure. Those conditions join a list of related diseases for which Vietnam War veterans already receive compensation, such as prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Veterans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 may qualify for monthly disability compensation and do not have to provide proof they were exposed to Agent Orange to qualify for health benefits.
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in statement released last month. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
The U.S. military used Agent Orange herbicides in the Vietnam conflict from 1961 to 1971 to clear foliage that provided enemy cover. VA officials estimate that about 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were affected.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman, released a statement today calling for additional support of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009. The bill expands eligibility for presumptive conditions to veterans who were not directly "boots on the ground," such as sailors and pilots.
Current law suggests that location of service in Vietnam affects some of the qualifications for Agent Orange compensation.
"Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans," Filner said. "Many are dying from their Agent Orange-related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange, and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would."
About 800,000 Vietnam veterans are estimated to be alive today and eligible for treatment for Agent Orange-related illnesses. According to VA's Web site, the department presumes all military members who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange. Also, some children of female Vietnam veterans may qualify for compensation, based on birth defects associated with the chemicals.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - An independent study by the Institute of Medicine last month resulted in broadened health coverage by the Veterans Affairs Department for Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Research found that three illnesses – B cell leukemias, Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease -- possibly are associated with Agent Orange exposure. Those conditions join a list of related diseases for which Vietnam War veterans already receive compensation, such as prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Veterans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 may qualify for monthly disability compensation and do not have to provide proof they were exposed to Agent Orange to qualify for health benefits.
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in statement released last month. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
The U.S. military used Agent Orange herbicides in the Vietnam conflict from 1961 to 1971 to clear foliage that provided enemy cover. VA officials estimate that about 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were affected.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman, released a statement today calling for additional support of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009. The bill expands eligibility for presumptive conditions to veterans who were not directly "boots on the ground," such as sailors and pilots.
Current law suggests that location of service in Vietnam affects some of the qualifications for Agent Orange compensation.
"Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans," Filner said. "Many are dying from their Agent Orange-related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange, and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would."
About 800,000 Vietnam veterans are estimated to be alive today and eligible for treatment for Agent Orange-related illnesses. According to VA's Web site, the department presumes all military members who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange. Also, some children of female Vietnam veterans may qualify for compensation, based on birth defects associated with the chemicals.
Army Announces Independent Body Armor Review
Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced today that the National Research Council (NRC) will perform an independent assessment of the Army's body armor testing, following last month's recommendation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for an independent review. The NRC functions under the auspices of the National Academies, a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and the public on critical national issues.
"We are committed to providing our warfighters with world-class equipment, and are confident that our body armor continues to defeat the threat to our soldiers," McHugh said. "The Army welcomes this independent review, and is grateful for the analysis and expertise of the National Research Council."
"I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this initiative with Dr. Gilmore, the Department of Defense's director of operational test and evaluation, prior to its completion," McHugh continued. "As I said at the time, I fully endorse this analysis and pledge the Army will render its total cooperation."
Under an agreement between the National Academies and the director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E), the Department of Defense's final independent authority on survivability testing of body armor, the NRC will perform an independent assessment of ongoing body armor testing. The purpose of the NRC assessment is to ensure that the Army maintains the highest standards for testing processes and protocols, thus addressing concerns raised by the GAO about current testing procedures.
"The continued partnership with DOT&E, the NRC, and the GAO will ensure the complete, accurate, and careful testing of body armor critical to ensuring soldiers' confidence in their equipment," McHugh said. "The Army is constantly refining and improving its testing processes and procedures, and we welcome additional expertise to help ensure that we continue to field the best body armor available."
Within the Army, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the army (acquisition, logistics and technology) has recently assigned a quality, process, and compliance executive who is responsible for oversight of process compliance across the acquisition community, and who is directly accountable to the Army acquisition executive. The highest priority for the compliance executive is the ongoing body armor ballistic testing by being conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
"We are committed to providing our warfighters with world-class equipment, and are confident that our body armor continues to defeat the threat to our soldiers," McHugh said. "The Army welcomes this independent review, and is grateful for the analysis and expertise of the National Research Council."
"I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this initiative with Dr. Gilmore, the Department of Defense's director of operational test and evaluation, prior to its completion," McHugh continued. "As I said at the time, I fully endorse this analysis and pledge the Army will render its total cooperation."
Under an agreement between the National Academies and the director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E), the Department of Defense's final independent authority on survivability testing of body armor, the NRC will perform an independent assessment of ongoing body armor testing. The purpose of the NRC assessment is to ensure that the Army maintains the highest standards for testing processes and protocols, thus addressing concerns raised by the GAO about current testing procedures.
"The continued partnership with DOT&E, the NRC, and the GAO will ensure the complete, accurate, and careful testing of body armor critical to ensuring soldiers' confidence in their equipment," McHugh said. "The Army is constantly refining and improving its testing processes and procedures, and we welcome additional expertise to help ensure that we continue to field the best body armor available."
Within the Army, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the army (acquisition, logistics and technology) has recently assigned a quality, process, and compliance executive who is responsible for oversight of process compliance across the acquisition community, and who is directly accountable to the Army acquisition executive. The highest priority for the compliance executive is the ongoing body armor ballistic testing by being conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Navy Announces Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Military Relocations to Guam
The Navy announced today the availability of the draft environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement (EIS/OEIS) for the military buildup on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
The draft EIS/OEIS analyzes the impacts of the following proposed actions:
Marine Corps: Development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support the relocation from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam of approximately 8,600 Marines and approximately 9,000 dependents; and development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian for the relocated Marines.
Navy: Construction of a new deep-draft wharf with shoreside infrastructure improvements creating the capability in Apra Harbor, Guam, to support a transient nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Army: Development of facilities and infrastructure on Guam to support the relocation of approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents and the establishment and operation of an Army Missile Defense Task Force.
The purpose of the proposed actions is to fulfill U.S. national security policy requirements to provide mutual defense, deter aggression, and dissuade coercion in the western Pacific region.
The Navy and the Department of Defense have held ongoing discussions with cooperating agencies (federal and local agencies with special expertise or regulatory insight) to review all relevant resource areas and have worked closely with elected leaders in Guam and the CNMI in the development of the draft EIS/OEIS.
After releasing the draft EIS/OEIS, the public is given time to review the document and provide comments. Due to the complexity of the draft EIS/OEIS and a desire to ensure all interested parties have the full opportunity to review the document, the comment period was extended from 45 to 90 days. All issues or concerns raised in public comments will be identified and appropriately considered in preparation of the final EIS. Six public hearings will also be held on Guam, Tinian and Saipan in January 2010.
To review the draft EIS/OEIS and to submit public comments, visit http://www.guambuildupeis.us.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.
The draft EIS/OEIS analyzes the impacts of the following proposed actions:
Marine Corps: Development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support the relocation from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam of approximately 8,600 Marines and approximately 9,000 dependents; and development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian for the relocated Marines.
Navy: Construction of a new deep-draft wharf with shoreside infrastructure improvements creating the capability in Apra Harbor, Guam, to support a transient nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Army: Development of facilities and infrastructure on Guam to support the relocation of approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents and the establishment and operation of an Army Missile Defense Task Force.
The purpose of the proposed actions is to fulfill U.S. national security policy requirements to provide mutual defense, deter aggression, and dissuade coercion in the western Pacific region.
The Navy and the Department of Defense have held ongoing discussions with cooperating agencies (federal and local agencies with special expertise or regulatory insight) to review all relevant resource areas and have worked closely with elected leaders in Guam and the CNMI in the development of the draft EIS/OEIS.
After releasing the draft EIS/OEIS, the public is given time to review the document and provide comments. Due to the complexity of the draft EIS/OEIS and a desire to ensure all interested parties have the full opportunity to review the document, the comment period was extended from 45 to 90 days. All issues or concerns raised in public comments will be identified and appropriately considered in preparation of the final EIS. Six public hearings will also be held on Guam, Tinian and Saipan in January 2010.
To review the draft EIS/OEIS and to submit public comments, visit http://www.guambuildupeis.us.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.
Soldier Who Led Last Bayonet Charge Dies
American Forces Press ServiceNov. 20, 2009 - Retired Army Col. Lewis L. Millett, who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for leading what reportedly was the last major American bayonet charge, died Nov 14. Millett, 88, died in Loma Linda, Calif., after serving for more than 15 years as the honorary colonel of the 27th Infantry Regiment Association.
Millet received the Medal of Honor for his actions Feb. 7, 1951. He led the 25th Infantry Division's Company E, 27th Infantry, in a bayonet charge up Hill 180 near Soam-Ni, Korea. A captain at the time, Millet was leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position when he noticed that a platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire.
Millett placed himself at the head of two other platoons, ordered fixed bayonets, and led an assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge, Millett bayoneted two enemy soldiers and continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement, according to his Medal of Honor citation.
"Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill," the citation states. "His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder."
Millett was wounded by grenade fragments during the attack, but he refused evacuation until the objective was firmly secured. He recovered, and attended Ranger School after the war.
In the 1960s, he ran the 101st Airborne Division Recondo School for reconnaissance and commando training at Fort Campbell, Ky. He then served in a number of special operations advisory assignments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He founded the Royal Thai Army Ranger School with help of the 46th Special Forces Company. This unit reportedly is the only one in the U.S. Army to simultaneously be designated as both Ranger and Special Forces.
Millet retired from the Army in 1973.
"I was very saddened to hear Colonel Millett passed away," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., the current commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. "He was a rare breed -- a true patriot who never stopped serving his country. He was a role model for thousands of soldiers, and he will be missed."
Millet was born in Maine and first enlisted in 1940 in the Army Air Corps and served as a gunner. Soon after, when it appeared that the United States would not enter World War II, he left and joined the Canadian army.
In 1942, while Millet was serving in London, the United States entered the war. Millet turned himself in to the U.S. Embassy there and eventually was assigned to the 1st Armored Division. As an antitank gunner in Tunisia, Millet earned the Silver Star after he jumped into a burning halftrack filled with ammunition, drove it away from allied soldiers and jumped to safety just before the vehicle exploded. He later shot down a German fighter plane with a vehicle-mounted machine gun.
As a sergeant serving in Italy during the war, his desertion to join the Canadian forces caught up to him. He was court-martialed, fined $52 and denied leave. A few weeks later, he was awarded a battlefield commission. After the war, he joined the 103rd Infantry of the Maine National Guard, and he attended college until he was called back to active duty in 1949.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Millett earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit and four Purple Hearts during his 35-year military career. After his retirement, he remained active in both national and local veterans groups from his Idyllwild, Calif., home.
His son, Army Staff Sgt John Morton Millett, was a member of the 101st Airborne Division returning from duty in the Sinai on Dec. 12, 1985, when a charter plane crashed upon takeoff after stopping at Gander, Newfoundland. He was one of 256 soldiers killed in the crash.
On Feb. 7, 1994, Millet was honored with a ceremony on Hill 180, now located on Osan Air Base, South Korea. The ceremony became an annual one, and the road running up the hill was named "Millet Road."
In June 2000, Millet returned to Seoul, South Korea, and served as keynote speaker at the Army's 225th Birthday Ball at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. All eight of the then-living Korean War Medal of Honor recipients attended the event.
This year, Millet served as the grand marshal of a Salute to Veterans parade April 21 in Riverside, Calif. He died Nov. 14 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Loma Linda, of congestive heart failure.
A memorial service for Millet is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 5 at the National Medal of Honor Memorial at Riverside National Cemetery in California.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Obama Leads Troop Rally at Osan
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - More than 1,500 airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines from throughout South Korea had the opportunity to hear President Barack Obama speak, for the first time in Korea, at a troop rally here today. Obama said he stopped here en route home from a weeklong Asia trip to reaffirm the enduring alliance between the U.S. and South Korean governments. "This is an alliance rooted in sheer sacrifice, common values, mutual interests and a mutual respect," he said. "And as we look to the future, with a shared vision of our alliance in the 21st century, I made it clear America's commitment to the Republic of Korea will never waver and our alliance has never been stronger."
The president noted that though the reason for his visit was business, it would not be complete without visiting the troops. He had a message to deliver.
"I couldn't come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you and delivering a simple message -- a message of thanks to you and your families, because of all the privileges of serving as president, I have no greater honor than that of serving as commander in chief of the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
The security that allows families to live in peace in both Asia and America, the prosperity that allows them to pursue their dreams and the freedoms they all cherish have not been accidents of history, the president said.
"It is no exaggeration to say the progress that we see, not just in Korea, are provided by generations of American men and women in uniform, and has transformed the lives of millions of people," Obama said. "Many people have to wait a lifetime to see the difference they made, but you see the life of your service, and you have only to look around. Like generations before you, you've helped keep the peace, ... working with the wonderful people of the Republic of Korea as they forged a reliable alliance."
The president said that the alliance has seen South K
"Backed by our alliance, the Republic of Korea has taken on a leadership role -- promoting security and stability around the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the waters off the Horn of Africa and Eurasia, helping prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction - and that makes us all more secure," he said. "And that too, is part of your legacy."
However, he noted, that legacy did not come without sacrifice, a price the president said he recognizes few Americans will ever truly be able to understand.
"I want to assure you that every American appreciates what you do," Obama said. "I say to you today, on behalf of the American people, 'Thank you for your service. We honor your sacrifices, and just as you fulfilled your responsibilities to your nation, your nation will fulfill its responsibilities to you.'"
Before wrapping up his visit, Obama thanked Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, U.S. Forces Korea commander, for working to normalize tours in Korea, a feat he said will help to provide more stability and security in the region.
"This is a day that stands out in history for not only Osan, but the Republic of Korea," said Air Force Col. Thomas Deale, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "President Obama made it a point to come to Korea and commend the servicemembers here for what they do best - being ready to fight and win. ... I am proud to be their commander, and proud to present their accomplishments to our president."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere serves with the 51st Fighter Wing public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - More than 1,500 airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines from throughout South Korea had the opportunity to hear President Barack Obama speak, for the first time in Korea, at a troop rally here today. Obama said he stopped here en route home from a weeklong Asia trip to reaffirm the enduring alliance between the U.S. and South Korean governments. "This is an alliance rooted in sheer sacrifice, common values, mutual interests and a mutual respect," he said. "And as we look to the future, with a shared vision of our alliance in the 21st century, I made it clear America's commitment to the Republic of Korea will never waver and our alliance has never been stronger."
The president noted that though the reason for his visit was business, it would not be complete without visiting the troops. He had a message to deliver.
"I couldn't come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you and delivering a simple message -- a message of thanks to you and your families, because of all the privileges of serving as president, I have no greater honor than that of serving as commander in chief of the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
The security that allows families to live in peace in both Asia and America, the prosperity that allows them to pursue their dreams and the freedoms they all cherish have not been accidents of history, the president said.
"It is no exaggeration to say the progress that we see, not just in Korea, are provided by generations of American men and women in uniform, and has transformed the lives of millions of people," Obama said. "Many people have to wait a lifetime to see the difference they made, but you see the life of your service, and you have only to look around. Like generations before you, you've helped keep the peace, ... working with the wonderful people of the Republic of Korea as they forged a reliable alliance."
The president said that the alliance has seen South K
"Backed by our alliance, the Republic of Korea has taken on a leadership role -- promoting security and stability around the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the waters off the Horn of Africa and Eurasia, helping prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction - and that makes us all more secure," he said. "And that too, is part of your legacy."
However, he noted, that legacy did not come without sacrifice, a price the president said he recognizes few Americans will ever truly be able to understand.
"I want to assure you that every American appreciates what you do," Obama said. "I say to you today, on behalf of the American people, 'Thank you for your service. We honor your sacrifices, and just as you fulfilled your responsibilities to your nation, your nation will fulfill its responsibilities to you.'"
Before wrapping up his visit, Obama thanked Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, U.S. Forces Korea commander, for working to normalize tours in Korea, a feat he said will help to provide more stability and security in the region.
"This is a day that stands out in history for not only Osan, but the Republic of Korea," said Air Force Col. Thomas Deale, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "President Obama made it a point to come to Korea and commend the servicemembers here for what they do best - being ready to fight and win. ... I am proud to be their commander, and proud to present their accomplishments to our president."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere serves with the 51st Fighter Wing public affairs office.)
Wife Succeeds Husband on Deployment
By Air Force Senior Airman Stephen LinchSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - He was there, and then he was gone. It was just a glimpse on the night of Oct. 31. She continued to exit the C-130 Hercules that had just landed at an air base here, still scanning her surroundings to see if it could be. Then she saw him again. Her face lit up as she joyfully greeted her husband at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing reception area. Although she was ecstatic to see her husband for the first time in six months, Air Force Capt. Kieran Dhillon-Davis, the newly arrived chief of the wing's mental health services, didn't come here to see him. She came to take his place.
Her job is to ensure mission readiness by providing mental health services such as individual therapy, tobacco cessation aid and suicide awareness training to airmen and soldiers. She also focuses on behavior change and on stress and anger management.
Her husband, Air Force Capt. Luther Dhillon-Davis, the departing chief of mental health services, soon would return to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, the couple's home station. But for now, he was focusing on managing the hand-off and preparing his wife for a successful stay.
"I was eagerly anticipating her arrival," he said. "I was and still am excited to get to share with her this transition."
Over the next 14 days, he facilitated the transfer by seeing patients alongside his wife, providing her with continuity, detailing location-specific information and showing her around the wing. He noted how grateful he was to spend time with her over the changeover period, saying it was the "closest thing to a traditional mid-tour break," they would get.
The couple became acquainted when 23-year-old Kieran Dhillon enrolled in a neuropsychology class on the nature of emotion in the summer of 2002, after seeing 24-year-old Luther Davis's name on the class's roster at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif.
Over the next four years, Luther Davis would create a holiday for his college sweetheart: "Blue Day," named after her favorite color and a commemoration of their engagement. Both would join the Air Force and start their residency, and they would combine and hyphenate their last names in a wedding ceremony at a winery in Temecula, Calif.
They celebrated their third wedding anniversary separately on May 28, shortly after Luther left for his deployment.
They knew there would be sacrifices when both entered the Air Force. The couple agrees that getting deployed back-to-back is not an ideal situation, but they are learning to deal with the challenges it brings.
"I've had to learn how to be supportive without being there physically," admitted Luther, a 31-year-old Wichita Falls, Texas, native.
When the couple informs people of their situation, the response they normally receive is, "Geez, that sucks! Why couldn't they work something different?" he said.
Kieran explained that their career field is critically undermanned, and constant deployments have left a shortage of airmen capable of deploying. They agree the situation could have been far more stressful if they were deployed to separate locations.
As their two-week overlap drew to a close, the couple sat beside each other, smiling, laughing and getting lost in somber moments of silence -- moments that soon were ended by the realization that the KC-10 Extender was waiting on the ramp to take him home, and the two would have to say goodbye again.
In the upcoming months, Luther will re-integrate into the 82nd Medical Group and serve the airmen of Sheppard Air Force Base, and Kieran will continue to hold the line as the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's only clinical psychologist.
Reflecting on her husband's departure, the 30-year-old Redland, Calif., native said she has only the mission at hand on her mind, and plans on "doing what I have been called out here to do, just like everyone else."
The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing provides intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and aerial refueling in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
(Air Force Senior Airman Stephen Linch serves with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs office.)
Gates Supports 'Contiguous Training' for Reserve Components
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - While admitting initial reservations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a National Guard conference today he sees benefits of a new plan that allows reserve-component servicemembers to conduct pre-deployment training before the clock starts ticking on their 12-month mobilization cycles. Gates told the National Guard Bureau Senior Leadership Conference he wasn't initially a fan of the so-called "contiguous mobilization" plan he approved earlier this month at the Army and National Guard leadership's request.
The plan authorizes reserve-component members to conduct pre-deployment training – frequently by amassing scheduled annual training and weekend drill periods into a block period – without counting it as part of their official mobilization cycles.
The exception to policy will last for one year as the Defense Department studies its impact and effectiveness, Gates said today.
Gates emphasized that he remains committed to the 12-month mobilization policy he instituted for reserve-component members, and thought long and hard before approving the contiguous mobilization plan.
"I really wrestled with this, worried our soldiers would see it as breaking faith with my decision in January 2007 to limit mobilization to 12 months," he said. "But I was persuaded that contiguous training may lead to improved combat preparation for our reserve-component servicemembers."
He said he also realized that contiguous mobilizations would support another goal: giving Guardsmen and reservists more predictability about deployments.
"I was told that, by grouping training [periods] together immediately before federal mobilization, the reservists, their families and their employers may realize more stability and predictability within the deployment cycle," he said, prompting the audience to jump to its feet in broad applause.
"Thank you for that," he told the group. "It truly was a difficult decision for me."
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the group the new policy is designed to reduce the "churn" within reserve-component members' lives as they balance their military and civilian obligations.
"I worry about Sergeant Jones sitting at the table in his civilian capacity with his family looking at their future, having some predictability, along with the employer," Mullen said.
Gates thanked the leaders who brought the issue to his attention, and said he was gratified by the deliberate process, with well-considered solutions, that led to his decision.
The Defense Department will gather information during the next six months or so to support an analysis Gates said he hopes charts a "clear way ahead" about whether to continue contiguous training.
Gates and Mullen both emphasized the need to build more predictability about deployments and "dwell time" at home between deployments for the Guard and reserve.
Expanding the active Army's end strength will translate into less demand – and stress – on the National Guard, Gates said.
The secretary emphasized the long-term need for support networks established for reserve-component members during their deployments and after they return home.
"You have made great strides in all of these areas to reduce stress and improve quality of life for the force, but don't let up," he said. "Our current engagements will keep forces on foreign soil at some level for years to come."
Both Gates and the chairman praised the multiple roles the National Guard has played, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at home in responding to natural disasters and security threats.
"We could not have done it without you," Mullen said.
"Please convey to your Guardsmen my thanks for their significant contributions to our national security," Gates said. "The service Guardsmen render to the nation and the cause of freedom around the world represents the best America has to offer."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - While admitting initial reservations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a National Guard conference today he sees benefits of a new plan that allows reserve-component servicemembers to conduct pre-deployment training before the clock starts ticking on their 12-month mobilization cycles. Gates told the National Guard Bureau Senior Leadership Conference he wasn't initially a fan of the so-called "contiguous mobilization" plan he approved earlier this month at the Army and National Guard leadership's request.
The plan authorizes reserve-component members to conduct pre-deployment training – frequently by amassing scheduled annual training and weekend drill periods into a block period – without counting it as part of their official mobilization cycles.
The exception to policy will last for one year as the Defense Department studies its impact and effectiveness, Gates said today.
Gates emphasized that he remains committed to the 12-month mobilization policy he instituted for reserve-component members, and thought long and hard before approving the contiguous mobilization plan.
"I really wrestled with this, worried our soldiers would see it as breaking faith with my decision in January 2007 to limit mobilization to 12 months," he said. "But I was persuaded that contiguous training may lead to improved combat preparation for our reserve-component servicemembers."
He said he also realized that contiguous mobilizations would support another goal: giving Guardsmen and reservists more predictability about deployments.
"I was told that, by grouping training [periods] together immediately before federal mobilization, the reservists, their families and their employers may realize more stability and predictability within the deployment cycle," he said, prompting the audience to jump to its feet in broad applause.
"Thank you for that," he told the group. "It truly was a difficult decision for me."
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the group the new policy is designed to reduce the "churn" within reserve-component members' lives as they balance their military and civilian obligations.
"I worry about Sergeant Jones sitting at the table in his civilian capacity with his family looking at their future, having some predictability, along with the employer," Mullen said.
Gates thanked the leaders who brought the issue to his attention, and said he was gratified by the deliberate process, with well-considered solutions, that led to his decision.
The Defense Department will gather information during the next six months or so to support an analysis Gates said he hopes charts a "clear way ahead" about whether to continue contiguous training.
Gates and Mullen both emphasized the need to build more predictability about deployments and "dwell time" at home between deployments for the Guard and reserve.
Expanding the active Army's end strength will translate into less demand – and stress – on the National Guard, Gates said.
The secretary emphasized the long-term need for support networks established for reserve-component members during their deployments and after they return home.
"You have made great strides in all of these areas to reduce stress and improve quality of life for the force, but don't let up," he said. "Our current engagements will keep forces on foreign soil at some level for years to come."
Both Gates and the chairman praised the multiple roles the National Guard has played, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at home in responding to natural disasters and security threats.
"We could not have done it without you," Mullen said.
"Please convey to your Guardsmen my thanks for their significant contributions to our national security," Gates said. "The service Guardsmen render to the nation and the cause of freedom around the world represents the best America has to offer."
'Real Warrior' Helps Others Get Help
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Sheri Hall could tell something was wrong with her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, at the hangar during his welcome home ceremony. "His eyes were dead," she said. It should have been a joyous time. The major was returning from his second deployment to Iraq at the end of 2005. He had been with a military training team with the 3rd Infantry Division. He went from Fort Stewart, Ga., to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
But he was having problems. One boss told him he exhibited "visceral anger."
"I do know I was trying to correct a lot of deficiencies physically," he said. "I've had nightmares. I was distant from my family, and I had thoughts of killing myself."
But he coped, letting the anger build up for two and a half years. "I went through 28 rotations at the JRTC, and I finally said, 'I can't do this any more,'" he said.
Hall expected "the hammer" from his boss, he said. Instead, his boss got him the help he needed. He was accepted for a three-week treatment program at the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
As part of the treatment, doctors checked Hall out thoroughly. They discovered old injuries from his airborne days and a new back injury he incurred in Iraq charging through what he called "the only oak door in Baghdad." They started a regimen to help him deal with the pain of these injuries, which, he said, "helped with everything else."
The program had group therapy in the morning followed by one-on-one sessions with a therapist. He asked, and the other soldiers in the group agreed, for Sheri to be involved.
"It was kind of a cry of desperation on my part," he said. "I was trying to hang on to my family, even though I thought I'd already lost them."
Including Sheri led to what the major said was the best part of the one-on-one sessions, when the therapist told him to "shut the hell up and listen to my wife," he said. "I had just tuned her out," he added.
People have to want to get better, Hall said. "You learn coping mechanisms, and I learned I wasn't alone in the process."
He also learned his reactions to the stress of combat were normal. "They keep telling you it's a normal reaction to abnormal things," he said. "They made this very clear."
The Halls have two teenage daughters. "They knew something was going on," Sheri said. "It was not the father they knew." She said she tried to shelter the girls as much as possible, "but kids are really smart, and they knew a lot more than they let on."
Following the treatment at the clinic, the Halls went back to Fort Polk, and Jeff eased back into work. "I was able to function again at the JRTC," he said.
With the help they got at the clinic they are better able to deal with the depression and anger, Sheri said. "We also started having more fun together," she said. The two are high school sweethearts from Oklahoma.
After he got help, Hall reached out to the soldiers he commanded in Iraq to get them help, too. Some have gone through the Walter Reed clinic. Others were worried that getting help "would ruin their careers and cause them to lose their security clearances," Hall said.
Then representatives from the "Real Warrior" program contacted him. The program aims to take the stigma away from receiving mental health treatment by encouraging servicemembers to seek treatment. It involves a series of public service announcements by servicemembers describing what they have gone through and how they got the help they needed.
"I wanted to help guys who want to keep their career, but don't know how to," Hall said. "I'm here to say there is a way to do it."
Sheri also is featured in the ads, and she wants families to know what is available.
"I want to help him get his message out, but I also want to see that families are taken care of," she said. "We suffer through [post-traumatic stress disorder], too."
Hall is now with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Sheri Hall could tell something was wrong with her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, at the hangar during his welcome home ceremony. "His eyes were dead," she said. It should have been a joyous time. The major was returning from his second deployment to Iraq at the end of 2005. He had been with a military training team with the 3rd Infantry Division. He went from Fort Stewart, Ga., to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
But he was having problems. One boss told him he exhibited "visceral anger."
"I do know I was trying to correct a lot of deficiencies physically," he said. "I've had nightmares. I was distant from my family, and I had thoughts of killing myself."
But he coped, letting the anger build up for two and a half years. "I went through 28 rotations at the JRTC, and I finally said, 'I can't do this any more,'" he said.
Hall expected "the hammer" from his boss, he said. Instead, his boss got him the help he needed. He was accepted for a three-week treatment program at the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
As part of the treatment, doctors checked Hall out thoroughly. They discovered old injuries from his airborne days and a new back injury he incurred in Iraq charging through what he called "the only oak door in Baghdad." They started a regimen to help him deal with the pain of these injuries, which, he said, "helped with everything else."
The program had group therapy in the morning followed by one-on-one sessions with a therapist. He asked, and the other soldiers in the group agreed, for Sheri to be involved.
"It was kind of a cry of desperation on my part," he said. "I was trying to hang on to my family, even though I thought I'd already lost them."
Including Sheri led to what the major said was the best part of the one-on-one sessions, when the therapist told him to "shut the hell up and listen to my wife," he said. "I had just tuned her out," he added.
People have to want to get better, Hall said. "You learn coping mechanisms, and I learned I wasn't alone in the process."
He also learned his reactions to the stress of combat were normal. "They keep telling you it's a normal reaction to abnormal things," he said. "They made this very clear."
The Halls have two teenage daughters. "They knew something was going on," Sheri said. "It was not the father they knew." She said she tried to shelter the girls as much as possible, "but kids are really smart, and they knew a lot more than they let on."
Following the treatment at the clinic, the Halls went back to Fort Polk, and Jeff eased back into work. "I was able to function again at the JRTC," he said.
With the help they got at the clinic they are better able to deal with the depression and anger, Sheri said. "We also started having more fun together," she said. The two are high school sweethearts from Oklahoma.
After he got help, Hall reached out to the soldiers he commanded in Iraq to get them help, too. Some have gone through the Walter Reed clinic. Others were worried that getting help "would ruin their careers and cause them to lose their security clearances," Hall said.
Then representatives from the "Real Warrior" program contacted him. The program aims to take the stigma away from receiving mental health treatment by encouraging servicemembers to seek treatment. It involves a series of public service announcements by servicemembers describing what they have gone through and how they got the help they needed.
"I wanted to help guys who want to keep their career, but don't know how to," Hall said. "I'm here to say there is a way to do it."
Sheri also is featured in the ads, and she wants families to know what is available.
"I want to help him get his message out, but I also want to see that families are taken care of," she said. "We suffer through [post-traumatic stress disorder], too."
Hall is now with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
Gates Welcomes New German Defense Minister
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed new German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the Pentagon today. Guttenberg was appointed as Germany's defense minister Oct. 28, replacing Franz Josef Jung. After meeting with Guttenberg in the Pentagon, Gates told reporters that he and his German counterpart "agreed to consult on a frequent basis on common challenges we face as close allies, particularly in Afghanistan."
Germany, which has more than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan, is the second-largest contributor to Afghan National Police training, Gates said. Germany also is the third-largest troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gates added, and the fourth-largest provider of civilian-development assistance.
Gates said he congratulated Guttenberg for Germany's continued leadership and steadfast response to increased violence in northern Afghanistan. Guttenberg recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan.
Gates said he and Guttenberg welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initiative with British and French counterparts to convene an international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Other common issues, such as the new NATO strategic concept, Iran, and advancing nuclear nonproliferation, also were part of today's discussion, Gates said.
The German government yesterday approved a one-year extension of Germany's troop deployment to Afghanistan, according to news reports. Guttenberg said he told Gates today that Germany's commitment regarding Afghanistan "is firm."
Guttenberg said he and Gates also discussed the need for NATO to continue as an instrument for international security.
The German defense minister thanked Gates for welcoming him to Washington, noting he would meet the U.S. defense secretary again tomorrow at a security conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Asked by a reporter if Germany would boost the number of its forces in Afghanistan, Guttenberg replied that his country would maintain the current number of about 4,500 troops.
Guttenberg said his government is awaiting President Barack Obama's decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. Germany, too, is concerned, he said, about allegations of corruption within Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's government.
Karzai, who was elected to a second five-year term, today pledged to address the corruption issue at his inauguration ceremony in Kabul.
"We will see what will be the result of it," Guttenberg said of Karzai's vow to attack corruption. "We need more than just words; we need action also in Afghanistan, by the Afghan government."
Meanwhile, Guttenberg said, Germany is awaiting developments regarding potential change in U.S. strategic policy in Afghanistan, the Afghan's government's resolve to fight corruption, and the outcome of the international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Germany "will certainly reassess its mandate" regarding its troop presence in Afghanistan and make decisions after the conference, Guttenberg said.
"We can use all the help we can get," said Gates, noting 43 countries contribute troops to the mission in Afghanistan. However, he cautioned against speculation about potential troop plus-ups by other nations engaged in Afghanistan.
Until Obama announces his decisions regarding Afghanistan, Gates said, any guesswork about other nations' troop contributions "is probably premature."
Guttenberg said he believes that Germany is an equal partner among the coalition nations engaged in Afghanistan. "Togetherness is the basis for any success in Afghanistan," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed new German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the Pentagon today. Guttenberg was appointed as Germany's defense minister Oct. 28, replacing Franz Josef Jung. After meeting with Guttenberg in the Pentagon, Gates told reporters that he and his German counterpart "agreed to consult on a frequent basis on common challenges we face as close allies, particularly in Afghanistan."
Germany, which has more than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan, is the second-largest contributor to Afghan National Police training, Gates said. Germany also is the third-largest troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gates added, and the fourth-largest provider of civilian-development assistance.
Gates said he congratulated Guttenberg for Germany's continued leadership and steadfast response to increased violence in northern Afghanistan. Guttenberg recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan.
Gates said he and Guttenberg welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initiative with British and French counterparts to convene an international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Other common issues, such as the new NATO strategic concept, Iran, and advancing nuclear nonproliferation, also were part of today's discussion, Gates said.
The German government yesterday approved a one-year extension of Germany's troop deployment to Afghanistan, according to news reports. Guttenberg said he told Gates today that Germany's commitment regarding Afghanistan "is firm."
Guttenberg said he and Gates also discussed the need for NATO to continue as an instrument for international security.
The German defense minister thanked Gates for welcoming him to Washington, noting he would meet the U.S. defense secretary again tomorrow at a security conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Asked by a reporter if Germany would boost the number of its forces in Afghanistan, Guttenberg replied that his country would maintain the current number of about 4,500 troops.
Guttenberg said his government is awaiting President Barack Obama's decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. Germany, too, is concerned, he said, about allegations of corruption within Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's government.
Karzai, who was elected to a second five-year term, today pledged to address the corruption issue at his inauguration ceremony in Kabul.
"We will see what will be the result of it," Guttenberg said of Karzai's vow to attack corruption. "We need more than just words; we need action also in Afghanistan, by the Afghan government."
Meanwhile, Guttenberg said, Germany is awaiting developments regarding potential change in U.S. strategic policy in Afghanistan, the Afghan's government's resolve to fight corruption, and the outcome of the international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Germany "will certainly reassess its mandate" regarding its troop presence in Afghanistan and make decisions after the conference, Guttenberg said.
"We can use all the help we can get," said Gates, noting 43 countries contribute troops to the mission in Afghanistan. However, he cautioned against speculation about potential troop plus-ups by other nations engaged in Afghanistan.
Until Obama announces his decisions regarding Afghanistan, Gates said, any guesswork about other nations' troop contributions "is probably premature."
Guttenberg said he believes that Germany is an equal partner among the coalition nations engaged in Afghanistan. "Togetherness is the basis for any success in Afghanistan," he said.
Sailors Seek to Deter Piracy
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. "We're extremely well equipped to support this mission," said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship's commanding officer. "An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy."
Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted a suspicious group of small boats called "dhows," and within 10 minutes coordinated and intercepted with the crew of the Italian frigate Lebeccio. The two ships operated in close quarters and coordinated all operations to ensure the safety of the boarding team.
"There is an extraordinary level of communication and cooperation among all of the nations conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden," said Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, commander of Combined Task Force 151. "Because of our close cooperation with the European Union, NATO and independent navies, we've been able to prevent several suspected pirate attacks."
The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy, commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community must compliment coalition efforts, task force officials said.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in early January and has a mandate to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It includes naval forces from the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn serves with the Combined Maritime Forces public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. "We're extremely well equipped to support this mission," said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship's commanding officer. "An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy."
Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted a suspicious group of small boats called "dhows," and within 10 minutes coordinated and intercepted with the crew of the Italian frigate Lebeccio. The two ships operated in close quarters and coordinated all operations to ensure the safety of the boarding team.
"There is an extraordinary level of communication and cooperation among all of the nations conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden," said Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, commander of Combined Task Force 151. "Because of our close cooperation with the European Union, NATO and independent navies, we've been able to prevent several suspected pirate attacks."
The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy, commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community must compliment coalition efforts, task force officials said.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in early January and has a mandate to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It includes naval forces from the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn serves with the Combined Maritime Forces public affairs office.)
Task Force Teaches Mental Health Classes in Philippines
By Navy Lt. j.g. Theresa DonnellySpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Members of the Camp Navarro General Hospital and the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines chaplain team concluded three days of teaching crisis intervention management techniques to more than 50 care providers at the Philippine armed forces Western Mindanao Command yesterday. The classes focused on the hidden scars of the battlefield -- the psychological wounds that affect many servicemembers. Participants included hospital staff, volunteer Red Cross workers, Philippine soldiers and spouses of Marines in combat operations.
"Some of our deepest wounds of war are in our hearts, our souls and our minds," said Col. Jose Johriel M. Cenabre, chief of staff for Western Mindanao Command. "We must find effective treatments for these wounds. We may not be wounded in violence, but wounded inside."
The class was taught jointly by Camp Navarro General Hospital psychologist Lolina Necesario Bajin and task force chaplain assistant Air Force Master Sgt. Rose Gould.
Gould, an Air Force reservist, has more than 20 years of experience working with military trauma victims, and helping people in her civilian career deal with the impact of humanitarian crises, critical incidents and war zones at the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants.
Seminars focused on several aspects of combat stress, from psychological first aid for manmade disasters to family crisis intervention. One seminar focused on how to explain to a child the appearance of their parents after being wounded on the battlefield.
The intent of the class, task force officials said, was to train select members who will then go back to their respective units and teach others. All participants received a packet with all the training materials, including copies of the lectures, videos and handouts.
This is the first time the joint special operations task force and the hospital staff have worked together for this type of training, officials said, adding that the team hopes to have more seminars to help those who provide care for others.
Many of the participants expressed their appreciation for the seminar and the help it has provided for them.
"We can now take what we have learned and conduct our own training ... for all those who were unable to attend," Bajin said. "This training is so important, because there is so much happening here in terms of disasters, armed conflict and manmade incidents, and we have to know how to effectively respond."
At the course's end, participants received graduation certificates and an increased understanding and best practices on how to treat the psychological effects of war effectively.
"It's easy to identify and appreciate the sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen when they bear visible physical injury from the execution of their duty," said Army Lt. Col. David Smith, the task force's chief of staff. "However, it is much more difficult to identify mental injuries. The need to provide care to people with these types of problems is very real."
At the request of the Philippine government, the joint special operations task force works in partnership with the Philippine armed forces in a variety of subject-matter exchanges, humanitarian missions and construction projects in the southern Philippines.
(Navy Lt. j.g. Theresa Donnelly serves with the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines public affairs office.)
Army Guard Leaders Key to Ready, Capable Force, Director Says
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The quality and readiness of the Army Guard is in the hands of its senior leadership, the Army Guard's top officer told more than 2,000 officers and senior noncommissioned officers here today. "Historically, the National Guard has always been responsible for manning the National Guard, and that has not changed," said Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director of the Army National Guard, who spoke at the National Guard's first-ever Joint Senior Leadership Conference.
Pointing out the "absolutely tremendous" accomplishment of recruiters and retainers in meeting the Army Guard's end strength in 2009, Carpenter told those gathered that the component's level of readiness and quality of its ranks this year were the highest in its modern history.
"The readiness inside your formations, out there in hometown America, is better than it has ever been in terms of people we are bringing in and the people who are coming to drill," he said.
The Army Guard's end-strength goal for fiscal 2010 is 358,200 soldiers.
Carpenter told the audience that finding quality recruits in hometown America to maintain that end strength will become increasingly challenging.
Tying the future of the nation's youth with the future of the Guard, Carpenter called on leaders to continue their engagement in programs that mentor and assist the nation's growing percentages of troubled youth.
He pointed out the success of the Guard's community programs, including the Patriot Academy, Youth ChalleNGe, About Face, Partners in Education and Forward March, as well as many other programs in the states and territories that support hometown America.
"We live in these towns, and if we don't [help] solve the problems [of this nation] we will also be the benefactors of what we have not taken care of," he said. "I applaud all of you for what you are doing."
Carpenter also said that one of the greatest success stories in his more than 42-year military career was the rebuilding of the NCO corps of the Army.
The NCO corps of the Army National Guard is a strategic asset to this nation, he said.
The Army and the reserves celebrated their enlisted forces in 2009, calling it the "Year of the NCO."
In the last 11 months, the Army Guard sponsored many events paying tribute to the competence, qualifications, experience and leadership that NCOs provide the Army Guard every day, he said.
"It has truly been a great year of the NCO," Carpenter said. He asked the audience to stand and applaud NCOs in all service components.
"Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to count our blessings," he said. "I would hope that as you give thanks, one of the blessings you count is the modern day National Guard and Army National Guard. It's truly a treasure, and that treasure is the soldiers, families, friends, communities and employers who are on-point for this state and nation."
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves in the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The quality and readiness of the Army Guard is in the hands of its senior leadership, the Army Guard's top officer told more than 2,000 officers and senior noncommissioned officers here today. "Historically, the National Guard has always been responsible for manning the National Guard, and that has not changed," said Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director of the Army National Guard, who spoke at the National Guard's first-ever Joint Senior Leadership Conference.
Pointing out the "absolutely tremendous" accomplishment of recruiters and retainers in meeting the Army Guard's end strength in 2009, Carpenter told those gathered that the component's level of readiness and quality of its ranks this year were the highest in its modern history.
"The readiness inside your formations, out there in hometown America, is better than it has ever been in terms of people we are bringing in and the people who are coming to drill," he said.
The Army Guard's end-strength goal for fiscal 2010 is 358,200 soldiers.
Carpenter told the audience that finding quality recruits in hometown America to maintain that end strength will become increasingly challenging.
Tying the future of the nation's youth with the future of the Guard, Carpenter called on leaders to continue their engagement in programs that mentor and assist the nation's growing percentages of troubled youth.
He pointed out the success of the Guard's community programs, including the Patriot Academy, Youth ChalleNGe, About Face, Partners in Education and Forward March, as well as many other programs in the states and territories that support hometown America.
"We live in these towns, and if we don't [help] solve the problems [of this nation] we will also be the benefactors of what we have not taken care of," he said. "I applaud all of you for what you are doing."
Carpenter also said that one of the greatest success stories in his more than 42-year military career was the rebuilding of the NCO corps of the Army.
The NCO corps of the Army National Guard is a strategic asset to this nation, he said.
The Army and the reserves celebrated their enlisted forces in 2009, calling it the "Year of the NCO."
In the last 11 months, the Army Guard sponsored many events paying tribute to the competence, qualifications, experience and leadership that NCOs provide the Army Guard every day, he said.
"It has truly been a great year of the NCO," Carpenter said. He asked the audience to stand and applaud NCOs in all service components.
"Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to count our blessings," he said. "I would hope that as you give thanks, one of the blessings you count is the modern day National Guard and Army National Guard. It's truly a treasure, and that treasure is the soldiers, families, friends, communities and employers who are on-point for this state and nation."
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves in the National Guard Bureau.)
Shinseki Urges Guard Leaders to Spread VA Message
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The National Guard can play an important role in helping to spread the news about the Veterans Affairs Department's new programs to veterans in their communities, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told a National Guard conference just outside the nation's capital today. Despite a long list of successful new programs this year, only about one-third of the nation's veterans have taken advantage of the services, Shinseki told more than 2,400 participants in the National Guard's first Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"We want them to know that VA is here," Shinseki said. "If you have the opportunity to talk about what VA offers, I appreciate some help here, and if you need help getting a VA representative to speak with veterans in your communities, call and we'll provide someone to do that. But I do need your help."
Shinseki highlighted some of VA's efforts this year to enhance education benefits through the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the department's efforts to end homelessness among veterans and to reduce veteran unemployment.
VA has the nation's largest integrated medical system, with 153 health care centers with affiliations with 102 university medical schools, the secretary said. VA's electronic health care records also are networked with nearly 800 community-based outpatient clinics in the United States, and VA operates 232 veteran centers, including mobile clinics, to reach veterans in rural areas, he added.
Nearly 300,000 civil servants man VA's health, benefits and national cemetery administrations to provide care and services for those who've served, Shinseki told the group.
In addition, he said, VA is the eighth-largest life insurance enterprise, with more than $1 trillion in coverage to more than 7 million clients. In education, VA is behind only the Department of Education in education benefits provided to Americans, with an annual payout of $9 billion a year. Also, VA guarantees about 1.3 million home loans with a balance of $175 billion.
But of the 23 million veterans in the United States, Shinseki said, fewer than 8 million are enrolled in VA programs.
"In purely business terms, that would describe a 30 percent market penetration," Shinseki said. "Veterans are our clients, so caring for veterans and providing them the services and benefits they have earned is VA's sole reason for existing, yet 70 percent of our market chooses to go elsewhere for support, or they do without."
With support from the National Guard, Shinseki said, he is certain more veterans can learn about what VA has to offer. It's the business of VA to make sure veterans get the benefits and services they've earned, he said.
"It's our intent to go after that 15 million part of the population that are not enrolled with us," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The National Guard can play an important role in helping to spread the news about the Veterans Affairs Department's new programs to veterans in their communities, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told a National Guard conference just outside the nation's capital today. Despite a long list of successful new programs this year, only about one-third of the nation's veterans have taken advantage of the services, Shinseki told more than 2,400 participants in the National Guard's first Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"We want them to know that VA is here," Shinseki said. "If you have the opportunity to talk about what VA offers, I appreciate some help here, and if you need help getting a VA representative to speak with veterans in your communities, call and we'll provide someone to do that. But I do need your help."
Shinseki highlighted some of VA's efforts this year to enhance education benefits through the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the department's efforts to end homelessness among veterans and to reduce veteran unemployment.
VA has the nation's largest integrated medical system, with 153 health care centers with affiliations with 102 university medical schools, the secretary said. VA's electronic health care records also are networked with nearly 800 community-based outpatient clinics in the United States, and VA operates 232 veteran centers, including mobile clinics, to reach veterans in rural areas, he added.
Nearly 300,000 civil servants man VA's health, benefits and national cemetery administrations to provide care and services for those who've served, Shinseki told the group.
In addition, he said, VA is the eighth-largest life insurance enterprise, with more than $1 trillion in coverage to more than 7 million clients. In education, VA is behind only the Department of Education in education benefits provided to Americans, with an annual payout of $9 billion a year. Also, VA guarantees about 1.3 million home loans with a balance of $175 billion.
But of the 23 million veterans in the United States, Shinseki said, fewer than 8 million are enrolled in VA programs.
"In purely business terms, that would describe a 30 percent market penetration," Shinseki said. "Veterans are our clients, so caring for veterans and providing them the services and benefits they have earned is VA's sole reason for existing, yet 70 percent of our market chooses to go elsewhere for support, or they do without."
With support from the National Guard, Shinseki said, he is certain more veterans can learn about what VA has to offer. It's the business of VA to make sure veterans get the benefits and services they've earned, he said.
"It's our intent to go after that 15 million part of the population that are not enrolled with us," he said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 20, 2009
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Valero Marketing & Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas is being awarded a maximum $118,035,840 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel. Other location of performance is in Corpus Christi, Texas. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-0460).
Accenture National Security Services, LLC, Reston, Va., is being awarded a maximum $22,753,881firm fixed price, FSS blanket purchase agreement contract for integration and management support of supply chain systems and into the Enterprise Business System. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-A-0001).
NAVY
DRS Systems, Parsippany, N.J., is being awarded a $22,488,322 modification to previously awarded contract for the DDG 1002 low voltage power distribution system and associated engineering services for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wis. (70 precent), Johnston, Pa. (28 precent) and High Ridge, Mo. (2 precent), and is expected to be completed by 30 September 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4206).
Terex Corp., Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $9,320,871 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract to exercise an option for 27 heavy maintenance crane production units, which will be used for aircraft maintenance and component removal and replacement (engines, transmission, propellers, rotor blades, etc.) in support of the AV-8, C-130, CH-53, V-22, E-6, P-3, and H-46 aircraft. Work will be performed in Waverly, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-C-0459).
BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $7,152,343 firm, fixed-price contract for the 75-day post shake-down availability (PSA) for Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $8,304,545. Work will be performed at BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed within 75 calendar days. Contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year 2010. This was competitively procured with an unrestricted solicitation posted to the MSC, Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities web pages. Three offers were received. Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity (N40442-10-C-3003).
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Mass., is being awarded a Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract in the amount of $5,566,768 for engineering services in support of platform and payload integration department. Work will be performed in Woods Hole, Mass, and is expected to be completed by November 2014. The contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Navy Electronic Commerce Online. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-10-D-0002).
AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman of Clearfield, Utah was awarded a $31,086,219 contract which will provide for the Remote Visual Assessment Program in support of the ICBM security modernization program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
Valero Marketing & Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas is being awarded a maximum $118,035,840 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel. Other location of performance is in Corpus Christi, Texas. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-0460).
Accenture National Security Services, LLC, Reston, Va., is being awarded a maximum $22,753,881firm fixed price, FSS blanket purchase agreement contract for integration and management support of supply chain systems and into the Enterprise Business System. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-A-0001).
NAVY
DRS Systems, Parsippany, N.J., is being awarded a $22,488,322 modification to previously awarded contract for the DDG 1002 low voltage power distribution system and associated engineering services for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wis. (70 precent), Johnston, Pa. (28 precent) and High Ridge, Mo. (2 precent), and is expected to be completed by 30 September 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4206).
Terex Corp., Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $9,320,871 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract to exercise an option for 27 heavy maintenance crane production units, which will be used for aircraft maintenance and component removal and replacement (engines, transmission, propellers, rotor blades, etc.) in support of the AV-8, C-130, CH-53, V-22, E-6, P-3, and H-46 aircraft. Work will be performed in Waverly, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-C-0459).
BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $7,152,343 firm, fixed-price contract for the 75-day post shake-down availability (PSA) for Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $8,304,545. Work will be performed at BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed within 75 calendar days. Contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year 2010. This was competitively procured with an unrestricted solicitation posted to the MSC, Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities web pages. Three offers were received. Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity (N40442-10-C-3003).
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Mass., is being awarded a Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract in the amount of $5,566,768 for engineering services in support of platform and payload integration department. Work will be performed in Woods Hole, Mass, and is expected to be completed by November 2014. The contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Navy Electronic Commerce Online. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-10-D-0002).
AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman of Clearfield, Utah was awarded a $31,086,219 contract which will provide for the Remote Visual Assessment Program in support of the ICBM security modernization program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
USO Targets Military Women With Care Packages
By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The USO has changed a lot in 68 years and today marked another milestone in the group's history of supporting the military when it sponsored a care package service specifically for female servicemembers. While previous USO care packages were unisex, containing little sundries from home – snacks, magazines, toiletry items – the new line of female-specific packages contain items specifically requested by servicewomen such as cosmetics, moisturizers and special soaps.
In a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building here, Congress members joined servicemembers and volunteers, including Dr. Jill Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in stuffing the "for women only" packages.
"I've seen firsthand how acts of kindness and service can improve the life of a servicemember," Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, said. The Bidens' son, Beau, a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard recently returned from service in Iraq.
"Thank you to the USO for giving Americans a concrete way to give back to our men and women in uniform," she added.
USO President Sloan Gibson said he planned to have 2,000 packages prepared at the ceremony.
The USO of Metropolitan Washington began preparing care packages for servicemembers in 2002, he said, and will soon send its 2 millionth package abroad.
Pelosi applauded the many legislators and staffers who came to celebrate and contribute to the USO effort, noting that when it came to the well-being of servicemembers, party lines disappeared.
"It's not about any one of us here," Pelosi said. "It's about all of us, and the work we can do to support our troops."
Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a Vietnam veteran, said the USO was the only link to home that he and his fellow soldiers had when they were in the war zone.
"It's a connection the troops can have to home when they are, as you can imagine, under some of the harshest conditions in the world," he said.
He added that if there was any doubt about women's roles in the military, they've been answered. Women in the services make us proud, and like any other servicemember before or after them, "they make it possible for us to be here today," he said.
Donna Lagani, publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, said her company was "thrilled" to contribute to the USO's new effort. Cosmopolitan donated thousands of magazines to be included in the care packages.
"Our slogan at Cosmo is 'Fun, Fearless, Female,' and I can't think of any more fearless females than the ones in the military serving on the front lines," she said.
The care packages contained many items typical in care packages for servicemembers: hand wipes, sanitizer and food products, but also contained two cosmetic products courtesy of Maybelline.
Deborah Marquardt, vice president of marketing communications for Maybelline New York & Garnier, said even in a war zone, women like to be themselves.
"We want to support the brave women in uniform and we know how important the little things in life are -- beauty," she said. "Women intrinsically understand beauty and it can change their whole outlook to get a new lipstick or a mascara. Women like to feel like women no matter where they are and what context. I think anything that helps you feel like yourself and reminds you of back home and gives you confidence ... is important, no matter what the context."
Women make but about 15 percent of the active duty military, and about 18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve.
(Ian Graham is assigned to Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media Directorate. C. Todd Lopez with Army News Service contributed to this report.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The USO has changed a lot in 68 years and today marked another milestone in the group's history of supporting the military when it sponsored a care package service specifically for female servicemembers. While previous USO care packages were unisex, containing little sundries from home – snacks, magazines, toiletry items – the new line of female-specific packages contain items specifically requested by servicewomen such as cosmetics, moisturizers and special soaps.
In a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building here, Congress members joined servicemembers and volunteers, including Dr. Jill Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in stuffing the "for women only" packages.
"I've seen firsthand how acts of kindness and service can improve the life of a servicemember," Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, said. The Bidens' son, Beau, a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard recently returned from service in Iraq.
"Thank you to the USO for giving Americans a concrete way to give back to our men and women in uniform," she added.
USO President Sloan Gibson said he planned to have 2,000 packages prepared at the ceremony.
The USO of Metropolitan Washington began preparing care packages for servicemembers in 2002, he said, and will soon send its 2 millionth package abroad.
Pelosi applauded the many legislators and staffers who came to celebrate and contribute to the USO effort, noting that when it came to the well-being of servicemembers, party lines disappeared.
"It's not about any one of us here," Pelosi said. "It's about all of us, and the work we can do to support our troops."
Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a Vietnam veteran, said the USO was the only link to home that he and his fellow soldiers had when they were in the war zone.
"It's a connection the troops can have to home when they are, as you can imagine, under some of the harshest conditions in the world," he said.
He added that if there was any doubt about women's roles in the military, they've been answered. Women in the services make us proud, and like any other servicemember before or after them, "they make it possible for us to be here today," he said.
Donna Lagani, publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, said her company was "thrilled" to contribute to the USO's new effort. Cosmopolitan donated thousands of magazines to be included in the care packages.
"Our slogan at Cosmo is 'Fun, Fearless, Female,' and I can't think of any more fearless females than the ones in the military serving on the front lines," she said.
The care packages contained many items typical in care packages for servicemembers: hand wipes, sanitizer and food products, but also contained two cosmetic products courtesy of Maybelline.
Deborah Marquardt, vice president of marketing communications for Maybelline New York & Garnier, said even in a war zone, women like to be themselves.
"We want to support the brave women in uniform and we know how important the little things in life are -- beauty," she said. "Women intrinsically understand beauty and it can change their whole outlook to get a new lipstick or a mascara. Women like to feel like women no matter where they are and what context. I think anything that helps you feel like yourself and reminds you of back home and gives you confidence ... is important, no matter what the context."
Women make but about 15 percent of the active duty military, and about 18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve.
(Ian Graham is assigned to Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media Directorate. C. Todd Lopez with Army News Service contributed to this report.)
First Lady Honors Military Women, Vets
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today cited Army Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, one of 13 killed during the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, as an example of the determination and courage that has characterized women's service to the military throughout U.S. history. Obama, who hosted about 130 military women and veterans to tea at the White House today, remembered Krueger's response when her mother told her she could not track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden singlehandedly.
"Watch me," replied Krueger, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.
"That phrase, 'Watch me," sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history," Obama told her guests.
"When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission, that was your response, 'Watch me," she said. "Watch me succeed. Watch me risk everything I have for the country I love. Watch me do my part to protect this nation and protect this union. Watch me."
Obama joined Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in honoring military women, many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others whose service dates back to World War II.
Retired Air Force Wilma Vaught, president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., board of directors, had suggested the idea of a White House tea – a tradition popularized by Eleanor Roosevelt -- during the first lady's recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
So as Vaught and the other guests in the White House East Room sat around tables with vases of yellow roses and plates piled high with party sandwiches and cookies, Obama recognized women's long tradition of military service. Some served before the country's independence, she noted, and in many cases, before women had the right to vote or own property.
They overcame challenges through sheer determination and hard work, the first lady said, serving as role models for those who followed in their footsteps and breaking one "brass ceiling" after another along the way.
"Your legacy is more than your own service," she told the women. "I hope you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you've blazed – every woman who benefits from your daring and determination."
It will also be measured, she said, by those inspired by that service.
Biden told the group she and the first lady, in their travels around the country, have been "truly overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform, and inspired by the dignity and sense of patriotism that you exhibit every day."
"What an extraordinary group of individuals we have here today," she said, noting the women representing all branches and ranks of the U.S. military, as well as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior enlisted advisors and others serving the country.
"As each of you knows, women have always played a critical role in supporting our nation's defense and security, and this role will only continue to evolve and grow in the future," Biden said.
Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Obama and Biden on the podium as they honored the guests.
Cartwright joked that it felt a bit strange for a Marine fighter pilot to sit down for a "spot of tea," but said he welcomed the chance to pay tribute to the strides military women have made and the contributions they continue to make.
"When Eleanor Roosevelt hosted similar events, attitudes were significantly different," he said, adding that, today, women are no longer considered a distinct, separate group within the military.
"Today's women are key contributors to our military team," he said, noting the achievements women have made and critical contribution they have made. More than 200,000 women have deployed since 9/11, more than 100 of them making the ultimate sacrifice.
Cartwright thanked the women at today's tea for their service. "These women represent the core and essential values of our military, and they also represent the true treasure of this nation – our youth and the people who serve," he said.
Navy Lt. Kate Maslowski, assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a flag lieutenant for Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, said she felt overwhelmed to be part of today's event.
"I'm taking it all in, amazed to see so many influential men and women here, and others who have played such a big role in empowering women," she said. "It means a lot to be here. I'm excited beyond words."
Air Force Brig. Gen. Allyson Solomon, assistant adjutant general for the Maryland Air National Guard, said she felt particularly privileged to be among the women veterans who paved the way for today's women in uniform.
She noted two attendees at today's tea: 104-year-old Esther Corcoran, one of the Army's first women lieutenant colonels; and Alyce Dixon, who was born in 1907 and served with the Army's 668th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.
"They're inspiring," Solomon said. "I just want to thank them for all the changes they helped make."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today cited Army Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, one of 13 killed during the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, as an example of the determination and courage that has characterized women's service to the military throughout U.S. history. Obama, who hosted about 130 military women and veterans to tea at the White House today, remembered Krueger's response when her mother told her she could not track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden singlehandedly.
"Watch me," replied Krueger, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.
"That phrase, 'Watch me," sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history," Obama told her guests.
"When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission, that was your response, 'Watch me," she said. "Watch me succeed. Watch me risk everything I have for the country I love. Watch me do my part to protect this nation and protect this union. Watch me."
Obama joined Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in honoring military women, many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others whose service dates back to World War II.
Retired Air Force Wilma Vaught, president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., board of directors, had suggested the idea of a White House tea – a tradition popularized by Eleanor Roosevelt -- during the first lady's recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
So as Vaught and the other guests in the White House East Room sat around tables with vases of yellow roses and plates piled high with party sandwiches and cookies, Obama recognized women's long tradition of military service. Some served before the country's independence, she noted, and in many cases, before women had the right to vote or own property.
They overcame challenges through sheer determination and hard work, the first lady said, serving as role models for those who followed in their footsteps and breaking one "brass ceiling" after another along the way.
"Your legacy is more than your own service," she told the women. "I hope you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you've blazed – every woman who benefits from your daring and determination."
It will also be measured, she said, by those inspired by that service.
Biden told the group she and the first lady, in their travels around the country, have been "truly overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform, and inspired by the dignity and sense of patriotism that you exhibit every day."
"What an extraordinary group of individuals we have here today," she said, noting the women representing all branches and ranks of the U.S. military, as well as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior enlisted advisors and others serving the country.
"As each of you knows, women have always played a critical role in supporting our nation's defense and security, and this role will only continue to evolve and grow in the future," Biden said.
Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Obama and Biden on the podium as they honored the guests.
Cartwright joked that it felt a bit strange for a Marine fighter pilot to sit down for a "spot of tea," but said he welcomed the chance to pay tribute to the strides military women have made and the contributions they continue to make.
"When Eleanor Roosevelt hosted similar events, attitudes were significantly different," he said, adding that, today, women are no longer considered a distinct, separate group within the military.
"Today's women are key contributors to our military team," he said, noting the achievements women have made and critical contribution they have made. More than 200,000 women have deployed since 9/11, more than 100 of them making the ultimate sacrifice.
Cartwright thanked the women at today's tea for their service. "These women represent the core and essential values of our military, and they also represent the true treasure of this nation – our youth and the people who serve," he said.
Navy Lt. Kate Maslowski, assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a flag lieutenant for Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, said she felt overwhelmed to be part of today's event.
"I'm taking it all in, amazed to see so many influential men and women here, and others who have played such a big role in empowering women," she said. "It means a lot to be here. I'm excited beyond words."
Air Force Brig. Gen. Allyson Solomon, assistant adjutant general for the Maryland Air National Guard, said she felt particularly privileged to be among the women veterans who paved the way for today's women in uniform.
She noted two attendees at today's tea: 104-year-old Esther Corcoran, one of the Army's first women lieutenant colonels; and Alyce Dixon, who was born in 1907 and served with the Army's 668th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.
"They're inspiring," Solomon said. "I just want to thank them for all the changes they helped make."
Children's Reactions to Deployment Vary
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - It is hard to predict how a child will react to having a parent deployed in a war zone, the Marine Corps' family advocacy manager said here today on the last day of the 2009 Department of Defense Child Development Conference. Keita Franklin said she's often asked how children react to war, and she called it a "loaded question," noting that reactions depend on the individual child and any pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Some children do very well, she added.
"What I will tell you is that the normal sort of childhood trials and tribulations of parenting are all cranked up a notch," she told attendees at the conference hosted by the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy.
Children with a deployed parent may become increasingly clingy or whiny, cry more, exhibit aggressive behavior, and have a greater fear of separation, Franklin said. But, she reminded the group, war affects every child differently, and a child's reaction to one deployment will not necessarily be the same reaction he or she has to subsequent deployments.
Researchers have been able to isolate a correlation between repeat deployments and family stressors, as well as with behavioral problems in children, she said. "All of this becomes a 'feedback loop.'"
A child has behavioral problems, she explained, and then another parental deployment causes a higher level of stress, and then the behavioral problems can increase. "So, you can see how the cycle continues," Franklin said.
In addition, a parent's behavior can influence a child's reaction through what Franklin called "transgenerational transmission of trauma" -- children being raised by parents who have been exposed to severe situations of trauma and adopt some of those symptoms themselves.
There's little research on this idea, Franklin said, but some comparisons can be made by looking at the effects of depression on children since traumatic stress and depression often present similar symptoms. And just as the absence of a parent can affect a child, she noted, so can the parent's return, especially if the returning parent is exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some of those symptoms include irritability, hypervigilance, avoidance or emotional numbness. Early intervention is the key to helping the servicemember cope with those feelings as well as keeping those feelings from affecting children in the family, Franklin said, possibly averting "a full-blown diagnostic issue."
While Franklin's discussion included children of all ages, she read a letter from the son of a Vietnam veteran who was just a toddler when his father returned with signs of what is now called post-traumatic stress. His father was always angry and emotionally detached from the family.
"I share that with you because he says he was a toddler, and toddlers are the age group you are often dealing with," Franklin told the conferees. "Even though this person was a toddler, he's now an adult child reflecting on that experience. So, PTSD does have something to do with the mental health needs of children."
No one understands this in quite the same way as those with the Zero to Three organization.
With the mission of promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, Zero to Three doesn't interact directly with parents, but rather provides training and guidance to those who do. For military children, the group's focus is resilience, said Colleen Legasse of Zero to Three's military projects department.
"We know that young children feel the spectrum of emotions that adults do [and] that older children do," she said.
She told the conferees that certain changes are normal during a deployment. Some children's eating and sleeping habits change, or they express anger toward the deployed parent. They may even refuse to come to the phone or computer to say hello to the deployed parent, Legasse said.
And much as it is for older children, homecomings aren't always as smooth as the parent or caregiver at home hopes they'll be.
"I think it's important to think of homecomings as very stressful as well," Legasse said.
Depending on the age of the child and the length of the deployment, young military children may have never met their returning parent before. Some may have been so young when the parent deployed that they don't remember them. And if a parent returns injured, temporarily or permanently, it can be traumatic for a young child who remembers Mom or Dad a certain way.
Caregivers can help to ease their young charges' stress by helping them build secure attachments, helping them maintain a schedule and to understand what's happening in an age-appropriate manner, and helping them gauge their reactions to stressful events.
Zero to Three offers resources for caregivers of military children on its Web site.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - It is hard to predict how a child will react to having a parent deployed in a war zone, the Marine Corps' family advocacy manager said here today on the last day of the 2009 Department of Defense Child Development Conference. Keita Franklin said she's often asked how children react to war, and she called it a "loaded question," noting that reactions depend on the individual child and any pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Some children do very well, she added.
"What I will tell you is that the normal sort of childhood trials and tribulations of parenting are all cranked up a notch," she told attendees at the conference hosted by the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy.
Children with a deployed parent may become increasingly clingy or whiny, cry more, exhibit aggressive behavior, and have a greater fear of separation, Franklin said. But, she reminded the group, war affects every child differently, and a child's reaction to one deployment will not necessarily be the same reaction he or she has to subsequent deployments.
Researchers have been able to isolate a correlation between repeat deployments and family stressors, as well as with behavioral problems in children, she said. "All of this becomes a 'feedback loop.'"
A child has behavioral problems, she explained, and then another parental deployment causes a higher level of stress, and then the behavioral problems can increase. "So, you can see how the cycle continues," Franklin said.
In addition, a parent's behavior can influence a child's reaction through what Franklin called "transgenerational transmission of trauma" -- children being raised by parents who have been exposed to severe situations of trauma and adopt some of those symptoms themselves.
There's little research on this idea, Franklin said, but some comparisons can be made by looking at the effects of depression on children since traumatic stress and depression often present similar symptoms. And just as the absence of a parent can affect a child, she noted, so can the parent's return, especially if the returning parent is exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some of those symptoms include irritability, hypervigilance, avoidance or emotional numbness. Early intervention is the key to helping the servicemember cope with those feelings as well as keeping those feelings from affecting children in the family, Franklin said, possibly averting "a full-blown diagnostic issue."
While Franklin's discussion included children of all ages, she read a letter from the son of a Vietnam veteran who was just a toddler when his father returned with signs of what is now called post-traumatic stress. His father was always angry and emotionally detached from the family.
"I share that with you because he says he was a toddler, and toddlers are the age group you are often dealing with," Franklin told the conferees. "Even though this person was a toddler, he's now an adult child reflecting on that experience. So, PTSD does have something to do with the mental health needs of children."
No one understands this in quite the same way as those with the Zero to Three organization.
With the mission of promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, Zero to Three doesn't interact directly with parents, but rather provides training and guidance to those who do. For military children, the group's focus is resilience, said Colleen Legasse of Zero to Three's military projects department.
"We know that young children feel the spectrum of emotions that adults do [and] that older children do," she said.
She told the conferees that certain changes are normal during a deployment. Some children's eating and sleeping habits change, or they express anger toward the deployed parent. They may even refuse to come to the phone or computer to say hello to the deployed parent, Legasse said.
And much as it is for older children, homecomings aren't always as smooth as the parent or caregiver at home hopes they'll be.
"I think it's important to think of homecomings as very stressful as well," Legasse said.
Depending on the age of the child and the length of the deployment, young military children may have never met their returning parent before. Some may have been so young when the parent deployed that they don't remember them. And if a parent returns injured, temporarily or permanently, it can be traumatic for a young child who remembers Mom or Dad a certain way.
Caregivers can help to ease their young charges' stress by helping them build secure attachments, helping them maintain a schedule and to understand what's happening in an age-appropriate manner, and helping them gauge their reactions to stressful events.
Zero to Three offers resources for caregivers of military children on its Web site.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 18, 2009
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $248,787,610 modification to previously awarded contract (00024-07-C-2100) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pa. (95 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y. (five percent). Contract funds in the amount of $326,653 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on naval nuclear propulsion program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded at $14,664,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-09-D-1274) for Hangar 1552 repairs at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Work includes reconfiguration of administrative spaces, replacement of hangar heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, structural upgrade to foundations and cladding, complete renovation of bathroom/shower spaces, replacement of hangar doors, repair/replacement of 400 hertz flight line distribution system, replacement of aqueous film-forming foam system and seismic retrofit. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
John Bean Technologies Corp., Ogden, Utah, is being awarded a $12,529,720 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N68335-07-C-0459) to exercise an option for 80 landbased air conditioner production units in support of the C-130, C-40, C-9, P-8, E-2 and P-3 aircraft. The landbased air conditioners will supply conditioned air to aircraft equipment and avionics compartments during ground maintenance. Work will be performed in Ogden, Utah and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Engineering Services Network, Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $47,000,000 contract which will provide information technology consolidated service supporting the 75th Air Base Wing. At this time, $10.3 million was obligated. 75 CONS/PKA, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8201-10-F-A006).
Northrop-Grumman Mission Systems, Clearfield, Utah, was awarded a $14,700,000 contract which will provide for sustainment support for the Minuteman weapons system. At this time, $13,843,248 has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
United Launch Services, LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $9,000,000 contract which will provide for the acceleration of the launch-to-launch time spans of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launches to preserve the capability to launch the National Reconnaissance Office L-32 mission in October 2010. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002, P00171).
Northrop-Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp.,of Carson, Calif., was awarded a $8,000,000 contract for the Integrated Base Defense Security System which will provide continued support for the acquisition and maintenance of force protection systems, equipment and system requirements. At this time, no money has been obligated. 642 ESS/PK of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-03-D-0019, P00028).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ashland, Inc., Dublin, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $8,128,810 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for fuel system inhibitors. Other location of performance is in Louisiana. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 20 proposal solicitations with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 30, 2011. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-0750).
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $248,787,610 modification to previously awarded contract (00024-07-C-2100) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pa. (95 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y. (five percent). Contract funds in the amount of $326,653 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on naval nuclear propulsion program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded at $14,664,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-09-D-1274) for Hangar 1552 repairs at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Work includes reconfiguration of administrative spaces, replacement of hangar heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, structural upgrade to foundations and cladding, complete renovation of bathroom/shower spaces, replacement of hangar doors, repair/replacement of 400 hertz flight line distribution system, replacement of aqueous film-forming foam system and seismic retrofit. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
John Bean Technologies Corp., Ogden, Utah, is being awarded a $12,529,720 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N68335-07-C-0459) to exercise an option for 80 landbased air conditioner production units in support of the C-130, C-40, C-9, P-8, E-2 and P-3 aircraft. The landbased air conditioners will supply conditioned air to aircraft equipment and avionics compartments during ground maintenance. Work will be performed in Ogden, Utah and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Engineering Services Network, Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $47,000,000 contract which will provide information technology consolidated service supporting the 75th Air Base Wing. At this time, $10.3 million was obligated. 75 CONS/PKA, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8201-10-F-A006).
Northrop-Grumman Mission Systems, Clearfield, Utah, was awarded a $14,700,000 contract which will provide for sustainment support for the Minuteman weapons system. At this time, $13,843,248 has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
United Launch Services, LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $9,000,000 contract which will provide for the acceleration of the launch-to-launch time spans of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launches to preserve the capability to launch the National Reconnaissance Office L-32 mission in October 2010. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002, P00171).
Northrop-Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp.,of Carson, Calif., was awarded a $8,000,000 contract for the Integrated Base Defense Security System which will provide continued support for the acquisition and maintenance of force protection systems, equipment and system requirements. At this time, no money has been obligated. 642 ESS/PK of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-03-D-0019, P00028).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ashland, Inc., Dublin, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $8,128,810 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for fuel system inhibitors. Other location of performance is in Louisiana. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 20 proposal solicitations with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 30, 2011. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-0750).
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Funeral Highlights Search for Missing Servicemembers
By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The leaves are changing color at Arlington National Cemetery – a bright backdrop for something as sobering as a funeral. An Army chaplain in his dress blues presents a folded flag to the fallen's next of kin, a man who looks to be in his 40s. This is not a father mourning the loss of his son, though. Rather, it's a son finally receiving closure after his father went missing in the South Pacific decades ago. Funeral services like this, identical in form and location to the ones performed for the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring to light the ongoing search the Defense Department has undertaken to make sure every servicemember who goes abroad comes home.
"We're not looking for a name on a piece of paper, we're looking for our fathers, uncles, and brothers," said Army Lt. Col. Eric Wolf, chief of the Past Conflict Repatriations Branch of the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center.
Wolf's office oversees the Army's effort to locate and identify the remains of every missing soldier. Forensic evidence, genealogy and old-fashioned detective work are all a part of the process, which sometimes begins in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Wolf described one story that began with a scuba expedition. The divers found the wreckage of a B-26 that had gone down in 1942 off the coast of Palau. After a string of phone calls to different groups and agencies that dealt with military wreckage, the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, or JPAC, became involved.
The JPAC, based in Honolulu, conducted a full archaeological dig, 70 feet under water, gathering human remains and other artifacts from the wreckage. Some research gave them the names of the men who were aboard the plane.
"It's then we get to make the phone call, to this family who's known their father and husband have been missing, to tell them 'We think we've found your father,'" Wolf said.
Wolf's office then works with the family to get any information it might need to positively identify remains, whether it's something forensic like a blood sample or dental records or photographs and anecdotal evidence, such as artifact identification.
In the case of the Palau wreckage, Wolf found the family, then living in Texas, and got to brief them on how their father was found and what the Army would be able to do for them as the family of a deceased servicemember.
Sometimes a search is quick, and remains can be easily identified because of artifacts such as identification tags or dental remains that are easy to research and compare. But some cases have been in the works for more than 10 years.
Wolf's office stays in contact with the families it works with as it investigates, sharing information to put the pieces together, even if it takes waiting for new technology such as mitochondrial DNA testing to develop before conclusive results can be found. Once those results are found, he said, the length of the wait seems trivial.
"It's the most rewarding and fulfilling mission I've had in my 26 years in the Army," he said. "It's heartwarming to know, as a soldier myself, that no matter where I am in the world, or what I'm doing, I have the confidence and knowledge that, should I perish or go missing, the military and our government will never stop looking for me. Every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine has a long trail of family and the nation behind them."
Once they remains are identified and returned to the family, they can be buried with the honors given to any current servicemember – in today's case, a caisson and honor guard from the Army's Old Guard and music by the Army Band helped bring to an end the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the crew of "The Happy Legend," a B-25 that went missing Dec. 5, 1942, near Papua, New Guinea.
For Wolf, it means seven fewer people on the ever-shrinking list of soldiers unaccounted for, and a return to the continuing pursuit of soldiers still missing.
"It may sound cliché -- I know it does -- but they are never forgotten," he said. "We will never forget. We're going to keep searching until we bring every one of our brothers home from the battlefield."
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The leaves are changing color at Arlington National Cemetery – a bright backdrop for something as sobering as a funeral. An Army chaplain in his dress blues presents a folded flag to the fallen's next of kin, a man who looks to be in his 40s. This is not a father mourning the loss of his son, though. Rather, it's a son finally receiving closure after his father went missing in the South Pacific decades ago. Funeral services like this, identical in form and location to the ones performed for the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring to light the ongoing search the Defense Department has undertaken to make sure every servicemember who goes abroad comes home.
"We're not looking for a name on a piece of paper, we're looking for our fathers, uncles, and brothers," said Army Lt. Col. Eric Wolf, chief of the Past Conflict Repatriations Branch of the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center.
Wolf's office oversees the Army's effort to locate and identify the remains of every missing soldier. Forensic evidence, genealogy and old-fashioned detective work are all a part of the process, which sometimes begins in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Wolf described one story that began with a scuba expedition. The divers found the wreckage of a B-26 that had gone down in 1942 off the coast of Palau. After a string of phone calls to different groups and agencies that dealt with military wreckage, the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, or JPAC, became involved.
The JPAC, based in Honolulu, conducted a full archaeological dig, 70 feet under water, gathering human remains and other artifacts from the wreckage. Some research gave them the names of the men who were aboard the plane.
"It's then we get to make the phone call, to this family who's known their father and husband have been missing, to tell them 'We think we've found your father,'" Wolf said.
Wolf's office then works with the family to get any information it might need to positively identify remains, whether it's something forensic like a blood sample or dental records or photographs and anecdotal evidence, such as artifact identification.
In the case of the Palau wreckage, Wolf found the family, then living in Texas, and got to brief them on how their father was found and what the Army would be able to do for them as the family of a deceased servicemember.
Sometimes a search is quick, and remains can be easily identified because of artifacts such as identification tags or dental remains that are easy to research and compare. But some cases have been in the works for more than 10 years.
Wolf's office stays in contact with the families it works with as it investigates, sharing information to put the pieces together, even if it takes waiting for new technology such as mitochondrial DNA testing to develop before conclusive results can be found. Once those results are found, he said, the length of the wait seems trivial.
"It's the most rewarding and fulfilling mission I've had in my 26 years in the Army," he said. "It's heartwarming to know, as a soldier myself, that no matter where I am in the world, or what I'm doing, I have the confidence and knowledge that, should I perish or go missing, the military and our government will never stop looking for me. Every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine has a long trail of family and the nation behind them."
Once they remains are identified and returned to the family, they can be buried with the honors given to any current servicemember – in today's case, a caisson and honor guard from the Army's Old Guard and music by the Army Band helped bring to an end the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the crew of "The Happy Legend," a B-25 that went missing Dec. 5, 1942, near Papua, New Guinea.
For Wolf, it means seven fewer people on the ever-shrinking list of soldiers unaccounted for, and a return to the continuing pursuit of soldiers still missing.
"It may sound cliché -- I know it does -- but they are never forgotten," he said. "We will never forget. We're going to keep searching until we bring every one of our brothers home from the battlefield."
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Scouts Honor Servicemembers at Ceremony
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Character was the focus as Scouting saluted the military yesterday. U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri told about 500 people from Boy Scouts' National Capital Area Council that the values of Boy Scouts and the military are constant and that both organizations seek to serve something greater than themselves.
This was the first Scout dinner saluting the military. Retired Navy Capt. Scott Gray, who now works with event sponsor General Dynamics, said he hopes to make the event an annual affair. The Crystal Gateway Marriott – a stone's throw from the Pentagon – hosted the event.
The council honored a servicemember from each service. Each honoree demonstrated the commitment to service that Scouting exemplifies and promotes, said former Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West, an Eagle Scout and the event host. The Eagle Scout award is the highest in the organization.
The honorees are role models for youth and exemplify the values of both Scouting and the military, West said. "The Boy Scouts of America and the armed forces of the United States share ... a common bond of service and honor," he said.
Skelton, also an Eagle Scout, spoke of his experiences in Scouting since December 1943, when he first became a Tenderfoot Scout. It was World War II, and Skelton, now the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talked about how his Scout troop would send off older Scouts as they went to war.
He praised the council for hosting an event that ties Scouting with the military. "One builds character, and the military defends our freedoms," he said. "Scouting is not just an organization, it is a way of life."
The honorees are:
-- Army Staff Sgt. David R. Gibbons, based at Fort Bragg. N.C.;
-- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Herrod, a bostswain's mate with the Navy Ceremonial Unit in Anacostia Naval Station, D.C.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Marshall, an aerospace medical expert at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.;
-- Marine Corps Sgt. Henry J. Reinewald, a recruiter in Detroit; and
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer Lavelas D. Luckey, based at the Coast Guard Station in Baltimore.
Gibbons enlisted in 2003 as one of the first soldiers to go directly into Special Forces. He is an Eagle Scout and served in Afghanistan. He now is an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School, and is the Bear Den leader for his son Ethan's Cub Scout pack.
Herrod has served as the Ceremonial Guard's community service coordinator since she arrived in December 2007. She has organized her sailors to help with local Special Olympics and National Lands Day, and for working with wounded warriors and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
While an Air Force medic, Marshall deployed with NATO troops in Afghanistan, where he saved the life of a Canadian soldier. Here, he works closely to aid the homeless. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen and has initiated a blanket drive to aid the homeless.
Reinewald is another Eagle Scout. He joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and has deployed overseas as an artilleryman. Reinewald is a recruiter in Detroit and he hopes to work closely with recruits wishing to join the service.
Luckey received the Coast Guard Medal – the highest award in the service – for rescuing a 5-year old girl who was trapped in a burning car following an accident. He joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and has served aboard two ships.
"Those of you in uniform tonight, you are examples to our Scouts," Skelton said. "That's what the young Scouts of today must learn. They need to follow your example, because they are going to be in your shoes and they need to be challenged to give the best that is in them."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Character was the focus as Scouting saluted the military yesterday. U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri told about 500 people from Boy Scouts' National Capital Area Council that the values of Boy Scouts and the military are constant and that both organizations seek to serve something greater than themselves.
This was the first Scout dinner saluting the military. Retired Navy Capt. Scott Gray, who now works with event sponsor General Dynamics, said he hopes to make the event an annual affair. The Crystal Gateway Marriott – a stone's throw from the Pentagon – hosted the event.
The council honored a servicemember from each service. Each honoree demonstrated the commitment to service that Scouting exemplifies and promotes, said former Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West, an Eagle Scout and the event host. The Eagle Scout award is the highest in the organization.
The honorees are role models for youth and exemplify the values of both Scouting and the military, West said. "The Boy Scouts of America and the armed forces of the United States share ... a common bond of service and honor," he said.
Skelton, also an Eagle Scout, spoke of his experiences in Scouting since December 1943, when he first became a Tenderfoot Scout. It was World War II, and Skelton, now the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talked about how his Scout troop would send off older Scouts as they went to war.
He praised the council for hosting an event that ties Scouting with the military. "One builds character, and the military defends our freedoms," he said. "Scouting is not just an organization, it is a way of life."
The honorees are:
-- Army Staff Sgt. David R. Gibbons, based at Fort Bragg. N.C.;
-- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Herrod, a bostswain's mate with the Navy Ceremonial Unit in Anacostia Naval Station, D.C.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Marshall, an aerospace medical expert at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.;
-- Marine Corps Sgt. Henry J. Reinewald, a recruiter in Detroit; and
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer Lavelas D. Luckey, based at the Coast Guard Station in Baltimore.
Gibbons enlisted in 2003 as one of the first soldiers to go directly into Special Forces. He is an Eagle Scout and served in Afghanistan. He now is an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School, and is the Bear Den leader for his son Ethan's Cub Scout pack.
Herrod has served as the Ceremonial Guard's community service coordinator since she arrived in December 2007. She has organized her sailors to help with local Special Olympics and National Lands Day, and for working with wounded warriors and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
While an Air Force medic, Marshall deployed with NATO troops in Afghanistan, where he saved the life of a Canadian soldier. Here, he works closely to aid the homeless. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen and has initiated a blanket drive to aid the homeless.
Reinewald is another Eagle Scout. He joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and has deployed overseas as an artilleryman. Reinewald is a recruiter in Detroit and he hopes to work closely with recruits wishing to join the service.
Luckey received the Coast Guard Medal – the highest award in the service – for rescuing a 5-year old girl who was trapped in a burning car following an accident. He joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and has served aboard two ships.
"Those of you in uniform tonight, you are examples to our Scouts," Skelton said. "That's what the young Scouts of today must learn. They need to follow your example, because they are going to be in your shoes and they need to be challenged to give the best that is in them."
Foiled Pirate Attack Encourages Defense Officials
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Defense Department officials are pleased with the Maersk Alabama's successful defense against suspected pirates today off the coast of Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four suspected pirates in a skiff used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the U.S.-flagged ship, but were unsuccessful. The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, acoustic devices and small-arms fire, which deterred the attack without assistance from U.S. military in the region.
"We are pleased that we had a ship that was able to take appropriate actions to prevent itself from being hijacked," Whitman told Pentagon reporters.
Whitman noted that the international shipping industry has been very engaged in sharing best practices against pirates. Pentagon officials have encouraged such talks, which involve evasion techniques, transit routes and protection teams, he said.
"It's clear, at least in this particular case, some of those practices were employed," he said, adding that there was no specific U.S. military involvement in the repelled attack.
But piracy in the region remains a concern, Whitman said, and the department is looking for ways to help in reducing the threat. But in addition to U.S. military involvement, he said, efforts from the international community and continued measures within the shipping industry are necessary.
"There is no single solution to piracy," Whitman said. "It's something that has to be dealt with internationally and across the broad front with a broad array of tactics and techniques.
"We're seeing that employed more often," he continued. "This, I think, is an example not only of evasive techniques, but defense posture ... making it more challenging for pirates."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the Maersk Alabama, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Defense Department officials are pleased with the Maersk Alabama's successful defense against suspected pirates today off the coast of Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four suspected pirates in a skiff used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the U.S.-flagged ship, but were unsuccessful. The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, acoustic devices and small-arms fire, which deterred the attack without assistance from U.S. military in the region.
"We are pleased that we had a ship that was able to take appropriate actions to prevent itself from being hijacked," Whitman told Pentagon reporters.
Whitman noted that the international shipping industry has been very engaged in sharing best practices against pirates. Pentagon officials have encouraged such talks, which involve evasion techniques, transit routes and protection teams, he said.
"It's clear, at least in this particular case, some of those practices were employed," he said, adding that there was no specific U.S. military involvement in the repelled attack.
But piracy in the region remains a concern, Whitman said, and the department is looking for ways to help in reducing the threat. But in addition to U.S. military involvement, he said, efforts from the international community and continued measures within the shipping industry are necessary.
"There is no single solution to piracy," Whitman said. "It's something that has to be dealt with internationally and across the broad front with a broad array of tactics and techniques.
"We're seeing that employed more often," he continued. "This, I think, is an example not only of evasive techniques, but defense posture ... making it more challenging for pirates."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the Maersk Alabama, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
High-Performance MRO in the Military
Nov. 18, 2009 Military supply chains are unique because what is supplied to the end user is routinely returned to the supply chain for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Offering a blueprint for transforming military depot workload and processes into those of high-performance commercial facilities, Enterprise Sustainability: Enhancing the Military’s Ability to Perform Its Mission provides a powerful system of concepts and tools for enhancing the ability of the military to perform MRO on its weapon systems. These concepts and tools are applicable to any enterprise, military or commercial, that is concerned about sustainability.
The text focuses on five abilities that must be considered to achieve efficient, cost-saving operations: Availability of required parts, facilities, tools, and manpower; Dependability of the weapon systems; Capability of the enterprise to perform the mission; Affordability and improving the life cycle cost (LCC) of a system or project; Marketability of concepts and motivating decision makers; Aging weapons systems, an aging workforce, limited financial resources, new technologies, and an increased military operational tempo demand that the military develop an aggressive transformation plan for its sustainability.
This book follows An Architecture for a Lean Transformation, the first in a series dedicated to sustaining an enterprise. In this second volume, the authors continue to provide an analysis of, and prescription for, the strategies, principles, and technologies that are necessary to sustain an enterprise like the military and the weapons system it develops and utilizes.
About the Authors
Dennis F.X. Mathaisel holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from MIT. He was a Research Scientist in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT for over 20 years, where most recently he was a lead researcher for the MIT Lean Sustainment Initiative and consultant for the U.S Air Force. He was founder and President of a computer software firm that developed systems for airline scheduling and resource allocation, and he was a Branch Manager for Operations Research at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Currently, he is Professor of Management Science at Babson College, where his teaching interests are in the fields of management science and quantitative methods, and his research is focused on the sustainment of complex aging systems and lean manufacturing. His publications appear in numerous academic and professional journals, and he is a Full Member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). He was President of the Air Transportation Research International Forum (ATRIF). Dennis is a private pilot and an owner of a Cessna 182 aircraft.
Joel M. Manary is a senior systems engineer for Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation. He has more than 20 years experience in acquisition program management and systems engineering management. He was a program manager of an automated tool improvement project. He was a senior systems analyst, staff consultant and advisor to senior managers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and Naval Air Systems Command. He also has more than 20 years experience in operational systems support, as an active duty Air Force maintenance officer. He holds a master of science degree in logistics and systems acquisition management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is an MIT research fellow and has participated in several studies as part of the MIT Advanced Studies Program.
Clare L. Comm is professor of marketing in the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where she specializes in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has also taught at Babson College, Radcliffe Seminars Program, and the University of Indonesia for MIT’s Flight Transportation Laboratory. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Business Excellence. She also is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation affiliate. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
More Information
The text focuses on five abilities that must be considered to achieve efficient, cost-saving operations: Availability of required parts, facilities, tools, and manpower; Dependability of the weapon systems; Capability of the enterprise to perform the mission; Affordability and improving the life cycle cost (LCC) of a system or project; Marketability of concepts and motivating decision makers; Aging weapons systems, an aging workforce, limited financial resources, new technologies, and an increased military operational tempo demand that the military develop an aggressive transformation plan for its sustainability.
This book follows An Architecture for a Lean Transformation, the first in a series dedicated to sustaining an enterprise. In this second volume, the authors continue to provide an analysis of, and prescription for, the strategies, principles, and technologies that are necessary to sustain an enterprise like the military and the weapons system it develops and utilizes.
About the Authors
Dennis F.X. Mathaisel holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from MIT. He was a Research Scientist in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT for over 20 years, where most recently he was a lead researcher for the MIT Lean Sustainment Initiative and consultant for the U.S Air Force. He was founder and President of a computer software firm that developed systems for airline scheduling and resource allocation, and he was a Branch Manager for Operations Research at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Currently, he is Professor of Management Science at Babson College, where his teaching interests are in the fields of management science and quantitative methods, and his research is focused on the sustainment of complex aging systems and lean manufacturing. His publications appear in numerous academic and professional journals, and he is a Full Member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). He was President of the Air Transportation Research International Forum (ATRIF). Dennis is a private pilot and an owner of a Cessna 182 aircraft.
Joel M. Manary is a senior systems engineer for Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation. He has more than 20 years experience in acquisition program management and systems engineering management. He was a program manager of an automated tool improvement project. He was a senior systems analyst, staff consultant and advisor to senior managers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and Naval Air Systems Command. He also has more than 20 years experience in operational systems support, as an active duty Air Force maintenance officer. He holds a master of science degree in logistics and systems acquisition management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is an MIT research fellow and has participated in several studies as part of the MIT Advanced Studies Program.
Clare L. Comm is professor of marketing in the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where she specializes in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has also taught at Babson College, Radcliffe Seminars Program, and the University of Indonesia for MIT’s Flight Transportation Laboratory. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Business Excellence. She also is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation affiliate. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
More Information
Homeless Dogs Help Healing Troops
By Fred W. Baker IIIAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Lawrence Minnis never met a dog he didn't like. "I want just about every dog I see," the Army captain said with a laugh. Minnis is especially fond of pit bulls, and he somewhat resembles his favorite breed -- broad-shouldered, stocky and muscular. He sat on the floor in the back of a classroom at a Washington Humane Society shelter here recently, stroking his adopted black pit bull, Ebony.
As happy and healthy as the two appear now, they met when they were both on the mend – Minnis from a near-crippling infection and Ebony from nearly starving and freezing to death. The two shared a companionship that helped them heal and ultimately altered the course of their lives.
Minnis met Ebony through the Humane Society's Dog Tags program in which soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center sign up to help the shelter dogs learn to behave. It's a program in which everyone benefits, officials said; the soldiers get out of the hospital and learn to care for and train the dogs, and the dogs learn better behavior, making them more adoptable.
"They're really loving those relationships with the animals," said Diana Foley, behavior and training counselor with the Humane Society. "It gives them a way to get away from Walter Reed. They can come here and interact with the animals."
The program began simply enough more than a year ago. The shelter is located just across the street from the Walter Reed campus. Soldiers out walking would come across shelter staff members walking the dogs. They would stop and pet the dogs and seemed to enjoy getting to know them. Officials at the shelter had the idea to hook the two together through a training program for the troops and the dogs.
The society now offers two classes weekly that teach soldiers about dog behavior and training. Troops filter through the Georgia Avenue shelter learning the basics of dog behavior and how to read dog body language and train the dogs. The mix of hands-on and classroom training offers the troops enough expertise that they can use the skills as a launching pad for a career.
"We want the program to be educational so that if there are servicemembers in the program that want to potentially pursue this as a career, ... they're getting as much information as possible and as much hands-on time as possible with the dogs," Foley said. "We also want it to be recreational, too, for people who ... just love animals and like spending time with the dogs."
The six-month program is split into three levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. In the beginner class, troops learn basic animal body language and obedience commands such as "sit" and "stay." In the advanced classes, troops learn to evaluate the dogs' temperament and how to begin working with aggression issues and separation anxiety.
The skills the dogs learn in the classes translate to better placement opportunities, Foley said. The program has far expanded the amount of training the shelter's dogs received previously.
"This is another way our dogs are outside of their kennels being talked to and touched and interacting with people," she said. "That's extremely beneficial to reduce the stress levels of the animals in our kennels, and at the same time, it makes the animals far more successful in their new homes if they come into it with some basic obedience training."
But for all of the good it is for the dogs, it is equally beneficial for the recovering troops, Foley said.
"It's really just an outlet to be social with people and social with the animals and have time away from the hospital," she said.
Foley described one soldier who came to the class who was having difficulty interacting with people. He didn't make eye contact and kept to himself. Working with the dogs built his confidence and helped to bridge his shyness with the staff.
"It really helped him develop social relationships with people," Foley said. "He went from being a very, very shy person when he first entered. [Now] he's totally not that same shy person that he came into the program being."
Some of the dogs are at the shelter for a few months, and many of the soldiers develop close relationships with them. Others develop friendships with the staff. Some soldiers remain on as volunteers at the shelter long after the classes end, Foley said. Minnis continues to work with the shelter.
After a viral infection in his brain stem left him temporarily unable to walk and barely able to talk, the Army officer found himself recovering at Walter Reed. He was deployed to Iraq at the start of a promising Army career when he got sick. At Walter Reed, he found out he couldn't deploy again.
In May 2008, his occupational therapist recommended him to the Dog Tags program. Minnis said he had wanted to get a dog for a pet anyway, so he thought it would be a good opportunity to learn a few skills. The shelter had several of his favorite breed on hand, and the dogs were good companions and good for his physical therapy.
"It helped me while I was still trying to walk, being active, having to walk around with the dog. [During training], I'm not focused on me having balance issues or [not] being able to speak. I'm concentrating on what I need to do to train the dog," Minnis said. "It takes the focus completely off of me and puts it on the dog and what we're doing."
But Minnis' interests soon expanded, and often he would visit the shelter just to sit and play with the dogs. He said it was his quiet time.
"You don't have anybody asking you what's going on. You don't feel a threat. It's a just a dog to bond with and have fun with," he said.
As it looked more like he would be medically retired, Minnis said the training took on a different perspective. He was a business major in college, and always wanted to be an entrepreneur. He figured a dog training business would be easy to start and not require a lot of money or overhead.
"I figured it's a perfect opportunity," he said. "I get to learn how to train [and] have a business I can work on, or at least a side business."
Minnis eventually adopted Ebony, one of his favorite dogs. The two now regularly attend the shelter classes, helping to train others on animal behavior. Minnis also takes Ebony to the Metropolitan Police Department when he speaks to cadets going through training there, noting that he hopes to cast a more positive light on a breed that has captured a lot of negative attention.
He teaches the cadets to read a dog's body language so they can tell when there is a real threat.
"I would take her with me ... so they can get used to seeing a pit bull that's not what they see on TV," Minnis said. "Often, officers don't really know if the dog is friendly, scared or ready to attack."
In fact, Ebony is one of the friendliest dogs the cadets will meet, he said -- friendly enough that he felt comfortable bringing her home to his two small boys.
"It's never about the breed. It's about who owns them and how well you train them and the structure you have around them," Minnis said. "From Day One, she was perfect around my kids. She respected them."
In the end, though, it is not a dog-training business that Minnis decided to pursue. It is, however, what he learned from the lessons during the training and while working with the dogs that led to what he hopes is a promising career.
During the training, Minnis said, he began pondering how leadership principles in dog training are the same as with dealing with people.
"Dogs are pack creatures. Humans are pack creatures. It's the same leadership," he said. "It's not about a title, or in our case in the military, your rank, that makes you a leader. It's if you're doing the natural things that make you a leader in your pack."
Now Minnis is researching and writing a book on the principles of leadership and packaging a presentation targeting businesses, the military and government. He already has given a few presentations on his theories, and is refining and expanding on them.
Minnis still is a few weeks away from his medical retirement, and is working to get back to 100 percent. He has joined a gym, started jogging, and adopted another pit bull from the shelter named Nina.
Between working on his recovery and his book, Minnis said, he hopes to help the humane society expand the Dog Tags program. It is worthy, he said, of reaching beyond the Capital Beltway and out to other active duty installations.
"Anywhere you go, there are going to be dogs that need training and soldiers who are going through some type of therapy that will benefit from it," he said. "I want to make sure that's going to be able to expand and reach out to a lot more soldiers. It's a great program."
Maersk Alabama Crew Repels Suspected Pirate Attack
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama's security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship.
The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears.
"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best [anti-piracy] practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked, and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the ship, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama's security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship.
The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears.
"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best [anti-piracy] practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked, and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the ship, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)
National Guard (In Federal Status) And Reserve Activated As Of November 17, 2009
This week the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard announced an increase in activated reservists, while the Army and Marine Corps announced a decrease. The net collective result is 1,045 fewer reservists activated than last week.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 106,104; Navy Reserve, 6,516; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,756; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,838; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 134,988, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091117ngr.pdf.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 106,104; Navy Reserve, 6,516; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,756; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,838; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 134,988, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091117ngr.pdf.
Pentagon Ceremony Honors Top Teachers
By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The top teachers in the Defense Department's worldwide school system were recognized yesterday by the U.S. military's senior officer at a Pentagon ceremony. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted and thanked the Department of Defense Education Activity's Teacher of the Year and District Teachers of the Year award recipients for 2010.
"There is probably no more important profession at this time in our history than teaching," Mullen told the assembled educators.
The annual Teacher of the Year program highlights the significant role that DoDEA teachers play in students' lives and the contributions they make to the quality of life for military families, particularly the stability and consistency they provide during times of deployment and separation. A panel selects the annual Teacher of the Year from among district nominees.
DoDEA's teachers have "been a big part of the glue that is holding us together in an enormously stressful time," said Mullen, noting many military parents are deployed overseas in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is important, Mullen said, for military parents "to know that their kids are in good schools and [are] being well taught."
Susan S. Morris, nominated by the Heidelberg District in Germany, is the 2010 DoDEA Teacher of the Year.
District Teachers of the Year also honored at the ceremony include:
-- Gretchen Wall, Bavaria District, Germany;
-- Pam Koon, Georgia/Alabama District;
-- Juana Aguon, Guam District;
-- Margaret Ann Bruce, Isles District, England;
-- Cleo Strazdas, Kaiserslautern District, Germany;
-- Brenda Schultz-von-Hawker, Kentucky District;
-- Clover Stephenson, Korea District;
-- Suzanne Sperl, Mediterranean District;
-- Lynn Magalong Lowe, New York/Virginia/Puerto Rico District;
-- Darla Williamitis, North Carolina District;
-- Seth Renquist, Okinawa District, Japan; and
-- Mitch Finley, South Carolina/Fort Stewart District.
"It is just the ultimate milestone of my career to represent the men and women of the military and their children and all the teachers that we have in DoDEA," Morris said. She teaches social studies to 7th and 8th graders in Heidelberg, Germany.
Teaching "is a personal calling," Morris said, and good teachers build positive relationships with students and their families.
"Get to know your kids and develop a great relationship with them," she said. "From that, you invest in the families, and you find out what their needs are."
Aguon teaches algebra and geometry at Guam High School.
"I really shouldn't be self-congratulatory" about being recognized as a district-level DoDEA Teacher of the Year, she said, noting her honor is "all about" the teaching profession.
"We all have a responsibility to our kids; especially to our military kids," she said.
Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, was on hand to congratulate the department's top teachers.
"These teachers represent the highest quality of educators that we have in this country," said Thomas, noting that DoDEA's Teacher of the Year recipient goes on to compete in the National Teacher of the Year competition. President Barack Obama is slated to announce the winner in April.
"Our Department of Defense teachers have one of the highest pass rates of students in the country – and that's on a global scale," Thomas said. "It is important to recognize the fact that they are teaching and building American citizens through education."
More than 85,000 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, began this school year at 192 DoDEA schools worldwide. About 8,700 teachers work at DoDEA schools located stateside and in 12 foreign countries.
"We understand that as we teach them, both abroad and stateside, it is for the well-being of the country," Thomas said. "And that is our future."
A CRITICAL LOOK AT NAVY V. EGAN
A 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Department of the Navy v. Egan has often been interpreted to support broad presidential authority over national security generally and over access to classified information in particular. Along with United States v. Reynolds, Curtiss-Wright, and a few other cases, Egan is regularly cited in support of strong, even unchecked executive authority and judicial deference to executive claims. It has become a cornerstone of national security law as practiced today.
But the case has often been misunderstood and misrepresented, according to a new study by Louis Fisher of the Law Library of Congress, who reviewed the development and interpretation of Egan in more than 180 judicial decisions.
The Egan decision was prompted by a narrow statutory dispute: Did the Merit Systems Protection Board (an executive branch body) have the authority to review the revocation of a security clearance by the Navy (another executive branch body)? The court concluded that Congress had not intended to permit such review.
But in reaching that straightforward conclusion, "various passages in Egan strayed from this central issue and created confusion and misconceptions"
about the scope of executive authority and the role of the courts, wrote Dr. Fisher. Among such passages was a discussion of the President's constitutional powers culminating in the statement that "Unless Congress specifically has provided otherwise, courts traditionally have been reluctant to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs."
Over time, Egan came to signify the notion that courts should grant the "utmost deference" -- or even absolute deference -- to the executive on issues of national security. Citing Egan, one court in 1993 held that "the presumption of reviewability is entirely inapplicable in matters concerning national security." This is an extreme view that would exclude the courts altogether from national security affairs. "Egan does not support that interpretation," wrote Fisher. But there it is.
In a 2002 report on leaks of classified information, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited Egan in support of the proposition that "The President has the power under the Constitution to protect national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure. This extends to defining what information constitutes a national security secret and to determining who may have access to that secret." These statements are true except for the implication that such authority is exclusively the province of the executive. The Attorney General conspicuously neglected to note the qualification in Egan which stated "Unless Congress has specifically provided otherwise...."
Recently, observed Fisher, some courts have presented a more nuanced reading of Egan. In proceedings such as Al-Haramain and Horn v. Huddle, courts have rebuffed executive arguments for complete deference in cases where Congress has legislated its intent into statute.
Fundamentally, Fisher concludes, "Nothing in Egan recognizes a plenary or exclusive power on the part of the President over classified information."
See "Judicial Interpretations of Egan" by Louis Fisher, Law Library of Congress, November 13, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/egan.pdf
Dr. Fisher will be the luncheon speaker at a day-long conference November
18 on "The State of the State Secrets Privilege" at American University Washington College of Law.
But the case has often been misunderstood and misrepresented, according to a new study by Louis Fisher of the Law Library of Congress, who reviewed the development and interpretation of Egan in more than 180 judicial decisions.
The Egan decision was prompted by a narrow statutory dispute: Did the Merit Systems Protection Board (an executive branch body) have the authority to review the revocation of a security clearance by the Navy (another executive branch body)? The court concluded that Congress had not intended to permit such review.
But in reaching that straightforward conclusion, "various passages in Egan strayed from this central issue and created confusion and misconceptions"
about the scope of executive authority and the role of the courts, wrote Dr. Fisher. Among such passages was a discussion of the President's constitutional powers culminating in the statement that "Unless Congress specifically has provided otherwise, courts traditionally have been reluctant to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs."
Over time, Egan came to signify the notion that courts should grant the "utmost deference" -- or even absolute deference -- to the executive on issues of national security. Citing Egan, one court in 1993 held that "the presumption of reviewability is entirely inapplicable in matters concerning national security." This is an extreme view that would exclude the courts altogether from national security affairs. "Egan does not support that interpretation," wrote Fisher. But there it is.
In a 2002 report on leaks of classified information, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited Egan in support of the proposition that "The President has the power under the Constitution to protect national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure. This extends to defining what information constitutes a national security secret and to determining who may have access to that secret." These statements are true except for the implication that such authority is exclusively the province of the executive. The Attorney General conspicuously neglected to note the qualification in Egan which stated "Unless Congress has specifically provided otherwise...."
Recently, observed Fisher, some courts have presented a more nuanced reading of Egan. In proceedings such as Al-Haramain and Horn v. Huddle, courts have rebuffed executive arguments for complete deference in cases where Congress has legislated its intent into statute.
Fundamentally, Fisher concludes, "Nothing in Egan recognizes a plenary or exclusive power on the part of the President over classified information."
See "Judicial Interpretations of Egan" by Louis Fisher, Law Library of Congress, November 13, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/egan.pdf
Dr. Fisher will be the luncheon speaker at a day-long conference November
18 on "The State of the State Secrets Privilege" at American University Washington College of Law.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 17, 2009
NAVY
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $41,100,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5102) for combat systems engineering (CSE) and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 2 to support Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Military Sales. ROK competitively selected the U.S. Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System (ACS) for its KDX-III shipbuilding program. These requirements include the necessary CSE, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system Baseline 7 Phase I computer program and equipment to support the construction of the second Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the ACS. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (53 percent), and (Korea 47 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Nov. 12, 2009, a $16,623,805 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract is to determine and provide long lead materials required to support the reset of Stryker Brigades 3/2, 4/2 and 5/2. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (3 percent), and Shelby Township, Mich. (97 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Tank Automotive & Armament Command, SFAE-GCS-BCT-P, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112)
Ascend Intelligence, LLC, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $14,035,223 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development, sustainment and procurement of an advanced tactical information system, a tactical ground reporting system of networked information systems with map based user interface. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va. (86.95 percent), Fort Washington, Pa. (4.7 percent), San Diego, Calif., (1.95 percent), Falls Church, Va. (5.36 percent), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (1.04 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 16, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 59 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0030).
King Fisher Marine Service, LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $8,937,945 firm-fixed-price contract. The work will consist of maintenance deep draft channel dredging of approximately 3.6 million cubic yards and spillbox repair. Work is to be performed in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Ten bids solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0007).
Kustom Truck & RV, Inc., Coos Bay, Ore., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $6,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 200 each and 100 percent option maintenance kits, for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Work is to be performed in Coos Bay, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2010. One bid was solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Tank, Automotive Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0017).
GTS International, LLC, Euless, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $5,942,797 firm-fixed-price contract for various night vision equipment items and various support items for Foreign Military Sales cases. Work is to be performed in Euless, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. The CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W12P7T-10-C-D210).
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Services, Inc., of Reston, Va., was awarded a $24,827,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a base year and four optional years for the imagery analysis services requirement in support of Special Operations Command. The work will be performed primarily at Fort Bragg, N.C. The services will run through Nov. 16, 2014, if all options are exercised. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded through full and open competition. The contract number is H92222-10-C-0005.
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $41,100,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5102) for combat systems engineering (CSE) and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 2 to support Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Military Sales. ROK competitively selected the U.S. Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System (ACS) for its KDX-III shipbuilding program. These requirements include the necessary CSE, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system Baseline 7 Phase I computer program and equipment to support the construction of the second Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the ACS. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (53 percent), and (Korea 47 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Nov. 12, 2009, a $16,623,805 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract is to determine and provide long lead materials required to support the reset of Stryker Brigades 3/2, 4/2 and 5/2. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (3 percent), and Shelby Township, Mich. (97 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Tank Automotive & Armament Command, SFAE-GCS-BCT-P, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112)
Ascend Intelligence, LLC, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $14,035,223 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development, sustainment and procurement of an advanced tactical information system, a tactical ground reporting system of networked information systems with map based user interface. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va. (86.95 percent), Fort Washington, Pa. (4.7 percent), San Diego, Calif., (1.95 percent), Falls Church, Va. (5.36 percent), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (1.04 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 16, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 59 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0030).
King Fisher Marine Service, LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $8,937,945 firm-fixed-price contract. The work will consist of maintenance deep draft channel dredging of approximately 3.6 million cubic yards and spillbox repair. Work is to be performed in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Ten bids solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0007).
Kustom Truck & RV, Inc., Coos Bay, Ore., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $6,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 200 each and 100 percent option maintenance kits, for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Work is to be performed in Coos Bay, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2010. One bid was solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Tank, Automotive Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0017).
GTS International, LLC, Euless, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $5,942,797 firm-fixed-price contract for various night vision equipment items and various support items for Foreign Military Sales cases. Work is to be performed in Euless, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. The CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W12P7T-10-C-D210).
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Services, Inc., of Reston, Va., was awarded a $24,827,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a base year and four optional years for the imagery analysis services requirement in support of Special Operations Command. The work will be performed primarily at Fort Bragg, N.C. The services will run through Nov. 16, 2014, if all options are exercised. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded through full and open competition. The contract number is H92222-10-C-0005.
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