Monday, April 07, 2008

SWAT Operations

April 7, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) The April 9, 2008, program of Conversations with Cops at The Watering Hole focuses on SWAT operations with guest Kevin Barrett.

Program Date: April 9, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic:
SWAT Operations
Guests: Kevin Barrett

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

About the Guest
Kevin Barrett is the Chairman/CEO of the International Tactical Officers Training Association and
SWAT Digest. Kevin is currently active duty [15 years] for a municipal police department where he is assigned to a special response team (SWAT) as a primary entry team member. Kevin’s past assignments include criminal investigations, drug task force and patrol. He has participated in hundreds of tactical operations and has specialized training and experiences in close quarter battle (CQB), counter terrorism, dignitary protection, SCBA and linear assault operations. He is a court certified expert in clandestine laboratory investigation and operations (DEA/ CLET certifications.) Kevin attended Indiana State University and is a certified instructor through the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the
Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster,
LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Group Helps Guard, Reserve Children With After-School Activities

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 7, 2008 - Deployments are tough on
military families, especially on the children. Children of deployed National Guardsmen and reservists often must deal not only with a parent's absence, but also with the financial burden their family must bear when the deployed parents' military pay is less than they earn in civilian life.

"Our
Military Children" helps fund after-school activities for children of the National Guard and reserves when a parent is deployed, one of the organization's founders said in an interview on the "ASY Live" program on BlogTalkRadio.com. "ASY" stands for America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"It is so important to keep these kids in a routine, to keep them involved in activities and on track," said Gail Kruzel, executive director of Our
Military Children. "Unfortunately, the challenges these families face are compounded by the fact that when a reservist is called up for active duty, many times his or her income can drop substantially. So, just when the children most need these extracurricular activities, the family can no longer afford them."

Our
Military Kids funds activities ranging from Tai Kwan Do to scholarships for tutoring for children in kindergarten through high school. "A lot of times, kids that are good students start falling behind in school," Kruzel said. "Tutoring grants help the kids get back on track. We fund a wide range of programs depending on the child's interest, ... from modeling to drivers education."

Kruzel and her partner, Linda Davidson, founded the organization to do their part. Kruzel knows first-hand about the challenges of raising children in a single-parent home; her children were 12 and 14 when her husband, a diplomat, was killed on a peace mission to Bosnia.

For many
military kids, Kruzel said, the ability to continue to pursue activities they love keeps them focused and helps them cope. One of the organization's first grants went to a "daddy's girl" who was greatly distressed with her father's deployment and falling behind in school, she recalled.

"[Her father's deployment] was really upsetting," Kruzel said, "but as soon as she got the extra help, ... she got almost straight As the next year in second grade."

Another child who had taken dance lessons for more than nine years was forced to drop out when the family's finances suffered during her father's deployment. "It was a part of who she was," Kruzel said, "and when we were able to get her dancing again, it helped her get through this difficult time."

Since its inception, Our
Military Kids has given out nearly 3,000 grants, and it's now a nationwide program. To date, the organization has honored all eligible requests, Kruzel said, and is celebrating the distribution of its millionth dollar.

Eligible families can apply online at www.ourmilitarykids.org, attaching a copy of the deployment orders, the child's military ID, and information about the child's desired activity. Upon submitting the application, families will hear back in a matter of days.

"We feel that kids need to know if they can be on the baseball team or participate in dance or gymnastics, so we have a very quick turnaround," Kruzel said.

Our
Military Kids is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"
Military families make so many sacrifices, and we're helping to do our little part to minimize the sacrifices here at home," Kruzel said.

(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media branch at American Forces Information Service.)

Well-Drilling Project Builds African Partnerships

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 7, 2008 - Airmen and sailors joined Kenyans in an effort to increase access to clean drinking water within the country's arid Garissa district March 30 and 31. An
Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport jet brought more than 100,000 pounds of well-drilling equipment and nearly a dozen Navy Seabees to Nairobi's airport during the two-day delivery mission. The Seabees, who are construction specialists, will use the equipment to drill wells that will be used by Somali nomads who inhabit the area between Nairobi and Kenya's eastern border with Somalia.

The well-drilling project is part of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa's mission to develop and nurture partnerships and promote regional cooperation within the Horn of Africa.

One of the dozen Seabees who will help the Kenyans drill the well has an uncommon perspective on the project.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jack Ndaiga of Naval Construction Battalion 74, deployed from Gulfport, Miss., was raised in Kenya and lived there until he moved to the United States at age 21. This is Ndaiga's first time back in Kenya since he joined the Navy three years ago.

"I'm excited to come back and help out," he said. "Some people have to walk 20 miles for water, so to have it closer would be a good thing."

Project leader
Navy Chief Petty Officer Joseph Hangren said access to clean drinking water is a major problem in Kenya. This project is part of an overall plan that looks to establish more wells, helping Africans to help themselves, he said.

Planning the multiple well projects is a long process that aims to improve stability in the region without having any negative environmental consequences, he added.

A Kenyan official said the well projects are helping the task force's effort to create and sustain relationships within Africa. Kenyan Col. Tai Gituai, chief of operations for the well-drilling project, said the water will help many Kenyans.

"We look forward to cooperation and continuous engagement between Kenya and the United States," he said.

The C-17 crew, who picked up the equipment and sailors from the Djibouti airport near Camp Lemonier, was in Kenya only long enough to offload their cargo and passengers, but the significance of their contribution to the welfare of Africa's people was not lost on one of the crew's airmen.

"It always pays off to deliver necessary items to a country in need," said Airman 1st Class Joshua Weston, a loadmaster from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. "In this case, we were able to supply machinery so that people under drought conditions could receive water – a basic need of life."

(
Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones serves with U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS April 7, 2008

ARMY

Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., Metairie, La., was awarded on Apr. 3, 2008, a $695,489,766 cost-reimbursable-plus-award-fee contract for the design and construction for improvement of hurricane protection of the inner harbor navigation canal. Work will be performed in
New Orleans, La., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 1, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on Jul. 2, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-08-C-0038).

J.E. Dunn Construction,
Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Apr. 3, 2008, a $84,410,547 firm-fixed price contract for construction service for the regional correctional facility. Work will be performed at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug. 10, 2006. Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-06-C-0049).

Caterpillar, Inc.,
Peoria, Ill., was awarded on Apr. 3, 2008, a $20,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for a service life extension program for selected Caterpillar construction equipment. Work will be performed at Caterpillar dealers stateside and overseas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 8, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Dec. 8, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-D-T030).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Inc., was awarded on Apr. 3, 2008, a $12,569,100 firm-fixed price contract for three vehicle emergency egress items. Work will be performed primarily in Butler, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Mar. 6, 2008. TACOM LCMC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0353).

Kinsley Construction, Inc., York, Pa., was awarded on Apr. 4, 2008, a $7,719,000 firm-fixed price contract for construction of an addition to the consolidated maintenance facility, defense distribution supply center. Work will be performed in New Cumberland, Penn., and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Dec. 3, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-08-C-0008).

Stewart & Stevenson
Tactical Vehicle Systems Limited Partnership, Sealy, Texas, was awarded on Apr. 3, 2008, a $6,096,214 firm-fixed price contract for 38 medium tactical vehicle 5-ton cargo trucks. Work will be performed in Sealy, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two bids were solicited on Aug. 15, 2002, and two bids were received. U.S. Army TACOM-Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-03-C-S023).

TREMCO, Inc., Beechwood, Ohio, was awarded on Apr. 4, 2008, a $5,987,103 firm-fixed price contract for repair by replacement of the roof of building 299. Work will be performed at Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island Ill., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 5, 2008. U.S.
Army TACOM LCMC, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (GS-07F-8798D).

NAVY

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $245,482,302 firm-fixed-price modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-5431) to procure 307 Evolved SEASPARROW Missiles (ESSM), 163 shipping containers, and spares for the NATO SEASPARROW Consortium and the United Arab Emirates. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., (45 percent), Australia, (11 percent), Andover, Mass., (10 percent), Germany, (8 percent), Canada, (7 percent), The Netherlands, (6 percent), Norway, (5 percent), Spain, (3 percent), Camden, Ark., (2 percent), Denmark, (1 percent), Greece, (1 percent), and Turkey, (1 percent), and work is expected to be complete by Dec. 2010. 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.

Boeing Co.,
Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $14,940,700 indefinite-delivery requirements contract with both firm-fixed-price and time and material components. The contract will provide life cycle support services for the F/A-18 series aircraft in support of the Commander, Naval Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC) in New Orleans, La. The services include all levels of aircraft maintenance including depot level maintenance; emergency repair; aircraft modification; engineering; logistics; program management support; technical advisor services and associated materials and services as may be required to support the continued safe, reliable, and available operation of the aircraft cited. This contract contains two one-year options. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and work is expected to be completed Mar. 2009 (Mar. 2011 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded competitively. The Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk, Philadelphia Office, is the contracting activity (N00189-08-D-Z028).

Sound & Sea
Technology, Inc.*, Lynnwood, Wash., is being awarded $5,849,090 under a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N62473-06-D-3005) to exercise option year four for engineering and technical services in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC), Ocean Facilities Department, Port Hueneme, Calif. The work to be performed provides for ocean engineering services that include project planning and execution of sub-sea cable projects including shore landings, seafloor engineering, ocean work platform support, underwater construction tool development, offshore structure and buoy projects, marine power systems, heavy load handling engineering, and harbor and waterside security projects. The current total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $28,571,647. Work will be performed at various installations under NFESC's area of responsibility worldwide, and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Specialty Center Contracts Core, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Husky Marketing and Supply Co., Lima, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $64,361,472 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for aviation fuel. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 48 proposals solicited with 23 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 30, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-08-D-0469).

AIR FORCE

Composite Engineering, Incorporated of
Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a modified firm fixed price contract for $5,692,990. This action will result in a firm fixed price modification to an existing contract awarded to Composite Engineering Incorp., Sacramento, Calif., Air Force Budget Appropriation 3010 funds will be used to procure ten additional Air Force Subscale Aerial Target (AFSAT) under the Lot five option. At this time $5,692,990 has been obligated. Eglin AFB, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-07-C-0280, P00013).

America Supports You: Fort Myer Kids Get to Clown Around

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

April 7, 2008 - Children normally are told to quit clowning around, but today it was actually encouraged, as clowns from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus entertained more than 100 youngsters at the child development center here. “This is a great for our families," said
Army Col. Laura Richardson, garrison commander for the Fort Myer military community. "To be able to bring an activity like this ... is awesome."

Deployed troops, the ranks of whom include her husband, love to hear about events like this one, the colonel said.

"This is great stuff for out troops that are deployed, knowing that their families are getting to see things and have opportunities like this," Richardson said. "It's a win-win all the way around."

For an hour, the children participated in antics dreamed up by the clowns, acrobats and dancers. They stood bravely between two of the tricksters while bowling pins flew over their heads during a juggling demonstration.

The giggles got even louder when the ones who had to be brave were some of their favorite adults who, at one point, had an acrobat flying over them.

Not everyone was as enamored with the red noses and floppy shoes as their classmates. Gavin Baltes, 2, found the whole thing a bit overwhelming and spent most of the show watching his classmates' reactions over a caregiver's shoulder.

By the end, however, everyone was smiling and dancing. During the "Bellobration," a dance named for one of Ringling's favorite sons, Bello the clown, the children and adults alike followed along as the entertainers led them through the moves.

Then it was back to their classrooms with big smiles on their faces.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, which is currently performing at George Mason University's Patriot Center, is a corporate supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting servicemembers and their families.

"We're grateful to Ringling Brothers for the great experience they are bringing to the children at Fort Myer," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary for internal communication and public liaison. (Also) for their continued commitment to America Supports You, as they bring laughter and smiles to the faces of our
military children during April's 'Month of the Military Child' celebration."

Featuring a few veterans, the circus salutes the
military and America Supports You during every performance, Barber said.

"This is a first for us to bring (the circus) to the day care here at Fort Myer," she said, adding. "They've said, 'Whatever we can do for the
military community is what we want to do.'"

It's important to recognize the service and commitment of the military member, the
military spouse and the children whose parents are serving, Barber said.

"We try to put a lot of energy and lift into saying to the boys and girls, 'You know, you're serving, too. It's different, (but) every time your mom or dad misses your soccer game or your ballet recital, that's a sacrifice, too,'" she added.