Monday, July 07, 2008

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 7, 2008

ARMY

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $56,857,635 firm-fixed price contract for an assortment of automotive parts, including wheels, axles, air conditioners, engines, compressors, generators, and transmissions. Work will be performed primarily in
Springfield, Ohio, with limited production in various cities across the nation, and is expected to be completed by May 4, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 2, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0494).

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $21,420,480 firm-fixed price contract for wheels and pneumatic tires. Work will be performed in Trenton, N.J., 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 Jun. 25, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0520).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fairfax, Va., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, an $18,370,444 firm-fixed price contract for support to the National Geospatial-Intelligence agency's human development directorate by providing employees with mission-essential technical skill training, systems training and
leadership and intelligence professional education. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Va., Bethesda, Md., and St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Ten bids were solicited on Nov. 1, 2005, and one bid was received. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, Md., is the contracting activity (HM1576-06-C-0007).

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Charlotte, N.C., was awarded on Jul. 2, 2008, a $15,678,590 fixed-price incentive fee contract for full production of the Joint Service Lightweight Standoff Chemical Agent Detector increment one systems and spares. Work will be performed in Charlotte, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on May 24, 2007. U.S.
ARMY Research and Development Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W911SR-08-D-0022).

ECI Construction, LLC, Dillsburg, Pa., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $5,636,800 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of a physical fitness facility. Work will be performed at the Defense Distribution Depot, New Cumberland, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Twenty-six bids were solicited on Apr. 29, 2008, and seven bids were received. U.S.
ARMY Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-08-C-0034).

NAVY

CSC Applied Technologies, LLC,
Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $12,774,553 modification to previously awarded contract (N66604-05-C-1277) for reimbursable food services and material purchases to support increased operations at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). AUTEC is a major range and test facility base providing both deep and shallow water test and training environments. Efforts for this modification support increased test range operations with the procurement of equipment, food services, consumables and other items needed to support this effort. This modification is a retroactive equitable adjustment to the contract. Work was performed at Andros Island, The Bahamas (81 percent); West Palm Beach, Fla., (18 percent); and Cape Canaveral, Fla., (1 percent), and the work was completed in Mar. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity.

Compass Systems, Inc.*, Lexington Park, Md., is being awarded a $10,065,612 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide engineering aide for the design, manufacture and sustainment of avionic systems for the
NAVY Special Projects Program. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Md., and is expected to be completed in Jul. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-C-0319).

Earl Industries, Portsmouth, Va., is being awarded a $9,117,440 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4403) for FY08 CNO availability for maintenance, repair, and alterations of USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43). The modification increases the total contract value to $189,966,878. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Va., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2008. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

The
AIR FORCE is modifying a fixed price economic price adjustment contract not to exceed $17.4 million with Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, of Marietta, Ga. This contract modification is an Undefinitized Contract Action for CCP 553 for Readiness Spares Package for the C-5M Reliability Enhancements and Re-engining Program (RERP). At this time $8.7 million has been obligated. 716 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-07-C-6471, P00005).

Workshop Prepares Transitioning Troops for Civilian Careers

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - About 60 servicemembers gathered here today to begin five days of seminars and workshops to help them tap into experience and skills gained through the
military as they transition to civilian careers. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, some wrapping up their initial tour of duty, others retiring with more than 20 years of service, gathered for the post's monthly Transition Assistance Program workshop that some consider among the best in the military.

Operated as a partnership by the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Transportation and the Labor Department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, the Transition Assistance Program brings job-search help and related services to separating servicemembers.

The TAPS workshop is the highlight of the program, taking servicemembers away from their work sites for an intensive, five-day focus on the transition they are about to make.

Pamela Schulman, transition manager for the post's
Navy Fleet and Family Support Center, brought together an array of speakers this week to share insights about how to look for and land for a job, launch a small business and tap into veterans' benefits and services.

Schulman, a former sailor, understands firsthand the challenges of leaving the
military culture to become a civilian. "It can be a difficult mindset to change, whether they've been in the military for three years or for 30," she said. "When they leave the military, they're becoming a whole new person."

Schulman and the speakers she brings in to address the group teach servicemembers how to tap into the experience and other attributes they've gained through military service that make them particularly attractive job candidates.

"They have real-world experience, and they bring a level of maturity, along with good communications skills," said Robert Henry, a retired
Navy petty officer 1st class who spoke to the group about the Troops to Teachers Program.

"But beyond that, troops bring a sense of commitment to mission accomplishment," Henry said. "For them, failure is not an option. There's a kind of mentality they bring to the job that means they will do whatever they need to do to get something done and to do it right."

Kathy Lane, a placement coordinator for the Department of
Homeland Security, said servicemembers often underestimate the skills they've gained in the military that translate into sought-after civilian skills.

She gave the example of a foot soldier who knows how to analyze a situation, conduct a security analysis, come up with a solution to mitigate risks, then evaluate how that approach worked.

In addition, servicemembers often overlook the value of cultural backgrounds they've been exposed to and language skills they've picked up along the way as they present themselves to potential employers, Lane said. "You have to be sure your resume reflects all your skills," she told the group. "It's all about selling yourself, and this is the perfect opportunity."

Schulman urged the workshop participants to take advantage of opportunities to promote themselves and their skills to potential employers. It's something she conceded doesn't always come naturally to servicemembers, so she encouraged each to come up with what she calls a "30-second commercial."

"It's basically an 'elevator speech' so you can talk to anybody and everybody about what you are doing, what skills you have and what you are interested in doing," she said. "It's what you say when you are looking for a job -- how you 'sell' yourself."

Schulman said she is a huge advocate of networking, and encouraged the group to tap into their personal and professional contacts during their job search. "Networking is when you talk to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody else," she said. "It extends your reach through the people you know."

June Napier, a recruiter for Emerging Technologies, emphasized the importance of a professionally written, well-organized resume that shows increasing levels of responsibility and continued educational growth. When she sorts through piles of resumes to determine who will get an interview, Napier said, she looks for one basic thing: "I want to know without talking to you what made you irreplaceable [in your job]," she said.

While getting an interview is critical, employers at the workshop emphasized that job candidates have to arrive at the interview well prepared, dressed professionally and ready to talk about what they have to offer. "The interview is an opportunity for you to shine," Rich Goble, a retired
Navy master chief petty officer who's now a recruiter for L-3 Communications, told the group.

Later this week, participants in the TAP workshop will devote two and a half days to developing job-search techniques. An image consultant will teach them to "dress for success," and they'll also learn about other benefits provided for transitioning servicemembers.

Air Force Senior Airman John Kennedy said he's impressed with the wealth of information the workshop provides and hopes it helps him when he goes on terminal leave in November. "There's a lot here," he said. "You learn to write resumes, dress for the job, and find out what kind of benefits you're entitled to when you get out. It's a lot of information."

"This workshop is priceless," said
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rich Rice, who is preparing to leave the Navy in November after more than nine years of service. "It's all the questions you've been thinking of, all bundled up in one week."

"It's absolutely valuable," agreed Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Latosha Gibbs, a cryptologic technician at the National Security Agency here, who will leave the Navy in early October. "This tells you about all kinds of resources out there, and you get to hear it directly from the experts."

Marine Sgt. Ian Johnson, an intelligence noncommissioned officer at the National Security Agency, called the workshop a unique opportunity for him to focus on what's ahead for him after he leaves the military next month.

Johnson said he's changed dramatically during five years in the
Marine Corps, and knows he has attributes employers want.

"I'm steps and bounds ahead of where I'd have been if I'd just gone straight to college," he said. "I feel like I'm well-rounded and I have skills that make me pretty marketable out there. Employers look at you and figure you have discipline, counseling skills and organizational skills. I love that."