Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Foundation Sends Care Packages Overseas in Honor of Fallen Soldier

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - While deployed to Iraq, Jacob Fletcher wrote to his mother, Dorine Kenney, asking her to send one of his buddies a care package, as his friend hadn't received anything from home since he arrived overseas. The next week, Kenney sent the package out and, soon after, started sending care packages to a number of her son's comrades. Although her son was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Nov. 13, 2003, she continues to honor her son's request.

Today, with the help of numerous volunteers, Kenney sends comfort and support to troops overseas in his memory.

"Since our nonprofit started in January of 2004, we have stuck to our mission 100 percent," Kenney said. "The troops need our support, to know that America is thinking of them and behind them. Our active military and veterans are the backbone of our country."

Jacob's Light Foundation, a New York-based troop-support group, sends care packages and letters to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once a month, a group of volunteers gather at the Brentwood American Legion Hall in Bay Shore, N.Y., to pack the care packages.

This Christmas,
Army Spc. Tom Cleere, stationed in Kuwait, received one of Kenney's care packages. "It was so thoughtful of all of you to remember our soldiers this holiday season," he wrote to Kenney. "It is nice to know that wonderful folks like you are so kind and thoughtful and embody the spirit of the holiday."

Kenney's group packs and sends at least 250 boxes out each month. A Jacob's Light newsletter and a letter from Kenney, as well as a variety of food and hygiene items are included in each care package.

"Many of our troops are in forward operating bases and don't have access to the amenities as those in bigger camps," Kenney said. "They truly need the supplies, and it is our honor to do the work we do. There are many who don't have support from home or their families don't have the money to send supplies. We reach out to all our troops."

New USO President Wants to Deliver More Resources to Troops

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - The USO's new president and chief executive officer took time yesterday to speak about the future of the organization to a hangar full of servicemembers here. Sloan D. Gibson traveled here with
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to kick off a Holiday USO Tour featuring entertainers Kid Rock, Lewis Black and Kellie Pickler.

Gibson took over the position in September and, since then has spent a lot of time in Southwest Asia seeing what more the USO can do for servicemembers.

Before the USO, Gibson was a West Point graduate who served in the Army. After his service, he became a banker. He retired from that career when the USO contacted him about the position.

"I was flattered to even be considered," he said. "These are the best people in the world to work with, in a cause that's so easy to be proud of."

Even before taking the job, Gibson traveled to Southwest Asia to visit all of the USO centers and to meet with servicemembers and commanders. "I wanted to get a feel for what people need," he said.

He also worked as a volunteer at the USO center in
Atlanta.

"I tell you, after working there, if there had been any doubts about pursuing this opportunity, they would have been erased by my experiences down there," he said. Atlanta is a hub for leave travel by Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The work of helping servicemembers is at the core of every mission the USO performs, and the organization performs that mission day in and day out, Gibson said. The latest addition to the organization is the USO Warrior Center, which opened in October at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Mullen, Gibson and the entertainers visited the facility and met with the servicemembers using it.

"It's a place that allows people well enough to get up and around, but not well enough to go back to their units, to use a telephone, to get out of the barracks, to play a video game or watch a movie," the USO chief said. "It's a touch of home."

The USO's mission of aiding servicemembers dates back to 1941, when Congress chartered the USO to focus civilian goodwill for American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. At the time, America was gearing up for war. The United States had instituted a peacetime draft and called up thousands of National Guardsmen. Service organizations were tripping over each other and duplicating efforts. The USO -- United Service Organizations -- was the answer.

Thanks to Bob Hope and countless other entertainers over the years, when people think of the USO, they think of entertainment. The hangar packed with people here attested to the importance of that part of the mission. "But it's only a small part of what we do every day all over the world," Gibson said.

Worldwide, 135 USO centers –operate with almost 500 employees and more than 40,000 volunteers.

"The organization itself is proof to servicemembers that America has not forgotten about them," Gibson said. "The American people care for them and will do everything they can to make their lives and the lives of their families better."

In the future, Gibson said he wants to push the USO out to more remote areas, and the organization is investing money into speeding up Internet connections.

"We want to reach everyone who needs us," Gibson said.

Defense Department Welcomes U.N. Resolution Aimed at Pirates

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - A resolution passed yesterday by the United Nations Security Council authorizes foreign forces to pursue pirates inside Somalia. In a unanimous vote, the 15-nation U.N. Security Council approved the U.S.-sponsored resolution. The language authorizes nations to use "all necessary measures" to stop anyone using Somali land or sea to plan or carry out piracy.

"We welcome the passing of the resolution," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. "We will continue to work with our allies and partners to address this troublesome problem."

Whitman said the Defense Department is committed to safe and secure international waterways, adding that shipping companies should take practical and prudent measures to protect their vessel.

This emphasis on the need for commercial shippers to take more responsibility echoes comments Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made last week in Manama, Bahrain. He suggested owners train boat captains on maneuvers for evading or defending against pirate attacks.

"We've seen news reports the other day of a cruise ship that actually -- once it realized it was under attack -- simply outran the pirates. The truth of the matter is most ships can do that," he said. "But too many just stop.

"But at the end of the day, [piracy] has become a very good business," he added. "The first thing we need is better intelligence on who's behind it."

Gates said some intelligence suggested that several Somali-based clans might be responsible for a substantial amount of piracy.

"If we can identify who those clans are, then we can potentially target them under the auspices of the U.N., and do so in a way that minimizes the collateral damage, that minimizes hurting innocent people in Somalia," he said.

Gates said that given the current level of intelligence, the United States is not ready to carry out such land-based attacks on pirates who are mingling with civilian populations.

"But I think at some point, if we are able to develop adequate intelligence, then there is an opportunity to that," he said.

"I think it's actually a combination of the measures that are taken on the water, and then, under the auspices of the U.N., seeing if we can develop the kind of information that would make possible going after some of these groups in Somalia that would seem to be the source of most of these attacks," the secretary continued.

Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, expressed a similar concern about the risk of civilian casualties in pursuing pirates on land.

"If you are going to do kinetic strikes into the pirate camps, the positive ID and the collateral damage cannot be overestimated. It's very difficult," he told reporters in Manama last week. "They are irregulars; they don't wear uniforms."

Following the U.N. Security Council meeting in
New York City yesterday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the talks included discussion of intelligence sharing, the need for commercial shipping to deter hostage situations and the importance of stabilizing Somalia.

She added that the United States is going to lead a Contact Group on Piracy on the Somali Coast.

"But ultimately, all members spoke to the need to deal with the root cause of the problem, which is the instability in Somalia," she said. "There is great support, as the United States supports the Djibouti process and the hopes for peace as Somali factions begin to try and chart a course ahead."

Closer Collaboration Will Ensure Disaster Preparedness, General Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - The commander of U.S. Northern Command yesterday urged closer collaboration between local and state agencies and groups that would be the first to respond to a disaster and the federal entities that stand ready to step in and assist when needed.
Air Force Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart, who also commands the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, told the Ready Communities Partnership's 2008 symposium on community resiliency he's impressed by the huge strides in disaster preparedness at the local, regional and state levels.

"The more a community is involved in planning for crises, ... the less demand there is for federal support, be that
military or federal agencies," he told the group, a cross-section of city leaders, former governors and representatives of industry and private-sector groups.

Ninety-seven percent of the events Northcom and NORAD monitor each day are handled at the local or state level and don't need a federal response, Renuart said.

"But we also have to be prepared," he said, "because there will be a time when the size of the event is so big [and] happens so quickly that you have to have an integrated team of local and state and federal responders, both from the
military and from our civilian first responders."

So as local and state planners plan for the "what ifs," and practice their responses to an attack or natural disaster, Northcom, NORAD and other federal organizations are ensuring they are prepared, too. "Our role is to ensure that when it is time to act, we are prepared," Renuart said.

The general emphasized that the federal government has no interest in overstepping its bounds or legal authorities. Rather, he said, Northcom and NORAD want to work as partners with local and state entities and to back them up when needed.

"Everything we do in our command is a matter of teaming with others," he told the group. "We don't command or control any of our partners."

Both NORAD and Northcom were born in the face of crises – NORAD in the Cold War, and Northcom after the 9/11 terror attacks, Renuart noted. Through their aerospace warning and defense, maritime warning and homeland defense missions, these commands are dedicated to preventing an attack on the U.S. homeland, he said.

"In today's world, with today's threats, we cannot afford not to pay attention," he said.

These efforts, and partnerships formed among local, state, federal and nongovernmental entities, have paid big security dividends, he said.

"The measure of success is that it is quiet, at least for now," Renuart said. "We can't let our guard down, but it certainly is quiet today."

Operational Focus Critical to Missile Defense Tests, General Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - Anticipated budget constraints and the growing threat posed by rogue nations make it more important than ever that future U.S. missile defense tests be operationally focused, the commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command said today.
Air Force Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart Jr. credited a team approach between operational users and operational testers as United States advances its missile defense capabilities.

Speaking to the National Defense Industrial Association's Missile Defense Division, he cited the successful model demonstrated during the past three missile defense tests. All included operational crews at Vandenberg
Air Force Base, Calif., and the chain of command exercised the decision cycle it would use to engage a real target.

Northcom and NORAD work closely with the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Strategic Command to make testing more complex, robust and aligned with operational requirements, he said.

"We have brought the test process a long way to incorporate the needs of the operational user while at the same time develop test programs to allow test objectives to be met," he said.

Conceding that the Defense Department is likely to face budget cuts during the next administration, Renuart said it's not yet clear what programs will be affected, or how significantly. But he emphasized the continued U.S. commitment to missile defense, citing the growing threat posed by nations such as Iran that are working to develop capabilities that could strike U.S. partners or territory.

Although questioning the legitimacy of Iran's recent announcement that it had successfully tested a mid-range missile, Renuart said such an achievement, if true, "would signify a significant development" in Tehran's missile program. This, he said, could have an impact on the United States and its European allies.

"Other people are rapidly approaching the capability to threaten our homeland, and we need to be in a position to have the choice to defend ourselves," Renuart said. "We need to make sure we support and advocate for a capability that would give us reasonable assurance that the homeland is defended."

The United States also has committed to join with Europe and NATO to provide a missile defense capability to defend Europe, he said.

As the Northcom and NORAD commander, Renuart said, he must be able to tell his
leadership, "If it gets shot at us, no matter what kind of capability it has, we have the ability to defend against it."

Renuart reminded the participants that missile defense – a critical component of homeland defense – occurs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Missile crews at Fort Greeley, Alaska, for example, brave minus-57-degree temperatures as they stand alert, ready to respond in the event of a rouge attack on the United States.

"That happens every day," Renuart said. "It doesn't make a lot of news, ... [but] we are always alert and vigilant to the homeland defense mission."

Service Academy Gender Relations Survey Released

The Department of Defense (DoD) released results of the Academic Program
Year 2007-2008 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey today.

The department conducts this congressionally-mandated study every two years at the U.S.
Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The Military service academies (MSA) also provide Congress with assessments of their programs to combat sexual harassment and violence.

The majority of academy students indicated
leadership at every level was making honest and reasonable attempts to stop sexual assault and sexual harassment. Most cadets and midshipmen also indicated sexual assault has become less of a problem since they enrolled in their academy.

We are committed to preventing sexual assault. We know sexual assault is an underreported
crime, and we must foster a climate of confidence at the academies wherein victims no longer avoid reporting these crimes," said David S. C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

"It is essential for the department to emphasize and institutionalize programs addressing sexual harassment and violence. We want the academies to ignite a culture transformation that spreads throughout the entire department," said Chu.

Survey results reveal the number of restricted and unrestricted reports made to authorities at the MSAs has decreased overall; the department estimates 90 percent of sexual assaults are going unreported at the academies. Some of the common reasons cited by the students for not reporting the incidents included dealing with the incident themselves, experiencing shame and embarrassment over the situation, and feeling uncomfortable making a report.

The survey also found nearly all academy students received awareness and prevention training addressing sexual harassment and violence. Over 90 percent of students indicated the training had at least some effect in reducing or eliminating sexual assaults at the MSAs.

The department anonymously surveyed all female students and a statistically
representative random sample of male students at the academies. Although completing the survey is strictly voluntary, 74 percent participated.

The complete report is available at http://www.sapr.mil . For specific information contact the individual
Military services at (703) 697-2564 for Army, (703) 695-0640 for Air Force, and (703) 697-5342 for Navy.

The Venue's Not Fancy, But the Audience is Appreciative

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - This year's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USO Holiday Tour has played at an aircraft hangar in Germany, in a maintenance facility and in an in-processing facility here in Afghanistan. The tour's stars -- Kid Rock, Kellie Pickler, Lewis Black, Tichina Arnold, Zac Brown, Kathleen Madigan and John Bowman -- have played far more prestigious venues, but probably none as appreciative. And their usual audiences generally don't get this warning:

"In case of a rocket attack, let's do what we always do – hit the ground and count to 100,"
Army Brig. Gen. John Nicholson, deputy commanding general for stability at Regional Command South, told the audience here. "If it continues, the performers will leave, and you will leave to take shelter. But when the all-clear sounds, they will come back and you will come back, and they'll pick up where they left off."

The performers rocked at every show. U.S. troopsand their allies got world-class entertainment under challenging conditions. Joint Chiefs Chairman
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said the performers are national treasures who came for the purpose of saying thanks to the servicemembers, and giving them a little touch of America.

Kid Rock worked his appreciation for the servicemembers into his "If I Were President" blues song. He told them, "As long as you are out here, you can count on me to keep coming back."

In the middle of Kathleen Madigan's performance in Kandahar, the all-clear siren sounded. She wasn't sure what the siren meant, but she kept right on with her bit, incorporating it seamlessly into her comedy.

The comedians kept the audiences roaring, and servicemembers sang along with Kid Rock's, Kellie Pickler's and Zac Brown's songs.

"It was freaking awesome," said
Army Spec. John Barnett, who saw the show at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Paktika Province. "Not too many people come out here – it really is the middle of nowhere -- so we all really appreciate it."

"These guys could be having fun back with their families – it is the holiday season," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Annette Gant, who caught the show here. "Instead, they are with us. We can't thank them enough."

Mullen told servicemembers at every stop that he appreciates their sacrifices and those of their families.

"Thank you for volunteering at a very crucial time in our nation's history," he said. "Thank you for all you do for our country and for the people of Afghanistan."

In an interview later, Mullen said the universal comment from servicemembers when he meets them is an expression of thanks for bringing the entertainers to perform for them.

"It's something that they will remember for life, and I hope that as the years go by they remember and do something for USO," he said.

Defense Officials Address Sexual Assault Reporting Issues

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - Three years of data and study have helped Defense Department officials determine that unreported occurrences -- not frequency of assaults -- is the main issue concerning sexual assaults within the three U.S. service academies, the deputy director of the department's
sexual assault prevention and response program said. "There's a gap between the number of incidences ... being reported to us anonymously on survey and the actual number of cadets coming forward and reporting those incidences to the authorities at the academies," Air Force Lt. Col. Nathan Galbreath said. "And that gap is what we're most concerned about."

Across the campuses of the three service academies -- the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.; the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the
Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. -- only about 10 percent of sexual assault and harassment incidences were reported last year, according to the Defense Department's Academic Program Year 2007-2008 Service Academy Gender Relation Survey released today.

Through anonymous surveys at each academy, Defense Department officials found that 9 percent of women and 1 percent of men experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact last year. The statistics are based off responses from all women cadets and midshipmen and one-third of the men, for a total of 74 percent of the student bodies.

Of the more than 300 incidences, only 34 were reported, which is down from 40 in 2006 and 42 in 2005. Of the 34, 18 were unrestricted reports, and 16 were restricted, a reporting option that allows the victim to receive care without launching a formal investigation.

"We think that reporting that crime is really the first step in restoring cadet resilience, not only as a future leader in the military, but also as an individual to help them cope with the stresses of military life," Galbreath said.

Coming forward gives victims access to "top-notch care" provided at the academies, with counseling and support through the military
justice system, if that's what's required, Galbreath said.

"We have some of the best care possible in the world just waiting for them," he added. "We can deliver that care confidentially if they like, so [victims] should not be scared in coming forward ... so they can get back on their feet again and get out and become a real effective war fighter."

Still, getting victims to come forward is a hurdle. The perceived stigma of being a
sexual assault victim is one of the bigger reasons so few incidences are reported, Galbreath said.

"They don't want to be the person that causes disruption in the unit," he explained. "And that's a really hard place for a
sexual assault victim to be in, but we want them to know they should not be ashamed to come forward and get assistance."

Along with making care available, each academy has been successful in establishing prevention programs, Galbreath said. Almost every student has received some form of awareness and prevention training; 90 percent said the training has made their environments safer and
sexual assault less of a problem, he noted.

Galbreath said he's encouraged by the prevention program and the survey's findings. Over the next year, prevention program officials hope to develop new training initiatives and eventually have the service academies apply the changes into their curriculums, he said.

Influencing victims to come forward -- getting the reported numbers to closer reflect the anonymous surveys -- is a long-term initiative, he said, and it may take as long as six to 10 years.

Army Expands Military Funeral Honors for Soldiers

By Sara Moore
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2008 - Starting early next year, the
Army will allow full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for all soldiers killed in action. Full military honors include a caisson, band, colors team and an escort platoon in addition to the standard honors of a firing party, bugler and chaplain. In the past, the caisson was available only for officers killed in action because of limited availability, Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman, said.

The cemetery has two caissons, or horse-drawn vehicles, which now will be available for officers and enlisted soldiers killed in action on a first-come, first-served basis, Boyce said. The limited availability may delay the funerals, he said, so families of deceased soldiers may decide to go forward with the funeral earlier without a caisson.

In response to requests from families of deceased servicemembers, soldiers and veterans,
Army officials have been looking at changing the policy for military honors at Arlington since April, Boyce said. Having the change in place now means the policy will take effect early next year.

"This brings a much more common standard to anyone who is killed in action or the family of anyone killed in action who want to use Arlington National Cemetery," he said.

The policy change affects only funerals at Arlington, Boyce said, because Arlington is the only military cemetery controlled by the Department of the
Army and has unique assets. It also only applies to soldiers killed as a result of:

-- Any action against an enemy of the United States;

-- Any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which U.S. armed forces are or have been engaged;

-- Serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party;

-- An act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces;

-- An act of any hostile foreign force;

-- An international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the secretary of the
Army;

-- An act of any hostile foreign force during
military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force; or

-- Action by friendly fire, defined as weapon fire while directly engaged in armed conflict, other than as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States, unless the soldier's death was the result of the soldier's willful misconduct.

"Arlington National Cemetery is an expression of our nation's reverence for those who served her in uniform, many making the ultimate sacrifice,"
Army Secretary Pete Geren said in an Army news release. "Arlington and those honored there are part of our national heritage. This new policy provides a common standard for honoring all soldiers killed in action."

More than 300,000 people, including veterans from all the nation's wars, are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery conducts about 6,400 burials each year.

The new policy applies only to soldiers, though officials are awaiting word from the other services on whether they wish to adopt a similar policy.

MILITARY CONTRACTS December 17, 2008

NAVY

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Waco,
Texas, is being awarded ceiling priced $136,132,615 modification to a previously awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the P-3C Sustainment, Modification and Installation Program (SMIP). Work will be performed in Waco, Texas and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. 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 (N00019-05-D-0008).

General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $39,703,986 cost plus fixed fee modification to the previously awarded contract for the execution of the USS NORTH CAROLINA (SSN 777) Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). The work will be performed in Groton, Conn. (99 precent) and Quonset Point, R.I., (1 precent), and is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Conn., is the contracting activity (N00024-96-C-2100).

Lockheed Martin-MS2, Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $15,136,441 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee option under an existing contract (N00024-08-C-6282) for the production and support of Multi Function Towed Arrays (MFTAs) for the AN/SQQ-89A (V) 15 Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Combat Systems. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., (60 precent), Baltimore, Md., (20 precent),
Cleveland, Ohio (14 precent), and Phoenix, Ariz., (6 precent) and is expected to be complete by Dec. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

CACI International, Fairborn, Ohio is being awarded a $11,170,249 cost plus fixed fee contract for non-personal professional engineering, technical and management support services in the areas of engineering and technical support services, scientific/engineering analysis and studies, test and evaluation, technical data support, field engineering, integrated logistics support, configuration management, management support services, and data management support. These services are in support of Airborne Electro-Optic Systems Branch (Air EO) of Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Work will be performed in Crane, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2009. This contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount $4,717,216 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity for contract N0016409-D-JQ56.

Dynamic Flowform Corporation, Billerica, Mass., is being awarded a 11,158,250 firm fixed price contract for Launch Tubes in accordance with drawing 6658881 Revision C and all associated drawings. Work will be performed in Billerica, Mass., and is expected to be completed Aug. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport, Wash., is the contracting activity (N00253-09-C-0003).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP, of
Santa Clara, CA is being awarded a $9,900,000 firm fixed priced, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the purchase of Marine Corps Transparent Armor Gun System Kits for multiple vehicular platforms to provide crew protection from blast, fragmentation, and small arms fire while in the turret. Work will be performed in Santa Clara, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Dec. of 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity and the contract number is M67854-09-D-5026.

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded an $8,902,982 firm fixed priced, delivery order #0009 under a previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for the procurement of Category I (CAT I)Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) vehicles with Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) upgrades for Enhanced Maneuverability and associated Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. This order will also be used to support the procurement of the required initial spare parts support packages for the CAT I Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles which provide protection of U.S.
Military personnel supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Work will be performed in West Point, Miss., and work is expected to be completed by the end of May 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,827,873 cost plus fixed fee modification to the previously awarded contract N00024-96-C-2100 to incorporate ship alterations to the USS NORTH CAROLINA (SSN 777) during the post-shakedown availability. The work will be performed in Groton, Conn., (99 precent) and Quonset Point, R.I. (1 precent), and is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Conn., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

The
Air Force is modifying a fixed price incentive contract to Boeing Satellite Systems, Incorporated, El Segundo, Calif. for $233,862,871. This contract action will exercise the option for the Wideband Global Satellite Communication Satellite 6 production. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/MCSW, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. is the contracting activity (FA8808-06-C-0001, Modification P00036).

The
Air Force is awarding a cost plus incentive fee, cost reimbursement contract to General Dynamics C4 Systems, Needham, Mass. for $49,990,054. This contract action will provide for System Development and Demonstration of Remote Rekey System. At this point, $7,547,500 has been obligated. CPSG/PK, San Antonio, Texas is the contracting activity (FA8307-08-C-0013).

The
Air Force is awarding afirm fixed price, labor hour and cost reimbursement contract to BAE Systems, Calif., Md., for 14,100,000. This action will integrate Non-Development Item radios into existing High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. At this time $5,700,000 has been obligated. 653 ESC/PK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8726-09-C-0003).

ARMY

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Inc Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., was awarded on Dec. 16, 2008 a, $50,000,000 cost plus fixed price contract. This modification is to add $50,000,000 in future option material dollars to the W56HZV-07-C-0256 contract. Work will be performed in York, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2013. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0256).

Summa
Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded on Dec18, 2008, a $14,700,203 five year firm fixed price contract for a Container Roll In/Out Platform. The estimated Five Year total quantity was 3,270. This is delivery order 0015 for a total quantity of 1,631 units. Work to be determined with each task order with an estimated completion date of Jun. 30, 2012. Bids solicited were via www and six bids were received. U.S. Army Tacoma, Warren. Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-D-0269).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Carroll Independent Fuel Co., Baltimore, Md.*, is being awarded a maximum $30,263,705 fixed price with economic price adjustment for diesel fuel. Other locations of performance are Va., Md., Ind., Ky., District of Columbia and Ohio. Using services are
Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Federal Civilian Agencies. The original proposals were Web solicited with 22 responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jul. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4002).