Thanksgiving Day Message 2008

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 24, 2008 - In his 2008 Thanksgiving Day message released today, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted the wartime similarities between today and the proclamation of the national holiday 140 years ago. Here is the text of Mullen's message:

Citing the many blessings bestowed upon the United States, these timeless words were delivered by Abraham Lincoln in his 1863 proclamation establishing Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday:

"It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise ..."

It is humbling indeed to recall that in the thick of the Civil War – rife with conflict, dark with turmoil, and bloody with loss – American families at home and abroad were encouraged to reflect upon the bounty, opportunities, and liberties of their Nation. And give thanks they did.

This year, as we once again set apart and observe a day of thanks, nearly 280,000 service men and women are currently deployed across the globe, fighting our Nation's wars and defending our way of life. Let us remember those who are serving abroad and unable to celebrate with their loved ones.

Let us also honor their families, especially those of the fallen, who endure yet another gathering with an empty chair at the table, and one less hand to hold. We should present our thanks to them – and for them – with words, deeds, and open arms.

On behalf of my family, and those of the Joint Chiefs, I offer my heartfelt gratitude to you and your families for your service and sacrifice. Together, you help us rise above the challenges of our day, and make thanksgiving and praise possible once more for the whole American people.

MILITARY CONTRACTS November 5, 2008

U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

American Auto Logistics, LP of Park Ridge, NJ 07656-1878, is being awarded a $192,080,529.00 firm fixed price modification for an earned award term under a previously awarded contract (DAMT01-03-D-0184) to provide continuing services for the transportation and storage of privately owned vehicles. Work will be performed at worldwide locations and is expected to be completed Oct 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott AFB, IL 62225.

NAVY

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded a $31,682,880firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0005 under contract M67854-07-D-5025 for field service representatives and instructors to support Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by the January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded an $8,738,992firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0004 under contract M67854-07-D-5025 for field service representatives to support Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by the January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded $7,385,000 for firm-fixed-price task order #0009 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62742-04-D-1302) for the wharf repairs at Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This project includes repairs and preservation to the pier superstructure, fender system, concrete supporting piles and concrete decking. The project also includes replacement of all mooring hardware and repair of all mechanical, electrical, and communications systems. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by February, 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $7,385,000 will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

Precon Marine, Inc.*, Chesapeake, Va., is being awarded a $6,796,845 firm-fixed-price contract for bulkhead repairs at Naval Station, Norfolk, Va. The work to be performed provides for bulkhead repairs, and includes provision of sheet pile in front of the existing bulkhead with concrete in–fill, provision of a jet-grouted soil curtain wall behind the existing bulkhead, provision of additional fill material with a geo-textile grout matt overlay for sheet pile toe stabilization; seawall repairs, tie rod repairs, repair of existing fender system, and related work behind the existing bulkhead. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by November 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with nine bids received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-4202).

Army

BAE System Land & Armaments Inc., Minneapolis, M.N., was awarded on Nov. 3, 2008, a $17,177,205 firm/fee/contract. To procure the vehicle emergency egress windshield kit for the M1151 Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-purpose wheeled vehicle for a quantity of 4,702 kits. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, M.N., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0353).

King Fisher Marine Service LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov 3, 2008, a $13,906,620 firm/fix /fee contract. The work consists of dredging approximately
2,000,000 cubic yards of new material dredging with a deep draft pipeline dredge. Work will be performed in Galveston County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. Bids were solicited via the Web and three bids were received. USA Engineer District, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-09-C-0002).

Air Force

Science Applications International Corp., Technology Services Co., of San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for $16,000,000. This action will provide research and development under BAA entitled "Electro Magnetic Effects Research and Development." This effort is to search for new opportunities in all aspects of high power EM lethality, as well as to develop new solutions and enhance present capabilities. Missions such as survivability of DoD assets to high power microwave (HPM) environments, the development of HPM weapons and the refinement of HPM-predictive modeling for inclusion into engagement and campaign-level models will be supported. The intent is for the contractor to make optimum use of available AFRL/RDH capital assets and to augment or complement AFRL/RDH capabilities. At this time no funds have been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory/RDKP, Det 8 Directorate of Contracting, Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9451-06-D-0222, P00009).

Cobham Defense/Continental Microwave Division of Exeter, N.H., is being awarded a requirements contract for $13,875,000. This action will provide for repair of the antenna assembly array board and network pieces in support of the F-16 Aircraft. At this time no funds have been obligated. 448 SCMG/PKAB, Commodities/Aircraft Branch, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8251-09-D-0001)

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 13, 2008

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is modifying a firm fixed price contract with Lockheed Martin Co., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Marietta Ga., not to exceed $470,000,000. This contract modification is an undefinitized contract action for the procurement of six fiscal 2009 HC/MC-130J aircraft and associated long lead material and non-recurring aircraft production effort using fiscal 2008 advance procurement funding. At this time $75,000,000 has been obligated. USAF/AFMC, Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC), 657 AESS/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456 P00037).

The Air Force is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with McDonnell Douglas Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., of Long Beach, Calif., for $16,300,000. This action will provide Wing Pylon and Fairing, CCP 0586. At this time $8,000,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00185).

Booz Allen and Hamilton, Inc. of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite-delivery, requirements contract for an estimated $10,562,764. This action will provide lethality and survivability analysis for Terminal Effects Division, Army Research Laboratory. At this time $241,546 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (sP0700-03-D-1380, DO: 0255).

The Air Force is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with General Dynamics C4 Systems of Scottsdale, Ariz., for $9,231,217. This action will exercise option 1, system demonstration, of the Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C) Aerospace Vehicle Equipment Increment 1 (AVE I1) contract, FA8307-06-C-0010. Option 1 will continue with the development, qualification, and certification of a National Security Agency approved Type 1 space certified Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) Communication Security (COMSEC) solution. HQ CPSG/PK, Directorate of Contracting, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8307-06-C-0010 P00011).

NAVY

American Competitiveness Institute, Philadelphia, Pa., is being awarded a $99,999,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Benchmarking and Best Practices Center of Excellence. The purpose of this effort is to identify, validate, benchmark, and facilitate the dissemination (sharing) of best-in-class practices, processes, methodologies, systems, and pre-competitiveness technologies. In doing so, enhance and promote communications, corporation, integration, and interdependency across the defense industry that will result in improvements in affordability and performance of defense platforms and weapon systems. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., and work is expected to be completed June 2013. Contract funds will not expire at end of current fiscal year: This contract was competitively procured under solicitation N00014-08-R-0001. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00014-08-D-0758).

General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $29,728,013 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-2100) for consolidated planning yard, engineering and technical support for nuclear submarines. The contract modification provides design and installation services required to support planning and execution for installation of design/configuration changes for submarines and designated support activities. The contractor will also provide material aspects of submarine design/configuration change programs to support execution of submarine major alterations. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., (73 percent), Quonset, R.I., (12 percent), Kings Bay, Ga., (7 percent), Newport, R.I., (5 percent), and Bangor, Wash., (3 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2008. Contract funds $29,728,013 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Marsh Creek, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, an Alaskan Native Corp., is being awarded a $28,925,233 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research support operations and maintenance services of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Research Station Gakona, Alaska. The mission of the program is to conduct ionospheric research of a radio science nature in support of both Department of Defense and civilian communication, surveillance and navigations applications. This contract is a follow on effort to contract N00014-02-C-0463 operations and maintenance services of the HAARP Research Station, Gakona, Alaska, competitively awarded to BAE Systems Advanced Technologies. Work will be performed in Gakona, Alaska., and work is expected to be completed June 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $100,000 will expire at end of current fiscal year. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00014-08-C-0395).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $17,594,388 modification to the previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014). This modification provides for incorporation of engineering change Proposal 6251 and 6251R1 to convert 18 Lot 32 F/A-18F aircraft to EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., (70 percent), El Segundo, Calif., (29 percent), and Mesa, Ariz., (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2010. 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.

Progeny Systems Corp., Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $14,320,297 cost plus fixed fee firm fixed price contract for design agent/engineering services and supplemental hardware kits to support the Navy's AN/UYQ-100 Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW-DSS). The AN/UYQ-100 USW-DSS provides an integrated near real-time Net-Centric Undersea Warfare (USW) Command and Control capability across multiple platforms. USW-DSS leverages existing communication links, networks, contact pictures and multi-platform sensor data providing an integrated capability to plan, conduct and coordinate USW operations. Options for design agent support are through fiscal 2012. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $66,615,225. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., (86.2 percent) and Charleroi, Pa., (13.8 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded as a Phase III SBIR effort. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-5206).

Rolls Royce, Bristol, England, is being awarded a $13,125,121 ceiling priced order under an existing basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-08-G-003M-5040) for procurement of turbine blades, HP ST2 used in support of the F-402 engine. Work will be performed in Bristol, England, and work is expected to be completed by December 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded competitively. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors, Riviera Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $10,806,178 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-6327) for one (1) AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Minehunting Vehicle Low Rate Initial Production System. The Remote Minehunting System is a high endurance, offboard, low-observable system that will be operated and maintained from surface ships. The system will use the AN/AQS-20A minehunting sensors for detection, classification, and localization of mine-like objects and mine identification. It is capable of over-the-horizon operations. The offboard vehicle has self-contained control, propulsion, power, and navigation features. It is capable of real-time communications of mine reconnaissance sensor data as well as automatic search and recording modes. Work will be performed in Riviera Beach, Fla., and is expected to be completed by January 2010. 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.

C&G Boat Works, Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded an $8,370,633 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2236) to exercise an option for the design and construction of one YP training craft for the U.S. Naval Academy. The YP training craft is used to train Navy midshipmen at the academy. Work will be performed in Mobile, Ala., and is expected to be completed by July 2010. 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.

AMSEC LLC, Virginia Beach, Va., is being awarded a $7,682,783 modification (#P00025) to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00189-02-D-0037) for extension of engineering, technical, and maintenance support services for U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and battle group support vessels as required by Commander, Naval Air Forces. Work will be performed in CONUS, and work is expected to be completed by January 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

ARMY

M.A. Mortenson Co., Minneapolis, Minn., was awarded on June 12, 2008, a $72,125,000 firm-fixed price contract for a design/build project at Fort Lewis, Wash., including two Special Operations Forces complexes. Work will be performed at Fort Lewis, Wash, 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 January 11, 2008, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District, Seattle, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-07-D-0053).

AM General LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded on June 11, 2008, a $25,741,548.80 firm-fixed contract for reliability enhanced vehicle engineering change engineering change proposals on high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on March 17, 2006 and one bid was received. Tank-automotive and Armaments Command is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001).

Plata/Mota Joint Venture, Chicago, Ill., was awarded on June 12, 2008, a $23,044,561 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of the Armed Forces Reserve Center, Organizational Maintenance Shop and unheated storage building in Lake County, Ill. Work will be performed in Lake County, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 19, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 12, 2008 and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0022).

PCL Construction Service, Inc., Denver, Colo., was awarded on June 12, 2008, a $20,862,500 firm-fixed price contract for the Air and Space Integration Facility at Schriever Air Force Base. Work will be performed in Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo., and is expected to be completed by April 7, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 16, 2008 and five bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-08-C-0010).

West Coast Contractors of Nevada, Inc., Reno, Nev., was awarded on June 6, 2008, a $10,470,500 firm-fixed price contract for the repair of Air National Guard Hangar Building 9 in Reno, Nev. Work will be performed in Reno, Nev., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 10, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Dec. 5, 2007, and four bids were received. The National Guard Bureau Nevada, Carson City, Nev., is the contracting activity (W9124X-08-C-0001).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Chevron Global Aviation, Houston, Texas is being awarded a maximum $16,015,179.60 fixed price with economic price adjustment supplemental, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for aviation fuel. Other location of performance is in Utah. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 200 proposals solicited with 2 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2008. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0493).

EA Industries, Inc., San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico* is being awarded a maximum $13,359,573 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity, small business set aside contract for combat utility uniforms. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Marine Corps. The original proposal was Web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the second option year. Date of performance completion is June 18, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SP0100-06-D-0361).

America Supports You: Group Helps Kids, Grandparents Bond

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2008 - A new arm of an existing program is giving military children an opportunity to grow closer to their grandparents, who can help them through some of the trauma of having a parent in harm's way. "Research has proven that grandparents can play a powerful role in helping grandchildren cope with significant issues in life," said Cavin Harper, executive director of the Colorado-based Christian Grandparenting Network. "We've been doing 'GrandCamps' for nine years, but this will be the first year for our military GrandCamp program."

The Christian Grandparenting Network promotes effective grandparenting by challenging grandparents to take seriously their role of helping the younger generations navigate today's challenges and become effective leaders, Harper said.

GrandCamps for military families follow the same five-day camping format of the regular camps and offer the same benefits, Harper explained. Grandparents and their school-age grandchildren both have a chance to have some fun and tell their stories to a group who can relate and provide support. This promotes intergenerational dialogue resulting in a new level of understanding and communication, he said.

"For the military program, we are especially focused on providing opportunity for the kids who have a deployed parent [to be] able to express some of their feelings and fears in a safe context, knowing that there are others who share those same feelings and fears," Harper said. "The grandparents are given the opportunity to [talk] about their own concerns and fears, and we seek to provide them tools that will help them come alongside their grandchildren to deal with them in a positive and constructive manner."

In addition to all the "here-and-now" benefits reaped from the camp experience, Harper said, it also lets the kids know that their grandparents are another source of help for dealing with life issues.

For military families, the camps are provided free of charge through Christian Grandparenting Network's sponsors and supporters.

GrandCamps officials said they hope the program's new affiliation with the Defense Department's America Supports You program will help get the word out so as many military families as possible can benefit from the program.

America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"Our hope is that we will be able to expand this program for military families at installations all across America, and to eventually develop GrandCamps for more specific needs, such as children of fallen or wounded soldiers, and families facing the reintegration process after lengthy and multiple deployments," Harper said.

America Supports You: Group Builds Homes for Wounded Troops

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 2, 2008 - Building or remodeling homes to accommodate the needs of severely wounded warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is the way Kirt Rebello and everyone else involved with "Homes for Our Troops" have chosen to thank servicemembers for their sacrifice. "A wounded servicemember's life is forever changed," Rebello -- vice president and projects director for Homes for Our Troops – said during an interview on "ASY Live," a program on BlogTalkRadio.com that's part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.

America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"The typical house in America today is not readily accessible to someone who is left in a wheelchair or with a combination of injuries that makes mobility difficult," Rebello said. Homes for Our Troops provides assistance to families of severely injured servicemembers who need to remodel their homes to accommodate new challenges associated with their injuries.

"We widen doors, install roll-in showers [and otherwise provide] some of the things we really take for granted that are significant obstacles to someone who is severely injured," he explained. "Additionally, as technology progresses, we are finding a number of special adaptations that are available, like motion-sensored activation and voice activation."

The group was started in 2004, after the founder, John Gonsalves, saw a news special about a soldier who became a paraplegic after his convoy hit a roadside bomb. Gonsalves, who has spent more than 20 years in the construction industry, looked into starting the nonprofit group after he was unable to locate an organization that already worked to adapt homes for the wounded.

Using his knowledge of the construction industry, Gonsalves was able to get local builders to volunteer to assist by donating goods and services to the projects. "Nothing motivates people more than wanting to help a severely injured serviceperson," Rebello said.

The organization caters its services specifically to troops who are double amputees, paraplegic, quadriplegic, have severe post-traumatic stress disorder, or are severely burned.

"These individuals are generally immobilized to a point where [they] cannot get along on [their] own," Rebello said, "and all of our houses are specifically adapted to meet the needs of that particular veteran. The veterans we serve are the most severely injured, and the houses are provided at no cost to them."

In many cases, the group will build a new home, if necessary, instead of simply remodeling the existing one.

"One of the things that people don't always think about is that a lot of injured servicemen and women are young, with good-sized families," Rebello said. "We had a young serviceman who was a quadriplegic with his wife and their two kids living in one room of his parent's house. That's sometimes a challenge that goes unnoticed, and it's happening across the country."

Rebello said the family seemed to belie the hardships they were going through. "Despite everything, these were the most upbeat people I have ever met," he said. "We were able to get a house built for them and they were just unbelievably grateful."

Homes for Our Troops relies on the assistance of the community where the veteran lives or wants to live to help fund the projects, and for the most part, their efforts have been a great success.

"They are all donated materials and services," Rebello said. "We help mobilize the community to help build these houses. It's the local carpenters, plumbers, electricians, that really make the difference."

Rebello acknowledged that the rough housing market makes locating contractors and tradesmen who are willing to offer support an additional challenge.

"For every house that is built, there are hundreds of individuals involved," he said. "One of the key ingredients to our business is a contractor or large builder that is willing to coordinate all the activities that are occurring on the ground around our event."

The result, however, is a heartwarming example of how the nation's citizens band together to help an individual in need, Rebello said.

"The more we think about people with those needs, the more it makes sense to reach out and help them," he said.

(Jamie Findlater, host of "ASY Live," works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

Mullen Pays Tribute to Fallen at Manila Cemetery

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 2, 2008 - The chrysanthemum wreath the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff placed at the American Cemetery and Memorial was one generation of U.S. warriors saluting the past. The ribbon on the wreath read: "From the Men and Women of America's Armed Forces in Honor of the Heroes Resting Here."

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen represented all members of the U.S. armed forces when he placed the wreath at the chapel on the grounds of this immaculately maintained cemetery. The cemetery graphically demonstrates the extent of sacrifices the United States has made in defense of freedom.

Rows upon rows of crosses and Stars of David mark the 17,206 graves. The white marble is set against a backdrop of flowering trees and shrubs amid incredibly green grass.

Two chapel "hemispheres" contain the names of 36,282 servicemembers – including those of Philippine scouts who served with U.S. forces – lost in the fighting between 1941 and 1945 "who rest in unknown graves."

To Americans and Filipinos alike, this is sacred ground. The shared national sacrifices were mirrored in today's ceremony. Philippine officers met Mullen and his wife, Deborah, as they arrived at the cemetery. There was a joint American and Philippine color guard. A Philippine band played the national anthems, and a Philippine honor guard fired the rifle salute to the fallen. Finally, two Philippine buglers played a haunting version of "Echo Taps."

The cemetery is on the grounds of what once was Fort William McKinley. It contains the remains of American servicemembers killed in fighting in the Southwest Pacific. This represents just 40 percent of those killed in action in the theater.

"In all of our travels, my wife and I try to visit as many of the 24 cemeteries we have overseas -- they are such special places of honor and memory -- just to pay our respects to each of the Americans buried here," the admiral said.

The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains the cemetery and memorial, "and they do an outstanding job," the chairman noted. Mullen urged all American servicemembers to visit the cemeteries and pay their respects to those who served before.

The cemetery attracts American visitors, and American servicemembers have held commemoration activities there. The crew of the USS Blue Ridge, for example, joined hundreds of Americans and Filipinos on Memorial Day to place the American and Philippine flags on each grave.

The cemetery was on the outskirts of Manila when it was dedicated in 1960. But today, skyscrapers are beginning to surround the 152-acre site. During World War Two, this site was a killing ground. Today it is a quiet place that encourages reflection.

America Supports You: Military Kids Create Flurry of New Memories

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 2, 2008 - For the past two years, one troop-support organization has made sure children of fallen servicemembers have an avalanche of fun. "Snowball Express" began in December 2006 with the mission of providing hope and new memories to military children who have lost a parent since 9/11.

"The belief is these children should never be forgotten by a grateful nation," said Roy White, the group's chairman of the board and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. "Snowball Express accomplishes its mission by providing an all-expense paid, multi-day fun experience for eligible children [18 and younger] who are joined by the surviving parent [or] legal guardian."

Since its beginning, the Snowball Express event has been held in Orange County, Calif. This year will be no different, White said.

"This year, new and returning families will be treated to a new experience with a trip to Universal Studios and 'A Day in the Life of California,' being planned by the employees of Oakley and many other corporate partners," he said. "A return trip to Disneyland completes this unique experience, along with a few special surprises along the way for these children who pay the price of freedom for all Americans every day."

Beyond the fun, however, there is a serious purpose to the event, and that is the relationships that are forged among not only the adults who discover they're not alone, but also the children.

"The greatest benefits are the children being with other children who understand their emotions and thoughts," White said. "It's these new relationships that build hope for the future and create new memories and a network for these children."

More than 1,000 volunteers from across the country are helping to make this endeavor possible. Not included among these volunteers are the people who make donations to make the five-day event possible.

"We know Americans want to help these children, and Snowball Express has become a conduit for all Americans to help by donating frequent flyer miles, organizing local events for the families and providing financial contributions to his main event in December," said Jim Palmersheim, a Snowball Express board member and an American Airlines captain. "I'm proud that my fellow American Airline pilots and flight attendants worked for free to bring these children to Snowball Express last year, and we are honored to do it again this year."

Other corporate sponsors offer everything from lodging and transportation to meals, tickets and myriad other goodies.

Those involved with Snowball Express said the group's new affiliation with the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program will help spread the word and get other sponsors involved, as well.

America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"Very little money is spent on overhead costs such as advertising or fundraising," said Bill Mimiaga, Snowball Express' secretary and a trustee as well as a retired Marine major. "Being recognized by ASY will give us increased exposure to corporations and, more importantly, to families who may not know about us.

"If even one family learns of Snowball Express because of this affiliation, those children's lives and the subsequent changes in their lives because of their Snowball Express experience will make it all worthwhile," he added.

This year's Snowball Express event will be held Dec. 16-20. Plans are under way to hold Snowball Express 2009 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. More information and eligibility rules are available on the group's Web site.

America Supports You: Challenge Coins Thank Vets, Help Nonprofit Groups

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2008 - Searching for a tangible way to help Americans express their deep gratitude to servicemembers for their sacrifices, a Tampa, Fla., couple has designed their own challenge coin. "As Americans, we should honor and acknowledge the sacrifices of members of the U.S. military," said Deb Benson, who co-founded Grateful American Coin Inc. with her husband. "In doing so, we should individually do what we can, however small, to help those servicemen and women who have sustained the most severe injuries."

The Bensons are doing just that with their organization's new coins. The tangible "thank you" bears the five service insignia on one side and the phrase "Thank you for your service from a grateful American" on the other.

Grateful American coins are available for purchase from the organization's site. While purchasers are presenting them to veterans with a heartfelt "thank you," something they've done 2,894 times since December, the net proceeds from their purchase are being donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and America's Vet Dogs.

Both organizations support America's wounded servicemembers.

"Our goal is to write our first checks to these two organizations on our one-year anniversary in November," Benson said.

Grateful American Coin is a supporter of America Supports You, as are its two beneficiary organizations. America Supports You, a Defense Department program, connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

"The America Supports You [relationship] means a lot to our organization," Benson said. "[It] assists with credibility for our young organization while at the same time assisting with exposure for our program."

The work America Supports You does is valuable and needed for organizations like Grateful American Coin, she added.

Military challenge coins, typically bearing a unit's insignia, date back to World War I. Legend has it that a coin identifying the squadron of a pilot shot down and captured behind enemy lines saved him from being executed by the French as a spy. He provided his coin, the only personal property his enemy captors hadn't confiscated, as proof of his identity.

Chairman Confers 'Full Honors,' Military Award on Polish Counterpart

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2008 - In the first "full honors" ceremony he's hosted as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen welcomed his counterpart from Poland at the Pentagon today. In full-dress Navy "whites," Mullen greeted Gen. Franciszek Gagor, chief of general staff of the Polish armed forces, and his staff when they arrived in black sport-utility vehicles.

In less formal receptions -- known as "honor cordons" -- the military leaders would have disappeared into the Defense Department headquarters without much fanfare. In contrast, before their closed-door meeting today, Mullen led Gagor onto a podium facing a patch of grass upon which the Marine Band, color guard and several hundred servicemembers in formal uniforms gathered to participate in the afternoon's pageantry.

As band members performed "Four Ruffles and Flourishes" and the "Flag Officer's March," three artillery pieces pointed toward the National Mall fired a volley of blanks in the direction of the sandstone Washington Monument obelisk jutting above the skyline. The Polish general carried out the traditional inspection of troops before returning to Mullen, who placed a Legion of Merit ribbon around Gagor's neck.

"General Gagor's inspired leadership and extraordinary contributions significantly enhanced understanding, improved cooperation, and greatly strengthened relations between the military of the United States and the Republic of Poland," according to the award's accompanying citation, which was read aloud over speakers.

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued both to United States military personnel and to military and political figures of foreign governments.

The citation lauded Gagor's service in his current role, which he assumed in February 2006. In this position, the Polish general has served as an effective spokesman for his country's government by establishing and maintaining dialogue with Defense Department officials on matters of mutual interest, the citation said.

Over the course of Gagor's tenure, Poland has continued to cooperate closely with American diplomacy on such issues as democratization, nuclear proliferation, human rights, regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, and United States reform, according to the State Department official Web site. Bilateral military talks during this time have produced agreements on installing U.S. missile defense parts on Polish soil.

The Eastern European republic of 38.5 million also has deployed a percentage of its roughly 140,500 uniformed servicemembers to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and to coalition efforts in Iraq.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met his Polish counterpart in the nation's capital of Warsaw last year. On his second visit since 1975, Gates praised the country's contributions to allied operations abroad and remarked on Poland's post-Cold War progress.

"All I can say is that Warsaw is a very different and very much better place today than it was in 1975," Gates said in an April 2007 news conference in the Polish capital. "When I visited here in 1975, I never would have dreamed that 14 years later Poland would be free and that shortly after that the Cold War would be over."

America Supports You: Wounded Warriors Hit 'Road 2 Recovery'

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2008 - Neither rainy May skies nor unseasonably cool temperatures stopped cyclists from beginning the 480-mile "Road 2 Recovery" ride from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., today. Through bicycling, the Road 2 Recovery organization assists veterans with mental and physical rehabilitation.

About 20 cyclists, including six wounded warriors from Walter Reed and three from Fort Bragg, N.C., gathered at the Mologne House on the Walter Reed campus for well-wishes before heading south.

The journey is more than just the physical challenge it represents for many of the recovering soldiers, Army Col. Patricia D. Horoho, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System, said.

"This event really is symbolic of the road that our warriors in transition take from the point of injury on the battlefield through the entire journey of healing to the triumph of full recovery," she told those gathered to see the cyclists off. "This is truly a testament of their courage and commitment to take control of their lives as they continue the healing journey."

America is doing its best to bolster that courage, said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison.

"We hope you feel embraced by the American people, who every day are trying to find ways to communicate one message to you," the deputy assistant secretary. "That message is: America does support you."

The riders are sure to feel that embrace as they make their way south. Bicyclists are expected to join them at different stages of the ride, including some stars in the cycling community.

"We're very excited about the ride," said John Wordin, founder of Road 2 Recovery. "It's going to be an interesting challenge [for the veterans]."

Wordin said the idea for the program originated in September, when he was invited to do a ride with veterans from the Palo Alto, Calif., Veterans Affairs facility who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The facility had started a cycling program as a regular part of the patients' mental rehabilitation, he said.

"By participating in cycling, it helps speed up their recovery process," Wordin said. "There have been a lot of studies done on physical activity, and there are two things it does.

"One is it decreases depression," he said. "The second thing is, by doing a physical activity it helps develop your muscles."

Army 1st Lt. Ferris Butler, soon to be promoted to captain, is walking proof of that.

"I sat in a wheelchair for 15 months, so getting strength back in my legs to the point where I was just able to stand under my own weight was important," he said. "Riding a bike is no impact, and it's just an amazing way ... to get in shape. It just really expedited my therapy."

Butler was injured in a bomb blast on Dec. 21, 2006, in Iraq's Sunni Triangle. He lost his left leg below the knee after an attempt to save it failed. He also lost half of his right foot to the explosion.

He said that, not only is biking a great way to shape up physically, but also just getting out of the hospital for awhile is a big lift.

"It's just so good to get out of the hospital, just leave this place for a week or even a day," Butler said. "I don't know if I have the expectations of making the 480 miles, but we'll see. I've got goals for each day, and I'm just going to take it one day at a time.

"This is just a stepping stone for me," he added.

Though he only recently received his three-wheeled bike and didn't get a lot of road training in, Army Spc. Justin Clark said he's planning on finishing the whole ride.

"If I don't, I'll be kind of frustrated with myself," he said in halting speech. "But if I make it one mile, it's more than I would have done by not doing it at all."

Clark suffered a traumatic brain and spinal cord injury when he was electrocuted and fell south of Baghdad in 2004. He can't remember exactly where the accident happened. His fiancee, Audrey Proctor, has one reason for making the ride with Clark: "Because he wanted me to do it," she said. "That was pretty much it."

She said she's confident the challenge is manageable for both of them, she added.

If the 80-mile-a-day average turns out to be too strenuous for any of the riders, two "sag wagons" will be available for cyclists who need to ride for a bit. Cyclists can continue cycling when they're ready.

The Road 2 Recovery ride concludes in Charlotte on May 25 with a few special events, which include a celebratory lap around the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The riders will be welcomed by cheering fans gathered for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that will be run later that evening.

A tour of the garages will be followed by the opportunity to take in the race from catbird seats in the one of the corporate suites.

Road 2 Recovery 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.

Gates Lauds Moves to Bolster Civilian Agencies

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

May 15, 2008 - Calling civilian government agencies a "combat multiplier," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said last night that he's encouraged by moves to bolster the support agencies can provide to fight the war on terror. Speaking at the Academy of American Diplomats here, the secretary said there is bipartisan support on Capitol Hill to devote more resources to the State Department and other civilian agencies.

Since the war on terror began, President Bush, defense officials and military officers have stressed that all parts of the federal government must work together to combat extremists -- that the military can put in place conditions for security, but civilian agencies are the repositories of expertise on governance, economics, agriculture and so on. Countries like Iraq and Afghanistan need these skills to cement progress in place.

"There is a need for a much greater integration of our efforts," Gates said. "There is clearly a need for a better way to organize interagency collaboration."

Defense personnel have always worked in the State Department, but now State Department personnel are assigned to DoD, especially with the combatant commands. The newly formed U.S. Africa Command, for example, has a large number of State Department personnel assigned to the organization. U.S. Southern Command also has a large number of personnel from civilian agencies as integral members of the command.

The civilian expertise is especially needed "when we're being out-communicated by a guy in a cave," Gates said.

The problem with the civilian agencies providing the personnel has not been a lack of will, but a lack of capabilities, Gates said. The State Department has about 6,600 Foreign Service officers. To put it in perspective, that's barely enough to crew one carrier battle group in the Navy, the secretary said.

The upshot is that when civilian agencies cannot deploy personnel, servicemembers step in to take up the slack. The provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan and Iraq are primary examples of this, Gates said. The teams, which have slots for officials from the departments of agriculture, commerce, treasury, justice and so on, were staffed by military personnel so they effort could get up and running quickly.

"There aren't deployable people in agriculture and commerce and treasury and so on that are prepared to go overseas," Gates said.

And these skills are desperately needed, he emphasized. "My view is we are not properly structured to deal with the challenges of the 21st century, which are very complex and have to do not only with security issues but economic development, rule of law, governance and so on," Gates said.

The State Department has asked for a further 1,000 Foreign Service officers and a significant increase in budget for fiscal 2009. Legislation on Capitol Hill would establish a Civilian Reserve Corps. The proposal is in three parts: a couple of hundred full-time people ready to respond at a moment's notice, a cadre of civilians in agencies around the federal government who could be called up to serve anywhere in the world, and civilians in private life who could -- like the National Guard -- serve when "federalized."

"The military calls it a force multiplier when they get these civilians on the ground," Gates said.

The national security organization is essentially unchanged since it was enacted in 1947. DoD has let a contract to see what a new National Security Act would look like if it were enacted this year, the secretary said.

"I, frankly, don't have the answers," he said. "We've got a contract out ... to some academic institutions and think tanks to see if we can't come up with some ideas."

He said he hopes the results from the study will give the new administration some options to pursue in the challenging security environment.

New York Unit Brings Canadian Forces, Air Guard Troops Together

By Brooke Davis
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 13, 2008 - While North American Aerospace Defense Command celebrates its rich and historic 50-year history, one unit will remain diligently watching the skies just as it did on Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on the United States are still etched in the mind of Capt. Rob Hogarth, who is assigned to the New York Air National Guard's Northeast Air Defense Sector.

Like other members of the unit, which is responsible for the air defense of the eastern United States, Hogarth found himself at war on the morning of Sept. 11, as the Twin Towers fell and United Flight 93 crashed in a farmer's field. He and other members of NEADS, as the Rome-based unit is known, did their utmost to secure the skies over America that day.

Hogarth, though, isn't a member of the Air National Guard. He's a member of the Canadian Forces and one of 15 Canadians who play a key role in the operational air defense mission of NORAD.

"It was impossible to separate the actions of the Canadians and those of the Americans, because the Canadian Component is an integral part of NEADS, and we have been incorporated seamlessly into the team," Hogarth wrote in an article for a Canadian air force publication. "It was a tremendous honor and responsibility to have a nation put its faith in you, to trust you to keep them safe. I am very proud to have been called upon to defend that faith and to justify that trust. In every sense, the men and women of NEADS rose to the occasion."

Since NORAD's inception, close cooperation between Canada and the United States has been a hallmark of the organization, and Hogarth -- now on his second tour at NEADS -- exemplifies this partnership.

In November 2006, the mission of the joint American-Canadian unit doubled when the Southeast Air Defense Sector at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., was deactivated.

"Everyone in this unit worked tirelessly to ensure that the expansion of our air defense mission was seamless," said Col. Clark Speicher, NEADS commander. "Transitioning from controlling 500,000 square miles to 1 million square miles of airspace would seem like a huge undertaking, yet the professionalism displayed by everyone in the unit ensured that this expansion was and remains continuously flawless. At NEADS, we have a no-fail mission, and everyone works to ensure that this is achieved."

NEADS and the Canadian Component also reach out to the local community through speaking engagements, color guard details, and annual events such as the Canadian Component Mess Dinner.

"We encourage everyone in the unit, including the Canadians posted here, to support and contribute to the local community," Lt. Col. Wendy Rickards, the Canadian Component commander, said. "Our relationship with the community here has been strengthened by these positive actions and, in turn, community members have always remained extremely supportive of our unit and our mission."

The combined efforts of local veterans, the city of Rome, and members of the Canadian Component resulted in Rome becoming the first U.S. city to be presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian Forces, in a ceremony on May 21, 2005.

"In the course of planning the event, it became evident that it was a historical first," said Capt. Chris Semchuk, a Canadian forces member who is assigned to NEADS as a senior director aerospace controller. "No American city had ever been presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian forces and, after almost two years of planning, two Canadian flags were presented to Rome Mayor James Brown."

The Canadian Component commander at the time, Lt. Col François Malo, presented Brown with a Canadian flag -- previously flown on the Peace Tower of Canada's Parliament -- mounted in a shadow box and accompanied by a copy of the Jan. 28, 1965, National Flag Royal Proclamation. The second flag was raised over Rome's city hall, where it still flies today.

Brown captured the significance of the event by stating that he was "honored to be a part of this event which was a first in both American and Canadian history."

From its beginnings in World War Two, air defense has been a continuous process of modernization. Of more than 12 air defense sectors that have been deactivated, NEADS is one of the only two operational sectors in the continental United States still in existence. The Western Air Defense Sector, operating out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is NEADS' sister sector.

NEADS was the first sector to modernize from a manual air defense system to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, System. The unit became operational in 1958 and set the standard for other sectors to follow, according to the unit's history.

As part of an Air Force reorganization that started in 1993, NEADS was the first air defense sector to transform from the regular Air Force to the Air National Guard. During that transition, Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome also was realigned into the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, where NEADS is located.

During the Griffiss realignment, NEADS was transformed as well. The unit's successful transformation set the transformation standard, and its lessons learned helped ensure a successful transition for the other sectors and 1st Air Force, Speicher said.

In addition to the Air National Guard and Canadian forces military personnel assigned to NEADS, the unit's staff includes federal civil service and civilian contractor personnel and active-duty members of the Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.

(Brooke Davis works at Northeast Air Defense Sector Public Affairs.)

New Joint Staff Team Evaluates Wounded Warrior Programs

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 7, 2008 - A joint team formed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is looking at the broad range of care and support services for wounded warriors to find any gaps and tap into best practices to share across the force. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen stood up the Joint Staff Wounded Warrior Integration Team in late April and appointed his strategic plans and policy chief, Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, to head it up.

The team will evaluate all programs that affect wounded warriors and their families to see which are working best, which can be improved, and how to make the services they provide easier to tap into, Sattler explained during an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

"A lot of things are being done across the spectrum by a lot of great people. We just want to make sure that where there may be a duplication of effort, we can use those resources more wisely," he said. "And if there may be unintentional gaps and seams, we can overcome those."

Sattler noted big improvements in the care and support for wounded troops and emphasized that the task force wasn't formed to fix any particular shortcoming or problem.

"No commander stops raising the bar because they think they have hit the objective," he said. "Even if we're doing all we can do, the harder you look at things, the more often you find things you can do better."

Unlike the flurry of task forces and evaluation teams that convened last year after deficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center came to light, the new joint task force will focus heavily on what's going right, Sattler said.

"This is taking a look at things that are going well -- things that don't normally attract attention because they are humming along -- [and asking] 'Are they humming at the rpms that they should be? Could they be improved upon? Could we make life better [or] easier, could we facilitate for warriors and their families the ability to find out what they don't know?'"

Mullen dedicated "a lot of his best and brightest across the Joint Staff" to answer these questions, Sattler said. The team consists of experts from the legal, legislative affairs, public affairs and personnel fields, as well as commanders with recent combat experience. The variety of perspectives reflects "the intent of making it the best we can for our men and women," Sattler said.

The team is approaching the challenge as an operational planning team would take on a challenge at any military command, he said. It's starting with Mullen's stated intent: "He wants to find, locate the best practices and facilitate the ability of our men and women and their families to have access to those best practices," Sattler said.

Now, the team is exploring all existing programs -- within the military, other government agencies as well as nongovernmental and nonprofit groups – to see how they support that intent. The team will brief Mullen and the service chiefs on its findings at least every two weeks and assemble a "campaign plan" that documents all services currently available and recommended changes or improvements.

Sattler conceded that wounded warriors and their families are a "hard-core crew" who don't ask for much as they try to move forward with their lives.

"They want to take their own destiny into their own hands and they want to advance their cause," he said. "Whatever their wound may be, they want to get back to where they can function in society. No one is looking for a handout."

But it's the Defense Department's responsibility, he said, to ensure programs for wounded warriors are the best they can be.

The issue, he said, isn't about "How high have we raised the bar to support our men and women?," but rather, "How can we raise that bar even higher?"

"Until we exhaust all those efforts, ... as long as our efforts produce results that are better for the men and women and their families or make it easier for [them], then we shouldn't rest," he said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS April 30, 2008

NAVY

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $190,000,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-07-C-0097) for special tooling and special test equipment associated with the Lot two Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP II) of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., (25 percent), Ft. Worth, Texas, (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom, (15 percent); Orlando, Fla., (10 percent); Torrance, Calif., (5 percent); Eagan, Minn., (5 percent); Nashua, N.H., (5 percent); Broomfield, Colo., (5 percent); and San Jose, Calif., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in Apr. 2010. 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.

BRDC A Joint Venture of Burns & Roe and Dick Corp., Large, Pa., is being awarded a not to exceed $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity job order contract for construction projects at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed is for construction, addition, renovations, alterations and/or repair various types of facilities/buildings and provide minor construction and marine work. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of May 2013. The contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-D-1273).

American Systems, Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $34,801,258 ceiling Blanket Purchase Agreement resulting from Request for Proposal (No. M67854-07-R-7034) for the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate Omnibus Support Services. Work will be performed in Dumfries, Va., (90 percent) and Quantico, Va., (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed April 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively awarded under a full and open, best value competition, with two offerors providing proposals in response to the solicitation. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-A-7038).

Northrop Grumman Corp., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a ceiling priced $24,999,810 for delivery order #5115 under a Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-06-G-032D) for aircraft rudders which are spares in support of the F/A-18 aircraft Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

John C. Grimberg Co., Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded $15,805,000 for firm-fixed-price task order #0022 under a previously awarded indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62477-04-D-0012) for construction of an aircraft prototype facility at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River. The work to be performed provides for construction of a single hangar structure with an adjacent second level support and office space. The facility will provide secure work space consisting of a secure aircraft preparation bay, technical service laboratory, assembly area, tool crib and special access program facilities. The facility will also provide other office and support spaces, a conference room with video teleconferencing capabilities. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and work is expected to be completed by January 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.

Marshall Co., Ltd.*, Corpus Christi, Texas, is being awarded $13,750,000 for firm-fixed price task order #0001 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62467-04-D-0078) for design and construction of an aviation training facility at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi. The work to be performed provides for construction of a standard single story facility with high bay simulator trainer areas. The facility includes spaces for brief/de-brief, instructors, simulator maintenance, administrative support, computer support, and mechanical rooms. Three existing structures will be demolished in site preparation. The new structure will be a secure limited access facility and will be constructed with sustainable features. The contract contains two options totaling $258,600, which may be exercised within 180 calendar days, bringing the total contract amount to $14,008,600. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Referentia Systems Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded an $11,719,335 cost-plus-fix-fee contract to provide investigative research and analysis to develop individual and cultural behavior simulation models for the Navy to achieve its "Revolution in Training" and to increase the level of trained and missioned ready Navy and Joint Forces. This contract will include a scenario generation editor that will make use of agent-based distillation models technology creating rapid scenario generation and performance measurement metrics for analysis, experimentation, and training federations; a prototype system that creates and builds on the novel use of these emerging technologies as they are applied to a live virtual constructive training environment; and a prototype eLearning testbed that will allow research into when, where, what and why basic eLearning courses should be enhanced with gaming and distributed training technologies. Work will be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii and is expected to be completed in Apr. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $1,120,500 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement; with one offer received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61339-08-C-0023).

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $11,262,673 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract (N00019-03-D-0010) to provide additional funds for services in support of the T-45 trainer system contractor logistics support effort. Specifically, this modification provides for the fiscal 07 and fiscal 08 cost impact for wages and fringe benefit adjustments as a result of the collective bargaining agreement, dated Oct. 1, 2006 through Aug. 1, 2009, and area wage determination No. 05-2300 (Rev-4), 05-2300 (Rev-5), 94-2300 and 05-2508. This action is in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act – price adjustment clause and notification of changes cslause. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas, (51 percent) and NAS Meridian, Miss., (49 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Sep. 2008. 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.

Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc., Aiea, Hawaii, is being awarded $6,299,940 for firm-fixed-price task order #0022 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62742-04-D-1300) for maintenance dredging of Sierra Wharves, Yankee Wharves and Kilo Wharf and construction of a confined disposal facility cell #3 at Waipio Peninsula, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

Future Research Corp., Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a $6,132,815 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for laptop computer, associated accessories and integrated services to support the DOD Joint Technical Data Initiative. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala., and work is expected to be completed by September 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively, with six offers received. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity (N00104-08-D-Q277).

AIR FORCE

General Atomics of San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a cost plus fee term contract for $177,082,588. This contract includes all programs management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical specialists (formerly field support representatives), contractor inventory control point (formerly depot supply support) and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, CAMs/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry and numbered periodic depot maintenance for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) programs. At this time $163,082,588 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-05-G-3028 003502).

Northrop Grumman Information Technology of Herndon Va., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for $177,082,588. This effort will accomplish the delivery of Joint Enterprise DoDIIS Infrastructure software and DoDIIS Trusted Workstation software. This effort will include requirements definition analysis, systems engineering, development, integration management, quality control, requirements definition analysis, systems engineering, development, integration management, quality control, familiarization, integration/interoperability testing, security and system operation and administration. This effort will result in the delivery of several software releases (approximately one release every six months) to the DTW/JEDI user community, to include computer software, technical documentation, and as required, the installation and maintenance of the current systems located at existing intelligence sites worldwide. At this time $3,500,000 has been obligated. Rome, N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-08-D-0001 (Umbrella) and Order 0001).

Honeywell International Incorp., of Clearwater Fla., is being awarded a firm fixed price modification contract for $15,433,853. This action will provide one hundred eighty-one EGI production units, thirty EGI retrofit units, twenty-one EGI contractor depot repairs and one EGI mount. The embedded GPS/INS (EGI) unit is a non-development Item being procured to meet the navigation requirements of Tri-Service and Foreign Military Sales platforms. This is a modification to exercise options for the aforementioned efforts. At this time $15,433,853 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8626-06-C-2065 P00058).

Boeing Co., Integrated Defense Systems of Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a firm fixed price modification contract for $8,220,600. This contract modification will provide additional contract funding in support of the fourth year of a five year contractor logistics support for contract the VC-25A aircraft. At this time $8,220,600 has been obligated. Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-04-C-0006 / P00081).

ARMY

SRTec., Inc., Syracuse, N.Y. was awarded on Apr. 29, 2008, a $42,013,967 firm-fixed price/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a change-order for V(2) upgrades. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 14, 2008. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-05-C-P004).

Phillips Corp.,/Viereck Co., Columbia, Md., was awarded on Apr. 29, 2008, an $8,390,000 firm-fixed price contract for 1 fluid cell press used for metal working. Work will be performed at Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 23, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five bids were solicited on Mar. 10, 2008. Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas, is the contracting activity (GS-07F-7729C).

Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on Apr. 28, 2008, a $6,331,055 cost-reimbursement contract for support of the Future Combat Systems spin out 1 low rate initial production, procurement of long lead items for the initial operational test and evaluation set. Work will be performed at Boeing, BAE Systems, Textron Defense Systems, and General Dynamics Systems across the nation, and is expected to be completed on Jan. 27, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug. 17, 2007. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich. is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0145).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Delta Coals Inc., Nashville, Tenn., is being awarded a maximum $10,969,600.00 firm fixed price contract for bituminous coal. Other location of performance is in Virginia. Using services are Army and Marine Corps. There were originally 160 proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is May 31, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-0654).

Petro Marine Services, Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded a maximum $7,407,737.20 fixed price with economic price adjustment for delivery of gasoline, fuel oil burner, jet fuel and diesel fuel products. Other locations of performance are throughout the state of Alaska. Using services are Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. This proposal was originally solicited on FedBizOps with eight responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Sep. 30, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-1010).