CNO Attends BEYA

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Petty Officer Stephen Watterworth

Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) attended the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Stars and Stripes dinner, Feb. 18 in Washington, D.C.

CNO, Adm. Gary Roughead honored John H. James, Jr., Rear Adm. Arthur J. Johnson, and many others as recipients of the 2011 Stars and Stripes Award during the 2011 BEYA Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference.

While speaking at the dinner, CNO expressed the importance of STEM in the Navy and how organizations like BEYA contribute to the success of the Navy.

"Navy participates with BEYA and other activities that stress STEM and diversity because we really believe that as a Navy, we will be a better Navy if we represent all of America," he said.

Roughead said it's key for the Navy to team up with BEYA and to look for opportunities to reach out and mentor the young men and women throughout the country and inform them of the benefits of the Navy.

"We are a technological Navy," he said. "We operate at the very high end of technology. We operate in every domain of the planet whether its under the sea, on the sea or above the sea, and now more than ever in cyberspace and the sailors and the young men and women who come into our Navy if they have that STEM background, they are going to be much more natural fits for who we are and the world in which we are going to operate."

"There are just a variety of activities that we participate in and we are always looking for new opportunities to be able to present what the Navy does to the young men and women of America," Roughead continued. "We have programs, for example, StarBase Atlantis and we have a STEM academy at the Naval Academy."

The BEYA conference and award program recognized young men and women from around the country who demonstrate outstanding performance in a technical field and show great potential for shaping the future course of engineering, science, math and technology.

Office of Naval Research to Co-launch Science Studio in Bronx, N.Y.

From Office of Naval Research Corporate Strategic Communications Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Navy and Marine Corps' science and technology provider; and Iridescent, a nonprofit group supporting underserved youth, are launching an educational studio in Bronx, N.Y., Nov. 4 to fuel that community's interest in science and mathematics.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will join Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Nevin Carr at the official opening of Iridescent's newest center.

"The Navy and Marine Corps have a stake in strengthening the future science and engineering workforce," Mabus said. "Our investment in programs like Iridescent demonstrates our commitment toward improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for students across the country. This program is transforming the lives of children who might not otherwise be exposed to the wonders of technology and innovation."

ONR's partnership with Iridescent is part of a Department of Defense-wide campaign to grow a diverse STEM talent pool that will benefit future warfighters.

"Iridescent gets students excited about learning and passionate about inventing," Carr said. "They take everyday science topics and bring them to life through inspiring mentors and hands-on experiments.

"Using the simplest of tools, they are able to create and build real-world items such as houses, birds, roller coasters and boats; and then test the underlying science or engineering concepts. It is truly amazing to watch these children as they experience their first 'a-ha' moment," said Carr.

Along with Navy officials, the event is expected to draw representatives from state and local government, as well as hundreds of youths and their parents to the 2,750-square-foot facility.

In addition to ONR, more than 11 exhibitors will be represented at the Nov. 4 event, including Naval Surface Warfare Center, Newport, R.I., and NASA.

Visitors to the science center will get hands-on experience with robotics and other interactive demonstrations.

Forensic Investigator

Editor's Note: Good information on career opportunities after service.

On July 24, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with Esther McKay, a former Detective Senior Constable and Forensic Investigator with the New South Wales Police Force (Australia).

Program Date: July 24, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Forensic Investigator
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

About the Guest
Esther Mckay served seventeen years in the New South Wales Police Force, attaining the rank of Detective (technical) Senior Constable. She worked in the area of Forensic Services for fifteen years, attaining expert status in crime scene examination and vehicle identification. She also worked in Training and Research, as well as Document Examination. She has a Diploma of Applied Science in Forensic Investigation (NSW Police), and was awarded the National Medal for service in 2001 and the Ethical and Diligent Police Service medal with fifteen-year clasp in 2008.

Esther Mckay was discharged from the force in 2001 with post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of her forensic work. Her best-selling autobiography, Crime Scene: True Stories from the Life of a Forensic Investigator.

Esther Mckay works actively in supporting traumatized serving and former Police and is the President of the Police Post Trauma Support Group. She was awarded the Pride of Australia Medal in 2007 for Community Spirit for her work with traumatized Police, and regularly speaks to various groups and schools about her life experience, writing and former forensic work. Esther is patron of the Australian Missing Persons Register and has been an Australia Day Ambassador since 2007. She lives in the Southern Highlands with her husband and two children.

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

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

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

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

64 Universities to Receive $200 Million in Research Funding

The Department of Defense announced today 34 awards to academic institutions to perform multi-disciplinary basic research. The total amount of the awards is expected to be $19.7 million in fiscal 2008 and $200 million over five years. Awards are subject to the successful completion of negotiations between the academic institutions and DoD research offices that will make the awards: the Army Research Office (ARO), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).

The awards are the result of the fiscal year 2008 competition that ARO, ONR, and AFOSR conducted under the DoD Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. The MURI program supports multi-disciplinary basic research in areas of DoD relevance that intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. Therefore, a MURI effort typically involves a team of basic researchers with expertise in a variety of disciplines. For a research area suited to a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together scientists and engineers with different disciplinary backgrounds can accelerate both basic research progress and transition of research results to application.

To assemble a team with the requisite disciplinary strengths, most MURI efforts involve researchers from multiple academic institutions, as well as multiple academic departments. Based on the proposals selected in the fiscal 2008 competition, a total of 64 academic institutions are expected to participate in the 34 research efforts. Three non-U.S. academic institutions will participate in two of the MURI efforts, but will receive no funding from the MURI program.

The MURI program complements other DoD basic research programs that support traditional, single-investigator university research by supporting multi-disciplinary teams with awards larger and longer in duration than traditional awards. The awards announced today are for a three-year base period with a two-year option contingent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory research progress. Consequently, MURI awards can provide greater sustained support than single-investigator awards for the education and training of students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering fields critical to DoD, as well as for associated infrastructure such as research instrumentation.

The MURI program is highly competitive. ARO, ONR, and AFOSR solicited proposals in 18 topics important to DoD and received a total of 104 proposals. The 34 proposals announced today were selected for funding based on merit review by panels of experts in the pertinent science and engineering fields.

The list of projects selected for fiscal 2008 funding may be found at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2008/d20080318muri.pdf.

Defense Agency Makes Big Advances in Prosthetics Research

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 15, 2008 - A Defense Department program is tapping into the realm of science fiction to develop life-like, functional prosthetic devices for wounded combat troops so they can go on to live normal lives. Army Col. Geoff Ling, manager of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Revolutionizing Prosthetics programs, said the agency is making tremendous headway in advancing technology considered unimaginable just a few years ago.

DARPA's initial prosthetics program, Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2007, "has done remarkably well" and is generating excitement among other federal agency heads that could someday lead to full-scale production, Ling said.

Researchers at DEKA Research and Development Corp. in Manchester, N.H., have developed what Ling calls a "strap-and-go-arm" that users activate with the flick of a switch.

"All you have to do is strap it on, and you're ready to go," he said. "It requires no surgery or any of that stuff. All you do is literally wake up in the morning and put it on like you could a jacket, and you just go."

Three volunteers in the test program reported strong acceptance for the device that comes in three models: one for amputees who have lost a complete arm and others for those with amputations above and below the elbow.

"These arms are working just beyond anyone's wildest imagination," Ling said, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

Embedded electronics enable users to activate a switch, either with a foot or their chin, to activate it. By flicking the switch, they can cycle through five different gripping actions to match the task at hand, whether it's using a pen, picking up a key, lifting a coffee cup or using a power drill.

"It's very easy to master," Ling said. "Guys who have it will tell you they can master the use of the arm in an hour or two."

All were able to "perform remarkably" with the device, he said. One tester who lost his arm at the shoulder was able to field strip and reassemble an M-16 rifle using the prosthesis. An above-the-elbow amputee was able to grab a root beer bottle off a shelf, open it with a bottle opener and drink it. Another, who lost both hands in combat, reported he now feels able to take on a civilian job.

"When you watch it, you realize that what we have provided is not so much an arm, but really a functionality and a return to life," Ling said. "This is exactly what we had hoped for. It's tremendously gratifying."

The Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration have all shown interest in the program and are expected to join forces with the Defense Department in the months ahead to move it forward. "This is the government coming together, making things right for the right people," Ling said.

Getting a governmental agreement in place will be a big step forward to getting the devices mass-produced so they're available for wounded troops, veterans and ultimately, anyone else who might need them, he said.

As this effort advances, DARPA is pushing forward its even more ambitious Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 program that will enable a user to control the prosthesis through thought. The limb, as envisioned, would enable users to move as they normally do, without having to think about the actual process to make it happen.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are exploring this technology, and Ling said he hopes to see a contract moving the project into its second phase finalized in the coming months.

The device connects directly into the peripheral and central nervous system so users can operate it naturally, just as they move their biological arm. "It will look as natural and smooth as you possibly can imagine, because it will be controlled directly by your nervous system," Ling said. "When you think about moving your arm to reach out and grab a coffee cup, that's exactly what you will do."

The prosthetic will provide capabilities even beyond what the DEKA prosthesis delivers, even enabling people to play the piano, he said. "I don't necessarily expect users to play at the level of Tchaikovsky, but it will be a clear improvement, even over the DEKA arm," he said. "And the DEKA arm is clearly a dramatic improvement over what's available today.

"DARPA is pushing the future," he said.

DARPA's prosthetics programs represents the largest pool of funding for prosthetics in at least a decade in a field that advanced at a snail's pace for centuries. "If you look at the history of prosthetics, especially in the upper arm, it's been incredibly slow," Ling said.

The metal hook, introduced in the 1600s, didn't get its first major upgrade until the 1900s, when new technology enabled the hook to open and close, he said. "Today, you can go to the finest hospitals in the land, and what they will give you is a rubber arm with a hook at the end that opens and closes," he said.

Ling said the technology being developed through DARPA will have a broad impact, improving the lives of wounded warriors and all other amputees as well.

"Amputees everywhere in the country and possibly the world are going to benefit from this," he said. "This is not a secret government program. We have been as transparent as you can possibly be. We plan on sharing this with the world. Out of the tragedy of war comes an opportunity for a lot of people."

Ling said it's exciting to be a part of developing such cutting-edge technology.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see. It will blow your socks off," he said. "We are really shooting for the stars, and actually achieving it is amazing."

Adding to that excitement, he said, is knowing that the effort is helping wounded warfighters return to a normal life.

"I don't think any of us could have a better way of spending our time than being able to provide care and comfort to the most deserving Americans anyone could find," he said. "For me, it's a tremendous honor."

Entry sponsored by Police Books.

Research Agency Celebrates 50th Anniversary Looking to Future

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 12, 2008 - Fifty years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in response to the Russians' surprise Sputnik launch, the agency continues to advance technologies and systems that give revolutionary advantages to the U.S. military. Eisenhower's guidance to the new agency when it stood up in February 1958 was clear: keep the U.S. military ahead of its enemies technologically and prevent any future technology surprise from another nation. That meant forging ahead with innovative, sometimes even radical, concepts that might be too risky for the private sector to take on alone.

Fifty years later, DARPA continues following that charge, pushing the envelope toward what Anthony J. Tether, its director since 2001, describes as "the far side" of science and technology development.

Speaking at DARPA's 25th Systems and Technology Symposium in Anaheim, Calif., in August, Tether contrasted DARPA's work with that of the services, which tend to concentrate on "the near and mid-side" and improving "concepts and systems that we know about."

DARPA focuses on new and sometimes radical concepts and systems, many considered higher-risk because their feasibility isn't known, he told participants.

"We search for those ideas worldwide that may make a tremendous difference, and whose time has come to bring them to the near side as fast as possible," Tether said. "DARPA bridges the gap between fundamental discoveries and new military capabilities, and has been doing so since our beginning."

In its earliest days, DARPA -- which initially had no "Defense" in front of its name -- focused on accelerating the development of U.S. space launch and satellite capabilities. The agency developed the Saturn V rocket that enabled the United States to launch the Apollo missions to the moon.

DARPA also developed the first surveillance satellites that gave U.S. presidents intelligence about Russian missile-program activities. "DARPA was not only preventing surprise, but was now creating surprise for our adversaries," Tether said.

DARPA branched out to other fields, too. It began the information revolution by creating the ARPANET that led to today's Internet. The system began by interconnecting computer at four university research sites in the late 1960s. By 1972, it had grown to include 37 computers. Now, Tether pointed out, the Internet it led to is approaching 1 billion connections.

DARPA developed technologies that revolutionized warfare: stealth aircraft, advanced precision munitions and the Predator and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles used in Iraq and Afghanistan today.

But not all of DARPA's past accomplishments are as well known, Tether said. He cited the development of new materials such as gallium arsenide, used in high-speed circuits, and new metals such as beryllium that are stronger than steel but lighter than aluminum.

Other advances include solid-state photon detectors that led to today's night vision capabilities and microwave and millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuits, or MIMICS, that enable cell phones and miniature global position system receivers to work. DARPA's work in lithography enabled a microchip smaller than a thumbnail to hold 100 billion transistors. The agency also developed the computer mouse, an effort to make computers more user-friendly.

Meanwhile, Tether said recent DARPA accomplishments are giving U.S. forces fundamentally new capabilities. He's a firm believer that the key to success in future military operations rests in the network, and has the agency busy developing several network-centric capabilities.

One that's already deployed, the Command Post of the Future, enabled computers to serve as virtual command posts that enable commanders and platoon leaders to conduct operations from wherever they happen to be.

Another "game changer" is the Network Centric Radio System, a technology that enables previously incompatible radios to communicate with each other. "An Army soldier can now talk to a Marine, or to an Air Force aircraft or a Navy ship," Tether said.

Yet another DARPA technology Tether said is making a difference is the WASP micro air vehicle that weighs less than a pound and can be launched with a simple hand-throw. The device has a camera that sends high-quality video to the warfighter, providing real-time information on locations important to them.

"Marines use WASP today," Tether said. "They call it their guardian angel. It watches over and protects them."

Tether ran down a laundry list of other technologies under development at DARPA he said could prove to be "future game changers" if they're successful. One aims to extract high-quality military jet fuel from U.S. crops. Another could lead to a machine capable of translating foreign language speech and text as well as, if not better than, an experienced linguist.

Other technologies DARPA is seeking to develop include an aircraft able to refuel and remain airborne autonomously for five years or even longer, and an autonomous ground vehicle able to remove forces from harm's way and save lives on the battlefield. Another is to create a prosthesis to replace an arm lost in combat that's so capable "the soldier could learn to play Dixieland on the piano," Tether said.

One project seeks to develop a computer able to process more than a billion million instructions per second. Such a high-speed computer would be revolutionary, Tether said. "This new capability will dramatically reduce the time it takes to design, test and bring an idea to reality, giving us a great strategic and tactical advantage over the rest of the world," he said.

Fifty years after DARPA's inception, Tether said, he's proud to report that the agency has stayed true to its original charter. It's remained "an organization willing to take a bet on an idea long before it is proven," he said. It's "a place for people with ideas too crazy, too far out, too risky, even considered by some as bad, that have turned out to be major game changers for the U.S."

Tether pointed to the strategic and tactical dominance the United States has achieved in many areas during the past 50 years. "If the technology was a game-changer, chances are that DARPA had a role," he said.

The threats the United States faces today are far different from those of 50 years ago, Tether said. Gone is the Soviet threat, replaced by new adversaries and threats such as those that launched the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "The urgency of maintaining technological surprise is as acute as ever," Tether said in a statement released for DARPA's 50th anniversary observance.

"In this time of uncertainty, DARPA's mission remains constant: anticipate all challenges and discover the technical means to conquer those challenges," he told attendees at the 25th Systems and Technology Symposium. DARPA continues its work aimed at "helping our nation prepare for an uncertain future, using the power of ideas to bridge the gap," he said.

Tether, the agency's longest-serving director, said in an anniversary statement he's honored to lead it into its sixth decade. "Everyone at DARPA feels a personal commitment to continuing to deliver revolutionary technologies in support of our men and women in uniform," he said.

CONTRACTS - January 30, 2008

NAVY

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $73,707,908 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-08-C-0021) for the system development and demonstration of the Harpoon Block III Missile Program. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Mo., (92.12 percent); Lititz, Penn., (1.93 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (.84 percent); Chatsworth, Calif., (.76 percent); Galena, Kan., (.49 percent); Lowell, Mass., (.42 percent); and various locations across the United States (3.44 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Aug. 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $5,046,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded $58,379,171 for delivery order #5005 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-06-G-011F) for initial and wholesale spares requirements for various weapons replaceable assemblies (WRAs) used in the development and deployment of the common cockpit and multi-mode radar system for the MH-60R helicopter. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., and work is expected to be completed by Oct. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp. Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a not-to exceed $52,750,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus multiple incentive-fee contract for continued development and maintenance of the Common Submarine Radio Room (CSRR) configuration & maintenance software. This is a follow-on to an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00039-03-C-0026. Work will be performed in Eagan, Minn., and work is expected to be completed by Jan. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract procured on a sole-source basis under the authority of FAR 6.302-1. This requirement was synopsized on Federal Business Opportunities website on May 31, 2007, under solicitation N00039-07-R-0042. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-08-D-0001).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $32,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-07-C-0040) for non-recurring development and integration of the MV-22 Block C Weather Radar Upgrade. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., (90 percent), and Fort Worth, Texas, (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Nov. 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $14,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $24,105,723 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order #7029 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-06-D-004H) for procurement of newly manufactured spares in support of the F/A-18 C/D flight surface system. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and work is expected to be completed by Mar. 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.

Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $17,290,472 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-5105) for Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) fiscal year 2008 production of four SSDS MK 2 Tactical Ship Sets and one SSDS Special Study to define engineering changes to the SSDS MK 2 product baseline in support of the LHA 6 Combat System configuration. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded $15,441,690 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0004 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-07-G-005H) for avionics repair facility support, which provides for repair of various F/A-18 and AV-8B components. Work will be performed in Lemoore, Calif., (57 percent); Cecil Field, Fla., (40 percent); and Philadelphia, Pa., (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Sep. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This effort involves a purchase for the U.S. Navy (99 percent) and the Governments of Malaysia, Kuwait and Spain (1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. This contract was not awarded competitively. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

T.B Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $10,353,209 firm-fixed-price contract for the expansion and renovation of Naval Exchange Main Exchange, Building 1512, at Naval Base Ventura County. The contract contains six options totaling $1,958,615, which may be exercised within 90 calendar days, bringing the total contract amount to $12,311,824. Work will be performed in Port Hueneme, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by Aug. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with five proposals solicited and four offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-C-7504).

BAE Systems Technologies, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $10,294,911 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-07-C-0019) to exercise an option for engineering and technical products and services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems. The estimated level of effort for this option is 126,000 man-hours. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., (80 percent), San Diego, Calif. (10 percent), and various shipboard locations (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Jan. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity.

McNally Industries, LLC, Grantsburg, Wis., is being awarded an $8,100,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity order under Basic Ordering Agreement (N63394-08-G-1177) for maintenance, overhaul, repair, upgrade and life cycle maintenance support, including technical engineering services, in support of the MK 6 Ammunition Hoist. This agreement may be extended for two additional years, which would bring the cumulative value of this agreement to $15,100,000. Work will be performed in Grantsburg, Wis., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp. Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $7,500,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-4005) for non-nuclear maintenance and repair support at the Naval Submarine Support Facility (NSSF), Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn. Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will continue to provide services required to support planned and emergent non-nuclear maintenance and repair for operational nuclear submarines, floating dry-docks, support & service craft and other platforms and equipment at the NSSF. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and work is expected to be completed by Sep. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $7,500,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Electric Boat Cor. Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,228,313 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2107) for research and development of advanced submarine technologies for current and future submarine platforms. This contract provides for provision of studies to support the manufacturability, maintainability, producibility, reliability, manning, survivability, hull integrity, performance, structural, weight/margin, stability, arrangements, machinery systems, acoustics, hydrodynamics, ship control, logistics, human factors, materials, weapons handling and stowage, submarine safety, and affordability. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc.*, Walnut Creek, Calif.; TN & Associates*, Milwaukee Wis.; Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, San Diego, Calif.; and AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc., San Diego, Calif., are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity environmental multiple award contract for environmental remediation services on Navy and Marine Corps installations at various locations within the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The total amount for all contracts combined is not to exceed $120,000,000 (base period and four option years) with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000 for each contract. Work will be performed at various federal sites within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, Calif., (80 percent), Ariz., (10 percent), Ala., (2 percent), Nev., (2 percent), Wash., (2 percent), N. M. (1 percent), Ore., (1 percent), Utah (1 percent), and nationwide (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Jan. 2009 (Jan. 2013 with options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured and issued on an unrestricted basis with provisions to reserve two awards to small business concerns. Thirteen proposals were received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8813/8814/8815/8816).

DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE

Lockheed Martin Government Services, Inc., Seabrook, Md., was awarded a seventh year option of $27,119,272 as part of contract MDA220-01-D-0002 for management of the Retired and Annuitant pay service formerly managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), which was the subject of an A-76 action. The estimated aggregate face value of this contract at time of award was $346,432,288. Primary work is performed at DFAS Cleveland, Ohio and secondary work which includes document scanning and primarily imaging is performed at London, Ky. Under this option work will be performed between Feb. 01, 2008, through Jan. 31, 2009. The DFAS Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (MDA220-01-D-0002).

AIR FORCE

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems of San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a contract for $12,250,000. This effort is for operation of the Global Hawk System in forward theaters of operation, for a classified length of time. The contractor shall also provide mission support plans and identify equipment necessary to support operations for sustained flight operations for the period of time specified on any deployment order. At this time all funds have been obligated. 303AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-G-3005 0001).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co.of Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded a contract modification for $11,440,306. This contract modification to the C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP) contract to increase funding for FY07 and FY08 Material Improvement Projects (MIPs) for the USAF. The MIP program was established on P00037 based on estimated performance requirements for non-recurring reengineering and retrofit. This estimated annual program does not identify specific MIPs to be performed, just general requirements. At this time $25,000,000 has been obligated. MSW/516 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P000227).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Coast Produce Co. Los Angeles, Calif.,* is being awarded a maximum $7,787,374.02 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside, indefinite quantity contract for fresh fruit and vegetables support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Navy, Marine Corps, and USDA School Customers. This proposal was originally DIBBS solicited with six responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Jul. 31, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-P020).

Coast Produce Company, Los Angeles, Calif.,* is being awarded a maximum $6,905,308.10 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside, indefinite quantity contract for fresh fruit and vegetables support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and USDA school customers . This proposal was originally DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Jul. 31, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-P021).

ARMY

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $28, 742,588 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed in Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0016.

Bearing Point, McLean, Va., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008 ,a $21,740,010 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and 17 bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0020.

IBM Global Business Services, Fairfax, Va., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008 a $21,565,874 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0022.

Logistics Management Institute, McLean, Va., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $19,383,840 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0019.

Science Applications International, Inc., Frederick, Md., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $18,237,504 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed in Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007 and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0015.

Clinical Research Management, Inc. Hinckley, Ohio, was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $17,980,152 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0018.

General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Va., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $16,122,790 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0017.

Gaver Technologies Inc. dba GTI Federal, Oakland, Md., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $15,924,899 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0021.

Macaulay-Brown, Inc. Dayton, Ohio, was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $13,895,100 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract for support services for Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Work will be performed at Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 31, 2007, and seventeen bids were received. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity W81XWH-08-D-0014.

L-3 Communications Corporation, Muskegon, Mich., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $8,076,850 firm fixed price contract for remanufacturing Bradley Fighting Vehicle System transmissions with a maximum quantity of 375 each. Work will be performed at Muskegon, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on May 1, 2007 and one bid was received. The U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity W56HZV-08-D-0021.

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC, Independence, Mo., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $6,469,412 firm fixed price contract for the following small caliber ammunition items: 7.62 MM All, A151 and A222. Work will be performed in Independence, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jan. 2, 2008, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Missouri 5th District, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity DAA09-99-D-0016.

BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Inc., York, Pa., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2008, a $5,729,092 firm fixed price contract for the purchase of 952 Bradley Urban Survivability Kits and Hotbox Restraint Kits. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and expected to be completed by Jul. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 30, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity W56HZV-05-G-0005.

Science Program Celebrates 50 Years of Sharing

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 15, 2007 - The P-51 Mustang was just an average fighter until a British Merlin engine was placed in the American airframe. Then the plane dominated the skies over World War II Europe. This kind of exchange is at the heart of The Technical Cooperation Program now celebrating its 50th year of existence. The program brings together experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to cooperate in defense science and technology applications.

"No country knows everything," a senior program official speaking on background said recently. "Especially in this era of globalization, we have to understand that not every solution will be 'made in America.'"

From its inception in 1957 as an agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, the program has been limited to non-nuclear defense programs. Defense officials of each country share what they are working on and progress that is made. National authorities then can adjust research efforts to incorporate these advances.

The program allows countries to collaborate on research efforts, hold joint testing, avoid duplication, hold down costs, and increase interoperability among allied nations. It also provides a forum for nations to join with others for bilateral or multilateral research projects.

Representatives of the five nations are meeting here next week. "They look at the 11 groups where we have continued cooperation," the senior program official said. The 11 groups are aerospace systems; chemical, biological and radiological defense; command, control, communications and information; electronic warfare systems; human resources and performance; joint systems and analysis; land systems; maritime systems; materials technology and processes; sensors; and conventional weapons technology.

Within the groups, scientists and researchers from the countries work together in action groups and technical panels. There are now 59 technical panels and 29 action groups, the official said.

The program was founded as the Soviet-launched Sputnik satellite circled overhead. The Soviet Union had nuclear weapons pointed at free nations and there was talk of a "missile gap" with the Soviets holding a solid lead.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan signed the Declaration of Common Purpose that brought the program into being. "The arrangements which the nations of the free world have made for collective defense and mutual help are based on the recognition that the concept of national self sufficiency is now out of date," the declaration said. Canada joined the program in 1957, Australia in 1965, and New Zealand in 1969.

For a group founded as a response to the Cold War, it has proven remarkably flexible, officials said. "We know there are different threats facing all of us today," the official said. "The program is concentrating on the threats we all must deal with."

Today, combating terrorism -- another threat that calls for nations to stand together -- is the program's prime mission.

Servicemembers see results of the some of the program's projects immediately. Others are at more rarified levels. One collaboration between Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States is paying off on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Called the "small-volume hypertonic fluid resuscitation for hemorrhagic casualty care," it is a fancy title for handling shock from blood loss. The research found that a "hypertonic" saline solution -- saline solution at least 10 percent stronger than normally used -- quickly restores blood pressure and reduces medical complications associated with shock. Medics in the field are switching to this solution.

Another project devised new methods of tracking the dispersion of chemical, biological or radiological agents in cities. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States pooled scientific expertise to develop meteorological and dispersion databases to predict how these agents move about a city.

A third project looks at command and control in a coalition. Australia, Canada and the United States combined to build a distributed network operations center. The center allows allies to share information, intelligence and orders across the range of networks. The system melds tactical command-and control networks with national networks into a coalition network.

The program is as relevant today as it was in 1957, the senior official said. "Each nation must assist the other by sharing scientific resources," he said. "Scientific progress made by one must be shared among all. It's the only way forward in this new world."