By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2009 - Officials with the nation's two largest electronic medical records systems announced a pilot program today designed to further enhance health-care services for military veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Kaiser Permanente plan to exchange their records information using the Nationwide Health Information Network, which was developed by the Health and Human Services Department last year. The initiative is scheduled to begin next month, VA officials said.
The network allows government and several private health care providers to share integrated delivery networks, pharmacies, labs and patient information.
"The ability to share critical health information is essential to interoperability," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in a written statement issued today. "Utilizing the NHIN's standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private-sector health care providers to promote better, faster and safer care for veterans."
VA and Kaiser Permanente plan to invite veterans in San Diego this week who receive health care from both organizations to participate in the pilot program, VA officials said, noting that patients must formally consent to their information being shared among different organizations.
"Veterans who respond and ask to participate will enable their public- and private-sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately," the VA statement said.
The NHIN network also works to cut health care costs for patients and providers through reducing redundancy in medical services.
"Securely digitizing American's health-care information is only the first step in realizing the cost savings and improved quality benefits possible with health-care technology," said Dr. Andrew M. Wiesenthal, associate executive director of The Permanente Federation, in the VA statement.
"The reality is that most people receive care from multiple providers," Wiesenthal said. "Without the ability for caregivers and patients to have access to their data, all of the time, there is the possibility for wasted time and resources duplicating tests and procedures."
The Defense Department will be included in the second phase of the pilot program early next year, officials said.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Joint Program Aims to Reduce Firefighter Injuries
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2009 - Firefighting may be near the top of the Defense Department's list of high-risk occupations, but there's a move afoot to make it safer. Defense Department firefighter injury reports -- more than 1,000 new incidents each year -- have cost the department nearly $30 million a year.
When the Defense Safety Oversight Council realized more than a year ago that Firefighter injury-related lost time rates were higher than any other civilian occupation within the department, it sought help in turning the situation around.
Enter the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Service Working Group.
"[The Defense Safety Oversight ] wanted us to look into what was causing the injuries to see if we could come up with suggestions on reducing the injury rates and the lost work days," said Carl Glover, the director of the Navy Fire and Emergency Service for Navy Installations Command. "[The working group] thought that the awareness training would be an opportunity to ... spread the work on the problem and create some awareness and potentially reduce the [accident rates]."
Glover served as chairman of the working group. He no longer holds that position, but continues to be engaged in the project.
The Firefighter Injury Prevention Training project started with a 26-month analysis of firefighter injuries within the Navy, he said. Of all the injuries reported, 41 percent were classified as "falls, slip, trip, or bodily exertion." Of those cases, 40 percent, or 75 incidents, were directly related to the firefighter entering or exiting the fire apparatus and lifting patients.
Comparing Navy incidents with those of other department components showed similar types of injures. "We operate under the same instruction and same methodology," Glover explained.
The resulting effort to lower the rate of injury is an eight-lesson, Web-based training program. The multimedia program uses text, audio, video, photographs and graphics to demonstrate proper techniques for the actions determined to lead to falls, slips, trips, and exertion injuries.
Video for the course which was shot at Bolling Air Force Base in the nation's capital, and features participants from Defense Logistics Agency, the Air Force, Army and Marines. The Navy has been using it for about a year, Glover said. Funded by the Defense Safety Oversight , the course also has been provided to the other services.
Though it's being used and is creating awareness of the issues in question, it's too soon to tell if it's actually been effective in lowering incident rates, Glover said.
"We've had some internal Navy feedback that it's well-received," he said. "We just don't know if it's achieving its desired result yet. I don't have any statistical numbers to [prove] that our number of injuries have reduced."
The plan is to evaluate the program's success once it's yielded enough data to study.
"If it's successful, maybe we approach DSOC for a Part Two, but tackle a different specific type of injury," Glover said. "Or, if it's not successful, then we'll go back to DSOC and say, 'Is there some other option we can look [at] ... to see if there's some other program we could implement to reduce the injuries.'"
The Navy intends to make the course mandatory for all new firefighters and an annual requirement for all firefighters.
And though it was created for Defense Department civilian, military and contracted firefighters, the program could easily be of value to any firefighter, Glover said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2009 - Firefighting may be near the top of the Defense Department's list of high-risk occupations, but there's a move afoot to make it safer. Defense Department firefighter injury reports -- more than 1,000 new incidents each year -- have cost the department nearly $30 million a year.
When the Defense Safety Oversight Council realized more than a year ago that Firefighter injury-related lost time rates were higher than any other civilian occupation within the department, it sought help in turning the situation around.
Enter the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Service Working Group.
"[The Defense Safety Oversight ] wanted us to look into what was causing the injuries to see if we could come up with suggestions on reducing the injury rates and the lost work days," said Carl Glover, the director of the Navy Fire and Emergency Service for Navy Installations Command. "[The working group] thought that the awareness training would be an opportunity to ... spread the work on the problem and create some awareness and potentially reduce the [accident rates]."
Glover served as chairman of the working group. He no longer holds that position, but continues to be engaged in the project.
The Firefighter Injury Prevention Training project started with a 26-month analysis of firefighter injuries within the Navy, he said. Of all the injuries reported, 41 percent were classified as "falls, slip, trip, or bodily exertion." Of those cases, 40 percent, or 75 incidents, were directly related to the firefighter entering or exiting the fire apparatus and lifting patients.
Comparing Navy incidents with those of other department components showed similar types of injures. "We operate under the same instruction and same methodology," Glover explained.
The resulting effort to lower the rate of injury is an eight-lesson, Web-based training program. The multimedia program uses text, audio, video, photographs and graphics to demonstrate proper techniques for the actions determined to lead to falls, slips, trips, and exertion injuries.
Video for the course which was shot at Bolling Air Force Base in the nation's capital, and features participants from Defense Logistics Agency, the Air Force, Army and Marines. The Navy has been using it for about a year, Glover said. Funded by the Defense Safety Oversight , the course also has been provided to the other services.
Though it's being used and is creating awareness of the issues in question, it's too soon to tell if it's actually been effective in lowering incident rates, Glover said.
"We've had some internal Navy feedback that it's well-received," he said. "We just don't know if it's achieving its desired result yet. I don't have any statistical numbers to [prove] that our number of injuries have reduced."
The plan is to evaluate the program's success once it's yielded enough data to study.
"If it's successful, maybe we approach DSOC for a Part Two, but tackle a different specific type of injury," Glover said. "Or, if it's not successful, then we'll go back to DSOC and say, 'Is there some other option we can look [at] ... to see if there's some other program we could implement to reduce the injuries.'"
The Navy intends to make the course mandatory for all new firefighters and an annual requirement for all firefighters.
And though it was created for Defense Department civilian, military and contracted firefighters, the program could easily be of value to any firefighter, Glover said.
Respite Child Care Expands to All 50 States
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2009 - It's a few hours a month, but the break the Armed Services YMCA Respite Child Care program provides parents with a deployed spouse always is welcome. And since the program's Oct. 1 nationwide expansion, many more parents will benefit. The Armed Services YMCA, as part of a Defense Department contract, provides health and wellness opportunities, including the Respite Child Care program, for reserve-component servicemembers and their families across the country through their local YMCAs.
This means deploying Guardsmen and reservists and their families are eligible for a full YMCA membership for three months before deployment, the 12 months of deployment, and three months after, said Mike Landers, deputy national director of the Armed Services YMCA.
"This entire health and wellness contract was designed for them because they don't have the infrastructure that the active-duty families that live near major military installations have," Landers said. "So the YMCAs, the Pentagon thought, would be a great place for them to be able to connect with other Guard and reserve families who have their same circumstance."
The Respite Child Care program, part of that contract, provides up to 16 hours of child care for families of deployed Guard and reserve personnel. It's meant to be a "short break" for the parent or guardian responsible the child's care, Landers said, and not a substitute for full-time or daily care.
"The respite care was designed to be an opportunity for the mom, whose husband is deployed, or the [dad] whose wife is deployed, to be able to drop their kids off to just have a little peace and quiet, to go to the commissary, to go shopping, to do whatever they need to do," Landers said.
During the first year, however, only the families in 10 pilot states were able to take advantage of the program, which must be offered through state licensed and certified programs and is free to parents. More than 220 children were served. Since Oct. 1, when the program expanded to all 50 states, another 200 children have taken advantage of the program.
"We saw a pretty significant uptick in the demand during the month of October," he said. "There are hundreds and hundreds of YMCAs that are now signed up to do this. I think we'll see a big uptick for the remainder of the year."
Armed Services YMCA officials said they would like to see those using the program establish a monthly routine. This, they explained, makes it easier for the participating YMCAs, since most don't have much excess capacity in their child care programs.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2009 - It's a few hours a month, but the break the Armed Services YMCA Respite Child Care program provides parents with a deployed spouse always is welcome. And since the program's Oct. 1 nationwide expansion, many more parents will benefit. The Armed Services YMCA, as part of a Defense Department contract, provides health and wellness opportunities, including the Respite Child Care program, for reserve-component servicemembers and their families across the country through their local YMCAs.
This means deploying Guardsmen and reservists and their families are eligible for a full YMCA membership for three months before deployment, the 12 months of deployment, and three months after, said Mike Landers, deputy national director of the Armed Services YMCA.
"This entire health and wellness contract was designed for them because they don't have the infrastructure that the active-duty families that live near major military installations have," Landers said. "So the YMCAs, the Pentagon thought, would be a great place for them to be able to connect with other Guard and reserve families who have their same circumstance."
The Respite Child Care program, part of that contract, provides up to 16 hours of child care for families of deployed Guard and reserve personnel. It's meant to be a "short break" for the parent or guardian responsible the child's care, Landers said, and not a substitute for full-time or daily care.
"The respite care was designed to be an opportunity for the mom, whose husband is deployed, or the [dad] whose wife is deployed, to be able to drop their kids off to just have a little peace and quiet, to go to the commissary, to go shopping, to do whatever they need to do," Landers said.
During the first year, however, only the families in 10 pilot states were able to take advantage of the program, which must be offered through state licensed and certified programs and is free to parents. More than 220 children were served. Since Oct. 1, when the program expanded to all 50 states, another 200 children have taken advantage of the program.
"We saw a pretty significant uptick in the demand during the month of October," he said. "There are hundreds and hundreds of YMCAs that are now signed up to do this. I think we'll see a big uptick for the remainder of the year."
Armed Services YMCA officials said they would like to see those using the program establish a monthly routine. This, they explained, makes it easier for the participating YMCAs, since most don't have much excess capacity in their child care programs.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Vice President Opens Home to Recovering Troops
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn't envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later. While on a dismounted patrol in Kandahar province in July, Wright led his platoon through a dangerous area where he thought a weapons cache was hidden. As he walked in the direction where he thought the stockpile was located, his foot triggered an improvised explosive device.
"I don't remember the blast or the pressure or the heat from the explosion," he said. "I just remember waking up afterwards and realizing that my leg was missing."
Last night, Wright and other wounded warriors recovering at local Fisher Houses and their families joined Vice President Joe Biden and the vice president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, at their residence here for a family-style Thanksgiving meal.
"I think it was a wonderful thing that the vice president and his wife did to open their home to soldiers and wounded warriors," Wright said today in an interview. "The hospitality was amazing, the conversation was great. I sat right next to Dr. Biden for part of the meal, and the other part of the meal, the vice president sat down with me. The conversation was common folk conversation. It was Anywhere, USA."
Though Wright is now fitted with a prosthetic leg that allows him to walk, he needs a wheelchair until he's able to build his endurance to remain mobile for long periods of time. "Within 3 to 4 months, I should be able to ditch the wheelchair and be able to walk," he said optimistically.
Speaking to Wright and about 35 other wounded warriors, military families and other guests, Biden recalled that the vice presidential home through the years has hosted presidents, heads of state and famous world leaders.
"But I can say without fear of contradiction, never before has this place been accorded such honor as with your presence here today, and I mean that sincerely," he said. "You possess more courage, dignity and a sense of patriotism than any other group of Americans."
The Bidens, whose son Beau served in Iraq as a captain in the Delaware National Guard, felt the sacrifice a family experiences when their loved one is deployed over the holidays.
"Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and this year I feel especially thankful that we have our son Beau home with us, because like Joe said, we're a military family," she said. "I'm a military mom, and I remember what it was like on Thanksgiving for our whole family. We pretended like everything was OK, but our hearts felt heavy. I know how many of you feel or many of you have felt."
Dr. Biden, who has reached out to military families across the country since her husband joined the campaign trail, said she tries to impart a message to Americans.
"One thing I've tried to do is to say to American families, 'Reach out to a military family in your community,'" she said. "It doesn't matter what you're doing. Take them cookies. Put a wreath on the door. Stuff a stocking. Take some books over for their children. Whatever it is, reach out to a military family and say, 'Thank you.'"
As Wright continues his physical recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, he also has embarked on another form of recuperation: learning to be comfortable with his place in society.
"When I got hurt, I kind of wanted to stay within myself and draw away from the public eye because of my injuries," he said. "I was kind of self-conscious about my scars. I didn't really want to interact with anybody, except my wife and my family."
But the more he interacted with the world outside his family, he said, the more his sense of normalcy began to return. A family-style dinner like last night's, he added, is a welcome shift of focus away from his injuries.
"You tend to focus on other activities such as the football game last night or the upcoming holiday season -- other than just, 'Oh, I got hurt, and now I've got this godawful scar, and now I have this leg,'" he said. "So it's very helpful. The social interaction really helps the psyche.
"It's a shame that more people did not accept the invitation because I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he continued. "It was the chance to meet the vice president and his wife, and just come to find out that they're normal Americans that like to open their home to wounded warriors."
Nov. 24, 2009 - As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn't envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later. While on a dismounted patrol in Kandahar province in July, Wright led his platoon through a dangerous area where he thought a weapons cache was hidden. As he walked in the direction where he thought the stockpile was located, his foot triggered an improvised explosive device.
"I don't remember the blast or the pressure or the heat from the explosion," he said. "I just remember waking up afterwards and realizing that my leg was missing."
Last night, Wright and other wounded warriors recovering at local Fisher Houses and their families joined Vice President Joe Biden and the vice president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, at their residence here for a family-style Thanksgiving meal.
"I think it was a wonderful thing that the vice president and his wife did to open their home to soldiers and wounded warriors," Wright said today in an interview. "The hospitality was amazing, the conversation was great. I sat right next to Dr. Biden for part of the meal, and the other part of the meal, the vice president sat down with me. The conversation was common folk conversation. It was Anywhere, USA."
Though Wright is now fitted with a prosthetic leg that allows him to walk, he needs a wheelchair until he's able to build his endurance to remain mobile for long periods of time. "Within 3 to 4 months, I should be able to ditch the wheelchair and be able to walk," he said optimistically.
Speaking to Wright and about 35 other wounded warriors, military families and other guests, Biden recalled that the vice presidential home through the years has hosted presidents, heads of state and famous world leaders.
"But I can say without fear of contradiction, never before has this place been accorded such honor as with your presence here today, and I mean that sincerely," he said. "You possess more courage, dignity and a sense of patriotism than any other group of Americans."
The Bidens, whose son Beau served in Iraq as a captain in the Delaware National Guard, felt the sacrifice a family experiences when their loved one is deployed over the holidays.
"Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and this year I feel especially thankful that we have our son Beau home with us, because like Joe said, we're a military family," she said. "I'm a military mom, and I remember what it was like on Thanksgiving for our whole family. We pretended like everything was OK, but our hearts felt heavy. I know how many of you feel or many of you have felt."
Dr. Biden, who has reached out to military families across the country since her husband joined the campaign trail, said she tries to impart a message to Americans.
"One thing I've tried to do is to say to American families, 'Reach out to a military family in your community,'" she said. "It doesn't matter what you're doing. Take them cookies. Put a wreath on the door. Stuff a stocking. Take some books over for their children. Whatever it is, reach out to a military family and say, 'Thank you.'"
As Wright continues his physical recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, he also has embarked on another form of recuperation: learning to be comfortable with his place in society.
"When I got hurt, I kind of wanted to stay within myself and draw away from the public eye because of my injuries," he said. "I was kind of self-conscious about my scars. I didn't really want to interact with anybody, except my wife and my family."
But the more he interacted with the world outside his family, he said, the more his sense of normalcy began to return. A family-style dinner like last night's, he added, is a welcome shift of focus away from his injuries.
"You tend to focus on other activities such as the football game last night or the upcoming holiday season -- other than just, 'Oh, I got hurt, and now I've got this godawful scar, and now I have this leg,'" he said. "So it's very helpful. The social interaction really helps the psyche.
"It's a shame that more people did not accept the invitation because I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he continued. "It was the chance to meet the vice president and his wife, and just come to find out that they're normal Americans that like to open their home to wounded warriors."
Secretary Issues Holiday Season Message
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today issued a holiday season message giving thanks to the military men and women who put their lives on the line every day. "This time of year calls on Americans to reflect on and give thanks for the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy. Of course, we can only do so because of those who put their lives on the line every day: the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who bear repeated deployments, hardships, and danger – without fail and without complaint.
"Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our nation will always honor their memory. For the loved ones of the fallen, I offer my deepest sympathies and prayers for your loss. And, in the wake of the shootings at Fort Hood, know that I am committed to ensuring that our home bases are safe and secure.
"I know the holiday season can be especially difficult for service members and their families, who may be separated from each other by thousands of miles. To the families of our men and women in uniform: know that the American people are indebted to you for the sacrifices of your husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters.
"This will be my third holiday season spent as Secretary of Defense. During these years nothing has impressed me as much as the determination, resilience and good humor of those who defend our nation. This holiday season, along with "Happy Thanksgiving," "Happy Hanukkah," and "Merry Christmas," I would add two words on behalf of millions of your countrymen: "Thank you."
Nov. 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today issued a holiday season message giving thanks to the military men and women who put their lives on the line every day. "This time of year calls on Americans to reflect on and give thanks for the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy. Of course, we can only do so because of those who put their lives on the line every day: the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who bear repeated deployments, hardships, and danger – without fail and without complaint.
"Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our nation will always honor their memory. For the loved ones of the fallen, I offer my deepest sympathies and prayers for your loss. And, in the wake of the shootings at Fort Hood, know that I am committed to ensuring that our home bases are safe and secure.
"I know the holiday season can be especially difficult for service members and their families, who may be separated from each other by thousands of miles. To the families of our men and women in uniform: know that the American people are indebted to you for the sacrifices of your husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters.
"This will be my third holiday season spent as Secretary of Defense. During these years nothing has impressed me as much as the determination, resilience and good humor of those who defend our nation. This holiday season, along with "Happy Thanksgiving," "Happy Hanukkah," and "Merry Christmas," I would add two words on behalf of millions of your countrymen: "Thank you."
HONORING THOSE THAT STAND ON THE WALLS
Nandell Palmer hosted a recent event honoring unsung heroes. We honored men and women that raise families, nurture churches and encourage others. The program included song, dance, oratory and a feast that Nandell and his family prepared and served themselves!
We are talking to Federal Way about such an event to honor law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other emergency personnel. The event should call attention to the need for the whole community to prepare for emergencies.
We are asking everyone in and around Federal Way to think about how we can honor our First Responders. Surrounding communities contain agencies such as South King Fire and Rescue that work in and around Federal Way so we may have to reach out and consider personnel from the surrounding area.
We also need to honor men and women like a JAG officer I know that had to leave his business for a year and assist as an active-duty military lawyer helping soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. We now realize that stateside duty is just as dangerous as going to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Every place is now a danger zone! Modern tactical doctrine has evolved to the point where recognizable fronts and uniformed armies have been replaced with committed packs of warriors that randomly circulate in small teams looking for opportunities. Thus, a teacher, a firefighter or a janitor may need to be just as vigilant as a member of our special forces in Afghanistan!
The risks are all around us every day, not just during an obvious catastrophe. This is why churches and pastors may be the most important key to getting ready for future events. The sense of community that already exists in churches requires that pastors, priests and rabbis- even imams and other leaders- train those within our various spiritual communities so that we do not just react to crises. Get into CERT training and classes provided by the City, state and federal governments and recognize First Responders that labor among you.
Many of us already have extra food and emergency supplies. Many people meet the criteria to be honored as First Responders in one capacity or another. We need a committee to handle the nominations and determine which individuals will be honored. Each individual will represent all responders from the various agencies in and around Federal Way.
None of us are able to take all the steps necessary to prepare for every contingency. We depend on each other. The beginning of good government is when neighbors voluntarily pool resources in order to provide for each other’s well-being and for the common defense. Historically, public order starts with volunteerism. A militia is formed. We divide into specialties. Eventually a strongman starts using force to extort goods and services from his neighbors.
Every Thanksgiving, I appreciate America’s Biblical roots, the U.S. Constitution and the freedom to talk and write about such things. I also appreciate the professionals that have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and stand guard over the City!
Mark S Knapp, Attorney
(253) 661-1252
(Fax) 661-1263
www.firearmslawyer.net
We are talking to Federal Way about such an event to honor law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other emergency personnel. The event should call attention to the need for the whole community to prepare for emergencies.
We are asking everyone in and around Federal Way to think about how we can honor our First Responders. Surrounding communities contain agencies such as South King Fire and Rescue that work in and around Federal Way so we may have to reach out and consider personnel from the surrounding area.
We also need to honor men and women like a JAG officer I know that had to leave his business for a year and assist as an active-duty military lawyer helping soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. We now realize that stateside duty is just as dangerous as going to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Every place is now a danger zone! Modern tactical doctrine has evolved to the point where recognizable fronts and uniformed armies have been replaced with committed packs of warriors that randomly circulate in small teams looking for opportunities. Thus, a teacher, a firefighter or a janitor may need to be just as vigilant as a member of our special forces in Afghanistan!
The risks are all around us every day, not just during an obvious catastrophe. This is why churches and pastors may be the most important key to getting ready for future events. The sense of community that already exists in churches requires that pastors, priests and rabbis- even imams and other leaders- train those within our various spiritual communities so that we do not just react to crises. Get into CERT training and classes provided by the City, state and federal governments and recognize First Responders that labor among you.
Many of us already have extra food and emergency supplies. Many people meet the criteria to be honored as First Responders in one capacity or another. We need a committee to handle the nominations and determine which individuals will be honored. Each individual will represent all responders from the various agencies in and around Federal Way.
None of us are able to take all the steps necessary to prepare for every contingency. We depend on each other. The beginning of good government is when neighbors voluntarily pool resources in order to provide for each other’s well-being and for the common defense. Historically, public order starts with volunteerism. A militia is formed. We divide into specialties. Eventually a strongman starts using force to extort goods and services from his neighbors.
Every Thanksgiving, I appreciate America’s Biblical roots, the U.S. Constitution and the freedom to talk and write about such things. I also appreciate the professionals that have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and stand guard over the City!
Mark S Knapp, Attorney
(253) 661-1252
(Fax) 661-1263
www.firearmslawyer.net
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 24, 2009
NAVY
Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $105,417,721 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee multi-year contract (N00019-07-C-0001) for efforts associated with the Block C upgrade of 91 MV-22 and 21 CV-22 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for the engine air particle separator upgrade and installation of a shaft driven compressor inlet barrier filter. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (90 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (5 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,533,237 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $64,612,516 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0080) for the procurement of one C-40A Clipper aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Renton, Wash. (88 percent), and Wichita, Kan. (12 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2011. 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.
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Mitchel Field, N.Y., is being awarded a $62,932,901 cost-plus incentive fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the FY10 and FY11 United States and United Kingdom TRIDENT II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services requirements. Specific efforts include United States and United Kingdom fleet support, strategic weapon system shipboard integration support and trainer, United States and United Kingdom trainer systems support, sea based strategic deterrent support, engineering refueling overhaul support, and navigation subsystem studies. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $141,389,203. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, N.Y. (95.4 percent); Oldsmar, Fla. (3.6 percent); Baltimore, Md. (.4 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (.4 percent); Eagan, Minn. (.1 percent) and Manassas, Va. (.1 percent). Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2011. With options exercised the completion date will be Sept. 30, 2013. The contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $30,135,013 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0002).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $34,302,846 delivery order on a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0001) for the full recertification of up to 172 All-Up-Round (AUR) Tomahawk missiles for the Navy (162) and the government of the United Kingdom (10). In addition, this order provides for fixed support for encanisterization/decanisterization of MK-14 AUR missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent) and Camden, Ark. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $32,302,846 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($32,340,646; 94.3 percent) and the United Kingdom ($1,962,200; 5.7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being issued a $26,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of E/A-18G aircraft components. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (90.34 percent), and St. Louis, Mo. (9.66 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $19,223,702 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0020 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Kuwait and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $19,223,702 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an $18,045,324 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus incentive fee/award fee contract (N00019-08-C-0033) to exercise an option for special tooling and special test equipment for Navy and Air Force Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (70 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (19 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($13,340,870; 73.9 percent) and the U.S. Air Force ($4,707,454; 26.1 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,860,585 a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 (AESA) radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (92.5 percent); and St. Louis, Mo. (7.5 percent); and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $12,325,371 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0021 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Iraq, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $12,325,371 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Hurst, Texas, is being issued $9,769,650 for ceiling priced order #0030 under previously awarded contract (N00383-05-G-048N) to repair various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received in response to the solicitation. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., is being awarded $8,987,591 for ceiling priced delivery order #0027 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-05-G-049N) for repair of various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $8,741,602 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0022 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $8,741,602 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Defensive Systems Div., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a $7,526,205 delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) to perform upgrades to the V-22 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, including modifications to the Direct Infrared Countermeasure, the missile warning sensor and processor, and equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. 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.
Raytheon Co., Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $5,777,994 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order # D001 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-07-G-5433) for Canadian uplink on behalf of Foreign Military Sales customer, Canada. The primary goal of this is to upgrade the Canadian Mk-48 guided missile vertical launching system to include the uplink capability for engaging targets with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. This will include both hardware and software upgrades. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I. (85 percent); and Sudbury, Mass. (15 percent);, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $25,730,506 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of two line items in support of F/A-18 flight surfaces systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-004H-THAK).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $15,500,000 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of twenty line items in support of the F/A-18 AESA APG73 radar system. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-001J-TH07).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $23,700,000 contract which will extend range standardization and Automation IIA support to complete the mission flight control center. At this time, $15,224,822 has been obligated. SMC/LRSW/PK of El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-95-C-0029, P00311).
Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $105,417,721 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee multi-year contract (N00019-07-C-0001) for efforts associated with the Block C upgrade of 91 MV-22 and 21 CV-22 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for the engine air particle separator upgrade and installation of a shaft driven compressor inlet barrier filter. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (90 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (5 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,533,237 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $64,612,516 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0080) for the procurement of one C-40A Clipper aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Renton, Wash. (88 percent), and Wichita, Kan. (12 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2011. 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.
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Mitchel Field, N.Y., is being awarded a $62,932,901 cost-plus incentive fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the FY10 and FY11 United States and United Kingdom TRIDENT II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services requirements. Specific efforts include United States and United Kingdom fleet support, strategic weapon system shipboard integration support and trainer, United States and United Kingdom trainer systems support, sea based strategic deterrent support, engineering refueling overhaul support, and navigation subsystem studies. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $141,389,203. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, N.Y. (95.4 percent); Oldsmar, Fla. (3.6 percent); Baltimore, Md. (.4 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (.4 percent); Eagan, Minn. (.1 percent) and Manassas, Va. (.1 percent). Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2011. With options exercised the completion date will be Sept. 30, 2013. The contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $30,135,013 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0002).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $34,302,846 delivery order on a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0001) for the full recertification of up to 172 All-Up-Round (AUR) Tomahawk missiles for the Navy (162) and the government of the United Kingdom (10). In addition, this order provides for fixed support for encanisterization/decanisterization of MK-14 AUR missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent) and Camden, Ark. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $32,302,846 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($32,340,646; 94.3 percent) and the United Kingdom ($1,962,200; 5.7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being issued a $26,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of E/A-18G aircraft components. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (90.34 percent), and St. Louis, Mo. (9.66 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $19,223,702 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0020 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Kuwait and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $19,223,702 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an $18,045,324 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus incentive fee/award fee contract (N00019-08-C-0033) to exercise an option for special tooling and special test equipment for Navy and Air Force Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (70 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (19 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($13,340,870; 73.9 percent) and the U.S. Air Force ($4,707,454; 26.1 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,860,585 a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fiscal year 2010 repair of the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 (AESA) radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (92.5 percent); and St. Louis, Mo. (7.5 percent); and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $12,325,371 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0021 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Iraq, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $12,325,371 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Hurst, Texas, is being issued $9,769,650 for ceiling priced order #0030 under previously awarded contract (N00383-05-G-048N) to repair various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received in response to the solicitation. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., is being awarded $8,987,591 for ceiling priced delivery order #0027 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-05-G-049N) for repair of various components for the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $8,741,602 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order #0022 against a previously issued indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020) to obligate funding. Work will be performed at various locations within Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds of $8,741,602 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Defensive Systems Div., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a $7,526,205 delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) to perform upgrades to the V-22 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, including modifications to the Direct Infrared Countermeasure, the missile warning sensor and processor, and equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. 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.
Raytheon Co., Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $5,777,994 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order # D001 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-07-G-5433) for Canadian uplink on behalf of Foreign Military Sales customer, Canada. The primary goal of this is to upgrade the Canadian Mk-48 guided missile vertical launching system to include the uplink capability for engaging targets with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. This will include both hardware and software upgrades. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I. (85 percent); and Sudbury, Mass. (15 percent);, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $25,730,506 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of two line items in support of F/A-18 flight surfaces systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-004H-THAK).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a maximum $15,500,000 firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for procurement of twenty line items in support of the F/A-18 AESA APG73 radar system. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-06-D-001J-TH07).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $23,700,000 contract which will extend range standardization and Automation IIA support to complete the mission flight control center. At this time, $15,224,822 has been obligated. SMC/LRSW/PK of El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-95-C-0029, P00311).
Progress Continues for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - A program to develop a new family of light tactical vehicles for Army, Marine Corps and special operations forces is moving ahead at full steam, almost halfway through its technology development phase. The joint light tactical vehicle is an Army, Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command program to replace the Humvee with a family of higher-performing, more survivable vehicles able to carry greater payloads, said Kevin Fahey, Army program executive officer for combat support and combat service support during a recent interview.
The goal, he explained, is to fill a critical capabilities gap while developing a family of vehicles capable of performing multiple missions and sharing common components.
The Army, lead agent for the program, announced just over a year ago that it had awarded three contracts valued at about $166 million for the program's 27-month technology development phase. The three contractors are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Ground Systems Division; General Tactical Vehicles, a joint venture between General Dynamics Land Systems and AM Genera; and Lockheed Martin Systems Integration.
During this phase, each of the three competing contractors is developing prototype vehicles in three different payloads configured for specific operational missions, Fahey said.
Category A is intended for general-purpose mobility and would carry the lightest payload, about 3,500 pounds. Category B models would transport infantry troops or weapons, serve as platforms for command-and-control and reconnaissance missions and carry payloads in the 4,000-to-4,500-pound range. Category C models would serve as shelter carriers, prime movers and ambulances, and would carry payloads just over 5,000 pounds.
The vehicles are being designed with an "open architecture" concept to accommodate extra armor, sensors, radios or other equipment, as required, without sacrificing power or payload, Fahey said. In addition, the vehicles will have a digital architecture incorporated into their design to support current networking requirements, as well as on-board diagnostics so they're easier to maintain.
As a unique twist to past development programs, the contractors are developing prototype companion trailers along with the tactical vehicles, with both meeting the same standards. "In the past, we rarely developed a trailer with its vehicle," Fahey said. "So the focus of this program is to demonstrate the maturity of the technology in an integrated platform."
By the year's end, the three contractors are expected to provide the vehicles and associated equipment for performance and reliability testing. Joint warfighters will provide their personal assessments.
The trick, Fahey said, is to avoid the pitfall of adding new requirements along the way that's plagued many past development programs.
"Our system very much opens the door up to, 'Wouldn't this widget be neat?" he said. "This is the phase where we need to prove that the technology is mature and can be integrated. ... We continue to emphasize to them that it has to be integratable, because when we make a decision at the end of this phase, we are going to execute."
When that decision is made, Fahey said, he feels confident it will be based on proven performance that demonstrates it can meet delivery goals. A production decision is expected by the end of 2014, with full-rate fielding to begin in 2016.
Fahey emphasized the benefit of designing the next-generation light tactical vehicles from the ground up for their specific use rather than simply being adapted to meet operational requirements.
The military's fleet of Humvees, estimated at about 160,000, was developed in the 1970s and delivered in the early 1980s with a focus on Cold War threats rather than on today's needs, he noted.
When the vehicles proved vulnerable to roadside bombs in Iraq and, increasingly, in Afghanistan, the military responded by adding heavy armor plating. The typical Humvee was designed to weigh a maximum of about 12,000 pounds, but now weighs closer to 18,000 pounds.
"It's way overweight, so it is underpowered, and mobility is lacking," Fahey said. "Another problem is [that] they don't have the payload they used to."
Mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, in contrast, were purchased essentially as quickly as they were built to meet a wartime requirement quickly.
"With the MRAP, the thought was, 'I need a more survivable truck that is available today to save soldiers' and Marines' lives," Fahey said. "We made the requirement meet what was available."
Fahey is quick to note that there's really little about the MRAP that's "light," but he recognizes that MRAPs are being used in the combat zones for missions typically conducted by light tactical vehicle crews.
Fahey welcomes the deliberate process and long-term focus being dedicated to the joint light tactical vehicle's development.
"Unlike MRAP, which we basically bought off the shelf and tested as we fielded it, we are designing [the joint light tactical vehicle] from the start with a focus on reliability and maintainability and commonality," he said.
Although the Army is leading the program, it's done "a fantastic job of integrating Marine Corps management" into the effort, said Bill Taylor, executive officer for the Marine Corps' land systems programs.
The biggest challenge in a joint program, Fahey said, is agreeing to a common set of requirements. The Marine Corps puts the highest emphasis on making the vehicles lightweight to meet its mobility requirements. The Army tends to focus more on troop protection.
"But I think we can come to that balance because of the way the program is structured," Fahey said. "After all, the bottom line is we all are in the same fight."
The program has received a lot of international attention, too. Australia and India both signed agreements to provide development support and share the associated costs, and other countries have expressed interest in participating as well.
"Everyone is interested," Flahey said. "When you go around the world, everybody has this capability gap that we are focused on: the light tactical vehicle that brings a balance of performance and protection."
Wounded Warrior Begins Second Career
By Alison KohlerSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - A former soldier who spent about 16 months in the warrior transition battalion here now looks forward to a rewarding career as an Army civilian. Former Army Capt. Erik Stewart advises other warriors in transition not to rush the process.
"Make sure you're healthy and as whole as you can be," Stewart said. "It's all about your attitude. If you have a positive attitude and you work with the doctors, it goes well."
Stewart, 38, from Wakefield, Kan., currently on leave, saw his Army career of more than 19 years officially end Nov. 18. He now has a promising future ahead of him working in the plans, mobilization, training and security directorate here as an emergency management specialist.
Stewart uses his 15 years of experience as a military police officer and four years as an engineer in his new job.
"There's some stuff I'm still learning, but the emergency management aspect of it, it works out," he said. The married father of four said he spent a lot of time looking before he landed the GS-12 civil service position. Learning to navigate the online civil service application process was tough, he acknowledged.
"In the Army, you get orders [and] you show up," he said. "You don't have to bring your accomplishments with you. You don't have to worry about that in the military. That was stressful."
His civilian job has him preparing emergency management plans and, if necessary, assisting in emergency response. He's in charge of Fort Riley's Ready Army program, currently concentrating on the post's management of H1N1 flu.
Though he misses the Army's unit camaraderie, he said, working as a civilian has its advantages.
"No more deployments, and no more alerts," he said. "[You] come home every weekend and every night."
Stewart was wounded by a roadside bomb in the tenth month of his third deployment. For a while, he tried to tough it out, he said.
"I got to where I was trying to get in and out of a vehicle and I couldn't do it, and I was in pain all the time - my back, my groin, my head and my arm," he said. "I was having trouble holding on to my rifle, and I couldn't wear my gear without my back or my groin hurting. I was having trouble concentrating."
He was sent here through the Army's regional medical center at Landstuhl, Germany, and was assigned to the warrior transition battalion.
"[I was] scared at first, because I've been doing this since high school," he said. "When I first got there, I was just going to appointments, and that was OK at first, because I had been gone for like 39 months with deployment, home, deployment, home. Then I realized I was bored; I needed to find something to do."
He tried to take college classes, but ended up having to withdraw three times, he said, because he couldn't focus and study. Stewart completed an unpaid internship with a nature center and looked into a welding program at a technical college. His wife mentioned looking for a job on Fort Riley, so he began to learn about applying for civil service positions.
Though he expected a long wait after he interviewed for his current position, he said, he was selected the following day, and he has been on the civilian payroll since September.
He advises other warriors in transition to make a plan, including financial plans, for what they need to have and where they will be in three months and in five years.
"They can't just [say], 'I'm going to get out and live at my folks' house', or 'I'm going to move home,'" he said. That's not a plan."
But before they make plans for life after the Army, Stewart said, soldiers should first get all the help they need.
"Don't get out just to get away from it all," he advised.
Most importantly, he added, warriors in transition need to take a step back when everything seems overwhelming.
"It's easy to get caught up in 'Woe is me,' and it's easy to go to the dark, depressed place," he said. "Take a big problem and break it down. It's like a wall, but if you take it down a brick at a time, eventually the wall's gone."
(Alison Kohler works in the Irwin Army Community Hospital public affairs office at Fort Riley.)
Trade Commission Offers Gift Card Tips
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Because distance often separates extended and even immediate families in military life, gift cards are a popular choice for holiday gift-giving. After all, one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. But the Federal Trade Commission advises servicemembers and their families, as well as Defense Department civilians and contractors to think before they buy holiday gift cards this season, and buy from sources they know and trust.
"Avoid buying gift cards from online auction sites, because the cards may be counterfeit or may have been obtained fraudulently," said Carol A. Kando-Pineda, counsel for the commission's consumer and business education commission. So before you shell out your hard-earned money and buy a stack of gift cards, you should know a few things first.
It's true that shopping for gifts can be a real dilemma. Just what do you get your finicky Aunt Mary, your co-worker, or your child's babysitter? Though a gift card can be the answer, Kando-Pineda said, be sure to know what you're getting.
"Read the fine print before you buy," she said. "If you don't like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere. Ask about expiration dates and fees when you're buying a card."
This type of information will always appear on the card itself, on the accompanying sleeve or envelope, or on the issuer's Web site. "If you don't see it, ask," Kando-Pineda cautioned. "If the information is separate from the gift card, give it to the recipient with the card to help protect the value of the card."
And buyers may not be aware, she added, that merchants often tack fees on to the gift cards -- for activation, maintenance or transactions, for example -- that may be deducted from the card's value at the recipient's end.
"It might be embarrassing to give someone a $50 gift card and find out later that fees gobbled up most of the amount," Kando-Pineda said.
Another note of caution to buyers of gift cards is what to do if the company you purchased the card from goes out of business.
"Well first, before you buy, you may want to consider the financial condition of the business and whether it has filed for bankruptcy," Kando-Pineda advised. "But if you do buy a card from a company that goes out of business or ultimately files for bankruptcy, it's as you might expect: the recipient may end up with a card that's worth less than the face value."
She added that before you decided to buy that gift card for Aunt Mary, you should consider how easy it will be for her to redeem that card. "Let's say the business closes stores near where the recipient lives or works," she said. "They may not be able to get to another location to redeem their card."
Kando-Pineda also recommends that recipients of gift cards shouldn't wait to use them. "Use your card as soon as you can," she said. "It's not unusual to misplace gift cards or forget you have them. Using them early will help you get the full value."
She noted that if a card does expire, the recipient should contact the issuer. "They may still honor the card," she said, "although they may charge a fee to do that."
Anyone who has a problem with use of a gift card should contact the company that issued it as soon as possible, Kando-Pineda said. If you can't resolve the problem at that level, she added, file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. If that doesn't fix the problem, she said, contact the Federal Trade Commission through its Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) toll-free. Complaints also may be filed with your state's attorney general.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 24, 2009 - Because distance often separates extended and even immediate families in military life, gift cards are a popular choice for holiday gift-giving. After all, one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. But the Federal Trade Commission advises servicemembers and their families, as well as Defense Department civilians and contractors to think before they buy holiday gift cards this season, and buy from sources they know and trust.
"Avoid buying gift cards from online auction sites, because the cards may be counterfeit or may have been obtained fraudulently," said Carol A. Kando-Pineda, counsel for the commission's consumer and business education commission. So before you shell out your hard-earned money and buy a stack of gift cards, you should know a few things first.
It's true that shopping for gifts can be a real dilemma. Just what do you get your finicky Aunt Mary, your co-worker, or your child's babysitter? Though a gift card can be the answer, Kando-Pineda said, be sure to know what you're getting.
"Read the fine print before you buy," she said. "If you don't like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere. Ask about expiration dates and fees when you're buying a card."
This type of information will always appear on the card itself, on the accompanying sleeve or envelope, or on the issuer's Web site. "If you don't see it, ask," Kando-Pineda cautioned. "If the information is separate from the gift card, give it to the recipient with the card to help protect the value of the card."
And buyers may not be aware, she added, that merchants often tack fees on to the gift cards -- for activation, maintenance or transactions, for example -- that may be deducted from the card's value at the recipient's end.
"It might be embarrassing to give someone a $50 gift card and find out later that fees gobbled up most of the amount," Kando-Pineda said.
Another note of caution to buyers of gift cards is what to do if the company you purchased the card from goes out of business.
"Well first, before you buy, you may want to consider the financial condition of the business and whether it has filed for bankruptcy," Kando-Pineda advised. "But if you do buy a card from a company that goes out of business or ultimately files for bankruptcy, it's as you might expect: the recipient may end up with a card that's worth less than the face value."
She added that before you decided to buy that gift card for Aunt Mary, you should consider how easy it will be for her to redeem that card. "Let's say the business closes stores near where the recipient lives or works," she said. "They may not be able to get to another location to redeem their card."
Kando-Pineda also recommends that recipients of gift cards shouldn't wait to use them. "Use your card as soon as you can," she said. "It's not unusual to misplace gift cards or forget you have them. Using them early will help you get the full value."
She noted that if a card does expire, the recipient should contact the issuer. "They may still honor the card," she said, "although they may charge a fee to do that."
Anyone who has a problem with use of a gift card should contact the company that issued it as soon as possible, Kando-Pineda said. If you can't resolve the problem at that level, she added, file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. If that doesn't fix the problem, she said, contact the Federal Trade Commission through its Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) toll-free. Complaints also may be filed with your state's attorney general.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 23, 2009
NAVY
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $45,041,786 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee task order for prepositioning and Marine Corps logistics support services, under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a $43,988,555 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0012) for the upgrade of seven P-3C aircraft for the government of Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. This modification in support of the Pakistan Navy P-3C upgrade program will replace the obsolete and unsustainable avionics systems currently installed with modern equipment that provides increased capabilities, reliability and will be sustainable for future operations. Work will be performed in Eagan, Minn. (70 percent), and Greenville, S.C. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
Stedman & Dyson Structural Engineers, San Diego, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for structural engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for structural engineering studies and site investigation reports, structural design, preparation of Request for Proposal for design-build projects, fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects, preparation of DD1391 documents, cost estimates, evaluations, construction inspection and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, California (87 percent), Arizona (5 percent), Nevada (5 percent), Colorado (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), and Utah (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 16 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-10-D-5401).
Valley Tech Systems, Inc., Folsom, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0002); Advanced Integrated Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0003); LC Engineers, Inc., Rahway, N.J.* (N68936-10-D-0004); and New Directions Technologies, Inc., Ridgecrest, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0005) are each being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts for advanced technology products in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Weapons Prototype Division. Products and support to be provided include electronic components and systems, mechanical components and systems, energetic materials and systems, chemical materials and components, fabrication, assembly, plating/painting/finish, and packing and shipping. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts is $8,166,666, and the companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Valley Tech Systems, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Folsom, Calif.; Advanced Integrated Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Barbara, Calif.; LC Engineers, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Rahway, N.J.; and New Directions Technologies, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Ridgecrest, Calif.. Work is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited via a multiple award electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set aside, with five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $7,599,582 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0005) to exercise an option for control and guidance section repairs for the AGM-88 high speed anti-radiation missile for the Air Force. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,599,582 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Volvo Construction Co., North, Ashville, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $14,596,158 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for wheel loaders. Other location of performance is Sweden. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally four proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-05-D-0006-0064).
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $9,528,310 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for motor grader. Other location of performance is in Decatur, Ill. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally three proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0395).
US Foods International, Gardena, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,766,894 firm-fixed-price, prime vendor, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is La Miranda, Calif. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and child development center. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-08-D-3084).
Campbellsville Apparel Co., LLC, Campbellsville, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,760,000 firm-fixed-price, total set-aside contract for men's undershirts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year two of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-08-D-1026).
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $45,041,786 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee task order for prepositioning and Marine Corps logistics support services, under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67004-09-D-0020). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a $43,988,555 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0012) for the upgrade of seven P-3C aircraft for the government of Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. This modification in support of the Pakistan Navy P-3C upgrade program will replace the obsolete and unsustainable avionics systems currently installed with modern equipment that provides increased capabilities, reliability and will be sustainable for future operations. Work will be performed in Eagan, Minn. (70 percent), and Greenville, S.C. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
Stedman & Dyson Structural Engineers, San Diego, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for structural engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for structural engineering studies and site investigation reports, structural design, preparation of Request for Proposal for design-build projects, fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects, preparation of DD1391 documents, cost estimates, evaluations, construction inspection and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to, California (87 percent), Arizona (5 percent), Nevada (5 percent), Colorado (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), and Utah (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 16 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-10-D-5401).
Valley Tech Systems, Inc., Folsom, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0002); Advanced Integrated Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0003); LC Engineers, Inc., Rahway, N.J.* (N68936-10-D-0004); and New Directions Technologies, Inc., Ridgecrest, Calif.* (N68936-10-D-0005) are each being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts for advanced technology products in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Weapons Prototype Division. Products and support to be provided include electronic components and systems, mechanical components and systems, energetic materials and systems, chemical materials and components, fabrication, assembly, plating/painting/finish, and packing and shipping. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts is $8,166,666, and the companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Valley Tech Systems, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Folsom, Calif.; Advanced Integrated Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Barbara, Calif.; LC Engineers, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Rahway, N.J.; and New Directions Technologies, Inc., will perform work under its contract in Ridgecrest, Calif.. Work is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited via a multiple award electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set aside, with five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $7,599,582 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0005) to exercise an option for control and guidance section repairs for the AGM-88 high speed anti-radiation missile for the Air Force. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,599,582 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Volvo Construction Co., North, Ashville, N.C., is being awarded a maximum $14,596,158 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for wheel loaders. Other location of performance is Sweden. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally four proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is June 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-05-D-0006-0064).
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $9,528,310 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for motor grader. Other location of performance is in Decatur, Ill. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. There were originally three proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0395).
US Foods International, Gardena, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,766,894 firm-fixed-price, prime vendor, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is La Miranda, Calif. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and child development center. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-08-D-3084).
Campbellsville Apparel Co., LLC, Campbellsville, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,760,000 firm-fixed-price, total set-aside contract for men's undershirts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year two of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Oct. 30, 2010. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM1C1-08-D-1026).
Contracts Manager Retires After 38 Years
By Debra R. Bingham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - There's a pair of shoes at Utah's Hill Air Force Base that will be hard to fill. They once belonged to Pamela Day, who retired last week after 38 years of federal service. Day, who most recently served as director of depot-level reparable procurement operations for Defense Logistics Agency-Ogden, was recognized during a Nov. 19 retirement ceremony at Hill Aerospace Museum.
"Finding a professional contracting manager who is Pam's equal in federal government will be difficult, to say the least," said Yvette Burke, acquisition executive for DLA's aviation demand and supply chain, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va. DLA Ogden is the forward arm of the Richmond supply center at Hill. "Her knowledge, experience, dedication and enthusiastic approach have been invaluable assets throughout her career, and they have been of immeasurable benefit to the warfighters she dedicated her life to supporting."
Burke praised Day for her leadership and willingness to take on challenging missions and accomplish them based on her understanding and steadfast support of America's military men and women.
"After all, the first breath Pam ever took in this world was on a military installation," Burke said, noting that Day was born at Alameda Naval Station in California while her father served in the Navy. "But at heart, Pam is a Utah girl through and through—she was raised in Clinton, graduated from Clearfield High School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State and Park College."
Day began working for the federal government as a supply clerk at the Bureau of Reclamation in 1971 and later became a purchasing agent. Recalling that first job and her subsequent Air Force career, Day said, "I learned that it takes longer to process an environmental statement than it does to complete a source selection – amazing."
In 1976, Day entered the contracting field and began working for the Air Force at Hill, where she has been ever since. She has served in a variety of positions, including contract negotiator; contracting officer; chief of the commodities, services and construction branches in operational contracting; chief of the aircraft contracting division; and as chief of contracting for the aircraft and commodities sustainment wings.
Day distinguished herself on numerous successful department programs, including her work on the Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements contract – a pilot program – and the $450 million, multiple-award Remedial Action Contract program. She was an instrumental leader in the A-76 Consolidated Study involving 1,200 full-time employees at Ogden Air Logistics Center. Day played a key role in the $13 billion F-16 Sustainment Contract, managed the first strategic sourcing contract at Hill, and supervised the Decentralized Design Engineering Support Contract – a complex multiple-award contract with involvement from multiple Air Force sites.
"Pam was a key player in the $1.2 billion Secondary Power Logistics Solution, Hill Air Force Base's first performance-based logistics contract," Burke said. "And, most recently, Pam was actively involved in and supervised the administration of the incredibly innovative $1.5 billion Landing Gear Prime Vendor Contract, an enterprise solution used by both DLA and the Air Force to support the worldwide sustainment of landing gear."
Day was hard pressed to pick a favorite assignment, but said she enjoyed working construction and environmental contracts. "F-16 [Sustainment Contract] was at the top of my list. I love being challenged, but also being able to see something from beginning to a successful end," she said.
Day played a key role in the standup of DLA Ogden, which came out of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law calling for the transfer of supply, storage and distribution and depot-level reparable procurement operations from the military services to DLA.
"DLA Ogden was activated with minimal difficulty and without impact to customers or employees. The standup went off without a hitch thanks in large part to her management and procurement expertise," Burke said.
Under Day's leadership, Burke said, the organization has shown exemplary performance through its 17 months of operations – including two successful year-end closeouts.
"Her keen oversight of Ogden DLR operations resulted in continuous improvements in procurement lead times and overall strategic performance – one of the primary visions of BRAC," Burke said.
Day worked closely with the Air Force to combine procurement efforts, find more savings for the taxpayers and improve DLA performance to keep warfighters flying – and landing – safely.
That sentiment was echoed by Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
"The Air Force and DLA could not have successfully transferred the DLR procurement functions as part of BRAC without Pam's engaged leadership," Busch said. "Ogden was the first of the five DLR procurement sites that Ms. Burke transferred to the aviation demand and supply chain, and Pam's willingness to partner with DLA and work through tough issues was the foundation for the sustained success of the transfer process."
Busch was commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond when Day joined the DLA team, but he knew about her reputation of excellence long before that.
"Pam is widely respected within the Air Force and brought with her a huge amount of credibility that was needed to convince the Ogden team that DLA was a trustworthy partner on this BRAC challenge," Busch said.
In the course of her career, Day was named Air Force Materiel Command's Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year, AFMC Professional Contracting Officer of the Year, Ogden ALC Manager of the Year, Ogden ALC Civilian of the Quarter and Civilian of the Year, and earned the Spirit of the American Woman Professional Award.
During her retirement ceremony, Day was able to add some final awards to the list. Busch presented Day with the Air Force's Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award; Burke presented her with the DLA Distinguished Career Service Award, a Silver Letter from the DLA director, Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson, and the Aviation Demand and Supply Chain Commander's Plaque.
Despite her success, Day was humble when it came to taking credit for her accomplishments.
"The job isn't about me – it's about the mission, and if that isn't your focus, you'll make decisions for the wrong reasons, which could lead to poor results. Fortunately, I learned that really early in my career," she said.
(Debra R. Bingham works for Defense Supply Center-Richmond public affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - There's a pair of shoes at Utah's Hill Air Force Base that will be hard to fill. They once belonged to Pamela Day, who retired last week after 38 years of federal service. Day, who most recently served as director of depot-level reparable procurement operations for Defense Logistics Agency-Ogden, was recognized during a Nov. 19 retirement ceremony at Hill Aerospace Museum.
"Finding a professional contracting manager who is Pam's equal in federal government will be difficult, to say the least," said Yvette Burke, acquisition executive for DLA's aviation demand and supply chain, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va. DLA Ogden is the forward arm of the Richmond supply center at Hill. "Her knowledge, experience, dedication and enthusiastic approach have been invaluable assets throughout her career, and they have been of immeasurable benefit to the warfighters she dedicated her life to supporting."
Burke praised Day for her leadership and willingness to take on challenging missions and accomplish them based on her understanding and steadfast support of America's military men and women.
"After all, the first breath Pam ever took in this world was on a military installation," Burke said, noting that Day was born at Alameda Naval Station in California while her father served in the Navy. "But at heart, Pam is a Utah girl through and through—she was raised in Clinton, graduated from Clearfield High School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State and Park College."
Day began working for the federal government as a supply clerk at the Bureau of Reclamation in 1971 and later became a purchasing agent. Recalling that first job and her subsequent Air Force career, Day said, "I learned that it takes longer to process an environmental statement than it does to complete a source selection – amazing."
In 1976, Day entered the contracting field and began working for the Air Force at Hill, where she has been ever since. She has served in a variety of positions, including contract negotiator; contracting officer; chief of the commodities, services and construction branches in operational contracting; chief of the aircraft contracting division; and as chief of contracting for the aircraft and commodities sustainment wings.
Day distinguished herself on numerous successful department programs, including her work on the Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements contract – a pilot program – and the $450 million, multiple-award Remedial Action Contract program. She was an instrumental leader in the A-76 Consolidated Study involving 1,200 full-time employees at Ogden Air Logistics Center. Day played a key role in the $13 billion F-16 Sustainment Contract, managed the first strategic sourcing contract at Hill, and supervised the Decentralized Design Engineering Support Contract – a complex multiple-award contract with involvement from multiple Air Force sites.
"Pam was a key player in the $1.2 billion Secondary Power Logistics Solution, Hill Air Force Base's first performance-based logistics contract," Burke said. "And, most recently, Pam was actively involved in and supervised the administration of the incredibly innovative $1.5 billion Landing Gear Prime Vendor Contract, an enterprise solution used by both DLA and the Air Force to support the worldwide sustainment of landing gear."
Day was hard pressed to pick a favorite assignment, but said she enjoyed working construction and environmental contracts. "F-16 [Sustainment Contract] was at the top of my list. I love being challenged, but also being able to see something from beginning to a successful end," she said.
Day played a key role in the standup of DLA Ogden, which came out of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law calling for the transfer of supply, storage and distribution and depot-level reparable procurement operations from the military services to DLA.
"DLA Ogden was activated with minimal difficulty and without impact to customers or employees. The standup went off without a hitch thanks in large part to her management and procurement expertise," Burke said.
Under Day's leadership, Burke said, the organization has shown exemplary performance through its 17 months of operations – including two successful year-end closeouts.
"Her keen oversight of Ogden DLR operations resulted in continuous improvements in procurement lead times and overall strategic performance – one of the primary visions of BRAC," Burke said.
Day worked closely with the Air Force to combine procurement efforts, find more savings for the taxpayers and improve DLA performance to keep warfighters flying – and landing – safely.
That sentiment was echoed by Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
"The Air Force and DLA could not have successfully transferred the DLR procurement functions as part of BRAC without Pam's engaged leadership," Busch said. "Ogden was the first of the five DLR procurement sites that Ms. Burke transferred to the aviation demand and supply chain, and Pam's willingness to partner with DLA and work through tough issues was the foundation for the sustained success of the transfer process."
Busch was commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond when Day joined the DLA team, but he knew about her reputation of excellence long before that.
"Pam is widely respected within the Air Force and brought with her a huge amount of credibility that was needed to convince the Ogden team that DLA was a trustworthy partner on this BRAC challenge," Busch said.
In the course of her career, Day was named Air Force Materiel Command's Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year, AFMC Professional Contracting Officer of the Year, Ogden ALC Manager of the Year, Ogden ALC Civilian of the Quarter and Civilian of the Year, and earned the Spirit of the American Woman Professional Award.
During her retirement ceremony, Day was able to add some final awards to the list. Busch presented Day with the Air Force's Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award; Burke presented her with the DLA Distinguished Career Service Award, a Silver Letter from the DLA director, Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson, and the Aviation Demand and Supply Chain Commander's Plaque.
Despite her success, Day was humble when it came to taking credit for her accomplishments.
"The job isn't about me – it's about the mission, and if that isn't your focus, you'll make decisions for the wrong reasons, which could lead to poor results. Fortunately, I learned that really early in my career," she said.
(Debra R. Bingham works for Defense Supply Center-Richmond public affairs.)
Top Air Force NCO Visits Canada to Develop Partnership
By Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. StumpSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Air Force's top enlisted leader visited multiple locations in Canada in recent days to start building a permanent enlisted professional military education partnership with one of America's closest allies. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited Ottawa, Ontario, and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Nov. 17 to 20 in an effort to continue building on the development of enlisted airmen, which Roy has named as one of his top priorities.
During his visit, Roy met with his Canadian counterpart, Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force René Couturier, to discuss developing a permanent agreement to send U.S. Air Force senior noncommissioned officers to the Canadian equivalent course, Advanced Leadership Qualification.
"We already have a partnership," Roy said. "The Canadian air force has an instructor in our Senior NCO Academy, they send students to our Senior NCO Academy and we have a U.S. Air Force instructor in the Royal Military College. This is the next logical step."
The Advanced Leadership Qualification uses a combination of distance learning and residential training. The distance learning is about 10 days of work over the course of 10 weeks and the residential training is 15 days in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, about 30 miles outside of Montreal. The course has three modules: leadership and military ethos; national defense policy and national security; and Canadian Forces structure, defense team structure, and general systems of war and conflict.
"This is about a partnership, not just about sending a master sergeant or senior master sergeant to a school," Roy said. "These exchanges help us work together closer as two nations."
The exchange also is important because of the close working relationship the two countries have through the North American Aerospace Defense Command partnership.
"This enhances our ability to defend our homeland," said Chief Master Sgt. W. Allen Usry, who helped coordinate the trip and serves as command chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.
The goal is to eventually develop an exchange at the NCO level by sending U.S. airmen to the Canadian Intermediate Level Qualification and sending Canadian airmen to one of the U.S. Air Force NCO academies, Roy said. This will help get maximum return on investment since the servicemembers will have up to 20 years left in their respective services.
"NCOs are a good target because they can develop a relationship early so when they are in Kandahar [Afghanistan], they can work with a friend," Couturier said. "The benefit isn't the different curriculum. The biggest benefit is the exchange between the students. The curriculum facilitates that exchange."
The two countries will be working in the coming months to look at curriculum to make sure the classes are equivalent, said Chief Master Sgt. Brye McMillon, the Air University command chief and a visitor on the trip. The Canadian air force already is looking into accepting Senior NCO Academy as an equivalent for its course and has the instructor exchange in place, said Chief Master Sgt. Alex Perry, Senior NCO Academy commandant and a visitor on the trip.
The United States and Canada already have a history of enlisted professional military education partnerships. The United States sent two National Guard airmen through Primary Leadership Qualification, the Canadian version of Airman Leadership School.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump serves in the Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.)
Health Care Gains Recognition as Bridge to Stability
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - A theory gaining momentum among counterinsurgency and military medical experts is that the health of a nation's people affects the health of a nation. While no formal study has confirmed a causal connection, evidence culled from U.S. commanders as well as American allies and adversaries, suggests a correlation between health and stability. With the Defense Department's growing emphasis on stability operations, a better understanding of this relationship could help inform U.S. foreign policy.
"It is increasingly recognized that health is a critical bridge to peace and stability around the globe," said Navy Cdr. David Tarantino, M.D., in a presentation on Defense Department stability operations policy. "Health is perhaps the quintessential service among all essential services."
Early recognition of health as a stabilizing factor appears in the Geneva Convention of 1949, which requires an occupying force to contribute to its host nation's health-care infrastructure. Over the following decades, world superpowers including the United States and China and paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army and even al Qaida have recognized the strategic role health plays, officials said.
In modern-day counterinsurgency conflicts, where gaining support of the people is the prime objective, one of the crucial aspects is to provide the population essential services that improve quality of life, said retired Army Col. Pete Mansoor, the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Mansoor, a professor at the Ohio State University, served as the executive officer to Army Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. He assisted in the strategic planning for the U.S. war effort in Iraq, including the troop surge that is largely credited with increasing Iraq's stability.
"Medical care is among the most sought after resource in this regard, as people worldwide appreciate good health over most other aspects of the human condition," he said in an e-mail today. "In counterinsurgency operations, doctors and other health-care professionals can be as important as soldiers."
Dr. Lynn Lawry, the senior health stability and humanitarian assistance specialist in the Defense Department's International Health Division, characterized health care as a "moderator" of stability.
"If you think about it, health is a basic need like food, shelter, clean water, health-care access --being able to get your kids help," she said in an interview last month. "What the anecdotal evidence points to is that health is really stability."
Lawry described two phenomena that suggest a link: the correlation between infant mortality rates and stability, and the incidence of mortar attacks on an area's health-care infrastructure.
As the stability of an area decreases, Lynn said, there is a dramatic increase in infant mortality, which is defined as the number of deaths of children one year or younger per 1,000 live births. Conversely, improved stability is met with a drop in infant mortality.
"That's a disproportionate marker," Lawry said of infant death rates. "It goes way up, as opposed to some of the other markers. So you can look at infant mortality, and that is directly related to having health-care services as a marker for stability."
Anecdotal evidence from the battlefield also suggests that health care can create stability. Military units in the field that are being shelled with artillery fire have found that medical care has proven to be a defensive measure in some instances, Lawry said.
"They go out into the community and set up some type of medical programming in the surrounding area," she said, noting that such facilities often meets the needs of communities lacking infrastructure to treat women and immunize children. "Then, all of a sudden, the mortars stop."
Evidence from conflict zones like the Gaza Strip, where Hamas' first social priority has been to provide health care, followed by education, and data from the Kosovo War in the late 1990s also suggest a connection, Lawry said.
"If you look at Gaza where there was a huge amount of uprisings and problems, they went in and put in a health clinic basically on every corner and stability ensued," she said. "The same thing happened in the opposite way in Albania where there was lots of health-care services. As health care started dwindling, so did stability."
Navy Lt. Cdr. William J. Hughes, MSC, the program director for contingency planning at the International Health Division, said insurgent groups have long recognized the value of health care in winning popular support.
"Michael Collins of the IRA wrote in his doctrine that if you break down the state and you want to view yourself -- the insurgency -- as the legitimate form of government, then health care is [critical]," he said in an interview last week.
Hughes noted that after the earthquake in Kashmir, the disputed region between India and Pakistan, the first medical unit to respond was one with direct links to al Qaida. "Now there's an adversary of ours who's learned what health can do to an environment," he added.
Hughes noted that countries like Venezuela and Cuba send their doctors around the globe to perform health care, and that China recently converted one of its ships into a floating hospital.
The move by China is similar to efforts by two American vessels, the USNS Mercy and USS Comfort, which travel to impoverished or disaster-stricken countries to provide medical care.
Such "soft power" operations, which emphasize non-military government efforts, have gained visibility with the Defense Department this year, reaffirming a policy directive that puts stability operations on equal footing with major combat operations.
"This directive said that stability operations were on par with major combat operations," Hughes said of directive 3000.05. "Now that's groundbreaking. That's transformational because now when you do that, you say you have to train, equip and fund people to do these kinds of operations."
Hughes said critics expressed concern that the directive, created in 2005, would place the military at the front of America's image abroad, echoing concern that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has voiced about U.S. foreign policy's "creeping militarization." But Hughes said medical workers in uniform are unique in that they often are viewed as "neutral players," with an interest primarily in providing care.
"We have this Hippocratic Oath. It's in our blood to want to care and do good things," he said. "You can provide [health care] and you're not necessarily going to be viewed as an agent of your nation's policies."
Further, Hughes emphasized that the department's International Health Division, which aids the combatant commands in coordinating and carrying out health aspects of the department's stability operations, is concerned primarily with helping partner nations build their own capacity to provide health and maintain stability.
"[Sometimes] we work with the host nation so that we can work ourselves out of a job," he said of the division's mission to train its allied counterparts. "That's what we want to do with stability ops -- we don't want to stay."
Lawry, Hughes' colleague at the division, underscored that no formal evidence-based assessment has been conducted that establishes the link between health and stability.
"But you can say, anecdotally, that's what it looks like," she said. "It deserves a study."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - A theory gaining momentum among counterinsurgency and military medical experts is that the health of a nation's people affects the health of a nation. While no formal study has confirmed a causal connection, evidence culled from U.S. commanders as well as American allies and adversaries, suggests a correlation between health and stability. With the Defense Department's growing emphasis on stability operations, a better understanding of this relationship could help inform U.S. foreign policy.
"It is increasingly recognized that health is a critical bridge to peace and stability around the globe," said Navy Cdr. David Tarantino, M.D., in a presentation on Defense Department stability operations policy. "Health is perhaps the quintessential service among all essential services."
Early recognition of health as a stabilizing factor appears in the Geneva Convention of 1949, which requires an occupying force to contribute to its host nation's health-care infrastructure. Over the following decades, world superpowers including the United States and China and paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army and even al Qaida have recognized the strategic role health plays, officials said.
In modern-day counterinsurgency conflicts, where gaining support of the people is the prime objective, one of the crucial aspects is to provide the population essential services that improve quality of life, said retired Army Col. Pete Mansoor, the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Mansoor, a professor at the Ohio State University, served as the executive officer to Army Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. He assisted in the strategic planning for the U.S. war effort in Iraq, including the troop surge that is largely credited with increasing Iraq's stability.
"Medical care is among the most sought after resource in this regard, as people worldwide appreciate good health over most other aspects of the human condition," he said in an e-mail today. "In counterinsurgency operations, doctors and other health-care professionals can be as important as soldiers."
Dr. Lynn Lawry, the senior health stability and humanitarian assistance specialist in the Defense Department's International Health Division, characterized health care as a "moderator" of stability.
"If you think about it, health is a basic need like food, shelter, clean water, health-care access --being able to get your kids help," she said in an interview last month. "What the anecdotal evidence points to is that health is really stability."
Lawry described two phenomena that suggest a link: the correlation between infant mortality rates and stability, and the incidence of mortar attacks on an area's health-care infrastructure.
As the stability of an area decreases, Lynn said, there is a dramatic increase in infant mortality, which is defined as the number of deaths of children one year or younger per 1,000 live births. Conversely, improved stability is met with a drop in infant mortality.
"That's a disproportionate marker," Lawry said of infant death rates. "It goes way up, as opposed to some of the other markers. So you can look at infant mortality, and that is directly related to having health-care services as a marker for stability."
Anecdotal evidence from the battlefield also suggests that health care can create stability. Military units in the field that are being shelled with artillery fire have found that medical care has proven to be a defensive measure in some instances, Lawry said.
"They go out into the community and set up some type of medical programming in the surrounding area," she said, noting that such facilities often meets the needs of communities lacking infrastructure to treat women and immunize children. "Then, all of a sudden, the mortars stop."
Evidence from conflict zones like the Gaza Strip, where Hamas' first social priority has been to provide health care, followed by education, and data from the Kosovo War in the late 1990s also suggest a connection, Lawry said.
"If you look at Gaza where there was a huge amount of uprisings and problems, they went in and put in a health clinic basically on every corner and stability ensued," she said. "The same thing happened in the opposite way in Albania where there was lots of health-care services. As health care started dwindling, so did stability."
Navy Lt. Cdr. William J. Hughes, MSC, the program director for contingency planning at the International Health Division, said insurgent groups have long recognized the value of health care in winning popular support.
"Michael Collins of the IRA wrote in his doctrine that if you break down the state and you want to view yourself -- the insurgency -- as the legitimate form of government, then health care is [critical]," he said in an interview last week.
Hughes noted that after the earthquake in Kashmir, the disputed region between India and Pakistan, the first medical unit to respond was one with direct links to al Qaida. "Now there's an adversary of ours who's learned what health can do to an environment," he added.
Hughes noted that countries like Venezuela and Cuba send their doctors around the globe to perform health care, and that China recently converted one of its ships into a floating hospital.
The move by China is similar to efforts by two American vessels, the USNS Mercy and USS Comfort, which travel to impoverished or disaster-stricken countries to provide medical care.
Such "soft power" operations, which emphasize non-military government efforts, have gained visibility with the Defense Department this year, reaffirming a policy directive that puts stability operations on equal footing with major combat operations.
"This directive said that stability operations were on par with major combat operations," Hughes said of directive 3000.05. "Now that's groundbreaking. That's transformational because now when you do that, you say you have to train, equip and fund people to do these kinds of operations."
Hughes said critics expressed concern that the directive, created in 2005, would place the military at the front of America's image abroad, echoing concern that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has voiced about U.S. foreign policy's "creeping militarization." But Hughes said medical workers in uniform are unique in that they often are viewed as "neutral players," with an interest primarily in providing care.
"We have this Hippocratic Oath. It's in our blood to want to care and do good things," he said. "You can provide [health care] and you're not necessarily going to be viewed as an agent of your nation's policies."
Further, Hughes emphasized that the department's International Health Division, which aids the combatant commands in coordinating and carrying out health aspects of the department's stability operations, is concerned primarily with helping partner nations build their own capacity to provide health and maintain stability.
"[Sometimes] we work with the host nation so that we can work ourselves out of a job," he said of the division's mission to train its allied counterparts. "That's what we want to do with stability ops -- we don't want to stay."
Lawry, Hughes' colleague at the division, underscored that no formal evidence-based assessment has been conducted that establishes the link between health and stability.
"But you can say, anecdotally, that's what it looks like," she said. "It deserves a study."
Obama, Mullen Send Thanksgiving Day Messages
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released Thanksgiving messages today. Obama recalled that President George Washington proclaimed the first public thanksgiving, and President Abraham Lincoln established the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday to mend the nation during the Civil War.
It is Thanksgiving as a unique American tradition that "binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings," the president said.
Obama added, "As we gather once again among loved ones, let us also reach out to our neighbors and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year.
"In doing so, we pay tribute to our country's men and women in uniform who set an example of service that inspires us all. Let us be guided by the legacy of those who have fought for the freedoms for which we give thanks, and be worthy heirs to the noble tradition of goodwill shown on this day."
Mullen's Thanksgiving Day message follows in its entirety.
"On behalf of the Mullen family, I wish all of you serving in uniform today -- as well as your families -- a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
"We certainly have much for which to be grateful. Today, due in no small measure to your dedication, our nation -- indeed the world -- is a safer place to live. All around the globe and in all manner of ways, you stand a vigilant watch. From Afghanistan to Iraq and a thousand places in between, you help ensure peace and stability in places that have historically known neither. Giving hope to those in need and pause to those who threaten us, you make sure the fight remains on the enemy's doorstep and that lives torn asunder by war and natural disaster are restored and renewed.
"The people you have helped are grateful ... Americans everywhere are grateful ... and I am grateful for your service.
"That service, of course, can and does demand the highest of sacrifices. We should be especially mindful this year of those families who will have one less chair at the table, as well as those who have no chair at all, much less a home in which to keep it. Theirs will be a particularly poignant holiday, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
"We live in a country that doesn't force its young men and women to pick up arms. You do it willingly, even eagerly -- not because you enjoy danger or killing or sacrifice, but rather in spite of those things. You and your families serve and work so hard so that someday perhaps your children and grandchildren might not have to. That is the greatest gift you can give a grateful nation.
"Again, from my family to yours, thank you for all you do."
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released Thanksgiving messages today. Obama recalled that President George Washington proclaimed the first public thanksgiving, and President Abraham Lincoln established the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday to mend the nation during the Civil War.
It is Thanksgiving as a unique American tradition that "binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings," the president said.
Obama added, "As we gather once again among loved ones, let us also reach out to our neighbors and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year.
"In doing so, we pay tribute to our country's men and women in uniform who set an example of service that inspires us all. Let us be guided by the legacy of those who have fought for the freedoms for which we give thanks, and be worthy heirs to the noble tradition of goodwill shown on this day."
Mullen's Thanksgiving Day message follows in its entirety.
"On behalf of the Mullen family, I wish all of you serving in uniform today -- as well as your families -- a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
"We certainly have much for which to be grateful. Today, due in no small measure to your dedication, our nation -- indeed the world -- is a safer place to live. All around the globe and in all manner of ways, you stand a vigilant watch. From Afghanistan to Iraq and a thousand places in between, you help ensure peace and stability in places that have historically known neither. Giving hope to those in need and pause to those who threaten us, you make sure the fight remains on the enemy's doorstep and that lives torn asunder by war and natural disaster are restored and renewed.
"The people you have helped are grateful ... Americans everywhere are grateful ... and I am grateful for your service.
"That service, of course, can and does demand the highest of sacrifices. We should be especially mindful this year of those families who will have one less chair at the table, as well as those who have no chair at all, much less a home in which to keep it. Theirs will be a particularly poignant holiday, and I ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
"We live in a country that doesn't force its young men and women to pick up arms. You do it willingly, even eagerly -- not because you enjoy danger or killing or sacrifice, but rather in spite of those things. You and your families serve and work so hard so that someday perhaps your children and grandchildren might not have to. That is the greatest gift you can give a grateful nation.
"Again, from my family to yours, thank you for all you do."
Army Joins With Mental Health Institute to Study Suicides
By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Army is collaborating with the National Institute of Mental Health to launch the largest study ever undertaken of suicide and mental health among military personnel. "The bottom line is, we want to apply science in a way that it's going to solve this problem to the benefit of soldiers," Robert Heinssen, NIMH's acting director of intervention research said during a Nov. 18 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast, "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
The institute is partnering with an academic team led by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences that includes researchers from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Michigan. The team aims to develop a research agenda and research projects that look at the causes of, and areas for intervention in, a variety of mental disorders.
The project is going to capitalize on the data the Army already collects on servicemembers including training experiences, deployments, exposure during deployment, as well as information about health problems and utilization of health services, Heinssen said.
The first part of the study will look at the records of soldiers who committed suicide between 2004 and 2009, compared to a control group of soldiers from the same period that did not commit suicide, but have other characteristics that would be important for purposes of comparison, he said.
"By doing this kind of case-controlled study where the individual suicides are the cases and the controls are drawn from the rest of the Army, we think that we'll get some early leads on signals that may tell us something about potential risk and protective factors that will help us target the second part of the study, which will be a survey of soldiers who are currently serving in the active duty component," he said.
The survey will be conducted with several thousand soldiers every month over three consecutive years, covering about 90,000 servicemembers, Heinssen said. The investigators also will survey 100,000 new recruits a year over a three-year period and continue to follow them over time, he said.
Studies are a great way to identify risk factors and prevention and intervention practices, Heinssen said. He referenced the landmark Framingham Heart Study where participants agreed to have aspects of their lifestyle and medical conditions followed over time to shed light on the causes of heart disease and strokes, and how to better intervene before problems become critical.
"Our belief is that if we roll out a research program similar in its characteristics to what was done in heart disease, that we will identify risk and protective factors," Heinssen said, adding that such a program will help identify targets for intervention before acute distress leads to suicides.
"The end game here is to be able to intervene with preventive strategies early in the process so that we keep soldiers healthy and robust, and that we interrupt the kind of process that would lead to acute distress and the tragic choices to take one's life," he said.
Project researchers will use an adaptive research design that allows them to re-target the study based on what is happening in the Army at the time. Heinssen said doing the study in this method allows them to deliver "actionable information" to the Army at least twice a year and sooner if they find anything that may be relevant to treatment or intervention.
"It could not have been easy to look outside your own organization to ask somebody whether they had tools and perspectives that might be helpful," he said. "But the Army showed tremendous courage and leadership in doing that."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - The Army is collaborating with the National Institute of Mental Health to launch the largest study ever undertaken of suicide and mental health among military personnel. "The bottom line is, we want to apply science in a way that it's going to solve this problem to the benefit of soldiers," Robert Heinssen, NIMH's acting director of intervention research said during a Nov. 18 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast, "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
The institute is partnering with an academic team led by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences that includes researchers from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Michigan. The team aims to develop a research agenda and research projects that look at the causes of, and areas for intervention in, a variety of mental disorders.
The project is going to capitalize on the data the Army already collects on servicemembers including training experiences, deployments, exposure during deployment, as well as information about health problems and utilization of health services, Heinssen said.
The first part of the study will look at the records of soldiers who committed suicide between 2004 and 2009, compared to a control group of soldiers from the same period that did not commit suicide, but have other characteristics that would be important for purposes of comparison, he said.
"By doing this kind of case-controlled study where the individual suicides are the cases and the controls are drawn from the rest of the Army, we think that we'll get some early leads on signals that may tell us something about potential risk and protective factors that will help us target the second part of the study, which will be a survey of soldiers who are currently serving in the active duty component," he said.
The survey will be conducted with several thousand soldiers every month over three consecutive years, covering about 90,000 servicemembers, Heinssen said. The investigators also will survey 100,000 new recruits a year over a three-year period and continue to follow them over time, he said.
Studies are a great way to identify risk factors and prevention and intervention practices, Heinssen said. He referenced the landmark Framingham Heart Study where participants agreed to have aspects of their lifestyle and medical conditions followed over time to shed light on the causes of heart disease and strokes, and how to better intervene before problems become critical.
"Our belief is that if we roll out a research program similar in its characteristics to what was done in heart disease, that we will identify risk and protective factors," Heinssen said, adding that such a program will help identify targets for intervention before acute distress leads to suicides.
"The end game here is to be able to intervene with preventive strategies early in the process so that we keep soldiers healthy and robust, and that we interrupt the kind of process that would lead to acute distress and the tragic choices to take one's life," he said.
Project researchers will use an adaptive research design that allows them to re-target the study based on what is happening in the Army at the time. Heinssen said doing the study in this method allows them to deliver "actionable information" to the Army at least twice a year and sooner if they find anything that may be relevant to treatment or intervention.
"It could not have been easy to look outside your own organization to ask somebody whether they had tools and perspectives that might be helpful," he said. "But the Army showed tremendous courage and leadership in doing that."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
CHAIRMAN'S CORNER: Mullen Offers Thanks to Military Families
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama has proclaimed the week of Nov. 22-28 as National Family Week, and the nation's top military officer has issued a message to all military families in honor of their contributions to the nation. Here is the text of the message from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to military families worldwide:
As we count our blessings this month, America's soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen serve day and night around the globe to defend our Nation. We are all very proud of them, and yet we should never forget that none of them do it alone. The extraordinary families who support them sacrifice every bit as much to make their service possible. In the spirit of giving thanks, we devote this week to honor and appreciate our military families.
Our families serve as the bedrock for our Nation's defense. Family members may not shoulder a weapon, drive a ship or fly combat sorties, but their commitment, support and endurance is a source of great pride and inspiration for us all. From care packages to emails to invaluable friendship, your love and devotion helps our forces do their very best. I can think of no better words to express this than those spoken by a Soldier from the 25th Infantry Division upon his return from Afghanistan. Reflecting on his family's help while deployed, he said "just receiving letters ... seems to give you the motivation needed to stay upbeat. I couldn't do this without your support."
Our combat readiness stems from readiness at home, and America's might is a reflection of the power of military families. As a Nation, we can certainly never say or do enough to express our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice, but this week is one way in which we show our appreciation.
On behalf of my family and those of the Joint Chiefs, to all our military families, past and present, we thank you for your service and for your love. Our Nation's strength and honor depend upon you. Because of you, we truly accomplish far more than we ever could alone.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Nov. 23, 2009 - President Barack Obama has proclaimed the week of Nov. 22-28 as National Family Week, and the nation's top military officer has issued a message to all military families in honor of their contributions to the nation. Here is the text of the message from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to military families worldwide:
As we count our blessings this month, America's soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen serve day and night around the globe to defend our Nation. We are all very proud of them, and yet we should never forget that none of them do it alone. The extraordinary families who support them sacrifice every bit as much to make their service possible. In the spirit of giving thanks, we devote this week to honor and appreciate our military families.
Our families serve as the bedrock for our Nation's defense. Family members may not shoulder a weapon, drive a ship or fly combat sorties, but their commitment, support and endurance is a source of great pride and inspiration for us all. From care packages to emails to invaluable friendship, your love and devotion helps our forces do their very best. I can think of no better words to express this than those spoken by a Soldier from the 25th Infantry Division upon his return from Afghanistan. Reflecting on his family's help while deployed, he said "just receiving letters ... seems to give you the motivation needed to stay upbeat. I couldn't do this without your support."
Our combat readiness stems from readiness at home, and America's might is a reflection of the power of military families. As a Nation, we can certainly never say or do enough to express our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice, but this week is one way in which we show our appreciation.
On behalf of my family and those of the Joint Chiefs, to all our military families, past and present, we thank you for your service and for your love. Our Nation's strength and honor depend upon you. Because of you, we truly accomplish far more than we ever could alone.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Army Reserve Focuses On Balancing Ranks, Specialties
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - Satisfied that it's increased its ranks by about 20,000 soldiers and continues to meet its recruiting goals, the Army Reserve now is focused on recruiting more troops as they leave active duty to fill gaps at the mid-level ranks and in specific specialties. Army Brig. Gen. Leslie A. Purser, the Army Reserve's deputy chief, praises recruiters and Army Reserve soldiers whose efforts enabled the Army Reserve to boost its numbers from about 185,00 to the current 206,000 in recent years.
The problem, she said, is that the force is bottom-heavy, particularly at the E-1 to E-4 ranks, but has shortages among mid-level commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The Army Reserve is short about 10,000 captains and majors, but has too many lieutenant colonels and colonels. Meanwhile, it's been able to fill only 54 percent of its sergeant first class billets.
Equally troubling, the Army Reserve has too many soldiers in some specialties and too few in others. It's currently at 170 percent strength for chaplain assistants, but has big gaps among wheeled-vehicle mechanics and, ironically, retention NCOs.
Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Army Reserve chief, summed up the problem during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in October.
"We have 208,000 [soldiers], but it's not the right 208,000," he said. "It's not in the right rank, in the right [specialties], in the right location."
Stultz has charged Purser to come up with a campaign plan to balance and man the force.
"We need to figure out ways to get more precise," Purser said. "We have to look more closely at the really significant shortfalls, and not just go for blanket numbers."
The reshaping effort is focusing on several fronts. The Army Reserve is seeking more prior-service recruits. It's targeting slightly older recruits who bring more experience than most 18-year-olds. And it plans to offer incentives so soldiers in over-strength occupational specialties will retrain into those experiencing shortfalls.
Purser said she's working closely with the Army's accessions and recruiting commands to ensure recruiters know what the Army Reserve is looking for – and what it's not.
"She must get very precise and tell them what the Army Reserve needs," Stultz explained, using Army shorthand for unit supply specialists as an example. "No more 92 Yankees in this location, only in that location," she said, "and no more chaplain assistants." Then, she added, she has to figure out how to give chaplain assistants incentive to become military police.
A central front in the reshaping plan is the network of points at which active-duty soldiers begin the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life. The Army Reserve plans to take a tip from the National Guard's playbook, assigning recruiters directly to transition points, where they can pitch the Army Reserve to troops still on active duty.
"We need to reach these guys as early out as we can, ... to make sure they understand the opportunities that we have," Purser said. "The idea is to get there and talk with them early enough to encourage them to come over to the Reserve side so they can continue to reap the benefits [of military service], ... rather than have them stop completely when they get off active duty."
One big selling point the Army Reserve hopes to benefit from is the Employer Partnership Initiative. The program links Army reservists with civilian job opportunities in their military career field, and with employers who recognize and support their Army Reserve obligations. So far, more than 700 companies have signed on, Purser said, eager to recruit workers who bring the skills, discipline and leadership they've developed in the military.
Stultz said he sees the program as a way to help the Army Reserve achieve the balance it needs.
"We've got plenty of [employer] partners," he said. "So we must get scientific about finding companies with opportunities we can fill with our soldiers or future soldiers. We're satisfying corporate America, and we're satisfying our needs."
At the same time, recognizing that some soldiers leave active duty because they've grown deployment-weary, the Army Reserve is taking the novel step of guaranteeing more "dwell time" at home between deployments for some prior-service recruits.
"We have incentivized these active-component guys, saying we will guarantee a two-year dwell, at least, before they have to go again," Purser said. "Even if they go to a unit that is scheduled to deploy, the Army Reserve will honor that commitment."
That's a guarantee even the Individual Ready Reserve can't offer, she said.
Stultz calls these efforts part of a precise human capital strategy that will ensure the Army Reserve has the right people with the right skills in the right units at the right time.
"As we look ahead," he said, "we know that building the right force is crucial for success."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - Satisfied that it's increased its ranks by about 20,000 soldiers and continues to meet its recruiting goals, the Army Reserve now is focused on recruiting more troops as they leave active duty to fill gaps at the mid-level ranks and in specific specialties. Army Brig. Gen. Leslie A. Purser, the Army Reserve's deputy chief, praises recruiters and Army Reserve soldiers whose efforts enabled the Army Reserve to boost its numbers from about 185,00 to the current 206,000 in recent years.
The problem, she said, is that the force is bottom-heavy, particularly at the E-1 to E-4 ranks, but has shortages among mid-level commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The Army Reserve is short about 10,000 captains and majors, but has too many lieutenant colonels and colonels. Meanwhile, it's been able to fill only 54 percent of its sergeant first class billets.
Equally troubling, the Army Reserve has too many soldiers in some specialties and too few in others. It's currently at 170 percent strength for chaplain assistants, but has big gaps among wheeled-vehicle mechanics and, ironically, retention NCOs.
Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Army Reserve chief, summed up the problem during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in October.
"We have 208,000 [soldiers], but it's not the right 208,000," he said. "It's not in the right rank, in the right [specialties], in the right location."
Stultz has charged Purser to come up with a campaign plan to balance and man the force.
"We need to figure out ways to get more precise," Purser said. "We have to look more closely at the really significant shortfalls, and not just go for blanket numbers."
The reshaping effort is focusing on several fronts. The Army Reserve is seeking more prior-service recruits. It's targeting slightly older recruits who bring more experience than most 18-year-olds. And it plans to offer incentives so soldiers in over-strength occupational specialties will retrain into those experiencing shortfalls.
Purser said she's working closely with the Army's accessions and recruiting commands to ensure recruiters know what the Army Reserve is looking for – and what it's not.
"She must get very precise and tell them what the Army Reserve needs," Stultz explained, using Army shorthand for unit supply specialists as an example. "No more 92 Yankees in this location, only in that location," she said, "and no more chaplain assistants." Then, she added, she has to figure out how to give chaplain assistants incentive to become military police.
A central front in the reshaping plan is the network of points at which active-duty soldiers begin the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life. The Army Reserve plans to take a tip from the National Guard's playbook, assigning recruiters directly to transition points, where they can pitch the Army Reserve to troops still on active duty.
"We need to reach these guys as early out as we can, ... to make sure they understand the opportunities that we have," Purser said. "The idea is to get there and talk with them early enough to encourage them to come over to the Reserve side so they can continue to reap the benefits [of military service], ... rather than have them stop completely when they get off active duty."
One big selling point the Army Reserve hopes to benefit from is the Employer Partnership Initiative. The program links Army reservists with civilian job opportunities in their military career field, and with employers who recognize and support their Army Reserve obligations. So far, more than 700 companies have signed on, Purser said, eager to recruit workers who bring the skills, discipline and leadership they've developed in the military.
Stultz said he sees the program as a way to help the Army Reserve achieve the balance it needs.
"We've got plenty of [employer] partners," he said. "So we must get scientific about finding companies with opportunities we can fill with our soldiers or future soldiers. We're satisfying corporate America, and we're satisfying our needs."
At the same time, recognizing that some soldiers leave active duty because they've grown deployment-weary, the Army Reserve is taking the novel step of guaranteeing more "dwell time" at home between deployments for some prior-service recruits.
"We have incentivized these active-component guys, saying we will guarantee a two-year dwell, at least, before they have to go again," Purser said. "Even if they go to a unit that is scheduled to deploy, the Army Reserve will honor that commitment."
That's a guarantee even the Individual Ready Reserve can't offer, she said.
Stultz calls these efforts part of a precise human capital strategy that will ensure the Army Reserve has the right people with the right skills in the right units at the right time.
"As we look ahead," he said, "we know that building the right force is crucial for success."
Gates Urges More Western Hemisphere Cooperation
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The United States and other Western Hemisphere nations must increase cooperation and collaboration for their continued security, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates addressed defense leaders from around the world at the Halifax International Security Forum.
Noting that the challenges facing Western Hemisphere nations have changed since the end of the Cold War -- a period of tension that inspired the United States and Canada to establish the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- Gates said he wants the United States and Canada to build on this legacy of cooperation and interoperability to face the challenges of new threats.
"This engagement and this partnership are so necessary because the emerging security challenges we face are increasingly interconnected, and the nontraditional threats require a collective approach," Gates said.
And it requires more than simple defense cooperation, the secretary said. Threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling and others require "an uncommon degree of coordination among the national-security, homeland-defense and criminal-justice agencies of our governments," the secretary said.
The nations are working together more closely. In 2006, Canada and the United States agreed to expand the NORAD mission to include maritime warning. The two nations also signed a new emergency management cooperation agreement in December, and the U.S. military is prepared – at Canada's request – to assist the nation as it hosts the Winter Olympics early next year.
One area where cooperation is needed is in the Arctic, as global warming has increased access to the normally ice-bound region. While there are disagreements – Canada asserts that the Northwest Passage is in Canadian waters, and the United States and Western European nations say it is an international waterway – there are areas of cooperation.
"We share an interest in developing more icebreaking ships for mobility and improving domain awareness to support search-and-rescue operations in light of increased tourism up north," Gates said.
Russia, Canada, Norway, Demark and the United States have claims on parts of the Arctic. "Even as the U.S. 'resets' relations with Russia, we will work with Canada to ensure that increased Russian activity in the Arctic does not lead to miscalculation or unnecessary friction," Gates said.
The nations of the hemisphere have to band together to handle natural or man-made disasters, Gates said, noting recent examples of that cooperation. Canada and Mexico assisted New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The United States assisted Haiti last year after Hurricane Ike hit the island nation, and helped El Salvador last month after rainstorms caused mudslides in that Latin American nation.
Global warming could cause more frequent and intense storms, Gates said, and the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review will examine how the U.S. armed forces can respond to such natural disasters. But man can be the biggest threat, he added, and the nexus of drug trafficking and terrorism poses a danger to both the United States and Canada.
"The same means and routes used to transport drugs could also be used for dangerous weapons and materials," Gates said. Smugglers have used semi-submersible vessels that can carry tons of drugs and are difficult to detect, he said.
The terrorist group known as FARC has used ungoverned areas of Colombia to grow and refine drugs, and must be met with the force of law, Gates said. "We cannot expect to make headway on narcotics without a multifaceted, multinational comprehensive approach to the problem," he said. "We need to work together to fortify judicial institutions and the rule of law."
Gates emphasized that this must be accomplished in ways respectful of human rights. Police in many countries often are outgunned by their adversaries, and military forces have stepped in. Colombia and Mexico are working to instruct soldiers in how to defeat the enemy while respecting the rights of the people, the secretary said.
Gates also stressed that the military should not be the lead agency in confronting many of the threats in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to keep front and center that the military is in a supporting – not a lead – role in dealing with most of the problems," he said, though he acknowledged that in some situations, only the military can provide the manpower, logistics, transportation or expertise to handle crises or threats.
Through increased cooperation and collaboration, the secretary said, Western Hemisphere nations must address these issues before they find themselves working through them at a disaster site.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The United States and other Western Hemisphere nations must increase cooperation and collaboration for their continued security, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates addressed defense leaders from around the world at the Halifax International Security Forum.
Noting that the challenges facing Western Hemisphere nations have changed since the end of the Cold War -- a period of tension that inspired the United States and Canada to establish the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- Gates said he wants the United States and Canada to build on this legacy of cooperation and interoperability to face the challenges of new threats.
"This engagement and this partnership are so necessary because the emerging security challenges we face are increasingly interconnected, and the nontraditional threats require a collective approach," Gates said.
And it requires more than simple defense cooperation, the secretary said. Threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling and others require "an uncommon degree of coordination among the national-security, homeland-defense and criminal-justice agencies of our governments," the secretary said.
The nations are working together more closely. In 2006, Canada and the United States agreed to expand the NORAD mission to include maritime warning. The two nations also signed a new emergency management cooperation agreement in December, and the U.S. military is prepared – at Canada's request – to assist the nation as it hosts the Winter Olympics early next year.
One area where cooperation is needed is in the Arctic, as global warming has increased access to the normally ice-bound region. While there are disagreements – Canada asserts that the Northwest Passage is in Canadian waters, and the United States and Western European nations say it is an international waterway – there are areas of cooperation.
"We share an interest in developing more icebreaking ships for mobility and improving domain awareness to support search-and-rescue operations in light of increased tourism up north," Gates said.
Russia, Canada, Norway, Demark and the United States have claims on parts of the Arctic. "Even as the U.S. 'resets' relations with Russia, we will work with Canada to ensure that increased Russian activity in the Arctic does not lead to miscalculation or unnecessary friction," Gates said.
The nations of the hemisphere have to band together to handle natural or man-made disasters, Gates said, noting recent examples of that cooperation. Canada and Mexico assisted New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The United States assisted Haiti last year after Hurricane Ike hit the island nation, and helped El Salvador last month after rainstorms caused mudslides in that Latin American nation.
Global warming could cause more frequent and intense storms, Gates said, and the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review will examine how the U.S. armed forces can respond to such natural disasters. But man can be the biggest threat, he added, and the nexus of drug trafficking and terrorism poses a danger to both the United States and Canada.
"The same means and routes used to transport drugs could also be used for dangerous weapons and materials," Gates said. Smugglers have used semi-submersible vessels that can carry tons of drugs and are difficult to detect, he said.
The terrorist group known as FARC has used ungoverned areas of Colombia to grow and refine drugs, and must be met with the force of law, Gates said. "We cannot expect to make headway on narcotics without a multifaceted, multinational comprehensive approach to the problem," he said. "We need to work together to fortify judicial institutions and the rule of law."
Gates emphasized that this must be accomplished in ways respectful of human rights. Police in many countries often are outgunned by their adversaries, and military forces have stepped in. Colombia and Mexico are working to instruct soldiers in how to defeat the enemy while respecting the rights of the people, the secretary said.
Gates also stressed that the military should not be the lead agency in confronting many of the threats in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to keep front and center that the military is in a supporting – not a lead – role in dealing with most of the problems," he said, though he acknowledged that in some situations, only the military can provide the manpower, logistics, transportation or expertise to handle crises or threats.
Through increased cooperation and collaboration, the secretary said, Western Hemisphere nations must address these issues before they find themselves working through them at a disaster site.
Mullen Sees Operational Structure in Guard's Future
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The National Guard's transformation from a strategic reserve to an operational force since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, should continue beyond the current conflicts, the nation's top military officer told Guard leaders yesterday. As operations in Iraq and Afghanistan change over the next few years, the Guard should not be allowed to revert to being simply a strategic reserve, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience at the National Guard's Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"Without leadership, we will snap back in too many areas to the way it was," Mullen said. "So we have to look to the future and lead to the future, taking advantage of who we are, what we've become and what we think those challenges will be."
Mullen said he's considering what the military's force structure should look like after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I've started to ask the question, 'Well, what's after Iraq and Afghanistan?'" the chairman said. "What does the force look like? How do we make sure that the lessons that we've learned, the best combat force we have ever fielded, ... how do we make sure we retain the right individuals, how do we train them? How do we educate them? And what does it look like, and particularly on the Guard side, what does it look like in the future?"
Mullen said he foresees some sort of strategic reserve, but that the operational structure needs to be in place as well.
"I believe we should have some level of strategic reserve," he said. "And yet, we have to have an operational response that keeps that strategic reserve healthy, tied to a training regimen and a preparation regimen that takes advantage of who we are and who we've become in these two wars and looks to a future that leverages that in preparation for what might be coming down the road."
That does not mean a return to how things were before 2001, he said,
"As we look to a future ... where the deployments aren't as high as they are right now, the one thing I don't want to do is ... reset to 2000," he said.
Mullen said the transition in the Guard has been "absolutely spectacular."
"I've seen an awful lot of troops in theater ... who ... unless somebody told me they were in the Guard or the Reserve or active, I couldn't tell," he said, "because in the fight, everybody is the same: side by side, shoulder to shoulder and making such a difference."
Mullen said maintaining that high level of readiness in the future comes down to leadership.
"Leading in a time of change – if you've spent any time in leadership – is the hardest kind of leadership there is," he said. "And it is leadership that has been very well executed here, and will need to be in the future."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - The National Guard's transformation from a strategic reserve to an operational force since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, should continue beyond the current conflicts, the nation's top military officer told Guard leaders yesterday. As operations in Iraq and Afghanistan change over the next few years, the Guard should not be allowed to revert to being simply a strategic reserve, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience at the National Guard's Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"Without leadership, we will snap back in too many areas to the way it was," Mullen said. "So we have to look to the future and lead to the future, taking advantage of who we are, what we've become and what we think those challenges will be."
Mullen said he's considering what the military's force structure should look like after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I've started to ask the question, 'Well, what's after Iraq and Afghanistan?'" the chairman said. "What does the force look like? How do we make sure that the lessons that we've learned, the best combat force we have ever fielded, ... how do we make sure we retain the right individuals, how do we train them? How do we educate them? And what does it look like, and particularly on the Guard side, what does it look like in the future?"
Mullen said he foresees some sort of strategic reserve, but that the operational structure needs to be in place as well.
"I believe we should have some level of strategic reserve," he said. "And yet, we have to have an operational response that keeps that strategic reserve healthy, tied to a training regimen and a preparation regimen that takes advantage of who we are and who we've become in these two wars and looks to a future that leverages that in preparation for what might be coming down the road."
That does not mean a return to how things were before 2001, he said,
"As we look to a future ... where the deployments aren't as high as they are right now, the one thing I don't want to do is ... reset to 2000," he said.
Mullen said the transition in the Guard has been "absolutely spectacular."
"I've seen an awful lot of troops in theater ... who ... unless somebody told me they were in the Guard or the Reserve or active, I couldn't tell," he said, "because in the fight, everybody is the same: side by side, shoulder to shoulder and making such a difference."
Mullen said maintaining that high level of readiness in the future comes down to leadership.
"Leading in a time of change – if you've spent any time in leadership – is the hardest kind of leadership there is," he said. "And it is leadership that has been very well executed here, and will need to be in the future."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 20, 2009
AIR FORCE
DTS Aviation Services, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $13,893,827 contract which will provide aircraft backshop maintenance, munitions and equipment support services for the Air Armament Center and for their command and control, communications, computers and intelligence systems testing for a 12 month period. At this time, $11,517,159 has been obligated. 96 CONS/PKB, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08651-02-C-0085, P00066).
Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colo., was awarded a $9,103,824 contract which will provide aircraft weapon integration. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-10-C-0069).
Duncan Aviation, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., was awarded a $5,549,950 contract which will provide three Gulfstream engines to support the Egyptian government fleet. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 727 ACSG/PKB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-07-C-0005, P00035).
NAVY
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0008), and Valley Power Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0009), are being awarded a combined $19,500,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Detroit brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $25,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Cummins brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N55236-10-D-0007).
ARMY
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $15,855,517 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is a Change Order Modification to fund re-wing engineering change Proposal for the Shadow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Shadow UAS provides flexible and responsive near real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and battle management support to Army ground maneuver commanders. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, CCAM-AR-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Reams Enterprises, Inc., East Point, Ga., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $15,532,835 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the base facility maintenance services. The service procured will be to support Fort McPherson Garrison located at Fort McPherson, Ga., with facility services through base realignment and closure. Work is to be performed in Fort McPherson, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited using the Army Single Face to Industry web site with three bids received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Center McPherson, Fort McPherson, Ga., is the contracting activity (W911SE-10-C-0001).
Cox Construction Co., Vista, Calif., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $13,416,600 firm-fixed-price contract. The project is to construct a general instruction building at the Presidio of Monterey. The building includes classroom, offices, storage, test control area, conference room, multi-purpose training areas, cultural rooms and curriculum resource areas. Work is to be performed in Presidio of Monterey, Calif., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 15 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-10-C-0005).
Mustang Technology Group, Allen, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $8,189,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The object of this effort is to provide 25 CROSSHAIRS systems for integration into Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and to begin integration of the CROSSHAIRS system, equipped with the Iron Curtain Active Protection System, onto an MRAP platform for testing evaluation. Work is to be performed in Allen, Texas, (83.47 percent) and Herndon, Va. (16.53 percent), with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0026).
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $5,559,750 firm-fixed-price contract for the maintenance dredging, Wilmington Harbor Outer Ocean Bar, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Work is to be performed in Brunswick County, N.C., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Wilmington Office, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-10-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bay Area Diablo Petroleum Co., Concord, Calif.*, is being awarded a minimum $5,362,113 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in California and Utah. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-4510).
DTS Aviation Services, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $13,893,827 contract which will provide aircraft backshop maintenance, munitions and equipment support services for the Air Armament Center and for their command and control, communications, computers and intelligence systems testing for a 12 month period. At this time, $11,517,159 has been obligated. 96 CONS/PKB, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08651-02-C-0085, P00066).
Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colo., was awarded a $9,103,824 contract which will provide aircraft weapon integration. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-10-C-0069).
Duncan Aviation, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., was awarded a $5,549,950 contract which will provide three Gulfstream engines to support the Egyptian government fleet. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 727 ACSG/PKB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-07-C-0005, P00035).
NAVY
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0008), and Valley Power Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (N55236-10-D-0009), are being awarded a combined $19,500,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Detroit brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $25,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maintenance and Class "B" overhauls on Cummins brand diesel engines on small boats and crafts for the Navy. The engines to be overhauled are from the small boats and crafts of Assault Craft Unit One, whose mission is to operate, maintain and provide assault craft as required by the amphibious task force commander for waterborne ship to shore movement during and after an amphibious assault. Class "B" overhauls restore the engines to its original design and technical specifications. Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N55236-10-D-0007).
ARMY
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $15,855,517 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is a Change Order Modification to fund re-wing engineering change Proposal for the Shadow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Shadow UAS provides flexible and responsive near real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and battle management support to Army ground maneuver commanders. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, CCAM-AR-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Reams Enterprises, Inc., East Point, Ga., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $15,532,835 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the base facility maintenance services. The service procured will be to support Fort McPherson Garrison located at Fort McPherson, Ga., with facility services through base realignment and closure. Work is to be performed in Fort McPherson, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited using the Army Single Face to Industry web site with three bids received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Center McPherson, Fort McPherson, Ga., is the contracting activity (W911SE-10-C-0001).
Cox Construction Co., Vista, Calif., was awarded on Nov. 17, 2009, a $13,416,600 firm-fixed-price contract. The project is to construct a general instruction building at the Presidio of Monterey. The building includes classroom, offices, storage, test control area, conference room, multi-purpose training areas, cultural rooms and curriculum resource areas. Work is to be performed in Presidio of Monterey, Calif., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 15 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-10-C-0005).
Mustang Technology Group, Allen, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $8,189,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The object of this effort is to provide 25 CROSSHAIRS systems for integration into Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and to begin integration of the CROSSHAIRS system, equipped with the Iron Curtain Active Protection System, onto an MRAP platform for testing evaluation. Work is to be performed in Allen, Texas, (83.47 percent) and Herndon, Va. (16.53 percent), with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0026).
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 18, 2009, a $5,559,750 firm-fixed-price contract for the maintenance dredging, Wilmington Harbor Outer Ocean Bar, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Work is to be performed in Brunswick County, N.C., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Wilmington Office, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-10-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bay Area Diablo Petroleum Co., Concord, Calif.*, is being awarded a minimum $5,362,113 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in California and Utah. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2012. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-4510).
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