By Army Spc. Tiffany Evans
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - When Army Staff Sgt. Lani Yearicks was little, she learned how to crochet. Four years ago, after neglecting her skills for years, her brother invited her to take part in the prayer shawl ministry at their church. Yearicks' crocheting came back to her, and when she deployed, she began sending prayer shawls home - until she came up with a better idea.
"I was talking to my mom about the prayer shawl ministry at home, and decided to start one here," said Yearicks, a member of the 10th Mountain Division Band.
Chaplain (Capt.) Mike Jones, Task Force Mountain chaplain, helped her to develop a PowerPoint presentation to advertise her crochet and knitting group and helped her find a location for the group to meet.
The shawls are being sent home to the families of fallen servicemembers and those heading home on emergency leave. The group and one or more military chaplains pray over each shawl before it's sent, Jones said.
"As my brother says, 'These shawls are like a hug made out of yarn,'" said Yearicks, a native of Gwinn, Minn. "Just the thought behind them can help to cheer up a heavy heart."
Members of the group sit around a table talking about their week while working on the prayer shawls. Each meeting helps the individual blow off some steam and do something productive, said Army Lt. Col. Melinda Jackson, 547th Medical Company.
"Most of our group shows up around 2:30 p.m. when they get out of church," said Jackson, a native of University Place, Wash. "So don't be shy, whether you know how to knit or crochet (or not), you're welcome to come. We are willing to help teach others how to knit or crochet during the meetings."
(Army Spc. Tiffany Evans serves in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Officials Urge Military Voters to Send in Absentee Ballots
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Overseas-deployed servicemembers and other troops serving outside their home states need to fill out and forward their absentee ballots so their votes can be counted as part of the Nov. 4 federal and state elections, Defense Department officials said today. Scott Wiedmann, deputy director of DoD's Federal Voting Assistance Program, said during an interview with Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service reporters that some military voters may be waiting for ballots.
"Realizing that military members may be forward-deployed or at training for a period of time, upon returning they may find that their ballot has arrived," Wiedmann said. "We encourage individuals to vote that ballot from the state as soon as they get it."
Many states do allow ballot and registration requests well into this month, Wiedmann said.
Meanwhile, the military Postal Service Agency and the U.S. Postal Service are working together to expedite the delivery of ballots to and from overseas locales, Wiedmann said. Deadline dates for forwarding overseas ballots can be obtained from the MPSA web site, hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/vote.htm.
"The week immediately preceding the election, the U.S. Postal Service will express mail all of those ballots back to local officials to help ensure that they get back by the close of polls on Election Day," Wiedmann said.
Some 20 states allow for late counting of absentee ballots, Wiedmann said, as long as the ballots are signed, dated and postmarked by the day of election.
It's a myth, Wiedmann said, that absentee ballots for a general election contest only count during a close election. In fact, all properly submitted absentee ballots are counted in every general election, he said.
"The localities want to ensure that all ballots that do arrive are counted and part of the final total of the election," Wiedmann said. "So, every ballot that's submitted does count."
Voters without state-supplied ballots can fill out the federal write-in absentee ballot, Wiedmann said, which has space for voters to select their choices for candidates running for the presidency, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
The federal write-in absentee ballot also includes space for some local elective offices, he noted, but those votes may or may not be counted, dependent upon local election laws and regulations.
Additionally, "if the voter does receive their ballot from their state any time before the election, we encourage them to submit that, as well," Wiedmann said. Checks are in place, he said, to preclude double-counting of votes.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Overseas-deployed servicemembers and other troops serving outside their home states need to fill out and forward their absentee ballots so their votes can be counted as part of the Nov. 4 federal and state elections, Defense Department officials said today. Scott Wiedmann, deputy director of DoD's Federal Voting Assistance Program, said during an interview with Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service reporters that some military voters may be waiting for ballots.
"Realizing that military members may be forward-deployed or at training for a period of time, upon returning they may find that their ballot has arrived," Wiedmann said. "We encourage individuals to vote that ballot from the state as soon as they get it."
Many states do allow ballot and registration requests well into this month, Wiedmann said.
Meanwhile, the military Postal Service Agency and the U.S. Postal Service are working together to expedite the delivery of ballots to and from overseas locales, Wiedmann said. Deadline dates for forwarding overseas ballots can be obtained from the MPSA web site, hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/vote.htm.
"The week immediately preceding the election, the U.S. Postal Service will express mail all of those ballots back to local officials to help ensure that they get back by the close of polls on Election Day," Wiedmann said.
Some 20 states allow for late counting of absentee ballots, Wiedmann said, as long as the ballots are signed, dated and postmarked by the day of election.
It's a myth, Wiedmann said, that absentee ballots for a general election contest only count during a close election. In fact, all properly submitted absentee ballots are counted in every general election, he said.
"The localities want to ensure that all ballots that do arrive are counted and part of the final total of the election," Wiedmann said. "So, every ballot that's submitted does count."
Voters without state-supplied ballots can fill out the federal write-in absentee ballot, Wiedmann said, which has space for voters to select their choices for candidates running for the presidency, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
The federal write-in absentee ballot also includes space for some local elective offices, he noted, but those votes may or may not be counted, dependent upon local election laws and regulations.
Additionally, "if the voter does receive their ballot from their state any time before the election, we encourage them to submit that, as well," Wiedmann said. Checks are in place, he said, to preclude double-counting of votes.
Ward Discusses U.S. Africa Command's Goals
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward gets a bit hot under the collar when he confronts the myths about U.S. Africa Command, America's newest unified command. Ward, the commander of AfriCom, takes every opportunity to emphasize the new organization in no way represents a "militarization" of U.S. foreign policy on the continent.
The command was not formed to protect America's oil supply, it is not going to set up bases, posts or airfields and base American troops in Africa, and it has no intention of moving from its Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters any time in the foreseeable future, he points out with regularity.
The general remained excited – but in a good way – when he discussed the reality of Africa Command and its potential during an interview following the unfurling of the command's colors yesterday in the Pentagon.
The command is responsible for areas formerly covered by U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command, and is the American military's sixth unified geographic command. But it is unique. The command is the first joint service combatant command with an interagency organization.
From the beginning, Ward said, interagency partners were going to be integral parts of AfriCom. The deputy commander is Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates – a career foreign service officer who has spent two decades on the continent. State Department officials head other civil-military organizations in the command.
The U.S. Agency for International Development also has supplied personnel to Africa Command. USAID officials have worked delivering humanitarian supplies after disasters around the globe and have a wealth of knowledge about Africa. Other agencies – the Commerce, Treasury and Homeland Security departments among them – also are players in the command.
Integration of interagency members into the staff is a priority for Ward, he said, because he already sees benefits.
"As we define and plan our work, it is better informed because we understand what is being done by other members of our government," Ward said. The command can ensure their work is complementary to all the other programs the U.S. government has on the continent.
And those efforts are really the main focus in Africa. Combating the spread of AIDS, managing rural development, encouraging good governance, combating trafficking in humans, helping internally displaced people and refugees and more take up the lion's share of U.S. money spent in Africa.
Africa Command must be in line with all these programs, Ward said.
"What we do has to be within the construct of the stated foreign policy objectives," he explained. For example, he said, AfriCom does not have a policy on Darfur -- the United States government has a Darfur policy. If any U.S. policy on the continent has a military component, the general said, then Africa Command would focus on that.
The military will seek to help other agency efforts, not to replace them, Ward said. The military is not the development authority for Africa, he noted. "That's our USAID teammates," Ward said. "They didn't come to the command so that we now take over development. They are here so we are more cognizant of developmental activities as we go on."
For example, if U.S. Africa Command sponsors a peacekeeping training exercise with an African nation and some infrastructure must be built to support it, USAID personnel can help pinpoint where it will do the most good for follow-on use, the general said. "If we don't have that dialogue, if we don't have that communication, we may never know that, and we've lost an opportunity," he said.
The same holds true with the command's ability to provide humanitarian support. USAID provides the vast majority of medical and veterinary aid.
"If our military doctors can bring added value to those other programs, then that's what we want to do," he said. "But we have to know it in advance so it will bring greater value to the totality of U.S. government efforts."
Ward said he understands that the interagency partners are the experts on the continent. The command covers 53 nations, and the vastness of the continent means that a policy that works in Botswana probably won't work in Burkina Faso. The interagency partners know the area, they know the leaders, they know the people, and they can point the military to the best use of its resources, he said.
What the military brings to the equation is expertise in planning, logistics and training, and the resources to make things happen, Ward said. If USAID, for example, must get 300,000 humanitarian daily rations to a disaster area quickly, then its leaders can turn to U.S. Africa Command for assistance.
"If we can bring a capability to one of our interagency partners, then I think we ought to do that," Ward said. "But I draw a distinction between leading that effort and supporting that effort. If we have a capability that one of our interagency partners lacks, and we can come in and support their overall efforts, then that is something that we should look to do."
By working in a focused manner day-to-day with interagency partners, other organizations and the African nations, Ward said, the hope is that AfriCom, over time, will help to bring about a more secure and stable environment to allow stability to flourish on the continent.
The command is focused on Africa and listens to African leaders in a way that hasn't happened in the past, Ward said. The key phrase for the command is "sustained security engagement," he said, acknowledging that the "sustained" portion has not always happened, as a lack of follow-up in the past led to new capabilities decaying before they could take root. "Going back so that things can be built upon, that's what's different," Ward said.
To illustrate his point that the command will work to enhance Africans' ability to take charge of their security, Ward recalled a request from an African nation for some assistance. The nation was readying to deploy peacekeepers, he said, and needed help in how to load aircraft for deployment – how to palletize goods, how to tie things down, how to safeguard hazardous substances and so on. The command sent a U.S. Army lieutenant, an Army sergeant and an Air Force sergeant to the country, where they spent three weeks training the nation's loadmasters.
Along the way, the Americans learned some of the local language and customs. "At the end, the crewmen were able to do the mission professionally and with all safeguards," Ward said. "I got a letter from the chief of defense asking if he could have the same three guys back so he could train more. These are relationships being developed."
The team will go back, and later another team will go in, and still another will visit. The follow-up is as important as the original capability, Ward said, and these are capabilities that the nations ask for.
American servicemembers work side by side with African militaries, and they tell Ward how rewarding that work is for them.
"Helping these militaries provide their own security may mean we are not there reacting to a situation," Ward said. "[American servicemembers are] doing it in such a way that they are preventing something rather than to try to stop something or react to something. They really appreciated it."
Ward spoke of visiting one U.S. unit that served in Iraq, then Afghanistan, and was now part of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in Djibouti.
"To an individual, they thought what they were doing mattered and made a difference, and [that] what they were doing helped promote stability instead of having to intervene to bring stability back," Ward said. "It goes back to our primary work trying to prevent conflict as opposed to having to react to a conflict. The young men and women who are doing it are happy to be involved in those tasks."
The command is small – roughly 2,000 servicemembers in all of Africa, with most concentrated in the Horn of Africa. The command spends more time listening to partners and friends on the continent, and then moves out accordingly. "We do this based on what they ask us to do in their support – on their behalf," Ward said.
Ward said it's important to understand there are other viewpoints and to try to see situations as your friends see them.
"The idea of getting out of your foxhole and going downrange and looking back at it from the perspective of others is important," he said. "This will help us succeed."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward gets a bit hot under the collar when he confronts the myths about U.S. Africa Command, America's newest unified command. Ward, the commander of AfriCom, takes every opportunity to emphasize the new organization in no way represents a "militarization" of U.S. foreign policy on the continent.
The command was not formed to protect America's oil supply, it is not going to set up bases, posts or airfields and base American troops in Africa, and it has no intention of moving from its Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters any time in the foreseeable future, he points out with regularity.
The general remained excited – but in a good way – when he discussed the reality of Africa Command and its potential during an interview following the unfurling of the command's colors yesterday in the Pentagon.
The command is responsible for areas formerly covered by U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command, and is the American military's sixth unified geographic command. But it is unique. The command is the first joint service combatant command with an interagency organization.
From the beginning, Ward said, interagency partners were going to be integral parts of AfriCom. The deputy commander is Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates – a career foreign service officer who has spent two decades on the continent. State Department officials head other civil-military organizations in the command.
The U.S. Agency for International Development also has supplied personnel to Africa Command. USAID officials have worked delivering humanitarian supplies after disasters around the globe and have a wealth of knowledge about Africa. Other agencies – the Commerce, Treasury and Homeland Security departments among them – also are players in the command.
Integration of interagency members into the staff is a priority for Ward, he said, because he already sees benefits.
"As we define and plan our work, it is better informed because we understand what is being done by other members of our government," Ward said. The command can ensure their work is complementary to all the other programs the U.S. government has on the continent.
And those efforts are really the main focus in Africa. Combating the spread of AIDS, managing rural development, encouraging good governance, combating trafficking in humans, helping internally displaced people and refugees and more take up the lion's share of U.S. money spent in Africa.
Africa Command must be in line with all these programs, Ward said.
"What we do has to be within the construct of the stated foreign policy objectives," he explained. For example, he said, AfriCom does not have a policy on Darfur -- the United States government has a Darfur policy. If any U.S. policy on the continent has a military component, the general said, then Africa Command would focus on that.
The military will seek to help other agency efforts, not to replace them, Ward said. The military is not the development authority for Africa, he noted. "That's our USAID teammates," Ward said. "They didn't come to the command so that we now take over development. They are here so we are more cognizant of developmental activities as we go on."
For example, if U.S. Africa Command sponsors a peacekeeping training exercise with an African nation and some infrastructure must be built to support it, USAID personnel can help pinpoint where it will do the most good for follow-on use, the general said. "If we don't have that dialogue, if we don't have that communication, we may never know that, and we've lost an opportunity," he said.
The same holds true with the command's ability to provide humanitarian support. USAID provides the vast majority of medical and veterinary aid.
"If our military doctors can bring added value to those other programs, then that's what we want to do," he said. "But we have to know it in advance so it will bring greater value to the totality of U.S. government efforts."
Ward said he understands that the interagency partners are the experts on the continent. The command covers 53 nations, and the vastness of the continent means that a policy that works in Botswana probably won't work in Burkina Faso. The interagency partners know the area, they know the leaders, they know the people, and they can point the military to the best use of its resources, he said.
What the military brings to the equation is expertise in planning, logistics and training, and the resources to make things happen, Ward said. If USAID, for example, must get 300,000 humanitarian daily rations to a disaster area quickly, then its leaders can turn to U.S. Africa Command for assistance.
"If we can bring a capability to one of our interagency partners, then I think we ought to do that," Ward said. "But I draw a distinction between leading that effort and supporting that effort. If we have a capability that one of our interagency partners lacks, and we can come in and support their overall efforts, then that is something that we should look to do."
By working in a focused manner day-to-day with interagency partners, other organizations and the African nations, Ward said, the hope is that AfriCom, over time, will help to bring about a more secure and stable environment to allow stability to flourish on the continent.
The command is focused on Africa and listens to African leaders in a way that hasn't happened in the past, Ward said. The key phrase for the command is "sustained security engagement," he said, acknowledging that the "sustained" portion has not always happened, as a lack of follow-up in the past led to new capabilities decaying before they could take root. "Going back so that things can be built upon, that's what's different," Ward said.
To illustrate his point that the command will work to enhance Africans' ability to take charge of their security, Ward recalled a request from an African nation for some assistance. The nation was readying to deploy peacekeepers, he said, and needed help in how to load aircraft for deployment – how to palletize goods, how to tie things down, how to safeguard hazardous substances and so on. The command sent a U.S. Army lieutenant, an Army sergeant and an Air Force sergeant to the country, where they spent three weeks training the nation's loadmasters.
Along the way, the Americans learned some of the local language and customs. "At the end, the crewmen were able to do the mission professionally and with all safeguards," Ward said. "I got a letter from the chief of defense asking if he could have the same three guys back so he could train more. These are relationships being developed."
The team will go back, and later another team will go in, and still another will visit. The follow-up is as important as the original capability, Ward said, and these are capabilities that the nations ask for.
American servicemembers work side by side with African militaries, and they tell Ward how rewarding that work is for them.
"Helping these militaries provide their own security may mean we are not there reacting to a situation," Ward said. "[American servicemembers are] doing it in such a way that they are preventing something rather than to try to stop something or react to something. They really appreciated it."
Ward spoke of visiting one U.S. unit that served in Iraq, then Afghanistan, and was now part of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in Djibouti.
"To an individual, they thought what they were doing mattered and made a difference, and [that] what they were doing helped promote stability instead of having to intervene to bring stability back," Ward said. "It goes back to our primary work trying to prevent conflict as opposed to having to react to a conflict. The young men and women who are doing it are happy to be involved in those tasks."
The command is small – roughly 2,000 servicemembers in all of Africa, with most concentrated in the Horn of Africa. The command spends more time listening to partners and friends on the continent, and then moves out accordingly. "We do this based on what they ask us to do in their support – on their behalf," Ward said.
Ward said it's important to understand there are other viewpoints and to try to see situations as your friends see them.
"The idea of getting out of your foxhole and going downrange and looking back at it from the perspective of others is important," he said. "This will help us succeed."
Partnership Improves Career Opportunities for Military Spouses
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Military spouses often have a hard time finding employment, and even when they do, there's little opportunity to continue their career because it's only a matter of time before their servicemember spouse is transferred to another duty station. Inova Health System of Northern Virginia is trying to help.
"It's a challenge to build and keep a family together, especially while the nation is at war," Michael L. Dominguez, principal undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said yesterday during a ceremony in which Inova made its commitment to the Military community.
Inova's pledge gives employment opportunities, training programs and the chance for career advancement in a wide range of health care-related fields to Military spouses who seek work in the medical field for the first time as well as those who have experience.
After a year of Inova officials working with the Defense Department to develop this initiative, a formal plan and staff are in place to engage spouses and bring them into the Inova work force while they're living in the area.
"Our mission is to support the community in any way that we possibly can, and sometimes that goes beyond health care," Kylanne Green, Inova's chief administrative officer, said. "Because the Military is such an important part of this community, this seemed a very natural partnership."
The Inova system includes hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living communities, emergency and urgent care centers, a home health agency, an outpatient surgical and 24-hour emergency care facility and a variety of health and wellness classes for the community. As the largest provider of health care services in Northern Virginia, Inova has a long history of employing and caring for Military spouses and families, Green said.
"We wouldn't have an adequate work force were it not for people who were either trained in the Military or are actively serving in the military," she said. "And when we have military spouses in our employ, we are very encouraging of them to avail themselves to things that Inova can offer, even if they are here for just a short period of time."
Green hopes that Inova's efforts serve as an example for corporations and institution all over the country to support Military spouses in the work force.
When the program is proven successful, she said, Inova officials would be more than willing to share their experience and lessons learned with other employers.
"One of the things that we can do to help is kind of be the laboratory and share our successes, so the military can be successful in going to other areas and demonstrating what's already been done," she said. "We're really happy to be on the front end of that."
Making the connection between military spouses and employers became one of Leslye A. Arsht's major goals when she became deputy undersecretary of defense for Military community and family policy in February 2006, Arsht said.
Military spouses are well educated and ambitious, they're dependable, and they reflect the Military values servicemember spouses live by, she added, noting the national shortage of allied health professionals across the country.
"[Military spouses] have all the things we know the workplace is really seeking," she said. "We have spouses looking for positive, portable careers, and this is it.
"We have very high hopes, but we know this is just a launch," she continued. "We have a lot of work to do, but we're very pleased to take this step forward."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Military spouses often have a hard time finding employment, and even when they do, there's little opportunity to continue their career because it's only a matter of time before their servicemember spouse is transferred to another duty station. Inova Health System of Northern Virginia is trying to help.
"It's a challenge to build and keep a family together, especially while the nation is at war," Michael L. Dominguez, principal undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said yesterday during a ceremony in which Inova made its commitment to the Military community.
Inova's pledge gives employment opportunities, training programs and the chance for career advancement in a wide range of health care-related fields to Military spouses who seek work in the medical field for the first time as well as those who have experience.
After a year of Inova officials working with the Defense Department to develop this initiative, a formal plan and staff are in place to engage spouses and bring them into the Inova work force while they're living in the area.
"Our mission is to support the community in any way that we possibly can, and sometimes that goes beyond health care," Kylanne Green, Inova's chief administrative officer, said. "Because the Military is such an important part of this community, this seemed a very natural partnership."
The Inova system includes hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living communities, emergency and urgent care centers, a home health agency, an outpatient surgical and 24-hour emergency care facility and a variety of health and wellness classes for the community. As the largest provider of health care services in Northern Virginia, Inova has a long history of employing and caring for Military spouses and families, Green said.
"We wouldn't have an adequate work force were it not for people who were either trained in the Military or are actively serving in the military," she said. "And when we have military spouses in our employ, we are very encouraging of them to avail themselves to things that Inova can offer, even if they are here for just a short period of time."
Green hopes that Inova's efforts serve as an example for corporations and institution all over the country to support Military spouses in the work force.
When the program is proven successful, she said, Inova officials would be more than willing to share their experience and lessons learned with other employers.
"One of the things that we can do to help is kind of be the laboratory and share our successes, so the military can be successful in going to other areas and demonstrating what's already been done," she said. "We're really happy to be on the front end of that."
Making the connection between military spouses and employers became one of Leslye A. Arsht's major goals when she became deputy undersecretary of defense for Military community and family policy in February 2006, Arsht said.
Military spouses are well educated and ambitious, they're dependable, and they reflect the Military values servicemember spouses live by, she added, noting the national shortage of allied health professionals across the country.
"[Military spouses] have all the things we know the workplace is really seeking," she said. "We have spouses looking for positive, portable careers, and this is it.
"We have very high hopes, but we know this is just a launch," she continued. "We have a lot of work to do, but we're very pleased to take this step forward."
Presidential Fellows Program Develops Future DoD Leaders
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Motivated individuals who want a fast track to executive careers within the Defense Department or at other federal agencies might investigate the Presidential Fellows Management Program. The PFM program's purpose "is to attract to the federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs," President Bush said in a statement on the Office of Personnel Management's Web site explaining the program.
The program was created by Executive Order in 1977, when it was known as the Presidential Management Internship program. The program's name was changed a few years ago.
The Defense Department is among several federal agencies that participate in the PFM program, said Washington Headquarters Services manager Ken Rauch, director of the PFP program for DoD. Successful applicants, he said, serve on paid, two-year assignments.
Officials received 148 applicants for the seven Defense Department fellowship positions that were available this year, Rauch said. The department, he said, maintains 14 total positions as part of the program.
After completing the program, most participants join the federal civil service in functional areas that reflect their expertise, Rauch said.
Some DoD participants, like Ylber Bajraktari and Natalie Howley, volunteer for overseas duty in Iraq or Afghanistan as part of their two years of service.
Bajraktari, 30, obtained his graduate degree at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. A member of the PFM program's class of 2006, he served in Baghdad from February 2007 to February 2008 on the staff of then-Multinational Force Iraq commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.
"I cannot say enough good things about the program," said the Kosovo-born Bajraktari, who became a U.S. citizen in 2004. The program, he said, offers challenging assignments, as well as plentiful training opportunities.
Bajraktari was a member of a 20-person joint strategic assessment team during his duty tour in Baghdad. The team, he said, studied how military, economic, political and diplomatic assets could be best employed to effect stability in and around Baghdad during the surge.
Surge-fortified U.S. and Iraqi security operations helped to reduce insurgent-committed violence in Baghdad and were a key component that contributed to the surge's success, Bajraktari said. Iraq today "is in a better place" than it was prior to the surge, Bajraktari said. However, he added, the situation in Iraq is still fragile.
Bajraktari earned the Defense Superior Civilian Service Award for his service in Iraq. He plans to join the Middle East section of the Office of the Secretary of Defense's policy shop to put his training and experience to good use.
"I wanted to do public service, and I wanted to work for the government," Bajraktari said in explaining why he applied for the PFM program. And, international affairs "never gets boring," he said.
Howley, 27, began the Pentagon's PFM program a year after Bajraktari. Like Bajrakatari, she also obtained her graduate degree at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Now about halfway through the program, Howley said she's still deciding where she'd like to work in the Defense Department.
Howley also performed overseas service, having served with the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, from February to May of this year. She received the Global War on Terrorism Medal for her service there. While in Kabul, she worked with Afghan federal officials on Afghan local governance, elections and other issues.
"You do try to connect with the people and make their lives better," Howley, a Frankfort, Ky., native, said of her tour in Afghanistan. Her work in Kabul, she said, was conducted in a balanced way, with the view that Afghanistan is a sovereign nation with its own policies and priorities.
"I really enjoyed it, and would go back," Howley said of her assignment in Afghanistan.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Motivated individuals who want a fast track to executive careers within the Defense Department or at other federal agencies might investigate the Presidential Fellows Management Program. The PFM program's purpose "is to attract to the federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs," President Bush said in a statement on the Office of Personnel Management's Web site explaining the program.
The program was created by Executive Order in 1977, when it was known as the Presidential Management Internship program. The program's name was changed a few years ago.
The Defense Department is among several federal agencies that participate in the PFM program, said Washington Headquarters Services manager Ken Rauch, director of the PFP program for DoD. Successful applicants, he said, serve on paid, two-year assignments.
Officials received 148 applicants for the seven Defense Department fellowship positions that were available this year, Rauch said. The department, he said, maintains 14 total positions as part of the program.
After completing the program, most participants join the federal civil service in functional areas that reflect their expertise, Rauch said.
Some DoD participants, like Ylber Bajraktari and Natalie Howley, volunteer for overseas duty in Iraq or Afghanistan as part of their two years of service.
Bajraktari, 30, obtained his graduate degree at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. A member of the PFM program's class of 2006, he served in Baghdad from February 2007 to February 2008 on the staff of then-Multinational Force Iraq commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.
"I cannot say enough good things about the program," said the Kosovo-born Bajraktari, who became a U.S. citizen in 2004. The program, he said, offers challenging assignments, as well as plentiful training opportunities.
Bajraktari was a member of a 20-person joint strategic assessment team during his duty tour in Baghdad. The team, he said, studied how military, economic, political and diplomatic assets could be best employed to effect stability in and around Baghdad during the surge.
Surge-fortified U.S. and Iraqi security operations helped to reduce insurgent-committed violence in Baghdad and were a key component that contributed to the surge's success, Bajraktari said. Iraq today "is in a better place" than it was prior to the surge, Bajraktari said. However, he added, the situation in Iraq is still fragile.
Bajraktari earned the Defense Superior Civilian Service Award for his service in Iraq. He plans to join the Middle East section of the Office of the Secretary of Defense's policy shop to put his training and experience to good use.
"I wanted to do public service, and I wanted to work for the government," Bajraktari said in explaining why he applied for the PFM program. And, international affairs "never gets boring," he said.
Howley, 27, began the Pentagon's PFM program a year after Bajraktari. Like Bajrakatari, she also obtained her graduate degree at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Now about halfway through the program, Howley said she's still deciding where she'd like to work in the Defense Department.
Howley also performed overseas service, having served with the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, from February to May of this year. She received the Global War on Terrorism Medal for her service there. While in Kabul, she worked with Afghan federal officials on Afghan local governance, elections and other issues.
"You do try to connect with the people and make their lives better," Howley, a Frankfort, Ky., native, said of her tour in Afghanistan. Her work in Kabul, she said, was conducted in a balanced way, with the view that Afghanistan is a sovereign nation with its own policies and priorities.
"I really enjoyed it, and would go back," Howley said of her assignment in Afghanistan.
America Supports You: USO Gala Honors Exemplary Service
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Comedian Robin Williams and President Bush may have competed for laughs during the 2008 USO World Gala here last night, but it was five servicemembers who got the audience's greatest applause. "I had the honor of having my picture taken with the [United Service Organizations] award recipients and their families," Bush said. "I congratulate them on setting such a fine example."
Bush also extended highest respect to the wounded warriors who attended from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
USO recognized the servicemembers for their service above and beyond the call of duty. Though the award was an honor, the recipients held to the sentiment that it was all in a day's work.
"I'm humbled by it," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua E. Simson, a hospital corpsman. "It feels a little weird to have all this attention just because I was just trying to do my job."
The job that earned Simson the title "USO Sailor of the Year," involved administering medical aid to 17 U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers when their patrol was ambushed.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip N. Waldron, the "USO Coast Guardsman of the Year," said he, too, was overwhelmed by the honor.
"It was completely unexpected, and I feel humbled, more than anything else, that out of 40,000 Coast Guardsmen to be the one in here tonight," he said.
Waldron's commanding officer nominated him for the award for "demonstrating unmatched initiative and operational prowess overseas, qualifying as a boarding officer and leading coalition forces on 40 high-risk boardings in close proximity to Iranian waters." He's also a small boat coxswain, which is not a part of his primary job as a machinery technician.
"My father was also a coxswain, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps throughout my career," Waldron said.
That's a career that is undecided at the moment. He has nine years in the Coast Guard and is debating making it a 20- or 30-year career.
Also recognized were:
-- Army Spc. Monica L. Brown, USO Soldier of the Year, who is the second woman since World War II to earn the Silver Star. A combat medic, she was temporarily attached to the 4/73rd Cavalry in Afghanistan when her convoy was ambushed. She treated five injured soldiers and used her body to shield them against enemy fire for 45 minutes until they could be medically evacuated.
-- Marine Sgt. Richard E. Reyes, USO Marine of the Year, who was serving as team leader with Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6 in Iraq in July 2007 when his platoon's base was ambushed. After several attempts, he and his men destroyed the enemy's position. Three days later, an engagement with an insurgent located on a rooftop ended in his team capturing three enemy fighters. In all, Reyes led 70 combat missions and was instrumental in the capture of 35 insurgents.
-- Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn A. Ryan, USO Airman of the Year, who volunteered for a one-year deployment to Iraq during which he served with the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. He trained 700 Iraqi police officers, covered 4,200 miles of Baghdad streets during his patrols and participated in 167 combat missions. He came under attack multiple times, was wounded once and prevented a suicide car-bomber from completing his mission, thereby protecting the lives of 45 U.S. and Iraqi troops and more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians.
These five are representative of every servicemember, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.
"I believe, and I think they would agree with me, that in their service ... these awardees typify the quality and character of every one of their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen," he said. "All of them are heroes in their own right."
He went on to thank the USO and its volunteers for offering troops not only a taste of home, but a sense of appreciation.
"That's what tonight is all about -- people who just don't support the troops, but fight for the troops," Mullen said. "Thanks not just for serving us hot coffee and the warm beds. Thanks for serving alongside us."
For the USO, there's still more to be done, said Sloan D. Gibson, the organization's new president and chief executive officer.
"I've watched a soldier take the time to record a video for his children back home," he said. "Reading a book for a bedside story was his small effort to help dull the pain his loved ones felt during their long separation.
"This is the sacrifice that demands that we do more," he added.
And more, he vowed, USO would do.
"If doing more only represents half of our full potential, it's still not enough," Gibson said. "My pledge to you is that we will work to seize the full potential that stands before us. The sacrifice and the service of our troops and their families around the world deserve nothing less."
Gibson replaces former USO president and chief executive officer Edward A. Powell, who served the organization in that capacity for nearly seven years.
The USO also chose Virginia U.S. Sen. John Warner as its Spirit of the USO Award recipient for his "unwavering leadership and support for America's servicemen and women." Warner's wife accepted the award on his behalf. The senator was participating in a late-night vote on the proposed financial bailout package.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Comedian Robin Williams and President Bush may have competed for laughs during the 2008 USO World Gala here last night, but it was five servicemembers who got the audience's greatest applause. "I had the honor of having my picture taken with the [United Service Organizations] award recipients and their families," Bush said. "I congratulate them on setting such a fine example."
Bush also extended highest respect to the wounded warriors who attended from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
USO recognized the servicemembers for their service above and beyond the call of duty. Though the award was an honor, the recipients held to the sentiment that it was all in a day's work.
"I'm humbled by it," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua E. Simson, a hospital corpsman. "It feels a little weird to have all this attention just because I was just trying to do my job."
The job that earned Simson the title "USO Sailor of the Year," involved administering medical aid to 17 U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers when their patrol was ambushed.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip N. Waldron, the "USO Coast Guardsman of the Year," said he, too, was overwhelmed by the honor.
"It was completely unexpected, and I feel humbled, more than anything else, that out of 40,000 Coast Guardsmen to be the one in here tonight," he said.
Waldron's commanding officer nominated him for the award for "demonstrating unmatched initiative and operational prowess overseas, qualifying as a boarding officer and leading coalition forces on 40 high-risk boardings in close proximity to Iranian waters." He's also a small boat coxswain, which is not a part of his primary job as a machinery technician.
"My father was also a coxswain, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps throughout my career," Waldron said.
That's a career that is undecided at the moment. He has nine years in the Coast Guard and is debating making it a 20- or 30-year career.
Also recognized were:
-- Army Spc. Monica L. Brown, USO Soldier of the Year, who is the second woman since World War II to earn the Silver Star. A combat medic, she was temporarily attached to the 4/73rd Cavalry in Afghanistan when her convoy was ambushed. She treated five injured soldiers and used her body to shield them against enemy fire for 45 minutes until they could be medically evacuated.
-- Marine Sgt. Richard E. Reyes, USO Marine of the Year, who was serving as team leader with Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6 in Iraq in July 2007 when his platoon's base was ambushed. After several attempts, he and his men destroyed the enemy's position. Three days later, an engagement with an insurgent located on a rooftop ended in his team capturing three enemy fighters. In all, Reyes led 70 combat missions and was instrumental in the capture of 35 insurgents.
-- Air Force Staff Sgt. Shawn A. Ryan, USO Airman of the Year, who volunteered for a one-year deployment to Iraq during which he served with the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. He trained 700 Iraqi police officers, covered 4,200 miles of Baghdad streets during his patrols and participated in 167 combat missions. He came under attack multiple times, was wounded once and prevented a suicide car-bomber from completing his mission, thereby protecting the lives of 45 U.S. and Iraqi troops and more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians.
These five are representative of every servicemember, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.
"I believe, and I think they would agree with me, that in their service ... these awardees typify the quality and character of every one of their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen," he said. "All of them are heroes in their own right."
He went on to thank the USO and its volunteers for offering troops not only a taste of home, but a sense of appreciation.
"That's what tonight is all about -- people who just don't support the troops, but fight for the troops," Mullen said. "Thanks not just for serving us hot coffee and the warm beds. Thanks for serving alongside us."
For the USO, there's still more to be done, said Sloan D. Gibson, the organization's new president and chief executive officer.
"I've watched a soldier take the time to record a video for his children back home," he said. "Reading a book for a bedside story was his small effort to help dull the pain his loved ones felt during their long separation.
"This is the sacrifice that demands that we do more," he added.
And more, he vowed, USO would do.
"If doing more only represents half of our full potential, it's still not enough," Gibson said. "My pledge to you is that we will work to seize the full potential that stands before us. The sacrifice and the service of our troops and their families around the world deserve nothing less."
Gibson replaces former USO president and chief executive officer Edward A. Powell, who served the organization in that capacity for nearly seven years.
The USO also chose Virginia U.S. Sen. John Warner as its Spirit of the USO Award recipient for his "unwavering leadership and support for America's servicemen and women." Warner's wife accepted the award on his behalf. The senator was participating in a late-night vote on the proposed financial bailout package.
Army Guard Adds to NASCAR Racing Stable
By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Many NASCAR fans are accustomed to seeing the National Guard name on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Recently, however, the Guard added another driver and racing series to its roster.
This weekend, driver Landon Cassill will be sponsored by the National Guard in the Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Winn-Dixie NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.
The sponsorship of Cassill, who drives the No. 81 truck, at Talladega ties in with Guard recruiting and retention events to be held during the race, said Army Lt. Col. Joseph Day, chief of Army National Guard marketing programs.
Those events are scheduled to include an appearance by Cassill as well as a performance after the race by the band Three Doors Down, whose song "Citizen/Soldier" honors Army National Guard soldiers. Guard recruiting booths will be set up along the track during the race.
For Cassill, this weekend's race will be his seventh start as part of the 2008 season of the truck series. While this is Cassill's rookie season, he placed in the top 10 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in May and finished third at the Milwaukee Mile in June.
Those wins, Cassill said, largely have been from the efforts of the team behind the No. 81 truck. He said he hopes that, as well as the Guard sponsorship, will bring him success at Talladega.
"We've got the National Guard on board, and I think it's a perfect combination for my first race at Talladega," he said in a news release.
This isn't Cassill's first time racing for the Guard. He also drives the National Guard-sponsored No. 5 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He took first place in the 2007 Busch Series 250 race.
Saturday may mark Cassill's first race at Talladega in the truck series, but he is scheduled to make the rounds of Talladega's 2.66-mile course the day before behind the wheel of the No. 88 car in the Automobile Racing Club of America's Re/Max series race. That race, he said, will give him experience with drafting that he can build on for the truck race the following day.
"I learned a lot in Daytona this winter about drafting, but I also learned even more about drafting at some of the truck races that I've ran this year at fast tracks," he said. "It's going to take a lot of focus to catch on to the drafting techniques on race weekend, but I think the seat time and experience that I'll get from the ARCA race will be able to transfer right over to the truck."
And perhaps that is something that will translate into a win.
"Obviously, we want to put the National Guard truck in victory lane for [the Guard members], and I feel confident Landon and all the guys on the team can do just that," said Randy Moss, co-owner of Randy Moss Motorsports, which owns the No. 81 truck.
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Many NASCAR fans are accustomed to seeing the National Guard name on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Recently, however, the Guard added another driver and racing series to its roster.
This weekend, driver Landon Cassill will be sponsored by the National Guard in the Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Winn-Dixie NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.
The sponsorship of Cassill, who drives the No. 81 truck, at Talladega ties in with Guard recruiting and retention events to be held during the race, said Army Lt. Col. Joseph Day, chief of Army National Guard marketing programs.
Those events are scheduled to include an appearance by Cassill as well as a performance after the race by the band Three Doors Down, whose song "Citizen/Soldier" honors Army National Guard soldiers. Guard recruiting booths will be set up along the track during the race.
For Cassill, this weekend's race will be his seventh start as part of the 2008 season of the truck series. While this is Cassill's rookie season, he placed in the top 10 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in May and finished third at the Milwaukee Mile in June.
Those wins, Cassill said, largely have been from the efforts of the team behind the No. 81 truck. He said he hopes that, as well as the Guard sponsorship, will bring him success at Talladega.
"We've got the National Guard on board, and I think it's a perfect combination for my first race at Talladega," he said in a news release.
This isn't Cassill's first time racing for the Guard. He also drives the National Guard-sponsored No. 5 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He took first place in the 2007 Busch Series 250 race.
Saturday may mark Cassill's first race at Talladega in the truck series, but he is scheduled to make the rounds of Talladega's 2.66-mile course the day before behind the wheel of the No. 88 car in the Automobile Racing Club of America's Re/Max series race. That race, he said, will give him experience with drafting that he can build on for the truck race the following day.
"I learned a lot in Daytona this winter about drafting, but I also learned even more about drafting at some of the truck races that I've ran this year at fast tracks," he said. "It's going to take a lot of focus to catch on to the drafting techniques on race weekend, but I think the seat time and experience that I'll get from the ARCA race will be able to transfer right over to the truck."
And perhaps that is something that will translate into a win.
"Obviously, we want to put the National Guard truck in victory lane for [the Guard members], and I feel confident Landon and all the guys on the team can do just that," said Randy Moss, co-owner of Randy Moss Motorsports, which owns the No. 81 truck.
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Soldier Missing In Action From WWII Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War Two, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is 2nd Lt. Ernest E. Martin, U.S. Army, of Hanover, Mont. He will be buried on Oct. 11 in Ellensburg, Wash. Representatives from the Army met with Martin's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of Secretary of the Army.
In November 1944, the 109th and 112th Infantry Regiments, 28th Infantry Division, were attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Martin, a member of C Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, was reported missing in action near Vossenack on Nov. 10.
In 2000, a German construction company found human remains in an unmarked grave while clearing wartime unexploded ordnance from the Hürtgen Forest. The remains, along with military rank and branch insignia were turned over to U.S. officials.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Martin's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo
or call (703) 699-1169.
He is 2nd Lt. Ernest E. Martin, U.S. Army, of Hanover, Mont. He will be buried on Oct. 11 in Ellensburg, Wash. Representatives from the Army met with Martin's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of Secretary of the Army.
In November 1944, the 109th and 112th Infantry Regiments, 28th Infantry Division, were attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Martin, a member of C Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, was reported missing in action near Vossenack on Nov. 10.
In 2000, a German construction company found human remains in an unmarked grave while clearing wartime unexploded ordnance from the Hürtgen Forest. The remains, along with military rank and branch insignia were turned over to U.S. officials.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Martin's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo
or call (703) 699-1169.
Soldier Medics Re-enlist in Nation's Capital
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - A group of soldier-medics, whose duties adhere to the Hippocratic Oath to provide ethical medical treatment, pledged allegiance to another credo today -- the oath of re-enlistment. Between the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool here, nearly 80 troops stood at attention as Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker, Army surgeon general, recited a passage from Lincoln's second inaugural address.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right," he said, "let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Before administering the oath of re-enlistment to the formation of troops standing at attention, Schoomaker said, "Your willingness to raise your hand and re-enlist speaks volumes about you and your love of country."
One soldier re-enlisting today was Spc. Crystal Conner, a respiratory therapist, who along with many of the soldiers at today's ceremony works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
She originally enlisted in 2002 to prove to her family that she is dependable, and that she could do something without them "hovering over" her. "I know I've done that," she said, "and more."
Having achieved her original goal, Conner said, she continues serving in the Army – with today marking her second re-enlistment -- because she feels it's her calling.
"I've been deployed to Iraq before, so I can kind of sympathize with the soldiers coming back, and I know what they've been through," said Conner, who deployed to Baghdad in 2004 for a year. "I wouldn't rather do anything than take care of them."
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rudy DelValle, command sergeant major of Walter Reed Health Care System, said those re-enlisting represent troops who love their duties as soldiers.
"They love what leadership is doing for them right now. They love their country, the sacrifices they're making, they want to be a soldier, they want to take care of people," he said. "There are only about five soldiers getting re-enlistment bonuses. The rest of them are doing it only because they want to be a soldier."
Army Col. (Dr.) Norvell Coots, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System, said the re-enlistment of medics illustrates a show of support to the military and provides a boost to morale within the unit.
"Usually, you hope to get this many throughout an entire year," he said of re-enlistments. "And here we've accomplished that on the second day of the fiscal year. It's just an amazing sense of patriotism on the behalf of these medical soldiers."
Staff Sgt. Clayton Eric Cunningham re-enlisted today for the second time in his seven-year tenure in the Army. As a warrior transition squad leader at Walter Reed, Cunningham's job involves helping wounded troops transition after returning home from deployment. His favorite part of the job is interacting with veterans, he said.
Cunningham recalled a special bond he forged with a young Army specialist who was injured when a makeshift bomb struck his Humvee in Iraq. As a result, the soldier suffered from traumatic brain injury, a mental condition characterized by headaches, dizziness, lack of motor coordination, memory loss and other symptoms.
"It threw him out of the vehicle. It killed the other three people inside," Cunningham recalled. "He got really messed up -- really bad TBI. He couldn't remember his name a lot of the time."
Cunningham said it was great to see the young soldier's condition improve under the warrior transition program.
"It's really cool to see them advance in their medical treatment and get better," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - A group of soldier-medics, whose duties adhere to the Hippocratic Oath to provide ethical medical treatment, pledged allegiance to another credo today -- the oath of re-enlistment. Between the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool here, nearly 80 troops stood at attention as Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker, Army surgeon general, recited a passage from Lincoln's second inaugural address.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right," he said, "let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Before administering the oath of re-enlistment to the formation of troops standing at attention, Schoomaker said, "Your willingness to raise your hand and re-enlist speaks volumes about you and your love of country."
One soldier re-enlisting today was Spc. Crystal Conner, a respiratory therapist, who along with many of the soldiers at today's ceremony works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
She originally enlisted in 2002 to prove to her family that she is dependable, and that she could do something without them "hovering over" her. "I know I've done that," she said, "and more."
Having achieved her original goal, Conner said, she continues serving in the Army – with today marking her second re-enlistment -- because she feels it's her calling.
"I've been deployed to Iraq before, so I can kind of sympathize with the soldiers coming back, and I know what they've been through," said Conner, who deployed to Baghdad in 2004 for a year. "I wouldn't rather do anything than take care of them."
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rudy DelValle, command sergeant major of Walter Reed Health Care System, said those re-enlisting represent troops who love their duties as soldiers.
"They love what leadership is doing for them right now. They love their country, the sacrifices they're making, they want to be a soldier, they want to take care of people," he said. "There are only about five soldiers getting re-enlistment bonuses. The rest of them are doing it only because they want to be a soldier."
Army Col. (Dr.) Norvell Coots, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System, said the re-enlistment of medics illustrates a show of support to the military and provides a boost to morale within the unit.
"Usually, you hope to get this many throughout an entire year," he said of re-enlistments. "And here we've accomplished that on the second day of the fiscal year. It's just an amazing sense of patriotism on the behalf of these medical soldiers."
Staff Sgt. Clayton Eric Cunningham re-enlisted today for the second time in his seven-year tenure in the Army. As a warrior transition squad leader at Walter Reed, Cunningham's job involves helping wounded troops transition after returning home from deployment. His favorite part of the job is interacting with veterans, he said.
Cunningham recalled a special bond he forged with a young Army specialist who was injured when a makeshift bomb struck his Humvee in Iraq. As a result, the soldier suffered from traumatic brain injury, a mental condition characterized by headaches, dizziness, lack of motor coordination, memory loss and other symptoms.
"It threw him out of the vehicle. It killed the other three people inside," Cunningham recalled. "He got really messed up -- really bad TBI. He couldn't remember his name a lot of the time."
Cunningham said it was great to see the young soldier's condition improve under the warrior transition program.
"It's really cool to see them advance in their medical treatment and get better," he said.
Recently Wounded Vets Sail Toward New Recognition of Capabilities
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Army Staff Sgt. Michael Fradera had never even been on a sailboat before an improvised explosive device in Baghdad blasted away both of his legs during the early days of the troop surge in Iraq. But yesterday, the former 1st Infantry Division soldier, now medically retired from the Army, was the king of San Diego Harbor at the helm of a 43-foot racing sailboat, B-Quest II.
Fradera is among 56 recently wounded veterans, including troops being processed through the disability evaluation system, participating in the first National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic Pilot Program. The week-long clinic, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, opened Sept. 28 and continues through tomorrow.
Many of the participants, like Fradera, were wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and are getting an early introduction to the therapeutic value of not only sailing, but also surfing, kayaking, hand-cycling and track and field events.
During yesterday's sailing event, Kevin Wixom welcomed Fradera and his wife, Jennifer, aboard the Nelson/Marek Custom 43 racing sailboat he captains for Challenged America. B-Quest II is the flagship of the San Diego-based organization founded by disabled Vietnam veterans to provide adaptive sailing opportunities for others with disabilities.
Joining the Fraderas on B-Quest II were Marine Cpl. Sherman Watson and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary Wiedemann. Watson, assigned to the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb explosion in Fallujah, Iraq, and is undergoing the disability screening board process. Wiedemann was medically retired from the Air Force due to several physical issues, including a digestive disorder picked up during a deployment to Iraq.
Other clinic participants with more severe disabilities took their places on 16-foot Martin adaptive sailboats. These two-seaters accommodate an instructor and a veteran who steers the boat from the forward seat using a joystick that replicates the action of a rudder, Wixom explained.
As B-Quest II was leaving its slip, Wixom quickly informed the veterans that crewing a sailboat is no spectator sport. "Everyone aboard here is working, not just riding," he said.
Wixom and other volunteers assigned them to crew positions and took them through the basics of how to hoist and trim the sails, grind winches, tack the boat to change direction and take the helm to navigate through San Diego Harbor.
An amputee himself who lost his left leg five years ago in a motorcycle accident, Wixom called sailing a great rehabilitative sport because it demands strength, adaptability to ever-changing wind conditions and teamwork.
"With sailing, there's a lot of physical work involved, but there are also important lessons for life," he said. "You have to pay attention to the environment, to know what's going on around you and how to use that to the best of your ability. That's a valuable life lesson for anyone to be successful, whether you're a corporate CEO or an accountant or a skipper."
Wixom said the sailing experience would help the veterans recognize the opportunities open to them if they're receptive.
"Our hope is to show them that life is not over and that they can still do things like this," he said. "And on top of that, we just want them to have fun and enjoy a good time."
Adjusting the mainsail during a reach across the harbor, Fradera cheered on his fellow crewmembers. "Come on, guys!" he called. "Put some guns into it!" Meanwhile, Watson took the helm, working to keep the tell-tales on the jib sheet flying despite light and inconsistent winds.
Like Fradera, Watson had never been on a sailboat before. The last time he was on San Diego Harbor, he said, was aboard an aircraft carrier that had been called back to port so the Marines onboard could gear up for the invasion into Iraq.
More than six years later and with three Purple Hearts, Watson put those thoughts away as he savored his sailing experience aboard B-Quest II. "This feels soooooo good," he said, his face lapping up sunshine and breeze. "Getting to be here doing this is just awesome. I love every minute of this."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Army Staff Sgt. Michael Fradera had never even been on a sailboat before an improvised explosive device in Baghdad blasted away both of his legs during the early days of the troop surge in Iraq. But yesterday, the former 1st Infantry Division soldier, now medically retired from the Army, was the king of San Diego Harbor at the helm of a 43-foot racing sailboat, B-Quest II.
Fradera is among 56 recently wounded veterans, including troops being processed through the disability evaluation system, participating in the first National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic Pilot Program. The week-long clinic, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, opened Sept. 28 and continues through tomorrow.
Many of the participants, like Fradera, were wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and are getting an early introduction to the therapeutic value of not only sailing, but also surfing, kayaking, hand-cycling and track and field events.
During yesterday's sailing event, Kevin Wixom welcomed Fradera and his wife, Jennifer, aboard the Nelson/Marek Custom 43 racing sailboat he captains for Challenged America. B-Quest II is the flagship of the San Diego-based organization founded by disabled Vietnam veterans to provide adaptive sailing opportunities for others with disabilities.
Joining the Fraderas on B-Quest II were Marine Cpl. Sherman Watson and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary Wiedemann. Watson, assigned to the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb explosion in Fallujah, Iraq, and is undergoing the disability screening board process. Wiedemann was medically retired from the Air Force due to several physical issues, including a digestive disorder picked up during a deployment to Iraq.
Other clinic participants with more severe disabilities took their places on 16-foot Martin adaptive sailboats. These two-seaters accommodate an instructor and a veteran who steers the boat from the forward seat using a joystick that replicates the action of a rudder, Wixom explained.
As B-Quest II was leaving its slip, Wixom quickly informed the veterans that crewing a sailboat is no spectator sport. "Everyone aboard here is working, not just riding," he said.
Wixom and other volunteers assigned them to crew positions and took them through the basics of how to hoist and trim the sails, grind winches, tack the boat to change direction and take the helm to navigate through San Diego Harbor.
An amputee himself who lost his left leg five years ago in a motorcycle accident, Wixom called sailing a great rehabilitative sport because it demands strength, adaptability to ever-changing wind conditions and teamwork.
"With sailing, there's a lot of physical work involved, but there are also important lessons for life," he said. "You have to pay attention to the environment, to know what's going on around you and how to use that to the best of your ability. That's a valuable life lesson for anyone to be successful, whether you're a corporate CEO or an accountant or a skipper."
Wixom said the sailing experience would help the veterans recognize the opportunities open to them if they're receptive.
"Our hope is to show them that life is not over and that they can still do things like this," he said. "And on top of that, we just want them to have fun and enjoy a good time."
Adjusting the mainsail during a reach across the harbor, Fradera cheered on his fellow crewmembers. "Come on, guys!" he called. "Put some guns into it!" Meanwhile, Watson took the helm, working to keep the tell-tales on the jib sheet flying despite light and inconsistent winds.
Like Fradera, Watson had never been on a sailboat before. The last time he was on San Diego Harbor, he said, was aboard an aircraft carrier that had been called back to port so the Marines onboard could gear up for the invasion into Iraq.
More than six years later and with three Purple Hearts, Watson put those thoughts away as he savored his sailing experience aboard B-Quest II. "This feels soooooo good," he said, his face lapping up sunshine and breeze. "Getting to be here doing this is just awesome. I love every minute of this."
Military Health System Asks Service Members and Their Families for Feedback
DoD announced today that the Military Health System (MHS) would like service members and their families to respond to new questionnaires designed to help MHS leaders understand their needs and expectations.
"These questionnaires are part of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' commitment to supporting wounded, ill and injured service members—ensuring that their care is DoD's top priority," said S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
The questionnaires—one for wounded, ill or injured service members and one for their family members—are available on-line beginning today and will remain open for completion until Oct. 15. Both questionnaires ask for feedback concerning a service member's experience and satisfaction with the care he or she has received since becoming wounded, ill or injured.
To encourage candid responses that will lead to positive change in the delivery of care for our service members and their families, all survey responses will remain anonymous. Analysis and results of the survey will be available in November 2008, at http://www.health.mil .
“Care is continually improving, but MHS leaders recognize there is still more to be done," said Casscells.
On-line questionnaires are available at: http://www.health.mil/Pages/Page.aspx?ID=18.
New Law Would Help Drug Enforcement, Coast Guard Officer Says
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Legislation imposing tough penalties for operating undocumented semi-submersible vessels in international waters would help drug-interdiction efforts, the deputy chief of the Coast Guard's Law Enforcement Office said Sept. 30. Self-propelled semi-submersibles, or SPSSs, are small sea vessels, usually less than 100 feet in length, designed to sink themselves when detected, Coast Guard Cmdr. Cameron Naron explained to bloggers in a teleconference. Drug traffickers are adapting the technology with increasing success to evade Law Enforcement, he said.
"Drug-trafficking organizations continue to adapt these vessels ... to our Law Enforcement successes," Naron said. "These SPSSs were once perceived as a very impractical and risky smuggling tool, but now have proven successful as an innovative and highly mobile asymmetrical method of conveyance."
Naron said the number of encounters with smugglers using semi-submersibles to transport illegal drugs from South America to the continental United States ballooned in fiscal 2008, with 62 known incidents in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, compared to about two dozen over the previous six and a half years.
Coast Guard officials estimate that two to three semi-submersibles carrying illegal drugs travel up the Pacific coast each week, he added.
"In order to prosecute these cases, we've always needed to have at least a representative sample of the drugs on board," Naron explained, which is difficult and risky to obtain if the crew succeeds in sinking the vessel before Law Enforcement takes control.
"These SPSSs are built to scuttle, which means to sink themselves very quickly," he explained. "And the time ... that it takes to get on board and try to keep them from scuttling is a very, very short amount of time that we have, and [it] puts our boarding teams at significant risk."
Naron described a Sept. 13 nighttime interdiction of a stateless semi-submersible detected 350 miles west of Guatemala, in which smugglers tried to throw a Coast Guard law-enforcement team off the vessel by backing down and quickly reversing the engines. When the team clung to exhaust fixtures to avoid being thrown into the ocean, he said, the people aboard attempted to flood the vessel and escape through the conning tower.
"Although the scuttling valves were only open for a few moments," he said, "nearly a foot of water had already entered the hull of this SPSS."
Naron said the team recovered and detained four Columbian nationals who will be prosecuted in the United States. The vessel was carrying 11,850 pounds of cocaine, he said.
"The operator later admitted that he was trying to kill the boarding team by throwing them off the SPSS and into the vessel's propeller," Naron said.
If signed by the president, Naron said, new legislation approved in the House of Representatives Sept. 29 would allow for the prosecution of anyone caught on a self-propelled semi-submersible if it's on an international voyage and isn't documented in any country or registered in any state.
The legislation, he said, provides for a 15-year jail term and a $1 million civil penalty for the offense. It was passed by the Senate prior to House approval, he added.
"This legislation will allow us to prosecute these people just based on the fact that they were operating [a semi-submersible] vessel, subject to the ... qualifications," Naron said. "So, that will help our enforcement efforts significantly to counter this, and hopefully, this means moving drugs into the U.S. and other places will be significantly reduced."
Naron said the legislation also would help reduce the risk associated with drug-interdiction efforts by the Coast Guard and other agencies.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 2, 2008 - Legislation imposing tough penalties for operating undocumented semi-submersible vessels in international waters would help drug-interdiction efforts, the deputy chief of the Coast Guard's Law Enforcement Office said Sept. 30. Self-propelled semi-submersibles, or SPSSs, are small sea vessels, usually less than 100 feet in length, designed to sink themselves when detected, Coast Guard Cmdr. Cameron Naron explained to bloggers in a teleconference. Drug traffickers are adapting the technology with increasing success to evade Law Enforcement, he said.
"Drug-trafficking organizations continue to adapt these vessels ... to our Law Enforcement successes," Naron said. "These SPSSs were once perceived as a very impractical and risky smuggling tool, but now have proven successful as an innovative and highly mobile asymmetrical method of conveyance."
Naron said the number of encounters with smugglers using semi-submersibles to transport illegal drugs from South America to the continental United States ballooned in fiscal 2008, with 62 known incidents in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, compared to about two dozen over the previous six and a half years.
Coast Guard officials estimate that two to three semi-submersibles carrying illegal drugs travel up the Pacific coast each week, he added.
"In order to prosecute these cases, we've always needed to have at least a representative sample of the drugs on board," Naron explained, which is difficult and risky to obtain if the crew succeeds in sinking the vessel before Law Enforcement takes control.
"These SPSSs are built to scuttle, which means to sink themselves very quickly," he explained. "And the time ... that it takes to get on board and try to keep them from scuttling is a very, very short amount of time that we have, and [it] puts our boarding teams at significant risk."
Naron described a Sept. 13 nighttime interdiction of a stateless semi-submersible detected 350 miles west of Guatemala, in which smugglers tried to throw a Coast Guard law-enforcement team off the vessel by backing down and quickly reversing the engines. When the team clung to exhaust fixtures to avoid being thrown into the ocean, he said, the people aboard attempted to flood the vessel and escape through the conning tower.
"Although the scuttling valves were only open for a few moments," he said, "nearly a foot of water had already entered the hull of this SPSS."
Naron said the team recovered and detained four Columbian nationals who will be prosecuted in the United States. The vessel was carrying 11,850 pounds of cocaine, he said.
"The operator later admitted that he was trying to kill the boarding team by throwing them off the SPSS and into the vessel's propeller," Naron said.
If signed by the president, Naron said, new legislation approved in the House of Representatives Sept. 29 would allow for the prosecution of anyone caught on a self-propelled semi-submersible if it's on an international voyage and isn't documented in any country or registered in any state.
The legislation, he said, provides for a 15-year jail term and a $1 million civil penalty for the offense. It was passed by the Senate prior to House approval, he added.
"This legislation will allow us to prosecute these people just based on the fact that they were operating [a semi-submersible] vessel, subject to the ... qualifications," Naron said. "So, that will help our enforcement efforts significantly to counter this, and hopefully, this means moving drugs into the U.S. and other places will be significantly reduced."
Naron said the legislation also would help reduce the risk associated with drug-interdiction efforts by the Coast Guard and other agencies.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.)
Africa Command Unfurls Colors During Pentagon Ceremony
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 1, 2008 - A new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics raised its flag during a Pentagon ceremony today. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen that "U.S. Africa Command reports for duty!"
The focus of American foreign policy in Africa is defense, diplomacy and development, Gates said during the ceremony.
"On the defense side, AfriCom's mission is not to wage war, but to prevent it – not to show United States military presence, but to enhance the security forces of our partners," Gates said.
The command will build lasting ties with African nations, the secretary said. "All of this contributes to our overall goal as a nation: to be a trusted, reliable partner for the nations of Africa," he added.
President Bush announced in February 2007 that the U.S. military would form the command as part of an overall change in the DoD footprint.
"Beyond moving and realigning troops and bases, we have also been reconsidering, on a more general level, the nature of the kinds of threats to our nation ... and those threats we might face in the future," Gates said.
Crime, terrorism, natural disasters, economic turmoil, ethnic fissures and disease can be just as destabilizing on the African continent as traditional military threats, Gates noted. "It makes sense to fuse old understandings of security with new concepts of security, and how security, stability and development go hand-in-hand," he said.
One sign that AfriCom is a different paradigm is that one of its deputy commanders is Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates. The U.S. Agency for International Development also has provided personnel for the new command, as has the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
The command will focus on supporting military professionalism and military capacity, said USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore, who also spoke at the ceremony. Fore also represented the State Department for the unfurling.
Helping African nations build security will enhance their development prospects, Fore said.
"We welcome AfriCom's integrated and innovative command structure," she said. "The State Department will ensure that AfriCom's activities are coordinated by our ambassadors. Such coordination will make sure our foreign policy priorities are met and are complementary among all United States programs and activities, and [that] their effectiveness is maximized.
She said the State Department and USAID recognize security is fundamental to the success of their missions on the continent. "The link between security and development is clear throughout sub-Saharan Africa," she said.
The chairman called the stand-up an exciting day for the department, and he thanked all those who worked so hard to make the command a reality. He said the command "is different than what we've done in the past, and [it will] allow us to engage in a part of the world that is critical to the United States and the world."
While the command will face challenges, it also has opportunities, and the men and women of the command – with their African partners – will meet them head-on, the chairman said. The command personnel are excited "about making a difference and in the newness of the construct, and in the ability to engage in a place where heretofore we have not been able to dedicate the resources and the people to do so. It is in that dedication and focus and engagement that will make so much difference," Mullen said.
For his part, Ward emphasized that his new command will not hijack American foreign policy on the continent. AfriCom will take its foreign policy marching orders from the State Department and in concert with other U.S. government agencies and international partners, he said, and it will conduct sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities and other military operations as directed. The goal is to promote a stable and more secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy, Ward said.
"Our first priority is the delivery and sustainment of effective security cooperation programs on the African continent and its island nations," he said. "We will work to build partner security capacity. Within our means, we will endeavor to provide value added to existing programs while establishing new programs based on what African nations and African organizations ask us to do as they seek to provide for their own security."
When all is said and done, Ward said, the command will exemplify new civilian-military and U.S.-African partnerships that seek to prevent wars and foster peace.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 1, 2008 - A new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics raised its flag during a Pentagon ceremony today. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen that "U.S. Africa Command reports for duty!"
The focus of American foreign policy in Africa is defense, diplomacy and development, Gates said during the ceremony.
"On the defense side, AfriCom's mission is not to wage war, but to prevent it – not to show United States military presence, but to enhance the security forces of our partners," Gates said.
The command will build lasting ties with African nations, the secretary said. "All of this contributes to our overall goal as a nation: to be a trusted, reliable partner for the nations of Africa," he added.
President Bush announced in February 2007 that the U.S. military would form the command as part of an overall change in the DoD footprint.
"Beyond moving and realigning troops and bases, we have also been reconsidering, on a more general level, the nature of the kinds of threats to our nation ... and those threats we might face in the future," Gates said.
Crime, terrorism, natural disasters, economic turmoil, ethnic fissures and disease can be just as destabilizing on the African continent as traditional military threats, Gates noted. "It makes sense to fuse old understandings of security with new concepts of security, and how security, stability and development go hand-in-hand," he said.
One sign that AfriCom is a different paradigm is that one of its deputy commanders is Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates. The U.S. Agency for International Development also has provided personnel for the new command, as has the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
The command will focus on supporting military professionalism and military capacity, said USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore, who also spoke at the ceremony. Fore also represented the State Department for the unfurling.
Helping African nations build security will enhance their development prospects, Fore said.
"We welcome AfriCom's integrated and innovative command structure," she said. "The State Department will ensure that AfriCom's activities are coordinated by our ambassadors. Such coordination will make sure our foreign policy priorities are met and are complementary among all United States programs and activities, and [that] their effectiveness is maximized.
She said the State Department and USAID recognize security is fundamental to the success of their missions on the continent. "The link between security and development is clear throughout sub-Saharan Africa," she said.
The chairman called the stand-up an exciting day for the department, and he thanked all those who worked so hard to make the command a reality. He said the command "is different than what we've done in the past, and [it will] allow us to engage in a part of the world that is critical to the United States and the world."
While the command will face challenges, it also has opportunities, and the men and women of the command – with their African partners – will meet them head-on, the chairman said. The command personnel are excited "about making a difference and in the newness of the construct, and in the ability to engage in a place where heretofore we have not been able to dedicate the resources and the people to do so. It is in that dedication and focus and engagement that will make so much difference," Mullen said.
For his part, Ward emphasized that his new command will not hijack American foreign policy on the continent. AfriCom will take its foreign policy marching orders from the State Department and in concert with other U.S. government agencies and international partners, he said, and it will conduct sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities and other military operations as directed. The goal is to promote a stable and more secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy, Ward said.
"Our first priority is the delivery and sustainment of effective security cooperation programs on the African continent and its island nations," he said. "We will work to build partner security capacity. Within our means, we will endeavor to provide value added to existing programs while establishing new programs based on what African nations and African organizations ask us to do as they seek to provide for their own security."
When all is said and done, Ward said, the command will exemplify new civilian-military and U.S.-African partnerships that seek to prevent wars and foster peace.
MILITARY CONTACTS October 2, 2008
Army
Walton Construction Co., LLC, Harahan, La., was awarded on Sept. 30, 2008, a $184,883,550 firm fixed price contract for project includes complete study, design, abatement, and construction of 16 barracks and central energy plants. Work will be performed in Fort Polk, La., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. Bids solicited were via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0070).
VETCO Contracting Services, LLC, of Watertown, N.Y., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $114,000,000 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple award task order firm fixed price contract to construct single-soldier housing on Fort Lee, Va. Work will be performed on Fort Lee and will be completed by Sept. 28, 2013. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-D-0058).
Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC, Independence, Mo., was awarded a modification 34 on Sept. 29, 2008, a $70,446,012 firm fixed price contract for execution of economics price adjustment for Cooper & Total Plant volume discount. Work will be performed in Independence, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAA-09-99-D0016).
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $56,654,822 firm fixed fee price contract procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Saco, Maine, with an estimated completion date of Feb 20, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-D-0459).
Alliant Techsystems Inc, Mesa, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $53,480,866 multiple awards, indefinite delivery order firm fixed fee price contract for procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Washington, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachussetts, and Rhode Island, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited and three bids were received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W915QKN-08-D-0460).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $32,711,502 firm fixed price contract. modification to acquire two government -owned contractor-operated teams and additional air vehicle operators and maintainers as needed. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Aviation and missile Command, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0016).
Blueridge General, Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $25,116,678 firm fixed price contract. The project includes construction of 4 story structures totaling 115,363 NSF containing 203 non-handicap units and seven handicap units. Work will be performed in Hampton, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and four bids were received. Corp of Engineer, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-C-0083).
Caddell Corp., Co., LLC, Montgomery, Ala., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, $18,719,743 firm fixed price contract. The project includes the design and construction of Fires Brigade combined brigade/battalion headquarters facilities, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 11, 2009, a $ 18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract, for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A789).
Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Sept 11, 2008, a $18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., Ocala, Fla., and Troy, Ala., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A123).
Solis Constructors Inc, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Sept.27, 2009, a $15,900,000 construction firm fixed price contract. The project will include design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar. Work will be performed in Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 25, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and five bids were received. US Army Engineer, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0067).
Emerson Construction Co., Temple, Texas was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $15,252,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of an Army Reserve Center, Forth Worth, Texas. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 31, 2010. Eighty-four bids were solicited and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0053).
K.L. House Construction Co., Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $14,582,000 firm fixed price contract. Work on this project consists of the design and construction of the PJ/CRO Rescue and Recovery Training Center (RRTC) and PJ/CRO Logistics Building at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque, N.M. Work will be performed in Kirtland, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. Ten bids were solicited and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).
ECC International, LLC, of Burlingame, Calif., was awarded on Sept. 27, 2008, a $10,771,717 firm fixed price contract for the design and construction of phase one replacement housing and related support facilities at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Work will be performed at Bagram Airfield and will be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Five bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Afghanistan, is the contracting activity (W917PM-07-D-0015).
Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0006 on Sept. 27, 2009, a $14,216,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Unit Operations Facilities. Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).
Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0003 on Sept. 29, 2009, a $11,415,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Fires Brigade, Phase I, Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities. Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 1, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).
Weeks Marine, Inc., of Covington, La., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,799,450 firm fixed price contract to dredge about 1.2 million cubic yards of maintenance material using a deep-draft pipeline. The work will be performed in Harris County, Texas, and is to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-08-C-0033).
Bering Pacific Construction of Anchorage, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,583,520 firm fixed price contract for erosion-control projects near Shishmaref, Ala., including a 175-meter breakwater. The work will be performed near Shishmaref, Ala., and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Two bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0028).
P&S Construction, Inc., of Lowell, Mass., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,337,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of the Picatinny Armament Integration Facility at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. The work will be performed on Picatinny Arsenal and will be completed by Mar. 31, 2010. Forty-six bids were solicited and eight bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-08-C-0028).
Three contractors received a $9,056,456 firm fixed price contract Sept. 29, 2008, to construct a new dining facility on Fort Benning, Ga. The contractors are: Paul S. Akins Co., Inc., of Statesboro, Ga.; I.L. Fleming, Inc., of Midway, Ga.; and G.S.C. Construction of Augusta, Ga. The work is to be completed by Sept. 29, 2012. Six bids were received for this project solicited under FedBizOps. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, is the contracting activity (W91236-08-D-0064).
Lockheed Martin Corp. of Grand Prairie, Texas, received a $9,005,000 firm fixed price contract Sept. 26, 2008, for add-on items to the Patriot Pure Fleet. The work will be performed in Grand Prairie and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (DAAH01-03-C-0164).
Nationview/Bhate JV, III, LLC, of Birmingham, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $7,602,692 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract to design and build a child development center at Fort Bragg, N.C. Work will be performed on Fort Bragg and will be completed Jun. 23, 2010. The U.S. Army Engineer & Support Center at Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W912DY-08-D-0025).
CAPE Environmental Management, Inc., of Atlanta was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,845,326 firm fixed price contract to contaminated soil removal and groundwater investigation at the U.S. Army Reserve Center at Caven Point in Jersey City, N.J. Work will be performed at the Reserve Center. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is the contracting activity (W912QR-04-D-0037).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Correction: Applied Energetics, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on June 4, 2008, a $9,280,801 cost plus fixed fee contract for the continued development and production of ten counter-IED (improved explosive device) systems plus spares, operator training and technical support for an overseas operational assessment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 3, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 3, 2008. U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-08-C-0080).
Navy
Gryphon Technologies, LC, Greenbelt, Md., was awarded a $17,154,595 cost plus fixed fee contract on Sept. 30, 2008, for the procurement of Expeditionary Warfare Program and Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) maintenance, modification, repair, and trial support engineering support services. The contractor will provide all personnel, materials, equipment, services for the engineering, & technical support required to provide logistics and material support for the LCAC Program. Work will be performed in Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $300,000 expired at the end of fiscal year 2008. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via Navy Electronic Commerce On-line and Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-08-D-0021).
Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $12,309,998 cost plus fixed fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008). This effort is an undefinitized contract action for non-recurring engineering to demonstrate, integrate, and qualify the Interim Defense Weapon System mission kit on the MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft and including associated logistics support. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (99 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jul. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Rome Research Corporation, Rome, N.Y., was awarded a $6,660,939 modification under a previously awarded firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N64590-07-D-0558) to exercise option two for satellite operations, administrative, and logistics support services at the Naval Satellite Operations Center. The total cumulative contract amount after exercise of this option will be $15,217,606. Work will be performed at Point Mugu, Calif., (85 percent), Prospect Harbor, Maine, (5 percent), Finegayan, Guam (5 percent), and Colorado, Springs, Colo., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Correction: Contract amount awarded Sept. 30, 2008, to Chenega Security and Protection Services, LLC*, Ashburn, Va., should have been $9,580,477 and should have stated that with all options exercised, the value of the contract will be $68,536,173.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Hess Corp., Woodbridge, N.J., is being awarded a maximum $94,282,706 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are the federal civilian agencies, National Institutes of Health and Marlyand Procurement Office. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-08-D-8033).
Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC, Greensburg, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $26,036,923 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).
Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., Herndon, Va., is being awarded a maximum $14,547,988 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Md. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).
Walton Construction Co., LLC, Harahan, La., was awarded on Sept. 30, 2008, a $184,883,550 firm fixed price contract for project includes complete study, design, abatement, and construction of 16 barracks and central energy plants. Work will be performed in Fort Polk, La., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. Bids solicited were via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0070).
VETCO Contracting Services, LLC, of Watertown, N.Y., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $114,000,000 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple award task order firm fixed price contract to construct single-soldier housing on Fort Lee, Va. Work will be performed on Fort Lee and will be completed by Sept. 28, 2013. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-D-0058).
Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC, Independence, Mo., was awarded a modification 34 on Sept. 29, 2008, a $70,446,012 firm fixed price contract for execution of economics price adjustment for Cooper & Total Plant volume discount. Work will be performed in Independence, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAA-09-99-D0016).
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $56,654,822 firm fixed fee price contract procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Saco, Maine, with an estimated completion date of Feb 20, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-D-0459).
Alliant Techsystems Inc, Mesa, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $53,480,866 multiple awards, indefinite delivery order firm fixed fee price contract for procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Washington, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachussetts, and Rhode Island, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited and three bids were received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W915QKN-08-D-0460).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $32,711,502 firm fixed price contract. modification to acquire two government -owned contractor-operated teams and additional air vehicle operators and maintainers as needed. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Aviation and missile Command, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0016).
Blueridge General, Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $25,116,678 firm fixed price contract. The project includes construction of 4 story structures totaling 115,363 NSF containing 203 non-handicap units and seven handicap units. Work will be performed in Hampton, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and four bids were received. Corp of Engineer, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-C-0083).
Caddell Corp., Co., LLC, Montgomery, Ala., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, $18,719,743 firm fixed price contract. The project includes the design and construction of Fires Brigade combined brigade/battalion headquarters facilities, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 11, 2009, a $ 18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract, for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A789).
Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Sept 11, 2008, a $18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., Ocala, Fla., and Troy, Ala., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A123).
Solis Constructors Inc, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Sept.27, 2009, a $15,900,000 construction firm fixed price contract. The project will include design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar. Work will be performed in Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 25, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and five bids were received. US Army Engineer, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0067).
Emerson Construction Co., Temple, Texas was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $15,252,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of an Army Reserve Center, Forth Worth, Texas. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 31, 2010. Eighty-four bids were solicited and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0053).
K.L. House Construction Co., Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $14,582,000 firm fixed price contract. Work on this project consists of the design and construction of the PJ/CRO Rescue and Recovery Training Center (RRTC) and PJ/CRO Logistics Building at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque, N.M. Work will be performed in Kirtland, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. Ten bids were solicited and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).
ECC International, LLC, of Burlingame, Calif., was awarded on Sept. 27, 2008, a $10,771,717 firm fixed price contract for the design and construction of phase one replacement housing and related support facilities at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Work will be performed at Bagram Airfield and will be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Five bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Afghanistan, is the contracting activity (W917PM-07-D-0015).
Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0006 on Sept. 27, 2009, a $14,216,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Unit Operations Facilities. Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).
Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0003 on Sept. 29, 2009, a $11,415,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Fires Brigade, Phase I, Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities. Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 1, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).
Weeks Marine, Inc., of Covington, La., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,799,450 firm fixed price contract to dredge about 1.2 million cubic yards of maintenance material using a deep-draft pipeline. The work will be performed in Harris County, Texas, and is to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-08-C-0033).
Bering Pacific Construction of Anchorage, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,583,520 firm fixed price contract for erosion-control projects near Shishmaref, Ala., including a 175-meter breakwater. The work will be performed near Shishmaref, Ala., and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Two bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0028).
P&S Construction, Inc., of Lowell, Mass., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,337,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of the Picatinny Armament Integration Facility at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. The work will be performed on Picatinny Arsenal and will be completed by Mar. 31, 2010. Forty-six bids were solicited and eight bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-08-C-0028).
Three contractors received a $9,056,456 firm fixed price contract Sept. 29, 2008, to construct a new dining facility on Fort Benning, Ga. The contractors are: Paul S. Akins Co., Inc., of Statesboro, Ga.; I.L. Fleming, Inc., of Midway, Ga.; and G.S.C. Construction of Augusta, Ga. The work is to be completed by Sept. 29, 2012. Six bids were received for this project solicited under FedBizOps. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, is the contracting activity (W91236-08-D-0064).
Lockheed Martin Corp. of Grand Prairie, Texas, received a $9,005,000 firm fixed price contract Sept. 26, 2008, for add-on items to the Patriot Pure Fleet. The work will be performed in Grand Prairie and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (DAAH01-03-C-0164).
Nationview/Bhate JV, III, LLC, of Birmingham, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $7,602,692 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract to design and build a child development center at Fort Bragg, N.C. Work will be performed on Fort Bragg and will be completed Jun. 23, 2010. The U.S. Army Engineer & Support Center at Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W912DY-08-D-0025).
CAPE Environmental Management, Inc., of Atlanta was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,845,326 firm fixed price contract to contaminated soil removal and groundwater investigation at the U.S. Army Reserve Center at Caven Point in Jersey City, N.J. Work will be performed at the Reserve Center. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is the contracting activity (W912QR-04-D-0037).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
Correction: Applied Energetics, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on June 4, 2008, a $9,280,801 cost plus fixed fee contract for the continued development and production of ten counter-IED (improved explosive device) systems plus spares, operator training and technical support for an overseas operational assessment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 3, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 3, 2008. U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-08-C-0080).
Navy
Gryphon Technologies, LC, Greenbelt, Md., was awarded a $17,154,595 cost plus fixed fee contract on Sept. 30, 2008, for the procurement of Expeditionary Warfare Program and Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) maintenance, modification, repair, and trial support engineering support services. The contractor will provide all personnel, materials, equipment, services for the engineering, & technical support required to provide logistics and material support for the LCAC Program. Work will be performed in Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $300,000 expired at the end of fiscal year 2008. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via Navy Electronic Commerce On-line and Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-08-D-0021).
Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $12,309,998 cost plus fixed fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008). This effort is an undefinitized contract action for non-recurring engineering to demonstrate, integrate, and qualify the Interim Defense Weapon System mission kit on the MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft and including associated logistics support. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (99 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jul. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Rome Research Corporation, Rome, N.Y., was awarded a $6,660,939 modification under a previously awarded firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N64590-07-D-0558) to exercise option two for satellite operations, administrative, and logistics support services at the Naval Satellite Operations Center. The total cumulative contract amount after exercise of this option will be $15,217,606. Work will be performed at Point Mugu, Calif., (85 percent), Prospect Harbor, Maine, (5 percent), Finegayan, Guam (5 percent), and Colorado, Springs, Colo., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Correction: Contract amount awarded Sept. 30, 2008, to Chenega Security and Protection Services, LLC*, Ashburn, Va., should have been $9,580,477 and should have stated that with all options exercised, the value of the contract will be $68,536,173.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Hess Corp., Woodbridge, N.J., is being awarded a maximum $94,282,706 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are the federal civilian agencies, National Institutes of Health and Marlyand Procurement Office. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-08-D-8033).
Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC, Greensburg, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $26,036,923 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).
Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., Herndon, Va., is being awarded a maximum $14,547,988 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Md. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).
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