Combustible Dust: The Threat to First Responders

Editor's Note: Based on the combat and non-combat emergency situations military personnel face, this subject was thought applicable to servicemembers.

On December 19, 2008, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with John Astad and Bob LaPlante on preventing and mitigating fire and explosion from combustible dust. According to OSHA, “any combustible material (and some materials normally considered noncombustible) can burn rapidly when in a finely divided form. If such a dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, it can become explosive.

The force from such an explosion can cause employee deaths, injuries, and destruction of entire buildings. Such incidents have killed scores of employees and injured hundreds over the past few decades.” As an example, “In January 2003, devastating fires and explosions destroyed a North Carolina pharmaceutical plant that manufactured rubber drug-delivery components. Six employees were killed and 38 people, including two firefighters, were injured. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent Federal agency charged with investigating chemical incidents, issued a final report concluding that an accumulation of a combustible polyethylene dust above the suspended ceilings fueled the explosion. The explosion severely damaged the plant and caused minor damage to nearby businesses, a home, and a school.”

Program Date: December 19, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Combustible Dust: The Threat to First Responders
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/12/20/Combustible-Dust-The-Threat-to-First-Responders

About the Guests
John Astad is Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute. At the Institute, John tracks and researches combustible dust related fires and explosions. The results of this business intelligence data can be utilized by a myriad of stakeholders in the public and private sectors in developing cost effective strategies in assessing risk concerning combustible dust hazards in the workplace. John Astad holds a BS Business and Public Administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, with a major in Environmental Management.

Bob LaPlante is the General Manager at United Training Specialists (Phoenix, AZ). He has 29 years of power plant experience in Engineering, Fire Protection and Emergency Response Planning. His responsibility have included developing emergency response plans for power generating plants with regards to meeting OSHA, NFPA and DHS regulations and standards; and, developing emergency response power plant training, facility pre-plans, standard operating procedures and fire protection equipment maintenance and training programs for plant Emergency Response Team members. Bob LaPlante is a member of the NFPA, Edison Electric Institute’s Fire Committee, International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association and the Arizona Fire Training Association.

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

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

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/12/20/Combustible-Dust-The-Threat-to-First-Responders

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

Four Receive Presidential Citizens Medals for Troop Support Work

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 10, 2008 - Four individuals who have supported America's military, including two retired officers and a television star, were among 23 people who received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony today.

The Presidential Citizens Medal was established November 13, 1969, to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation. It is one of the highest honors the president can confer upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The White House prepared citations for each recipient:

Retired Army General Wayne A. Downing
Army Gen. Wayne Downing was an American hero who stepped forward to help defend our Nation and uphold the ideals of our founding. He answered history's call with honor, decency, and resolve, and he earned the respect and admiration of a grateful Nation. The United States honors Wayne Downing for his selfless service that continues to inspire us as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

Arnold Fisher
By devoting his time and talents to his fellow veterans, Arnold Fisher has helped America fulfill its obligations to those who have defended our freedom. His compassion and dedication to our military families reflect the best of the American spirit. The United States honors Arnold Fisher for his service to our country's veterans and their families, and for demonstrating the generous and grateful heart of America.

Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise is a humanitarian and a patriot. Working alongside our military and reaching out a compassionate hand to Iraqi children, he is helping a society once brutalized by a tyrant to rebuild and realize the great blessings of liberty. He has also travelled the world to show America's gratitude to our service members. The United States honors Gary Sinise for his efforts to improve the human condition and his strong commitment to the selfless men and women who devote their lives to military service.

Retired Navy Adm. James D. Watkins
As a decorated military leader and innovative public servant, Navy Adm. James Watkins exemplifies the American ideals of courage, character and ingenuity. He has brought great skill and determination to all of his duties, and demonstrated a patriot's devotion to our country. The United States honors James Watkins for his distinguished and varied public service.

Shipping Company Delivers Holiday Cheer to Troops

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 11, 2008 - Express delivery company DHL is spreading holiday cheer to troops serving in the Middle East by sending hundreds of Christmas trees, holiday decorations and messages of support. The company, based in Plantation, Fla., hosted its annual Trees for Troops send-off this week at DHL's gateway at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Since 2004, DHL has collected and sent thousands of live holiday trees, lights, ornaments, menorahs and letters of support from children and community members to troops serving abroad.

"It was heartwarming to see the local community pull together its resources to deliver hundreds of trees and holiday items to our brave men and women serving in the Middle East," said Cain Moodie, director of Gateway Operations, DHL Express USA. "The veterans groups, children, DHL staff and other community members participating shared a strong desire to support our troops and help them feel connected to home while serving so far away."

This year, DHL teamed up with Dee's Nursery in Oceanside, N.Y., the New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars and other members of the New York metro community to collect Christmas items to be sent to troops.

In addition, "Santa sacks" filled with thousands of holiday cards written by local school children accompanied the shipment. The New York shipment will be consolidated with a second shipment of additional trees and care packages from southern California.
"DHL is pleased to utilize its extensive U.S. and global network to deliver holiday cheer and uplift the spirits of those away from their loved ones this season," said Adrian Watts, managing director of government sales and for DHL Express.

DHL launched its Trees for Troops program four years ago after Jim Adelis, a New York businessman, overheard a woman at Dees Nursery inquiring about how to ship a Christmas tree to her son in Iraq. Adelis, whose son also was stationed in Iraq at the time, was inspired to reach out to DHL and the local community to deliver more than just a single tree.

In November and December 2004, with the help the U.S. Army Reserve's 77th Regional Readiness Command, Dees Nursery and the New York metro community, DHL delivered two shipments of 135 trees and holiday decorations from JFK to troops stationed at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq.

Gates Tells Troops 'Sense of Duty' Caused Him to Stay

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 11, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told several hundred troops here today that a sense of duty caused him to agree to stay on in his current job through the administration change. Gates opened the session at the headquarters for the southern regional command by joking about his recent re-appointment as defense secretary -- which at one time he was looking to avoid.

"I now have a better appreciation of what it's like to be stop-lossed," he joked, referring to a program that allows the Army to retain soldiers in critical specialties beyond expiration of their enlistment.

Gates said the crucial junctures of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and upcoming critical budget decisions at the Pentagon are among the reasons he chose to stay on the job. But, he said, the singular reason came down to a sense of duty.

If hundreds of thousands of young Americans are doing their duty without fail, Gates said, he had no choice but to do otherwise.

"Each of you could have done something easier, safer and probably better paid. But you chose to step forward to wear this country's uniform," Gates said. "You chose to volunteer -- in some cases re-volunteer -- knowing full well that a deployment to a combat theater was the most likely result."

Standing on a stage with a large American flag draped across a backdrop made of olive-drab green parachutes, Gates said that in the past two years he has come to realize that the priorities of his office are to do everything possible to get the troops what they need to succeed and protect themselves on the battlefield.

From practically a standing start, in the past 18 months, the Defense Department has had built and sent 12,000 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to the combat theater, and Gates promised several thousand more. Also, the department is working to build and an all-terrain version of the MRAP designed specifically for Afghanistan. And, Gates said, he intends to expand the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the country.

"I promise you we will do whatever else it takes to give you the tools it takes to complete your mission and come home safely," Gates said.

This was thye secretary's first large-scale meeting in Afghanistan. He typically meets with much smaller groups of troops, often without their leaders present, to get an unfiltered view of their needs and concerns. In this session, though, he fielded a handful of questions from the crowd, then posed with every servicemember for a photograph.

The group represented a mix of ranks, services and countries as this command, with about 24,000 troops, has the largest NATO International Security Assistance Force presence of the five regional commands in Afghanistan.

Gates told the servicemembers that talking with the troops has been the highlight of his job.

"Your suggestions have shaped my thinking on everything from day-to-day military operations to enhancing the quality of life for servicemembers and their families," Gates said.

The crowd sat intently listening, wearing a varied mixture of camouflaged uniforms with rifles and pistols draped across their shoulders. Digital cameras flashed constantly.

"The size and scope of your mission is going to see some changes in the coming months," Gates said. "The details are still being worked out, and the final decisions will be made by the next president. But a consensus has emerged that more troops are needed to provide security and train Afghan security forces."

The secretary acknowledged the campaign will not be easy or quick for a country scarred by ethnic fissures, grinding poverty and daunting terrain. But success will not come by military means alone, the secretary said. More infrastructure is needed alongside economic development and governance, he told the troops. Everyone within the NATO alliance will have to step up and do more, he added.

In the end, though, Gates promised success. He said the planning of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States were born here, and that he is convinced that the U.S. military, alongside its allies, will begin the work they started here seven years ago.

"I believe that we can succeed, that we must succeed, and we will succeed," Gates said.

Face of Defense: Soldier Shares Lessons Learned, Empathy

By Army Spc. Josh LeCappelain
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 11, 2008 - Some servicemembers' careers are defined by a single deployment. For Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Matthews, frequent deployments have become a way of life.
Matthews' most recent deployment landed him here, where he now enjoys sharing what he's learned about deployments, as well as some empathy, with others.

"I have a ton of Army experience and deployments under my belt," he said. "It's rewarding to pass my knowledge on to other people."

Matthews is the noncommissioned officer in charge of Multinational Division Center's analysis and control element. This is his eighth overseas deployment in 18 years in the Army, on top of numerous relocations stateside. But, he's not complaining.

"I love my job," he said. "The feeling you get, the sense of accomplishment when returning from a deployment, is unbelievable."

A resident Neversink, N.Y. -- known as the birthplace of American fly fishing -- Matthews enlisted as an engineer after his high school graduation in 1990. Before long, he was headed to basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
"I did really well at AIT," he said. "I got more comfortable and felt like I had picked the right job."

Following graduation, Matthews was assigned to the 52nd Engineers at Fort Carson, Colo. Arriving at his new home, he found out his unit was deployed to Saudi Arabia. After a brisk month's work of preparation, the young private found himself in the Middle East.

"Being 19, it is hard being so far away from home in a combat zone," he said of his three-month first deployment. "You try to set a rhythm, but it's hard as a private."

Matthews returned to Fort Carson, continuing to learn his job and the ways of the Army. It was during this time that he married his high school sweetheart, Katrina. Together, they forged their way forward and started a family. They have three children: Britney, 16; Jenna, 12; and Trey, 6.

In 1993, the call came again to deploy. This time, Matthews would be going to Somalia, just months after 18 servicemembers were killed there when two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down during a humanitarian mission in the East African nation in an incident chronicled in Mark Bowden's book titled "Black Hawk Down" and the motion picture adapted from the book.
By then, Matthews said, he "was a little more comfortable" about deploying. But, he added, "Somalia was my worst deployment. Following the incidents of 'Black Hawk Down,' my family was really frightened. ... Convincing them I was safe was very difficult."

After four months, Matthews returned to the United States. He soon learned he would be traveling again the following year. "We started training to go to Haiti," he recalled, adding that the deployment would be his most enjoyable one.

"We went to the beach and actually built a beach house," he said, and he recalled memories such as playing football in six inches of water and mud. But it wasn't all fun and games -- a tropical storm hit Haiti, causing destruction and chaos.

"We heard about mudslides and people being killed," he said. "It rained for two of three straight days. You couldn't walk anywhere without walking through a foot of water. We were sleeping on top of our cots, on top of all of our [equipment]."

The soldiers worked long and hard, with their mission being changed to humanitarian assistance. For their efforts, they were awarded Humanitarian Service medals.

Following redeployment, Matthews applied for a position in the White House. After countless screening processes, he received his top-secret clearance, only to learn the position had been filled. But, as one door closes, another opens, he said. As a result of his new clearance, he switched his career field to intelligence.

After AIT at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., the Matthews family headed to Fort Belvoir, Va. Following two years there, he headed to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, with a year-long training stop in Fort Hood, Texas. During this time, Matthews deployed twice to Asia for month-long training exercises in South Korea and Thailand.

Late in 2001, Matthews received orders to Fort Drum, N.Y. It was during his leave in conjunction with his move that the world changed.

"I was en route when 9/11 happened," he said. "I knew my life would never be the same."

Heading to Fort Drum without his family, Matthews received a phone call in his hotel room one night from the 10th Mountain Division intelligence sergeant major, who asked if he was interested in deploying. Needing time to adjust and settle his family into Watertown, N.Y., Matthews declined.

Instead, he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, where he served with the rear detachment as the unit deployed to the Middle East. After a year and a half, he asked to move up to division headquarters, where he has served ever since.

During his tenure on the 10th Mountain Division intelligence staff, he has twice deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and now, to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Matthews said he has seen many changes in the Army and quality of life during these overseas tours.

"The comfort of life has greatly increased," he said. "First-time deployers don't really realize how good we have it. I have air conditioning, a television with cable, [and] everyone seems to have laptops now. Before, you'd be in your tent, playing cards with your buddies or writing letters home. Now, we have e-mail and instant messenger. ... It's much easier to stay in touch with home."

With 18 years in uniform, Matthews said, his time in the Army is winding down. But, he still has dreams and aspirations before he calls it a career, such as serving as a first sergeant.

"I think that's an achievable goal," he said. "I'd also like to stay at [Fort] Drum. It is only four hours away from my family."

Matthews credits his wife with the success of his overseas deployments.

"My wife has been great," he said. "Being deployed as much as I've been, you need a strong family relationship. I miss her every single day."

In his spare time here, he has a few activities he uses to unwind, including watching numerous movies and challenging his body.

"I do a lot of running events," Matthews said. "The Army 10-miler was pretty important to me. I ran it while deployed to Afghanistan and again here. I use physical training a lot – especially running – as a stress release. When I'm running, I think about home a lot – about my family."

Professionally, Matthews said, he considers his work in helping manage the day-to-day lives of more than 100 soldiers in the ACE as of the utmost importance.

"There are a lot of people to take care of, a lot of soldier issues to address," he said. "I kind of embrace it. Some people don't like doing administrative work – I like taking care of soldiers. I take care of a lot of problems. When a soldier is upset, you try to relate."

(Spc. Josh LeCappelain serves in the Multinational Division Center public affairs office.)

Arizona Aims to End Scams, Predatory Lending to Troops, Veterans

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 11, 2008 - Financial scams and predatory lending against servicemembers and veterans is so common that the Arizona attorney general has created an advisory board to stop it. "We got so many complaints that were related to either veterans or active-duty military on our consumer line that I felt it was necessary to set up this coordinating council," Terry Goddard said. "It's been very, very rewarding already and its only had one meeting."

Goddard, a retired Navy Reserve commander and Arizona's attorney general for the last six years, said he was sure some of the complaints his office receives were being covered by other entities. But it became clear that wasn't the case, he said.

To address the steady flow of similar complaints, including pay-day lending issues, mortgage and housing problems and other consumer scams, Goddard created the Attorney General's military and Veterans Advisory Council.

The council's first meeting on Nov. 12 included representatives from veterans groups and the military and resulted in an "explosion of additional ideas," Goddard said, adding that his office had been unaware of a problem with questionable charitable solicitations.

The problem occurs when charities solicit money from the general public on the premise of supporting troops and veterans. Some are legitimate and put the money to good use. Others, however, flirt with breaking the law because very little of the funds collected are used for the stated purpose.

"Although we've been working in that area, we were not aware how much of that directly applies to veterans and [servicemembers]," he said. "Something we're doing through our military and Veterans Council is to make sure that we get the word out about those charities that really aren't producing much benefit for the troops.

"I think it's important that the contributors know," he added.

The council also is ready to tackle the problem of foreclosure rescue schemes targeting servicemembers and veterans who find themselves facing foreclosure. The "rescuers" often grab the title to the house rather than actually fulfilling their promise to help to save it, Goddard said.

Payday loans, something regulated by both the federal and Arizona governments, are another problem the council is looking into. The loans typically carry exorbitant interest rates and can land military families or veterans in debt quickly.

"The protections are good, and they help establish a new standard of what would be expected from a short-term, small-dollar lender, but it apparently didn't solve the problem," Goddard said. "What we found is veterans are still vulnerable, [as are] families.

"They're really scurrilous schemes, and we're real concerned about them, and they seem to particularly target the military and the areas around bases," he added.

While the first meeting and the members' initial reactions were positive, Goddard said, he's not ready to market his ideas to his counterparts in other states just yet.

"I'm taking the cue ... from the veterans groups and the active-duty military," he said. "If their feedback after a couple of meetings is that this is working and this is of value, then I plan to go on the road and tell the National Association of Attorneys General that it's something that they really ought to try and duplicate."

More information on the council and consumer scams targeting veterans and servicemembers is available on the Arizona attorney general's Web site.

Official Responds to Congressional Findings on Military Linguistics

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 11, 2008 - A congressional assessment of how the Pentagon is implementing its language strategy reflects the Defense Department's progress and shortfalls, a Pentagon official said yesterday. "I think the House Armed Services Committee report accurately reflects the progress that we've made," said Gail McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans. "It also talked about some of the things that we haven't quite accomplished yet, which we knew."

The report, released last month, acknowledges that the department and the services are taking additional action to complement the 90-percent completed tasks it outlined in a language plan launched four years ago. Known as the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap, the broad strategy aims to address national shortfalls in foreign language skills in the United States.

But one of the report's findings is that "inconsistencies" exist in the way the department and the services are approaching language transformation.

The report recommends that the dpartment should clarify its policy characterizing foreign language, regional expertise, and cultural awareness as critical or core competencies essential to its missions as a way to establish greater consistency.

McGinn said the services' leaders understand the importance of foreign languages, but that the demands of language training – an Arabic course lasts 63 weeks, for example – places difficulty on a force with finite manning.

"When you talk about wanting to get more language capability in your officer corps, it's hard to conceive of that in an officer's career," she said in an interview at the Pentagon yesterday.

To mitigate this, the department has begun focusing on pre-accession education, meaning academics undertaken before becoming a military servicemember, she said. The idea is that troops would enter the force having completed previous language training.

As part of this transformation, all three service academies now feature more robust strategic language and cultural program offerings. As a result, more cadets and midshipmen are studying languages of strategic importance. ROTC programs also reap the benefits, with students enjoying a wider array of destinations for study abroad.
Beyond pure language know-how, McGinn said, the military hopes to instill cultural and regional expertise in servicemembers, which often require less labor-intensive instruction and time than language training.

"There's an issue of striking the right balance: we need cultural understanding, we need regional expertise and we need foreign language," she said. "We need to figure out how to fit all of that into the force, and that is still a work in progress."

To ensure that the language transformation occurs smoothly and successfully, the department has appointed senior language authorities in each of the military services and agencies to conduct oversight, execution and planning. McGinn said she meets regularly with these representatives to best determine how to steer policy.

"We want them to know what is needed, what capability already exists, and they also help me formulate policies and programs," she said of senior language authorities.

Anther measure of transformational progress is the department's establishment of centers of excellence in each military service to oversee and standardize training and impart essential and mission-targeted cultural training.

Pentagon officials also increased the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center's funding from a fiscal 2001 budget of $77 million to $270 million this fiscal year. DLIFLC, located in Monterey, Calif., is the department's premiere language and cultural training center.

McGinn said the overall goals are three-fold: more foundational and strategic language expertise in the force, the ability to obtain expertise in a language if needed at short notice, and to develop a cadre of linguists with higher-level language skills.

The upshot of foreign language and cultural expertise is that it helps U.S. servicemembers communicate, negotiate and set goals with foreign partners. It also helps troops avoid pitfalls that often surround language barriers.

In American military lingo, for example, the term "field of fire" refers to area in which a person can be engaged by weaponry. "Someone in another culture might see that as a burning wheat field," McGinn pointed out. "And that's not what you mean at all when you said those words."

The maxim "know a language and understand what someone says, but know a culture and understand what someone means" rings true in this example. Unfortunately, U.S. education does not greatly emphasize the study of foreign language and culture, the report notes.

"One problem pointed out in the report is that the American educational system really isn't where we would hope it would be in terms of producing high school grads with foreign language ability," McGinn said. "We are not robust in strategic languages like Arabic and Chinese."

As the committee report states, "The military's lack of language skills and cultural expertise is a symptom of the larger problem facing the nation as a whole."

MILITARY CONTRACTS December 11, 2008

NAVY

DZSP 21 LLC, Philadelphia, Pa., is being awarded a $72,675,388 modification to a previously awarded cost plus award fee contract (N62742-05-C-3501) to exercise the fourth option period for Base Operations Support (BOS) services in the Territory of Guam for the Commander, Naval Forces Marianas. The BOS services to be performed include, but are not limited to, general management and administration services; command and staff (public affairs office); public safety (safety and contingency); port operations; ordnance; galley; facilities management; sustainment, restoration/modernization; facilities services; utilities (potable water, wastewater, electrical, and steam); base support vehicles and equipment; and environmental. The current total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $285,376,847. Work will be performed at various installations in the U.S. Territory of Guam, and work for this option is expected to be Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas, Naval Base, Guam is the contracting activity.

ITT Electronic Systems, Clifton, N. J., is being awarded a $32,093,118 modification to a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00019-05-C-0054) to exercise an option for the procurement of 12 AN/ALQ-214 On-Board Jammer Systems and 41 spare ALQ-214 Weapon Replacement Assembly units for the F/A-18E/F Aircraft. Work will be performed at various locations throughout the United States (43.5 percent); Clifton, N.J., (34.4 percent); East Syracuse, N.Y., (8.8 percent); San Diego, Calif., (8.3 percent); and Rancho Cordova, Calif., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Kollmorgen Elecro-Optical Corp., Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $9,313,962 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity, cost plus fixed fee contract for field services, repair and support services for the AN/BVS-1 and the Photonics Mast Variant (PMV) Photonics Imaging System. Tasking will include initial equipment installation and subsequent repair and maintenance that is required during submarine new construction. The tasking will also included post-construction repairs, maintenance and equipment removal and post construction installations. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., (70 percent) and Northampton, Mass., (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by Dec. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Federal Business Opportunities and on the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, contracts web site. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport is the contracting activity (N66604-09-D-0058).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Turbo Combustor Technology, Inc., Stuart, Fla.*, is being awarded a maximum $12,195,000 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity contract for F-15 afterburner flameholders. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. Proposals were originally solicited through DIBBS with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 18, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va.,
(SPM4A7-09-D-0014).

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a maximum $9,551,784 firm fixed price, undefinitized contractual action, contract for main rotor blades manufacture components. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was originally a sole source competition. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the DLR Procurement Operations (DSCR-ZC), DLA Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.,
(N00383-06-G-006F-TH01).

ARMY

Smiths Detection, Inc, Edgewood, Md., was awarded on Dec 9, 2008 a, $65,498,978 commercial firm fixed price contract for Joint Chemical Detector. Work will be performed in Edgewood, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army RDECOM Acquisition Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground Contracting Division, Edgewood Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W911SR-07-C-0054).

Booz, Allen, Hamilton, Inc, McLean, Va., was awarded on Dec. 9, 2008, a $33,700,000 cost plus fixed fee price contract. This contract is in support of Foreign Military Sales Requirement for Saudi Arabia under Case No. SR-B-VTC for Sword Project Management Office Augmentation Support. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, Acquisition Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-09-C-0023).

Thor Defense Inc, Downers Grove, Ill., was awarded on Dec. 9, 2008 a, $5,746,583 firm fixed price contract for 222,219 Close Quarters Battle Kit Multi Magazine Holders. Work will be performed in Downers Grove, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 25, 2013. Bids solicited were via the Web and seven bids were received. Army Contracting Command, Joint Munitions & Lethality, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-D-0027).