Indiana National Guard takes part Bold Quest 12-1, tests digital communication technologies to reduce fratricide incidents and enhance combat effectiveness

By Army Sgt. Will Hill

Indiana National Guard

EDINBURGH, Ind. (6/18/12) - Indiana Army and Air National Guard members have been taking part in Bold Quest 12-1, a two-week air combat assessment exercise that focuses on testing digitally aided close air support technologies to reduce friendly fire incidents, enhance combat effectiveness, and increase situational awareness on the battlefield.

Held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, and other training venues across Indiana, the exercise includes participants from throughout the U.S. military as well as from 12 foreign nations as well.

"Bold Quest is important on several different levels, said Army Maj. Gen. Omer Tooley, assistant adjutant general for the Indiana Army National Guard. “It represents what we consider to be the required testing of the 21st century in order to provide relevant capabilities to our young men and women going in harm's way."

As part of that, the exercise works to bring together different technologies and simulates wartime conditions to ensure coalition communication systems can effectively work between platforms.

"In a sense, what they are doing is taking these technologies that are present in various services as well as other countries and are actually putting them in a simulated and highly realistic environment to see if they actually work together," said Tooley, adding that one of the main goals is to work to eliminate the possibility of friendly fire incidents.

"Bold Quest is a unique area for arena testing and validation that our systems are compatible with U.S. systems and also other coalition systems so that we know when we meet in theater we can share the same information and eliminate fratricide," said Norwegian army Maj. Tommy Myrvoll, of the Norwegian Battle Lab.

And Camp Atterbury worked well to do just that.

"The Atterbury-Muscatatuck complex is designed and built to specifically support this type of event," said Tooley. "Where you are bringing these high-payoff technologies into a very realistic complex environment and working through the issues as to whether or not they are going to actually function as planned."

The Indiana Army National Guard’s 76th Special Troops Battalion and the Indiana Air National Guard's 122nd Fighter Wing were among the units to take part in the exercise and have benefited from that experience.

For Army Staff Sgt. Warren Sherman, the training noncommissioned officer with the unmanned aerial system platoon, B Company, 76th STB, this meant working with members of the Marines and the RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle.

 "We have learned a lot here from the Marines on their Shadow system in regards to how they set up their equipment for operations, to how they troubleshoot issues and [compared our troubleshooting techniques]," he said. "I feel that we both have learned from each other."

Additional testing during the exercise consisted of taking commercial, off-the-shelf cellular technologies and incorporating that into a tactical military communications network.

"The advantage of what we are doing is leveraging commercial technology," said Army Maj. David Hernandez, deputy branch chief, Bold Quest future capabilities assessment branch. "With the low cost [of cellular] hand held devices as compared to a radio, we can provide one to each Soldier."

That can give servicemembers a greater sense of situational awareness, communication abilities and access to updated information.

 "Each Soldier can have a common operating picture device or a friendly force tracking device in their hands,” said Hernandez. “They can also do voice [communication] and they can also do streaming video. This provides that Soldier a key advantage as opposed to our enemies in the battlefield."

And that is all part of the goal of the exercise and working toward eliminating potential incidents of fratricide, said Hernandez.

Family, Friends Help Dedicate Cherry Point Building to Fallen Marine

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Doug Payne
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 17, 2008 - Marines, sailors, family and friends, each displaying a mixture of cheerful and solemn expressions, gathered around the fuel pump house here to honor their fallen hero Oct. 10. The ceremony honored Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker by dedicating the fuel house in his name. The bulk fuel specialist was killed in 2005 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The unanimous theme among speakers at the event was that McVicker's personality inspired both his fellow Marines as well as his superiors.

"I went out with Dan to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend at the time," said Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph K. Freeman, a recruiter at Indiana, Pa. "I couldn't figure out how to propose, when all of a sudden he shouted, 'I've got it!'

"He told me to get my girlfriend and meet him at Indian Beach," Freeman said. "By the time we got to the beach he had grabbed a bunch of Marines and other friends we knew and had written, 'Megan will you marry me?' with seaweed in the sand.

"That's just how Dan was," Freeman added. "If it wasn't for him, I couldn't have proposed as gloriously to my wife."

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Linda Tierney, the fuels team leader with station fuels, said although many Marines didn't get a chance to know McVicker personally, they still were able to form a bond with the fallen Marine.

"The ceremony allowed them to meet the family and really find out who he was," Tierney said. "Now, if you ask any Marine at station fuels, they talk about him as if they were close friends."

"It amazes me to hear about all the things he did for other people and how he touched them," said Marine Corps Cpl. Jason Hopkins, a bulk fuel specialist with station fuels. "When his mother played the last voicemail she had of him on her cell phone, there wasn't a dry eye around."

After all the comments were made, Daniel's father, Mark, hung a commemorative plaque on the front of the fuel pump house. Along with his name and the dates of his birth and death was an excerpt from the Bible, Daniel 10:6. It reads: "His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude."

Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker, of Alliance, Ohio, was 20 when the vehicle he was driving hit a roadside bomb near Qaim, Iraq.

Face of Defense: Father and Daughter Train Together for Iraq Deployment

By Spc. Elizabeth Gorenc
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 25, 2008 - Overseas deployments usually call upon soldiers to temporarily leave loved ones behind. But, here, two members of the Hempstead family are preparing to mobilize together. First Sgt. Bob Hempstead and his daughter, Pfc. Crystal Hempstead, members of the Indiana National Guard's 1313th Engineer Company based on Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Ind., are scheduled to deploy to Iraq in early 2009. They are conducting pre-mobilization training with their unit at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, or MUTC, here in South Central Indiana.

Wanting to gain overseas experience, Crystal Hempstead said she transferred into the unit and volunteered for the upcoming deployment. The fact that her father would be her first sergeant had no bearing on her decision to join the unit, she said.

"I knew there was a war going on when I made the choice to enlist," she said. "I also wanted to deploy right after Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training to gain experience to be a better soldier. So joining this unit and deploying with them seemed like the perfect option."

Training and working together in the same environment at MUTC is nothing new to the Hempsteads. Bob is the senior operations noncommissioned officer at the training center, while Crystal also works at the center as the administrative assistant for Col. Chris Kelsey.

Their experiences working together in a military environment prevented them from walking blindly into training together, Bob said.

"We had a talk before we came here about keeping our family life and military life separate," he said. "As first sergeant, I have 180 soldiers and it's important to treat everyone equally and be professional."

Even though the Hempsteads train together, they rarely see each other due to their busy schedules.

"Training has been great so far and troop morale is really high," Crystal Hempstead said. "Not only is it fun, but it's great to know that you can complete something like clearing houses and know that your buddy has your back."

The engineer company is the first unit group to conduct pre-mobilization training at center, Bob Hempstead said.

"It was pretty easy to set up training at MUTC for our unit since I work with operations here," he said. "We hope to set the way for other units to eventually complete pre-mobilization training through here."

Training consisted of land navigation, bomb detection, military operations on urban terrain, and driver's training and combatives.

The second portion of the company's training is scheduled to take place at Camp Atterbury. There, they will conduct weapons qualifications and range skills training.

Both Hempsteads said that the overall unit cohesion, high morale and skills honed at MUTC transfers through the rest of their training and deployment.

(Spc. Elizabeth Gorenc is assigned to Camp Atterbury Public Affairs.)

Guard Wades Into Indiana Flooding

By Army Spc. Thaddeus Harrington
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 17, 2008 - About 180 Indiana National Guard soldiers and airmen are supporting relief missions during massive flooding in northern Indiana. Rain began to fall for 48 hours Sept. 11, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike as it passed through the Midwest. Ike's leftovers moved through Indiana carrying winds of 50 mph. Six to eight inches of heavy rain and high winds downed many power lines, reportedly leaving more than 87,000 people without electricity.

So far, Guard members have evacuated more than 5,000 people.

Initially, 40 Guardsmen were activated on Sept. 14 to assist the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Led by Army Lt. Col. Paul South, commander of the 113th Engineer Battalion, Indiana Guard personnel have been placing sandbags, providing security, conducting search-and-rescue missions and assisting local authorities. They also have provided equipment such as generators, aircraft, sandbag machines and high-water vehicles.

"The biggest task we have is getting hold of the incident planner at the location and determining their immediate needs," South said today. "Then we're looking into the near future and setting ourselves up to meet the follow-on needs before it really becomes a need."

The Guardsmen come from several units, including Joint Forces Headquarters, the 81st Troop Command, the 38th Infantry Division, the 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and the 738th Medical Company.

During the evacuation of the Munster Medical Inn, a nursing facility 30 miles from Chicago, Guardsmen from the 81st Troop Command helped the local fire department evacuate 150 people from the five-story building. The soldiers assisted wheelchair-bound patients down several flights of stairs during the evacuation.

The Indiana National Guard will continue its search-and-rescue missions, power generation, sandbagging and evacuation operations. Guardsmen also are helping to make the interstate highways passable.

"It's been a good experience for my guys, and a good experience for the Guard," South said. "We love doing this stuff, and we're glad we're here." But he looks forward to the mission being complete, he added.

"I'd like to see these guys get dry and get home in northwest Indiana," he said.

(Army Spc. Thaddeus Harrington serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

Face of Defense: Soldier Sings His Way Through Deployment

By Army Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 28, 2008 - He began his singing career by singing gospel music at his local church in Indianapolis when he was only 4 years old. Now, at 21, he finds himself on center stage, showing off his vocal abilities. "It is just something I love to do," said Sgt. Victor Cole, who enlisted in the Army as a human resources specialist in 2005. "Singing and writing music calms me down, and is just something I do that gets my mind off of the everyday stresses of being deployed."

Since arriving in Iraq in December 2007 with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion, Cole takes care of his battalion's human resources needs and sings the national anthem at ceremonies his battalion conducts.

Cole's brigade command sergeant major noticed his talents quickly during a noncommissioned officer induction ceremony.

"When I was told Cole was going to sing the national anthem at the induction ceremony, I was concerned," admitted Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bernard McPherson, a native of Orangeburg, S.C. "I had never heard him sing a note, and the significance of the national anthem sung in a cappella was strategic."

McPherson, however, was reassured by Cole's battalion command sergeant major that he had nothing to worry about.

"I was still nervous," McPherson said, "until I heard him sing a few notes in rehearsal. All it took for me to hear were a few notes. After hearing Cole's melodic, clear and rich voice, my worries were belayed."

McPherson said Cole is a gifted and talented NCO, and that he expects an "American Idol" tryout is in his future.

"My lifelong goal is to become a professional singer," Cole said. "I plan to attend the 2009 American Idol competition when I return from my Iraq tour."

While deployed, Cole said, he finds himself singing all day long at work, and when he gets time off, he sings competitively at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation centers on the camp.

Cole has won karaoke competitions at some of the Victory Base Complex MWR sponsored events, but that doesn't compare to some of the events he has performed at in the past. Cole has sung at events such as the Olympic trials in 2004 in Indianapolis, Indiana Pacers National Basketball Association games and Indianapolis Colts National Football League games, and he said one of his biggest accomplishments was winning a Show Time singing competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y.

"When I was younger, singing was just something I did because I loved doing it," he said. "Now it is completely different. I want to make a career out of it."

Cole said he has made a few changes in his Military career to improve his chances of becoming a professional singer.

"I love my job in the Army," said Cole, "but I've always wanted to be a singer. I had the chance to go overseas on assignment, but I changed that to stay in the states so I could audition for American Idol."

Even though Cole said he loves both singing and being a part of the Military, he still feels they are two very separate worlds for him, though he's been successful in both.

"My biggest accomplishment in the Army is getting promoted to the rank of sergeant," he said of his recent promotion.

He said he decided to join the Army because of the stability that comes with being in the Army for Military families. "I joined the Army in my junior year of high school in order to support my now-3-year-old daughter," said Cole, who re-enlisted recently to serve for another six years.

He feels that even though it is music that drives him to get through the long 15-month deployment, his daughter gives him the passion to continue with both careers.

"Music is what drives me to continue, as well as the passion that I have to provide a good life for my daughter," he said.

(Army Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 18th Military Police Brigade Public Affairs Office.)

Guard Floods States With Assistance as Waters Rise

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Governors in four of six Midwestern states affected by heavy rains and subsequent flooding called out more than 2,000 National Guard members this week as flood waters forced residents from their homes, left thousands without power and damaged infrastructure. The severe weather began in the region June 4 and continued for several days, with flood waters continuing to rise today. It included heavy rains, tornados, hail, severe lighting and, in one instance, nearly 11 inches of rain near the Indianapolis area within a matter of hours.

Many officials were comparing the floods to the Midwest's historic "Great Flood of 1993," which caused an estimated $15 billion in damage.

National Guard members in Indiana, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Iowa were continuing their support to civil authorities with manpower and equipment today. Helping them were additional Guard members from neighboring states.

In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels called out more than 1,300 Guard members to assist in evacuations, search and rescue, security, road blocks, sandbagging, and other emergency assistance missions. President Bush declared much of central Indiana a major disaster area.

National Guard Bureau officials reported that a variety of Guard equipment was being used to assist emergency responders in Indiana and its affected communities, including 35 5-ton trucks, 37 Humvees, five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 26 potable water trailers, 17 light-medium tactile vehicles, and five buses. Still other special equipment and personnel include members of the West Virginia National Guard's 53rd Civil Support Team, as well as an RC-26B Metroliner reconnaissance aircraft.

"We are here for the citizens of Indiana," said Army Capt. Andy Weaver in an Indiana National Guard news report. Weaver and other Guard members helped evacuate at least 256 patients from a flooded hospital June 8 in Columbus. "Even though some of our soldiers have been affected by the flooding, they are here helping out the community. This is where they feel they should be," he added.

Indiana Guard members also were delivering Red Cross supplies, equipment and personnel to the town of Worthington. They delivered 7,200 gallons of water to the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and provided self-contained shower units to the town of Hope in Bartholomew County.

In Iowa, Guard officials reported many lakes, rivers and streams were at near-record levels, flooding communities and forcing many Iowans out of their towns and homes. Gov. Chet Culver mobilized at least 640 Guard soldiers and airmen for state active duty to assist in the state's disaster response. The governor declared 40 counties as disaster areas.

The Guard members are partnering with federal, state, county and local officials in at least 11 counties and are providing generator support and emergency drinking water. Other Guard members are involved in sandbagging and transportation, as well as securing bridges.

A band of storms that moved across West Virginia on June 5 caused severe flooding that forced Gov. Joe Manchin to declare a state of emergency for at least 15 counties.

At least 97 West Virginia Guard members responded to affected areas with military dump trucks, Humvees, water supplies, backhoes and other equipment to assist residents and local responders as river levels climbed. The Guard members were removing debris with their equipment in at least five counties.

The Wisconsin National Guard mobilized at least 80 soldiers and airmen. The soldiers were providing potable water and sandbags to flooded counties. Officials reported that soldiers of 2nd Brigade were tasked to deliver 20,000 sandbags to Dodge County and the village of Mukwonago. Guard soldiers from 147th Aviation were assisting in aerial damage-assessment missions for military and state leaders. The other states flew similar aerial assessment missions for their leaders.

Army Spc. Cassandra Groce from the Kentucky National Guard reported today that an RC-26B from 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., arrived in Wisconsin yesterday to fly over dozens of affected areas in the state to provide live video. A similar Guard aircraft from West Virginia flew missions over flooded areas of Indiana.

The capability allows engineers on the ground to plan reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and was employed after Hurricane Katrina. It was tested during last year's Guard response to the California wildfires and is now being used for the first time in the flooded states, Groce reported.

Army Master Sgt. Paul Gorman from the Wisconsin Guard reported yesterday that 924th Engineer Detachment dispatched engineer elements to team up with civilian engineers at key damage sites in three heavily affected counties. A Wisconsin Guard UH-60 Black Hawk from 147th Aviation Battalion also provided aerial assessment, Gorman reported.

In addition, 54th Civil Support Team brought communication, liaison and combat-lifesaver capabilities to support the ground-based engineer element in western Vernon County.

(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves with the National Guard Bureau.)

Indiana National Guard Postures for Additional Flood Support

American Forces Press Service

June 10, 2008 - The Indiana National Guard is preparing to continue a long flood fight across the southern part of the state. Flooding resulted when more than six inches of rain dumped into the Wabash Valley on the evening of June 6 and well into the morning of June 7.

Guardsmen and equipment are moving to counties in southwestern Indiana, and officials are working with the county emergency management director to ensure they know the most efficient means of requesting Indiana National Guard support.

More than 900 soldiers and airmen from across the state have been activated, and more than 90 vehicles are being used.

Sand bag machines are prepositioned in Vincennes, Linton, and Terre Haute, and the Indiana Guard is moving two sand bag machines to Elnora. Guardsmen also are moving sand bags from Terre Haute to Elnora.

Officials said the Guard will work with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to coordinate missions in support of the local responders in affected areas. Some 200 soldiers from 38th Infantry Division are in Elnora to assist with sand bagging operations.

The Guard has moved water trailers to Hope, Saint Bernice, Paragon, Nineveh, Hymara and Columbus.

Joint Task Force 81 is preparing to deploy from its headquarters here to southwestern Indiana. The unit will provide command and control to units deployed for the flood emergency. A command assessment team from the joint task force will help southern communities prepare for the water that is flowing toward them.

Guard officials said they're working with the Vigo County Emergency Management Office to determine the needs in that area, where 25 soldiers are helping local law enforcement agencies with presence patrols.

Officials also are working with Green County leaders to assess the city of Worthington, which has been cut off by flood waters. An Indiana National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter delivered food to Worthington on June 8.

(From an Indiana National Guard news release.)

Indiana Guard Responds to Regional Flooding

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Chris Jennings
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 9, 2008 - As members of the Air National Guard's 181st Intelligence Wing and the Army National Guard's 519th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion made their way toward Hulman Field here, they had an idea what their mission was going to be during June's drill weekend. More than six inches of rain dumped into the Wabash Valley on the evening of June 6 and well into the morning of June 7, stranding motorists and pouring storm water into local residents' homes.

When the call for assistance came in, the Guard was ready to begin sandbag operations.

"There were several soldiers and airmen who made it in only to find out their homes were being flooded," said Air Force Maj. Jim Jensen, public affairs officer for 181st Intelligence Wing. "This is a disaster that is affecting us all, but we have a mission to support. Some stayed here to continue filling sand bags for others while their own homes were flooding. That says a lot about Indiana Guardsmen and how much they care about the community."

As of yesterday, more than 900 soldiers and airmen from across the state had been activated to fight the floods in southern Indiana.

When the governor of Indiana declared a state of emergency, drill weekend became a constant effort to lend a hand to a community in need. Sand bag operations began on base as local television crews were reporting the extent of the damage. Reports of families' and friends' homes being flooded trickled in throughout the morning.

Less than a mile from the base entrance, State Road 42 had collapsed under the weight of rushing flood waters. Airmen and soldiers on base could not see the devastation, but reports from other sources became enough to motivate them throughout the night.

"We filled more than 12,000 sand bags in 24 hours," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Anne Rice, who was leading the bagging efforts on base. "Even though many have been here throughout the night, our attitudes have been very positive. It's good to see the camaraderie within. We've got them ready to go wherever they are needed."

The two units, along with 138th Quartermaster Company of Brazil, Ind., offered support in the late evening of June 7, as they placed sand bags in low-lying areas surrounding Terre Haute Regional Hospital.

Thompson ditch in Terre Haute was overflowing in front of the hospital as the flood waters rushed into Rea Park and surrounding areas. Across the street, more than 50 Air and Army Guard personnel focused their attention on the main utility facilities supporting the hospital.

"We provided sand bags around their operational and back-up facilities," said Army Lt. Col. Kevin Vedder, commander of 519th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. "This was a successful joint operation, and everyone has been positive and motivated."

The Indiana Guard has sand bag machines prepositioned in Vincennes, Linton, Elnora and Terre Haute. About 200 soldiers from 38th Infantry Division have been moved to Elnora to assist with sandbagging operations.

Soldiers and airmen of the Indiana National Guard also opened armories in Martinsville, Greencastle, Brazil, Terre Haute, Bloomington and Danville to support local responders in their operations over the weekend.

"This is a situation where a community is in need of our support," Jensen said. "We are the Guard. Air and Army, it is our duty to support the needs of state agencies and provide our assets to the relief effort in any way we can."

Indiana National Guardsmen are providing drinking water in Hope, Saint Bernice, Paragon, Nineveh, Hymara and Columbus, Ind., and search-and-rescue and security operations in Bartholomew County. Guardsmen worked with local and state agencies to assist in the evacuation of more than 100 patients from the Columbus Regional Hospital.

Yesterday, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Indiana Army National Guard assisted the American Red Cross with the delivery of food to Worthington, Ind., a city that has been cut off by flood waters.

"We will continue to work to support our citizens in their time of need," said Army Brig. Gen. Margaret Washburn, of the Indiana National Guard. "Our soldiers and airmen will work tirelessly to support our local responders and communities throughout the flooding in southern Indiana."

(Air Force Staff Sgt. Chris Jennings serves in the 181st Intelligence Wing Public Affairs Office.)

America Supports You: States Honor Wounded With Silver Star Banner

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 20, 2008 - More than 60 years after the custom was last observed, five states have endorsed the Silver Star banner as their official symbol for honoring war-wounded veterans. The practice began in 1918, and the Silver Star banner was granted semi-official status by the Army adjutant general, said Steve Newton, founder of Silver Star Families of America. Sometime between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, he said, the practice was lost.

Silver Star Families of America has been working to get the banner granted official status since 2005, Newton said. "When Congress approved the Blue Star and the Gold Star (as official service banners), it did not designate a Silver Star banner," Newton said.

Blue Star banners designate families with a member serving in the military, while a Gold Star banner honors a family member who was killed in action.

The efforts of Newton's group to work with Congress to get the Silver Star banner designated nationally as an official service banner led to some stalling points, however. Congress wanted the Silver Star Families of America to narrow its definition of wounded, Newton said.

"We decided to ... go state by state, because we didn't want to leave out post-traumatic stress (disorder) or Agent Orange or Gulf War Syndrome or accidents that occur in the war zone that will affect somebody for the rest of their lives," Newton said. "We thought that they needed to be honored also."

In 2007, the group presented each state with a proclamation to endorse the Silver Star banner as its official service banner to honor war wounded. To date, five states -- Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana and Missouri -- have done so.

"To me it's a sign of honor," Newton said. "When a state takes an action like this, it means that they want to remember the sacrifices of the wounded."

Janie Orman, the group's president, said that while the five states agreed quickly and others are on the brink of declaring the Silver Star banner their official service banner for the wounded, some declined.

"A couple of them said, 'No, thank you,'" she said. "A couple of them felt like they had their own programs, I believe."

In 2007, 44 states honored their war wounded by proclaiming May 1 as "Silver Star Day for the Wounded," with at least two of those states working to make the proclamation permanent, Orman said. Silver Star Families of America hopes at least that many states will endorse the Silver Star banner, she added.

The Missouri-based group is a supporter of America Support You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Contracts

NAVY

Radant Technologies, Incorporated, Stow, Mass., is being awarded a $14,114,142 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee provisions for submarine communication antenna radomes and related engineering services. This contract allows for the procurement of up to 20 radomes per year for the five year life of this contract along with the procurement of special tooling needed for the manufacturing of these radomes. This contract includes services for the testing, inspection and evaluation of damaged radomes, engineering services to include studies, upgrades, technical improvements, and life cycle refurbishment. Work will be performed in Stow, Mass., and work is expected to be completed by January 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $177,191 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-08-D-0660).

L3 Communications, Communication Systems - West, Salt Lake City, Utah, is being awarded a $13,847,222 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract to provide for continued life cycle sustainment of the Deployable Multi-Channel Satellite Communications System. Equipment available under the proposed contract includes quad band satellite terminals, terminal IP upgrades, IP baseband interface modules, Ka band upgrades, critical spares, and replacement components. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $65,758,336. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, and work is expected to be completed by January 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The request for proposals was issued directly to L3 Communications, Communication Systems - West. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-5137).

General Dynamics Land Systems, under its operating unit General Dynamics Amphibious Systems, Woodbridge, Va., is being awarded an $11,960,776 modification to previously awarded contract (M67854-05-C-0072) for the advanced procurement of long lead materials for Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) 2 phase of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program. Work will be performed in Michigan (37 percent), Indiana (20 percent), Arizona (13 percent), Maryland (5 percent), Louisiana (3 percent), Florida (2 percent), Mississippi (2 percent), New Jersey (2 percent), New York (2 percent), Ohio (2 percent), and Germany (12 percent), and work is expected to be completed by November 2009. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.


DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Chemical Specialists and Development, Inc., Conroe, Texas, is being awarded a minimum $11,619,400 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for fuel system icing inhibitor. Other locations of performance are Georgia, New Jersey, California, and Washington. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. The proposals were originally solicited by FBO with 3 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a 12 month contract with a 30-day carryover period. Date of performance completion is January 30, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0752).

Falcon Fuels Inc., Paramount, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $2,080,350.00 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for regular unleaded gasoline. Other location of performance located in California. Using services are federal civilian agencies. There were originally 28 proposals solicited with 21 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is August 31, 2009. The contracting activity is the contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-05-D-4526).

AIR FORCE

ITT Industries, Systems Division of Cape Canaveral, Fla. is being awarded a contract modification for $6,792,630. This action will provide spares and interim supply for the Space Lift Range Systems contract. It addresses the continued wholesale supply sustainment for previously fielded spares following the tenants of interim supply support. The project also provides additional initial spares procurement, initial spares fielding, and interim supply support sustainment in support of Prime Mission Equipment projected to be field by the Space Lift Range Systems contract. At this time all funds have been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00465).

International Business Machines Corporation of N.Y. is being awarded a contract option for $6,375,674. The objective of the Sub-threshold-slope Transistors for electronics with extremely-low power program is to develop, novel transistor technologies that will enable high-performance logic circuits with extremely low power consumption. This program will develop transistors based on on-thermionic switching that will result in extremely low power consumption. At this time $4,462,051 has been obligated. Det 1 AFRL/PKDA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-08-C-7806).

ARMY

Kidde Technologies, Inc., Goleta, Calif., was awarded on Jan. 16, 2008, a $5,715,150 firm-fixed-price contract for Stryker tire fire suppression kits. Work will be performed in Goleta, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 1, 2007, and one bid was received. The Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, is the contracting activity W56HZV-08-C-B001.

Indiana Support Group Offers Prayer, Packages

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2007 - An Indiana group is employing what it considers its most powerful weapon in its quest to support the nation's servicemembers: prayer. "We take an active role in praying for each of them, believing that prayer is the single most effective means we have of meeting needs that we do not know or understand firsthand," said Gary Strader, a volunteer with the Military Support Group of Connection Pointe Christian Church.

The group formed in spring 2003 when church members realized that several of the church's families had sons or daughters in Afghanistan or en route to Iraq.

"War was new for all of us; we were worried about what the future might hold," he said. "We met every week at first to support each other, pray for safety for our children and for a sense of God's peace for ourselves."

That original purpose grew to include a more tangible form of support for servicemembers, he added. Soon the group was sending care packages that, they learned from thank-you letters, were touching other troops as the original recipients shared the boxes' contents.

"Our main efforts are focused on supplying those on our list with items from home that they might otherwise not get," Strader said. "We package supplies on a regular basis."

February means boxes and boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, he said, adding that this year's shipment totaled 450 priority mail boxes of cookies -- more than 2,415 boxes of the sweet treats.

Each fall, the group ships "Treats for the Troops" boxes containing snacks and other goodies. At Christmas, it's more edibles, but the members also send small Christmas trees and blankets.

While the Military Support Group's original purpose expanded in scope, it also recently shifted in direction, Strader said.

"Our prayer efforts took a new direction when one of our members designed and produced the 'Prayer Warrior Challenge Coin,'" Strader said. "This coin, much like the challenge coins popular with our armed forces, can be carried everywhere, providing a reminder every time it's touched that our faithful troops need our prayers."

The gold coins show an eagle in flight with an American flag in its talons on one side with the words "Military Support Prayer Warrior." On the other is a set of hands pressed together in prayer with the phrase "Hand-to-Hand Combat."

The Military Support Group of Connection Pointe Christian Church recent became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"We are ... privileged to be counted with the many dedicated organizations which are also supporting our troops," Strader said. "It is our distinct privilege to be able to provide some small measure of support for the United States military while they stand for us around the globe, many in harm's way every day."