American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - It's reasonable to think servicemembers deployed the world over might be missing Girl Scout cookies again this year, but that's not necessarily the case. More than 150 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines soon will be enjoying Girl Scout cookies and other goodies thanks to the Thank You Foundation and several members of the greater Cincinnati community.
"This was a real community effort," said John Guinn, president and founder of the Thank You Foundation. "Students from St. Margaret of York [School] collected items, and several Girl Scout troops donated cookies. Senior citizens from the Lebanon Country Manor helped pack up the boxes."
Seventh-grade students at St. Margaret of York in Loveland, Ohio, spent two weeks last month collecting care package items for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Our U.S. troops in Iraq have sacrificed so much for our country's freedom so it was a wonderful feeling for me to have the opportunity to be able to give back to them," said Marisa Pike, one of the seventh-graders who participated. "It's great to be part of a school that encourages students to serve others in their need."
Her classmates agreed the project has given them a new appreciation and perspective for the sacrifices servicemembers make, as well as the importance of volunteerism.
"This project really helped me understand that one person can really make a difference," said Sarah Wandtke, also a seventh-grader at the school. "It feels really great to know that you are helping someone. I hope we can do this again next year."
In addition to the items collected by the school, Girl Scout Troop 8238 in Landen donated 300 boxes of cookies, and Troop 41865 of Bethany School in Glendale added at least another 50 boxes, Guinn said.
Kim Robinson, a Lebanon Country Manor employee, has both a son and son-in-law in Iraq. She, along with the seniors from the manor and her daughter and daughter-in-law, helped pack the boxes for the Thank You Foundation.
"I know personally what it means to the men and women serving over there to get these packages from home," Robinson said. "We try to do all we can to let them know they are loved and in our thoughts and prayers."
Over the last several months, the Thank You Foundation has sent several hundred care packages to troops and has worked with other groups in the Cincinnati area to send clothing, school supplies, and toys to children in Iraq.
In addition, the foundation has focused efforts on providing financial support for the families of wounded and disabled soldiers in Cincinnati and across the country. In January that support helped a disabled Vietnam veteran visit his dying mother in Texas.
"We do what we can to help where other organizations can't," Guinn said. "Care packages are really just a small part of the many things we try to do to say thank you."
(From a Thank You Foundation news release.)
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Keating: Engagement With China May Clarify Its Military Intentions
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - China's military expansion raises questions and concerns, so the best way to get a clear sense of what China is up to and why is to engage with its leaders, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating said in response to a reporter's question that he asked about China's activities during both trips he's made there since taking command of PaCom last year.
"We have expressed to them our concern for their development of certain kinds of weapons: aerial-denial weapons and satellite technology and the growth of their submarine force, for example," he said. "They counter by telling us they only want to protect those things that are theirs."
That's fair, Keating conceded, but it doesn't fully explain the rationale behind China's actions.
"We at Pacific Command seek not just transparency, but clearer intention, expressed by our Chinese colleagues," he said. "And it is our firm desire and intention to continue the dialog with our Chinese colleagues so as to develop an even better understanding of their intention."
Keating cited an apparent disconnect between what China says and what it is doing.
"They profess to seek a peaceful rise and harmonious integration," he said, quoting Chinese leaders' own words. "We are all for that. But they have to show us, in our view, how they intend to achieve that while developing these certain weapons. We think there is some contradiction in the stated goals vs. the practices we are observing."
Ignoring China or the People's Liberation Army isn't the answer, he said. "We don't want to fence them off. We don't want to isolate them into a corner," he said. "We are happy to try to work with them."
Keating expressed hope that by engaging with China, including offering its leaders an opportunity to observe multilateral exercises, the United States and its partners might get the Chinese to open up.
"It is our clear purpose to draw them out, to engage with them, ... so as to ensure they are aware of what it is we are about," he said. Keating emphasized that "we" refers not just to the United States, but also to the entire Asia-Pacific region.
This engagement, he said, might give the Chinese the opportunity "to prove what they profess to believe" and help reduce concerns throughout the region about its military programs.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - China's military expansion raises questions and concerns, so the best way to get a clear sense of what China is up to and why is to engage with its leaders, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating said in response to a reporter's question that he asked about China's activities during both trips he's made there since taking command of PaCom last year.
"We have expressed to them our concern for their development of certain kinds of weapons: aerial-denial weapons and satellite technology and the growth of their submarine force, for example," he said. "They counter by telling us they only want to protect those things that are theirs."
That's fair, Keating conceded, but it doesn't fully explain the rationale behind China's actions.
"We at Pacific Command seek not just transparency, but clearer intention, expressed by our Chinese colleagues," he said. "And it is our firm desire and intention to continue the dialog with our Chinese colleagues so as to develop an even better understanding of their intention."
Keating cited an apparent disconnect between what China says and what it is doing.
"They profess to seek a peaceful rise and harmonious integration," he said, quoting Chinese leaders' own words. "We are all for that. But they have to show us, in our view, how they intend to achieve that while developing these certain weapons. We think there is some contradiction in the stated goals vs. the practices we are observing."
Ignoring China or the People's Liberation Army isn't the answer, he said. "We don't want to fence them off. We don't want to isolate them into a corner," he said. "We are happy to try to work with them."
Keating expressed hope that by engaging with China, including offering its leaders an opportunity to observe multilateral exercises, the United States and its partners might get the Chinese to open up.
"It is our clear purpose to draw them out, to engage with them, ... so as to ensure they are aware of what it is we are about," he said. Keating emphasized that "we" refers not just to the United States, but also to the entire Asia-Pacific region.
This engagement, he said, might give the Chinese the opportunity "to prove what they profess to believe" and help reduce concerns throughout the region about its military programs.
Services See Strong Showing for March Recruiting
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - All military services met or exceeded their recruiting goals for March, Defense Department officials reported today. This makes the 10th straight month the services have hit their recruiting marks. All of the services have surpassed their recruiting goals for fiscal 2008 to date.
The Army brought in 101 percent of its 6,000-recruit goal for March, and the Marines finished with a two-month streak of 137 percent of its 1,632-recruit goal. The two services recruited 6,066 and 2,234 new members, respectively.
The Air Force and Navy both hit 100 percent of their respective goals of 2,093 and 2,909 recruits.
In the reserve components, the Army Reserve and Air National Guard topped recruiting efforts, with both hitting 121 percent of their goals. The Army Reserve recruited 4,304 soldiers, and the Air National Guard brought in 946 airmen. The Army National Guard and the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force reserves all made 100 percent of their recruiting goals for the month. Their numbers were 6,048 for the Army National Guard; 865 for the Navy Reserve; 553 for the Marine Corps Reserve; and 720 for the Air Force Reserve.
In active-duty retention, the Army and Marine Corps continued with strong showings this month, both exceeding their year-to-date goals.
April 10, 2008 - All military services met or exceeded their recruiting goals for March, Defense Department officials reported today. This makes the 10th straight month the services have hit their recruiting marks. All of the services have surpassed their recruiting goals for fiscal 2008 to date.
The Army brought in 101 percent of its 6,000-recruit goal for March, and the Marines finished with a two-month streak of 137 percent of its 1,632-recruit goal. The two services recruited 6,066 and 2,234 new members, respectively.
The Air Force and Navy both hit 100 percent of their respective goals of 2,093 and 2,909 recruits.
In the reserve components, the Army Reserve and Air National Guard topped recruiting efforts, with both hitting 121 percent of their goals. The Army Reserve recruited 4,304 soldiers, and the Air National Guard brought in 946 airmen. The Army National Guard and the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force reserves all made 100 percent of their recruiting goals for the month. Their numbers were 6,048 for the Army National Guard; 865 for the Navy Reserve; 553 for the Marine Corps Reserve; and 720 for the Air Force Reserve.
In active-duty retention, the Army and Marine Corps continued with strong showings this month, both exceeding their year-to-date goals.
Gates Tests Phone Connection with China
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates tested a defense telephone link to China for the first time, making a call to his counterpart there this morning. Gates talked "briefly" to the Chinese Minister of National Defense Gen. Liang Guanglie, Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said.
During the conversation, Gates congratulated Liang on his recent promotion to minister of national defense and welcomed "this important step in enhancing communications between our militaries," Whitman said.
Gates and Liang also discussed increasing military-to-military relations and emphasized how "substantive dialogue" can avoid any miscalculations on the part of the two countries.
Liang expressed appreciation for aid provided by the United States during a severe winter storm suffered by China earlier this year, Whitman said.
"It demonstrates [that] overall the U.S.-China defense relationship continues to improve," he said.
The two countries agreed to the link last year. The United States has more than 40 such links with other countries.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates tested a defense telephone link to China for the first time, making a call to his counterpart there this morning. Gates talked "briefly" to the Chinese Minister of National Defense Gen. Liang Guanglie, Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said.
During the conversation, Gates congratulated Liang on his recent promotion to minister of national defense and welcomed "this important step in enhancing communications between our militaries," Whitman said.
Gates and Liang also discussed increasing military-to-military relations and emphasized how "substantive dialogue" can avoid any miscalculations on the part of the two countries.
Liang expressed appreciation for aid provided by the United States during a severe winter storm suffered by China earlier this year, Whitman said.
"It demonstrates [that] overall the U.S.-China defense relationship continues to improve," he said.
The two countries agreed to the link last year. The United States has more than 40 such links with other countries.
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 10, 2008
NAVY
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Raleigh, N.C., is being awarded a $35,631,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar, phases I and II, at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Camp Lejeune. The work to be performed provides for construction of a multi-story aircraft maintenance hangar to provide hangar bay, shop space, flight line operations, and maintenance functions in support of the V-22 aircraft squadrons. Work also includes mechanical, electrical support systems and telephone system. Built-in equipment includes a freight elevator and five ton bridge crane. Site improvements include parking and landscaping and incidental related work. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and work is expected to be completed by May 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-08-C-1419).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded an $11,738,328 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-03-C-0057) for non-recurring efforts for the E-2D halon system replacement in support of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System Development and Demonstration Program. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., (87.3 percent) and St. Augustine, Fla., (12.7 percent) and is expected to be completed in Sep. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Services Inc., Cherry Hill, N.J., is being awarded a $9,862,594 cost-plus- fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for security cooperation, security assistance and foreign military sales technical and program/project management support services to Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) OF and applicable customers of NAVICP. This contract contains three one-year option periods which, if exercised, will bring the total estimated value of the contract to $47,538,817. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., (70 percent) and Washington, D.C., (30 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Mar. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively through full and open competition, with one offer received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Philadelphia Division, is the contracting activity (N00189-08-D-Z029). This contract was previously announced on Mar. 19, 2008, as contract number N00189-08-D-Z025.
Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fla., is being awarded a $9,174,475 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0044) to exercise an option for the procurement of 133 Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC) Digital Map Computer (DMC); 66 TAMMAC Digital Video Map Computer (DVMC); and 251 TAMMAC DMC Extension Housings for U.S. Navy use in F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-18G, AV-8B, UH-1Y/ AH-1Z aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of 12 TAMMAC DVMC and 12 TAMMAC DMC Extension Housings for the Government of Australia. Work will be performed in Malabar, Fla., (80 percent) and Palm Bay, Fla., (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in Mar. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($8,452,663; 92 percent); and the Government of Australia ($721,812; 7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
RJC Architects*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for renovation/repair and new construction of facilities in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for engineering studies and site investigation reports to support new development on raw land, or re-development of existing developed sites; preparation of Requests for Proposals for design-build projects; preparation of fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects; other engineering designs, studies, reports, cost estimates, evaluations, and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited, to Calif., (87 percent); Ariz., (5 percent); Nev., (5 percent); Colo., (1 percent); N.M., (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2009 (April 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 20 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8624).
Windermere Information Technology Systems, Annapolis, Md., is being awarded a $5,622,481 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee performance-based contract to continue the government's operational requirement to develop miniaturized hardware packaging components, equipment camouflaging components, and a miniaturized un-attended Direction-Finding (DF) sensor module. This is in support of the time-critical technical requirements for both the Joint Threat Warning System (JTWS) Team Transportable (TT) and Ground Signal Kit (GSK) systems, and an innovative power source capability that can satisfy the power source requirements for the JTWS TT, GSK II, and other United States Special Operations Command tactical force protection system power requirements. The contract includes four one-year option periods, which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to the estimated amount of $29,517,858. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Md., and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2009 (Apr. 2013 with exercised options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was sole source procured under other than full and open competition. The effort was synopsized in Federal Business Opportunities website in accordance with the provisions of FAR Part 5, indicating the Government's intent to award a sole source action. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-6807).
ARMY
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a modification to increase the total mount of their existing contract by $78,500,000 to a total of $177,548,330 for a cost-reimbursable contract for the Scientific Services Program to provide scientific, technical and advisory services for problems related to research and development projects within the government. Work location will be determined with each task order, and is expected to be completed by Apr. 10, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Army Research Development Engineering Command, Durham, N.C., is the contracting activity (W911NF-07-D-0001).
John. C. Gremberg Co., Inc, Rockville, Md., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $27,066,325 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a new three level steel and concrete steam sterilization plan that will have the capacity to decontaminate 126,000 gallons per-day of liquid bio-waste. Work will be performed at Fort Detrick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Apr. 30, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-08-C-0016).
CCI, Inc., Anchorage, Ala., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a 13,078,378 firm-fixed price contract for repair of airfield pavements at Bangor Air National Guard Base. Work will be performed in Bangor, Maine, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 12, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. United States Property & Fiscal Office for Maine, National Guard Bureau is the contracting activity (W912JD-08-C-0001).
AIR FORCE
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a modified contract for $27,970,673. The action will provide survivability and vulnerability technical research and development analysis for U.S. Coast Guard ship, aviation, and Command and Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. At this time $7,714,009 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380, Delivery Order: 0250).
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $8,661,265. The contract action will provide information assurance analysis for Naval Weapons Center, Weapons Division-Weapons Engagement Office Development Command and Control Technology. At this time $ 96,618 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SPO700-98-D-4002, DO 0336).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ansul, Inc., Marinette, Wis. is being awarded a maximum $6,488,858 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for Aqueous Film Forming Foam. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 3 responses.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 9, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM8EH-08-D-0251).
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Raleigh, N.C., is being awarded a $35,631,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar, phases I and II, at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Camp Lejeune. The work to be performed provides for construction of a multi-story aircraft maintenance hangar to provide hangar bay, shop space, flight line operations, and maintenance functions in support of the V-22 aircraft squadrons. Work also includes mechanical, electrical support systems and telephone system. Built-in equipment includes a freight elevator and five ton bridge crane. Site improvements include parking and landscaping and incidental related work. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and work is expected to be completed by May 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-08-C-1419).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded an $11,738,328 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-03-C-0057) for non-recurring efforts for the E-2D halon system replacement in support of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System Development and Demonstration Program. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., (87.3 percent) and St. Augustine, Fla., (12.7 percent) and is expected to be completed in Sep. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Services Inc., Cherry Hill, N.J., is being awarded a $9,862,594 cost-plus- fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for security cooperation, security assistance and foreign military sales technical and program/project management support services to Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) OF and applicable customers of NAVICP. This contract contains three one-year option periods which, if exercised, will bring the total estimated value of the contract to $47,538,817. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., (70 percent) and Washington, D.C., (30 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Mar. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded competitively through full and open competition, with one offer received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Philadelphia Division, is the contracting activity (N00189-08-D-Z029). This contract was previously announced on Mar. 19, 2008, as contract number N00189-08-D-Z025.
Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fla., is being awarded a $9,174,475 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0044) to exercise an option for the procurement of 133 Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC) Digital Map Computer (DMC); 66 TAMMAC Digital Video Map Computer (DVMC); and 251 TAMMAC DMC Extension Housings for U.S. Navy use in F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-18G, AV-8B, UH-1Y/ AH-1Z aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of 12 TAMMAC DVMC and 12 TAMMAC DMC Extension Housings for the Government of Australia. Work will be performed in Malabar, Fla., (80 percent) and Palm Bay, Fla., (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in Mar. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($8,452,663; 92 percent); and the Government of Australia ($721,812; 7 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
RJC Architects*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for renovation/repair and new construction of facilities in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for engineering studies and site investigation reports to support new development on raw land, or re-development of existing developed sites; preparation of Requests for Proposals for design-build projects; preparation of fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects; other engineering designs, studies, reports, cost estimates, evaluations, and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited, to Calif., (87 percent); Ariz., (5 percent); Nev., (5 percent); Colo., (1 percent); N.M., (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2009 (April 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 20 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8624).
Windermere Information Technology Systems, Annapolis, Md., is being awarded a $5,622,481 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee performance-based contract to continue the government's operational requirement to develop miniaturized hardware packaging components, equipment camouflaging components, and a miniaturized un-attended Direction-Finding (DF) sensor module. This is in support of the time-critical technical requirements for both the Joint Threat Warning System (JTWS) Team Transportable (TT) and Ground Signal Kit (GSK) systems, and an innovative power source capability that can satisfy the power source requirements for the JTWS TT, GSK II, and other United States Special Operations Command tactical force protection system power requirements. The contract includes four one-year option periods, which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to the estimated amount of $29,517,858. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Md., and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2009 (Apr. 2013 with exercised options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was sole source procured under other than full and open competition. The effort was synopsized in Federal Business Opportunities website in accordance with the provisions of FAR Part 5, indicating the Government's intent to award a sole source action. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-6807).
ARMY
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a modification to increase the total mount of their existing contract by $78,500,000 to a total of $177,548,330 for a cost-reimbursable contract for the Scientific Services Program to provide scientific, technical and advisory services for problems related to research and development projects within the government. Work location will be determined with each task order, and is expected to be completed by Apr. 10, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Army Research Development Engineering Command, Durham, N.C., is the contracting activity (W911NF-07-D-0001).
John. C. Gremberg Co., Inc, Rockville, Md., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $27,066,325 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a new three level steel and concrete steam sterilization plan that will have the capacity to decontaminate 126,000 gallons per-day of liquid bio-waste. Work will be performed at Fort Detrick, Md., and is expected to be completed by Apr. 30, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-08-C-0016).
CCI, Inc., Anchorage, Ala., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a 13,078,378 firm-fixed price contract for repair of airfield pavements at Bangor Air National Guard Base. Work will be performed in Bangor, Maine, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 12, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. United States Property & Fiscal Office for Maine, National Guard Bureau is the contracting activity (W912JD-08-C-0001).
AIR FORCE
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a modified contract for $27,970,673. The action will provide survivability and vulnerability technical research and development analysis for U.S. Coast Guard ship, aviation, and Command and Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. At this time $7,714,009 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380, Delivery Order: 0250).
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $8,661,265. The contract action will provide information assurance analysis for Naval Weapons Center, Weapons Division-Weapons Engagement Office Development Command and Control Technology. At this time $ 96,618 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SPO700-98-D-4002, DO 0336).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ansul, Inc., Marinette, Wis. is being awarded a maximum $6,488,858 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for Aqueous Film Forming Foam. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 3 responses.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 9, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM8EH-08-D-0251).
Face of Defense: Sergeant Donates Hair to Help Children
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Law
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - An Air Force noncommissioned officer who had long hair all of her life decided during her deployment here to let her hair brighten some lives. Staff Sgt. Jenet Akerson, a 451st Expeditionary Communications Flight Network Control Center technician, donated 13 inches of her hair to "Locks of Love," a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children with long-term medical hair loss.
"I never had short hair," she said. "I was raised in Hawaii; my mom has long hair, so it's part of my heritage."
Akerson said the decision was difficult, but that it was influenced by her admiration for her mother-in-law's experience with alopecia, a condition of patchy hair loss, most noticeably on the scalp.
"I never would have even thought to do something like that had it not been for her being an influence in my life," Akerson said. "She has a heart of gold and is the strongest woman I know, so really it was a dedication to her."
She explained she wanted to be with her mother-in-law when she cut her hair, but decided to cut it while deployed because she wanted to donate healthy hair, and the water here was damaging hers.
Although she was unable to be with her mother-in-law at the time, her husband was deployed with her and cut her hair.
"It meant a lot to be a part of it and to actually be the one to cut her hair," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Akerson, a 451th Expeditionary Communications Flight planner.
His wife said it's taking a while to learn how to work with short hair, but that it's something she will get used to.
"We've decided that, as long as my hair grows healthy, as soon as it gets up to a decent length, we're going to cut it off every year," she said. "I don't color my hair, so I guess they will have some white streaks in it when I get older."
Her husband explained it was coincidence and luck they were both deployed at the same time to the same location, especially since they had not been stationed together since December 2006. The couple met in May 2005 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where they were stationed together. They were married in September 2007, nine months after he was reassigned to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
The couple hopes to be reunited on a joint assignment in March 2009 after Jenet Akerson meets the time-on-station requirement for reassignment.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Law serves with 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - An Air Force noncommissioned officer who had long hair all of her life decided during her deployment here to let her hair brighten some lives. Staff Sgt. Jenet Akerson, a 451st Expeditionary Communications Flight Network Control Center technician, donated 13 inches of her hair to "Locks of Love," a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children with long-term medical hair loss.
"I never had short hair," she said. "I was raised in Hawaii; my mom has long hair, so it's part of my heritage."
Akerson said the decision was difficult, but that it was influenced by her admiration for her mother-in-law's experience with alopecia, a condition of patchy hair loss, most noticeably on the scalp.
"I never would have even thought to do something like that had it not been for her being an influence in my life," Akerson said. "She has a heart of gold and is the strongest woman I know, so really it was a dedication to her."
She explained she wanted to be with her mother-in-law when she cut her hair, but decided to cut it while deployed because she wanted to donate healthy hair, and the water here was damaging hers.
Although she was unable to be with her mother-in-law at the time, her husband was deployed with her and cut her hair.
"It meant a lot to be a part of it and to actually be the one to cut her hair," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Akerson, a 451th Expeditionary Communications Flight planner.
His wife said it's taking a while to learn how to work with short hair, but that it's something she will get used to.
"We've decided that, as long as my hair grows healthy, as soon as it gets up to a decent length, we're going to cut it off every year," she said. "I don't color my hair, so I guess they will have some white streaks in it when I get older."
Her husband explained it was coincidence and luck they were both deployed at the same time to the same location, especially since they had not been stationed together since December 2006. The couple met in May 2005 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where they were stationed together. They were married in September 2007, nine months after he was reassigned to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
The couple hopes to be reunited on a joint assignment in March 2009 after Jenet Akerson meets the time-on-station requirement for reassignment.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Law serves with 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Keating Visit to Brunei Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Pacific Region
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - The top U.S. officer in the Pacific today called Brunei's efforts to expand its military capabilities and regional engagement a big step toward frustrating terrorist ambitions and fostering stability. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating today paid his first visit here as commander of U.S. Pacific Command, telling the country's leaders their increased regional military engagement promises greater long-term security.
Keating met with the sultan of Brunei, Crown Prince Haji al-Muhtadee Billah; Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Halbi Yussof; and other senior government and military officials during a whirlwind day of sessions. As he traveled between visits, construction at the new defense ministry to open later this year and at Muara Naval Base provided tangible evidence of efforts to build Brunei's military forces' capabilities.
The country's Defense White Paper 2007 document, which lays out a framework for that process spanning the next three to five years, reflects those changes. The plan seeks to create a stronger, more agile force, while boosting joint and multilateral cooperation.
Keating praised the plan, Brunei's equivalent of the U.S. Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review, as a visionary tool for the future.
"It's an impressive piece of work," he told defense leaders who briefed him about the plan, and cited its realistic near-, mid- and long-term goals to confront challenges facing the region.
Of these threats, including transnational crime, piracy and smuggling, Keating pointed to violent extremism as the most pressing. He emphasized the need for more sharing of information and intelligence among the United States, Brunei and its neighbors to make it more difficult for violent extremists to move around the region, transfer money, or garner financial or moral support.
Keating noted that the region has felt the sting of terrorism, most notably during deadly bombing attacks in Bali, Indonesia, in which hundreds of people were killed or injured. Improved cooperation that reduces violent extremists' ability to operate here can help prevent a repeat, he said.
The admiral promised U.S. help, if needed, for Brunei to achieve goals outlined in the White Paper, noting the effort would benefit both Brunei and the entire region.
Throughout his visit, Keating pointed to the importance of enhanced military-to-military engagement -- military exchanges, port visits and training exercises, for example -- in promoting the two countries' security relationship.
U.S. and Bruneian forces will join together in August for the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT, exercise. Another exercise, SEACAT, or South East Asia Combined Afloat Training, will follow later that month.
This year's CARAT exercise will expand beyond its traditional maritime security scope to include humanitarian assistance and disaster-response planning and cooperation. The devastating December 2004 tsunami that slammed the region, and more recently, severe flooding in Brunei in February, underscored the key role military forces can play during these crises.
Keating called CARAT instrumental to the theater security cooperation plan, improving the U.S. and Bruneian militaries' ability to operate together and learn from each other, while promoting understanding.
Personal interactions -- not just like today's meetings of top government and military leaders, but also among servicemembers participating in military-to-military engagements -- reinforce the common values the citizens of the two countries share, Keating said. Ultimately, he added, they all want similar things.
"They want peace; they want stability; they want a better life for their kids and their grandkids," he said. Visits like today's help advance those common goals, he said.
"We have a better understanding of our common interests. We have a better understanding of our common goals. We have a better understanding of the capabilities and capacity we each have," the admiral said. "And we will work more closely as a result of this visit, I'm convinced."
Keating said he welcomes the opportunity to reaffirm to Brunei's leaders the continued U.S. commitment. The U.S. military has been in the Pacific for decades, "and we're not going anywhere," he said he reassured the Bruneians. "We represent 350,000 men and women in uniform in United States Pacific Command, and we want Brunei to understand we are committed to the same overarching desire for peace and stability that they are," he said.
As Brunei bolsters its partnership with the United States, it's also increasing its engagement with its neighbors.
Brunei recently sent observers to Khaan Quest 2007, a PaCom-Mongolia peacekeeping exercise, and dispatched a platoon of peacekeepers to Bangladesh as part of the Shanti-Doot Global Peace Operations Initiative. Brunei also works closely with Singapore, which runs a jungle warfare school here for both countries' land forces.
Keating applauded these efforts and said PaCom will continue to look for opportunities to increase its engagement with Brunei as it supports more multilateral initiatives.
These efforts foster the trust, confidence and understanding required for them to work cooperatively -- whether toward stability and security, providing humanitarian assistance, or fighting and winning a conflict, if confronted with one, he said.
"None of us can be everywhere, all the time," Keating said. "We have to be able to work together to support our common interests and the goal of peace and security in the region."
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - The top U.S. officer in the Pacific today called Brunei's efforts to expand its military capabilities and regional engagement a big step toward frustrating terrorist ambitions and fostering stability. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating today paid his first visit here as commander of U.S. Pacific Command, telling the country's leaders their increased regional military engagement promises greater long-term security.
Keating met with the sultan of Brunei, Crown Prince Haji al-Muhtadee Billah; Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Halbi Yussof; and other senior government and military officials during a whirlwind day of sessions. As he traveled between visits, construction at the new defense ministry to open later this year and at Muara Naval Base provided tangible evidence of efforts to build Brunei's military forces' capabilities.
The country's Defense White Paper 2007 document, which lays out a framework for that process spanning the next three to five years, reflects those changes. The plan seeks to create a stronger, more agile force, while boosting joint and multilateral cooperation.
Keating praised the plan, Brunei's equivalent of the U.S. Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review, as a visionary tool for the future.
"It's an impressive piece of work," he told defense leaders who briefed him about the plan, and cited its realistic near-, mid- and long-term goals to confront challenges facing the region.
Of these threats, including transnational crime, piracy and smuggling, Keating pointed to violent extremism as the most pressing. He emphasized the need for more sharing of information and intelligence among the United States, Brunei and its neighbors to make it more difficult for violent extremists to move around the region, transfer money, or garner financial or moral support.
Keating noted that the region has felt the sting of terrorism, most notably during deadly bombing attacks in Bali, Indonesia, in which hundreds of people were killed or injured. Improved cooperation that reduces violent extremists' ability to operate here can help prevent a repeat, he said.
The admiral promised U.S. help, if needed, for Brunei to achieve goals outlined in the White Paper, noting the effort would benefit both Brunei and the entire region.
Throughout his visit, Keating pointed to the importance of enhanced military-to-military engagement -- military exchanges, port visits and training exercises, for example -- in promoting the two countries' security relationship.
U.S. and Bruneian forces will join together in August for the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT, exercise. Another exercise, SEACAT, or South East Asia Combined Afloat Training, will follow later that month.
This year's CARAT exercise will expand beyond its traditional maritime security scope to include humanitarian assistance and disaster-response planning and cooperation. The devastating December 2004 tsunami that slammed the region, and more recently, severe flooding in Brunei in February, underscored the key role military forces can play during these crises.
Keating called CARAT instrumental to the theater security cooperation plan, improving the U.S. and Bruneian militaries' ability to operate together and learn from each other, while promoting understanding.
Personal interactions -- not just like today's meetings of top government and military leaders, but also among servicemembers participating in military-to-military engagements -- reinforce the common values the citizens of the two countries share, Keating said. Ultimately, he added, they all want similar things.
"They want peace; they want stability; they want a better life for their kids and their grandkids," he said. Visits like today's help advance those common goals, he said.
"We have a better understanding of our common interests. We have a better understanding of our common goals. We have a better understanding of the capabilities and capacity we each have," the admiral said. "And we will work more closely as a result of this visit, I'm convinced."
Keating said he welcomes the opportunity to reaffirm to Brunei's leaders the continued U.S. commitment. The U.S. military has been in the Pacific for decades, "and we're not going anywhere," he said he reassured the Bruneians. "We represent 350,000 men and women in uniform in United States Pacific Command, and we want Brunei to understand we are committed to the same overarching desire for peace and stability that they are," he said.
As Brunei bolsters its partnership with the United States, it's also increasing its engagement with its neighbors.
Brunei recently sent observers to Khaan Quest 2007, a PaCom-Mongolia peacekeeping exercise, and dispatched a platoon of peacekeepers to Bangladesh as part of the Shanti-Doot Global Peace Operations Initiative. Brunei also works closely with Singapore, which runs a jungle warfare school here for both countries' land forces.
Keating applauded these efforts and said PaCom will continue to look for opportunities to increase its engagement with Brunei as it supports more multilateral initiatives.
These efforts foster the trust, confidence and understanding required for them to work cooperatively -- whether toward stability and security, providing humanitarian assistance, or fighting and winning a conflict, if confronted with one, he said.
"None of us can be everywhere, all the time," Keating said. "We have to be able to work together to support our common interests and the goal of peace and security in the region."
Army to Relax Information Controls to Keep Pace with Cyberspace
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - Cumbersome controls over information flow in the Army soon may be a thing of the past, as the service works to deliver its messages proactively in the fast-paced cyber world. Instead of worrying about controlling what soldiers are saying, the Army needs to focus on rapidly getting their messages out into cyberspace, Army Col. Wayne Parks, director of computer network operations and electronic warfare at the Combined Arms Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., said in a teleconference with online journalists and "bloggers" yesterday.
In today's electronic-warfare environment, Parks said, the Army needs to be able "to get the message out either before the enemy gets the message out, or be able to respond to the enemy as they're putting the message out."
The Army has a tendency to be reactive, he said, but the service now is looking at how it engages people with information differently from in the past.
Parks explained that, rather than trying to control what soldiers say, the Army is focusing on keeping the force informed with the facts. "We're just looking to inform our folks well enough that when they say something, ... they're going to state the facts," he said.
He estimated that 80 percent of the time the information soldiers provide directly is correct. So, the 20 percent risk of inaccuracies is worthwhile to maintain a proactive approach to online messaging, he said.
"As long as you're aware of what's being said, you can always correct the record," Parks said, "or you can always inform people adequately to ensure that we ... don't stay on this reactive mode and don't look at our soldiers and our leaders out there and mistrust them."
Parks also said defending against cyber attacks on computer networks and systems is another key element of electronic warfare.
"There are attacks being made on our networks and our computer systems -- whether it be hardware or software -- from across the globe," he said.
The Combined Arms Center is studying lessons learned from past attacks and is building new capabilities to defend against future attacks, Parks said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - Cumbersome controls over information flow in the Army soon may be a thing of the past, as the service works to deliver its messages proactively in the fast-paced cyber world. Instead of worrying about controlling what soldiers are saying, the Army needs to focus on rapidly getting their messages out into cyberspace, Army Col. Wayne Parks, director of computer network operations and electronic warfare at the Combined Arms Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., said in a teleconference with online journalists and "bloggers" yesterday.
In today's electronic-warfare environment, Parks said, the Army needs to be able "to get the message out either before the enemy gets the message out, or be able to respond to the enemy as they're putting the message out."
The Army has a tendency to be reactive, he said, but the service now is looking at how it engages people with information differently from in the past.
Parks explained that, rather than trying to control what soldiers say, the Army is focusing on keeping the force informed with the facts. "We're just looking to inform our folks well enough that when they say something, ... they're going to state the facts," he said.
He estimated that 80 percent of the time the information soldiers provide directly is correct. So, the 20 percent risk of inaccuracies is worthwhile to maintain a proactive approach to online messaging, he said.
"As long as you're aware of what's being said, you can always correct the record," Parks said, "or you can always inform people adequately to ensure that we ... don't stay on this reactive mode and don't look at our soldiers and our leaders out there and mistrust them."
Parks also said defending against cyber attacks on computer networks and systems is another key element of electronic warfare.
"There are attacks being made on our networks and our computer systems -- whether it be hardware or software -- from across the globe," he said.
The Combined Arms Center is studying lessons learned from past attacks and is building new capabilities to defend against future attacks, Parks said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 9, 2008
AIR FORCE
Boeing Co., of Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a modified contract for $24,960,000. This undefinitized contract action will incorporate Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 0035, Strategic Networks, into the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) Increment 1 program. At this time $9,250,000 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-02-C-0048/P00141).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated System Sector, of El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a modified contract for $22,300,005. This action will provide T38, 33 wing assemblies and gear boxes, 15 each. At this time $22,300,005 has been obligated. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8218-07-C-0009-P00003).
General Electric Co., Aircraft Engines of Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a modified firm-fixed price contract for $7,751,279. This contract modification will provide nozzle flaps, 3212 units for Air Force Requirements and 250 units for foreign military sales requirements applicable to F110 Engine in the F-16 Aircraft. At this time $7,751,279 has been obligated. Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8104-05-G-0003-0158).
Honeywell International Incorporated of Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded a modified contract for $7,598,610. This action will provide research and development under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) VS-05-01, exercise option five, Strategic Resonating Beam Accelero-meter (SRBA Stage 3)" for the Advanced Ballistic Missile Technologies Program. At this time $735,000 has been obligated. Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-05-C-0241 P00019).
ARMY
Bertucci Industrial Services, LLC, Kenner, La., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $12,497,052 firm-fixed price contract for the Grand Isle and vicinity hurricane protection project, rehabilitation of Hurricane Katrina damage. Work will be performed in Grand Isle/Jefferson Parish, La., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 21, 2008, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-08-C-0045).
Raytheon, Netcentric Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $12,160,993 firm-fixed price contract for development of advanced field artillery tactical data system, versions 3 and 3+. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Sep. 7, 2007. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-99-C-E003).
MaxFour-Weitz JV, Englewood, Colo., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $6,586,176 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a child development center. Work will be performed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 16, 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on Feb. 13, 2008, and two bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., Is the contracting activity (W912DQ-07-D-0031).
BAE Systems, York, Pa., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $6,300,000 firm-fixed price contract for fire suppression modification kits. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Mar. 17, 2008. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Outdoor Venture Corp., Stearns, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $35,816,675.00 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery contract for tent equipment. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. This proposal was originally Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Dec. 15, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-08-D-1061).
Shamrock Foods Co., Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $7,660,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other locations of service are Albuquerque, New Mexico. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were six proposals originally solicited withsix responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 11, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3220).
NAVY
Solpac Construction, dba Soltek Pacific Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $6,126,200 for firm-fixed-price Task Order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8609) for construction of a physical fitness center at area 33, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for a new single-story physical fitness center that will include racquetball and basketball courts, telescoping bleachers, aerobics, weight and cardiovascular training areas, restrooms, lockers, showers, saunas, laundry and administrative support areas, and will include all services, labor, materials and equipment necessary to complete the work as described in the request for proposal.
Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by Jun. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., of Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a modified contract for $24,960,000. This undefinitized contract action will incorporate Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 0035, Strategic Networks, into the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) Increment 1 program. At this time $9,250,000 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-02-C-0048/P00141).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated System Sector, of El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a modified contract for $22,300,005. This action will provide T38, 33 wing assemblies and gear boxes, 15 each. At this time $22,300,005 has been obligated. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8218-07-C-0009-P00003).
General Electric Co., Aircraft Engines of Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a modified firm-fixed price contract for $7,751,279. This contract modification will provide nozzle flaps, 3212 units for Air Force Requirements and 250 units for foreign military sales requirements applicable to F110 Engine in the F-16 Aircraft. At this time $7,751,279 has been obligated. Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8104-05-G-0003-0158).
Honeywell International Incorporated of Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded a modified contract for $7,598,610. This action will provide research and development under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) VS-05-01, exercise option five, Strategic Resonating Beam Accelero-meter (SRBA Stage 3)" for the Advanced Ballistic Missile Technologies Program. At this time $735,000 has been obligated. Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-05-C-0241 P00019).
ARMY
Bertucci Industrial Services, LLC, Kenner, La., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $12,497,052 firm-fixed price contract for the Grand Isle and vicinity hurricane protection project, rehabilitation of Hurricane Katrina damage. Work will be performed in Grand Isle/Jefferson Parish, La., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 21, 2008, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-08-C-0045).
Raytheon, Netcentric Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $12,160,993 firm-fixed price contract for development of advanced field artillery tactical data system, versions 3 and 3+. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Sep. 7, 2007. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-99-C-E003).
MaxFour-Weitz JV, Englewood, Colo., was awarded on Apr. 8, 2008, a $6,586,176 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a child development center. Work will be performed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 16, 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on Feb. 13, 2008, and two bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., Is the contracting activity (W912DQ-07-D-0031).
BAE Systems, York, Pa., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $6,300,000 firm-fixed price contract for fire suppression modification kits. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Mar. 17, 2008. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Outdoor Venture Corp., Stearns, Ky.*, is being awarded a maximum $35,816,675.00 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery contract for tent equipment. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. This proposal was originally Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Dec. 15, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-08-D-1061).
Shamrock Foods Co., Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $7,660,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other locations of service are Albuquerque, New Mexico. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were six proposals originally solicited withsix responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 11, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3220).
NAVY
Solpac Construction, dba Soltek Pacific Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $6,126,200 for firm-fixed-price Task Order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8609) for construction of a physical fitness center at area 33, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for a new single-story physical fitness center that will include racquetball and basketball courts, telescoping bleachers, aerobics, weight and cardiovascular training areas, restrooms, lockers, showers, saunas, laundry and administrative support areas, and will include all services, labor, materials and equipment necessary to complete the work as described in the request for proposal.
Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by Jun. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
National Security Archive Update, April 9, 2008
FIGHTING THE WAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, 1961-1973
Air Force Histories Reveal CIA Role in Laos, CIA Air Strike Missions, New Evidence on Nuclear Weapons, Air Force Policy Disputes, During Vietnam War Years
http://www.nsarchive.org
April 9, 2008 - Previously secret U.S. Air Force official histories of the Vietnam war published today by the National Security Archive disclose for the first time that Central Intelligence Agency contract employees had a direct role in combat air attacks when they flew Laotian government aircraft on strike missions and that the Air Force actively considered nuclear weapons options during the 1959 Laos crisis. Today's posting also includes analysis and commentary by noted Vietnam scholar and Archive senior fellow John Prados.
The newly declassified histories, which were released through Freedom of Information Act litigation by the National Security Archive with the law firm James & Hoffman, include the Air Force's detailed official history of the war in northern Laos, written during the 1990s but hidden in classified form for years. Also declassified were Air Force historical studies on specific years of the Vietnam War, documenting in great detail the Air Force's role in planning and implementing the air war in North and South Vietnam.
Among other significant disclosures in these histories are:
Air Force interest in nuclear options during at least two flash points in the Southeast Asian conflict: Laos in 1959 and in 1968 during the battle of Khe Sanh.
CIA operational commitments for the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion hampered the Agency's ability to carry out Kennedy administration policy in Laos.
CIA proprietary Air America directed search and rescue missions in Laos in addition to its role in combat operations.
The U.S. ambassador in Laos served as the field commander of the so-called "secret war" there, a role that has been largely undocumented.
This briefing book was made possible through a lawsuit brought in March 2005 by the National Security Archive after it discovered through its Freedom of Information Act audits that the Air Force had a pattern and practice of mishandling FOIA requests, including failing to process requests, destroying records, discouraging requesters, and excessive delays.
The Washington, D.C., law firm James & Hoffman successfully argued the case before federal Judge Rosemary Collyer, who in April 2006 granted partial summary judgment to the Archive. She found that "the Air Force has indeed failed miserably to handle Archive FOIA requests in a timely manner." The court ordered the Air Force to resolve the Archive's requests--some pending as long as 18 years--as expeditiously as possible. The requests for the Laos history and the Vietnam War studies were originally filed in 1988 and 1990; the Air Force finally processed them pursuant to the court's order and released more than 500 pages of previously-classified histories.
THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and individuals.
Air Force Histories Reveal CIA Role in Laos, CIA Air Strike Missions, New Evidence on Nuclear Weapons, Air Force Policy Disputes, During Vietnam War Years
http://www.nsarchive.org
April 9, 2008 - Previously secret U.S. Air Force official histories of the Vietnam war published today by the National Security Archive disclose for the first time that Central Intelligence Agency contract employees had a direct role in combat air attacks when they flew Laotian government aircraft on strike missions and that the Air Force actively considered nuclear weapons options during the 1959 Laos crisis. Today's posting also includes analysis and commentary by noted Vietnam scholar and Archive senior fellow John Prados.
The newly declassified histories, which were released through Freedom of Information Act litigation by the National Security Archive with the law firm James & Hoffman, include the Air Force's detailed official history of the war in northern Laos, written during the 1990s but hidden in classified form for years. Also declassified were Air Force historical studies on specific years of the Vietnam War, documenting in great detail the Air Force's role in planning and implementing the air war in North and South Vietnam.
Among other significant disclosures in these histories are:
Air Force interest in nuclear options during at least two flash points in the Southeast Asian conflict: Laos in 1959 and in 1968 during the battle of Khe Sanh.
CIA operational commitments for the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion hampered the Agency's ability to carry out Kennedy administration policy in Laos.
CIA proprietary Air America directed search and rescue missions in Laos in addition to its role in combat operations.
The U.S. ambassador in Laos served as the field commander of the so-called "secret war" there, a role that has been largely undocumented.
This briefing book was made possible through a lawsuit brought in March 2005 by the National Security Archive after it discovered through its Freedom of Information Act audits that the Air Force had a pattern and practice of mishandling FOIA requests, including failing to process requests, destroying records, discouraging requesters, and excessive delays.
The Washington, D.C., law firm James & Hoffman successfully argued the case before federal Judge Rosemary Collyer, who in April 2006 granted partial summary judgment to the Archive. She found that "the Air Force has indeed failed miserably to handle Archive FOIA requests in a timely manner." The court ordered the Air Force to resolve the Archive's requests--some pending as long as 18 years--as expeditiously as possible. The requests for the Laos history and the Vietnam War studies were originally filed in 1988 and 1990; the Air Force finally processed them pursuant to the court's order and released more than 500 pages of previously-classified histories.
THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and individuals.
Williams, Hatley and Capwell
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.
April 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three law enforcement officials.
Howard Williams began his 30 year law enforcement career as a cadet for the Austin Police Department (Texas). Working a variety of assignments he rose through the ranks of the department to become the commander of the Organized Crime Division in 2002. In 2003, Howard Williams accept the position as Chief of Police for the San Marcos Police Department (Texas).
Howard Williams completed his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Southwest Texas State University in August 2002 and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in August 2000. Howard Williams is the author of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective.
According to the book description of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective, it “reviews the myriad statutes, rules, regulations, confusing and often contradictory judicial decisions, and detailed processes to outline forfeiture procedures for law enforcement administrators, investigators, and officers. The text consists of three principal sections: the development of modern asset forfeiture policy, asset forfeiture law, and administering forfeiture programs.”
Allen Hatley was a freelance writer and twice elected constable in Bandera County (Texas). Allen Hatley served in the US Army and saw service in Korea from 1951 to 1952. He holds a BS and MS in Geology and an Advanced Peace Officer Certification from the State of Texas. In addition to his 30 year career in the petroleum industry, Allen Hatley has an active and varied law enforcement career.
In 1988, he graduated from the Middle Rio Grande Law Enforcement Academy and received his Basic Peace Officer Certificate. He worked as a criminal investigator for the district attorney’s office and as a narcotics agent in the Southwest Narcotics Task Force. In 1993, he was elected as Constable, Precinct Number 4, Bandera County and re-elected in 1997. He retired in 1998. Allen Hatley is the author of Bringing the Law to Texas: Crime and Violence in Nineteenth Century Texas; The Oil Finders: A Collection of Stories About Exploration; Early Texas Indian Wars 1822-1835; The First Texas Legion During the American Civil War; The Indian Wars in Stephen F. Austin's Texas Colony, 1822-1835; Reluctant Rebels: The Eleventh Texas Cavalry Regiment; The First Texas Legion; and, Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage.
According to the book description of Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage, “Though a host of Texas Rangers, U.S. marshals, and even town marshals populate the legends and annals of law enforcement, the stories and exploits of constables, an equally significant group of peace officers, have gone mostly unheralded. In a long-overdue examination, Allen Hatley traces Texas constables to their roots in medieval England and colonial America and chronicles a rich history from January 1823, when a constable was appointed as the first law-enforcement officer in Stephen F. Austin's colony.”
Allen Capwell is the former sheriff of the Wyoming County (New York). Allen L. Capwell is the author of The Sheriff of Wyoming County: 150 Years of Protection and Service.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 951 police officers (representing 400 police departments) and their 2024 police books in 34 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
April 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three law enforcement officials.
Howard Williams began his 30 year law enforcement career as a cadet for the Austin Police Department (Texas). Working a variety of assignments he rose through the ranks of the department to become the commander of the Organized Crime Division in 2002. In 2003, Howard Williams accept the position as Chief of Police for the San Marcos Police Department (Texas).
Howard Williams completed his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Southwest Texas State University in August 2002 and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in August 2000. Howard Williams is the author of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective.
According to the book description of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective, it “reviews the myriad statutes, rules, regulations, confusing and often contradictory judicial decisions, and detailed processes to outline forfeiture procedures for law enforcement administrators, investigators, and officers. The text consists of three principal sections: the development of modern asset forfeiture policy, asset forfeiture law, and administering forfeiture programs.”
Allen Hatley was a freelance writer and twice elected constable in Bandera County (Texas). Allen Hatley served in the US Army and saw service in Korea from 1951 to 1952. He holds a BS and MS in Geology and an Advanced Peace Officer Certification from the State of Texas. In addition to his 30 year career in the petroleum industry, Allen Hatley has an active and varied law enforcement career.
In 1988, he graduated from the Middle Rio Grande Law Enforcement Academy and received his Basic Peace Officer Certificate. He worked as a criminal investigator for the district attorney’s office and as a narcotics agent in the Southwest Narcotics Task Force. In 1993, he was elected as Constable, Precinct Number 4, Bandera County and re-elected in 1997. He retired in 1998. Allen Hatley is the author of Bringing the Law to Texas: Crime and Violence in Nineteenth Century Texas; The Oil Finders: A Collection of Stories About Exploration; Early Texas Indian Wars 1822-1835; The First Texas Legion During the American Civil War; The Indian Wars in Stephen F. Austin's Texas Colony, 1822-1835; Reluctant Rebels: The Eleventh Texas Cavalry Regiment; The First Texas Legion; and, Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage.
According to the book description of Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage, “Though a host of Texas Rangers, U.S. marshals, and even town marshals populate the legends and annals of law enforcement, the stories and exploits of constables, an equally significant group of peace officers, have gone mostly unheralded. In a long-overdue examination, Allen Hatley traces Texas constables to their roots in medieval England and colonial America and chronicles a rich history from January 1823, when a constable was appointed as the first law-enforcement officer in Stephen F. Austin's colony.”
Allen Capwell is the former sheriff of the Wyoming County (New York). Allen L. Capwell is the author of The Sheriff of Wyoming County: 150 Years of Protection and Service.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 951 police officers (representing 400 police departments) and their 2024 police books in 34 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
America Supports You: Group Rides to Support Wounded Vets
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - Wounded veterans recovering in some California Veterans Affairs facilities hear some of their visitors long before they see them. Blue Star Riders is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who visit with veterans recovering at the Palo Alto, Livermore, Martinez and San Francisco Veterans Affairs facilities at least once a month, said Richard Hamilton, the group's founder and president.
"(Blue Star Riders) are dedicated to supporting our troops and veterans, as well as honoring all wounded troops and fallen heroes," said Hamilton, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran.
Members of the group visit with as many veterans as possible during each of their visits. "If there is family present, we ... ascertain whether there is anything they need," he said.
Often, when veterans move to California from military medical facilities on the East Coast, their families have used up many of their resources or are unable to get around, Hamilton explained. Blue Star Riders help in any way they can, including providing transportation, he said.
The group also sends requested items to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany.
Blue Star Riders is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The group hopes its affiliation with America Supports You will increase awareness that hospitalized veterans would enjoy having visitors, Hamilton said, and that the affiliation will "bring a focus on the families of our wounded active military and their sacrifices while attending to their loved ones, and their need for support."
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2008 - Wounded veterans recovering in some California Veterans Affairs facilities hear some of their visitors long before they see them. Blue Star Riders is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who visit with veterans recovering at the Palo Alto, Livermore, Martinez and San Francisco Veterans Affairs facilities at least once a month, said Richard Hamilton, the group's founder and president.
"(Blue Star Riders) are dedicated to supporting our troops and veterans, as well as honoring all wounded troops and fallen heroes," said Hamilton, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran.
Members of the group visit with as many veterans as possible during each of their visits. "If there is family present, we ... ascertain whether there is anything they need," he said.
Often, when veterans move to California from military medical facilities on the East Coast, their families have used up many of their resources or are unable to get around, Hamilton explained. Blue Star Riders help in any way they can, including providing transportation, he said.
The group also sends requested items to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany.
Blue Star Riders is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The group hopes its affiliation with America Supports You will increase awareness that hospitalized veterans would enjoy having visitors, Hamilton said, and that the affiliation will "bring a focus on the families of our wounded active military and their sacrifices while attending to their loved ones, and their need for support."
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Keating Praises Micronesia's Partnership in Promoting Stability
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating's visit here today turned personal when, after praising Micronesia as a partner in promoting regional security, he got to personally thank a local soldier severely wounded while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, noted the close, longstanding security ties the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia share during a news conference with Micronesian President Emanuel Mori.
The strength of the two countries' friendship is important to U.S. Pacific Command, Keating told Mori. "It is this sort of relationship, which woven together, forms a very, very tight fabric of peace and stability all throughout this vast part of the world for which we are responsible," he said.
Mori emphasized to reporters the "very strong, very unique, very friendly relationship" between the two countries. This relationship enables the Micronesian people to sleep comfortably at night, recognizing the peace and security this relationship brings, he said.
Following "fruitful discussions" with Mori and representatives of the Foreign Affairs and Justice ministries, Keating also called on Speaker of the Congress Isaac Figir and other congressional leaders.
The admiral noted the contributions young Micronesians make to the U.S. armed forces, serving at about twice the per capita rate as their American counterparts. Keating noted that Mori's daughter serves in the Air Force and Vice President Alik Alik's son is in the Army, and that their parents are "justifiably proud" of their children's service.
"We are immensely grateful for their commitment to those things that some folks take for granted," Keating told Mori, adding, "You, sir, obviously do not."
PaCom is proud of its military members who stand "ready to do what needs to be done to ensure our peace and stability and security," providing a source of a comfort to the region, Keating said.
But that service isn't without a price, he recognized. "We know firsthand the sacrifice required of our young men and women in uniform," he said.
Keating got an opportunity to personally thank Hilario Bermanis II, a Micronesian who exemplifies the cost of military service. Bermanis and a fellow 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper were guarding a weapons cache in Baghdad in June 2003 they were attacked by rocket-propelled grenades. Bermanis lost both legs and his left arm. His comrade was killed instantly.
After being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Bermanis, now a U.S. citizen, is finishing his rehabilitation here on his home island of Pohnpei.
Bermanis told Keating he joined the U.S. military because he wanted to play a part in promoting peace in the world, knowing its effect on his own Pacific region.
Emotionally moved by his meeting with Bermanis, his father and brother, Keating said he felt honored to look them in the eye and thank them for their family's contributions.
"They've paid a catastrophic price, but they're proud of their service and what they've contributed," he said. "What we have isn't a coalition of the willing. It's a coalition of the committed."
Keating assured Mori of the United States' unwavering commitment to Micronesia.
He noted the upcoming USNS Mercy hospital ship visit to Micronesia as part of Pacific Partnership 2008. Hundreds of medical and dental professionals, some in the military and some civilian volunteers, will provide medical care for those either too far away from the care they need or unable to afford it, he said.
An upcoming joint committee meeting between PaCom and senior Micronesian officials will address other issues of mutual interest and build on Keating's discussions here. Among topics on the agenda will be plans to stand up a transnational crime unit here later this month. PaCom's Joint Interagency Task Force West is joining Australia in lending support toward that effort, aimed at stemming the flow of drugs, particularly methamphetamine, in the region.
Keating reassured Mori that Micronesia can depend on its longstanding friendship with the United States. "Should you need help, regardless of the size, regardless of the time, regardless of the technical nature, if the United States Pacific Command can assist, we will," he said.
"We will be here as soon as you ask for the assistance, whether it's day or night, humanitarian assistance or something requiring even higher military capability," he said. "It will be our distinct privilege to provide that service when we can."
Today's visit was Keating's first to Micronesia, a nation of 607 islands stretching across an 1,800-mile-long archipelago, since he took command in March 2007.
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating's visit here today turned personal when, after praising Micronesia as a partner in promoting regional security, he got to personally thank a local soldier severely wounded while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, noted the close, longstanding security ties the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia share during a news conference with Micronesian President Emanuel Mori.
The strength of the two countries' friendship is important to U.S. Pacific Command, Keating told Mori. "It is this sort of relationship, which woven together, forms a very, very tight fabric of peace and stability all throughout this vast part of the world for which we are responsible," he said.
Mori emphasized to reporters the "very strong, very unique, very friendly relationship" between the two countries. This relationship enables the Micronesian people to sleep comfortably at night, recognizing the peace and security this relationship brings, he said.
Following "fruitful discussions" with Mori and representatives of the Foreign Affairs and Justice ministries, Keating also called on Speaker of the Congress Isaac Figir and other congressional leaders.
The admiral noted the contributions young Micronesians make to the U.S. armed forces, serving at about twice the per capita rate as their American counterparts. Keating noted that Mori's daughter serves in the Air Force and Vice President Alik Alik's son is in the Army, and that their parents are "justifiably proud" of their children's service.
"We are immensely grateful for their commitment to those things that some folks take for granted," Keating told Mori, adding, "You, sir, obviously do not."
PaCom is proud of its military members who stand "ready to do what needs to be done to ensure our peace and stability and security," providing a source of a comfort to the region, Keating said.
But that service isn't without a price, he recognized. "We know firsthand the sacrifice required of our young men and women in uniform," he said.
Keating got an opportunity to personally thank Hilario Bermanis II, a Micronesian who exemplifies the cost of military service. Bermanis and a fellow 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper were guarding a weapons cache in Baghdad in June 2003 they were attacked by rocket-propelled grenades. Bermanis lost both legs and his left arm. His comrade was killed instantly.
After being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Bermanis, now a U.S. citizen, is finishing his rehabilitation here on his home island of Pohnpei.
Bermanis told Keating he joined the U.S. military because he wanted to play a part in promoting peace in the world, knowing its effect on his own Pacific region.
Emotionally moved by his meeting with Bermanis, his father and brother, Keating said he felt honored to look them in the eye and thank them for their family's contributions.
"They've paid a catastrophic price, but they're proud of their service and what they've contributed," he said. "What we have isn't a coalition of the willing. It's a coalition of the committed."
Keating assured Mori of the United States' unwavering commitment to Micronesia.
He noted the upcoming USNS Mercy hospital ship visit to Micronesia as part of Pacific Partnership 2008. Hundreds of medical and dental professionals, some in the military and some civilian volunteers, will provide medical care for those either too far away from the care they need or unable to afford it, he said.
An upcoming joint committee meeting between PaCom and senior Micronesian officials will address other issues of mutual interest and build on Keating's discussions here. Among topics on the agenda will be plans to stand up a transnational crime unit here later this month. PaCom's Joint Interagency Task Force West is joining Australia in lending support toward that effort, aimed at stemming the flow of drugs, particularly methamphetamine, in the region.
Keating reassured Mori that Micronesia can depend on its longstanding friendship with the United States. "Should you need help, regardless of the size, regardless of the time, regardless of the technical nature, if the United States Pacific Command can assist, we will," he said.
"We will be here as soon as you ask for the assistance, whether it's day or night, humanitarian assistance or something requiring even higher military capability," he said. "It will be our distinct privilege to provide that service when we can."
Today's visit was Keating's first to Micronesia, a nation of 607 islands stretching across an 1,800-mile-long archipelago, since he took command in March 2007.
America Supports You: Military Kids Get Special Recognition
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Military children and their sacrifices took center stage here last night during a reception attended by Defense Department dignitaries. "Our Military Kids," a nonprofit organization that provides grants that keep children of deployed National Guardsmen and reservists engaged in extracurricular activities, honored these special members of the military community.
"Our servicemen and women may be called to pay the highest price," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said. "Their families -- and children in particular -- make a significant sacrifice, as well.
"Organizations like this one help our military kids feel special and loved," he continued. "They make a tremendous difference in the lives of America's youngest heroes."
Several of these young heroes attended the event, but two brothers, Will and Jake Bacon, got a little special attention.
With their father, Missouri Army National Guard Maj. Matt Bacon, deployed to Iraq, the boys qualified for, applied for, and received a pair of $167 grants to play baseball from Our Military Kids.
The grants were special to the boys because they meant being able to continue an activity they love, but they were special for Our Military Kids, as well. The pair of grants pushed the organization over the $1 million mark in awards.
"At first, they thought they won a million dollars," said Christine Bacon, the boys' mother. "Once I explained it, 'No, your grant put them over the million-dollar (mark),' they thought it was pretty cool."
And it turned out to be even cooler; it earned them a trip to the nation's capital for the event. With that trip came a visit to the International Spy Museum, some sightseeing and a visit with "Grammy and Grandpa" Bacon. All this was exciting, but each brother had his own opinion on what his favorite part of the trip had been.
"My favorite thing was riding around on the bikes," Jake said of the sightseeing tour the family took. Will disagreed, preferring the National Hockey League to the national monuments. "We got to go to a Capitals game," he said.
The one thing the brothers can agree on is that they miss their dad, who has been deployed since June 10. Though they get to talk to him every Saturday and Sunday and get daily e-mails, it's just not the same as having him home coaching.
"He tells me to scoot back or to go forward when I'm catcher," said Will, who's looking forward to playing first base this year. "It's a bit easier because it's more accurate, and (the ball isn't) going that fast." Bacon is expected home around the first of June.
Gates said the Bacon family exemplifies the patriotism and dedication of the country's reserve force. Bacon's father is a retired Army Reserve chaplain, and his mother is an Army Reserve judge advocate general officer. All three -- mother, father and son -- were deployed to Iraq in 2003.
Will and Jake are just two of the nearly 3,000 children of deployed Guardsmen and reservists who have benefitted from Our Military Kids' $1 million in grants in the three short years since the group began.
"This event provides Our Military Kids an opportunity to publically recognize the military children that are asked to be supportive of their parents who serve our country," said Linda Davidson, Our Military Kids co-founder. "We applaud these families for the daily sacrifices they make and the many challenges they overcome during lengthy deployments and separations."
Gail Kruzel, the organization's other co-founder, said Our Military Kids will continue to applaud these families and will strive for even bigger goals in the future.
"Tonight we're celebrating the fact that we have given out a million dollars in grants," she said. "But this year, we plan to give out a million dollars in 2008."
Our Military Kids is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Military children and their sacrifices took center stage here last night during a reception attended by Defense Department dignitaries. "Our Military Kids," a nonprofit organization that provides grants that keep children of deployed National Guardsmen and reservists engaged in extracurricular activities, honored these special members of the military community.
"Our servicemen and women may be called to pay the highest price," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said. "Their families -- and children in particular -- make a significant sacrifice, as well.
"Organizations like this one help our military kids feel special and loved," he continued. "They make a tremendous difference in the lives of America's youngest heroes."
Several of these young heroes attended the event, but two brothers, Will and Jake Bacon, got a little special attention.
With their father, Missouri Army National Guard Maj. Matt Bacon, deployed to Iraq, the boys qualified for, applied for, and received a pair of $167 grants to play baseball from Our Military Kids.
The grants were special to the boys because they meant being able to continue an activity they love, but they were special for Our Military Kids, as well. The pair of grants pushed the organization over the $1 million mark in awards.
"At first, they thought they won a million dollars," said Christine Bacon, the boys' mother. "Once I explained it, 'No, your grant put them over the million-dollar (mark),' they thought it was pretty cool."
And it turned out to be even cooler; it earned them a trip to the nation's capital for the event. With that trip came a visit to the International Spy Museum, some sightseeing and a visit with "Grammy and Grandpa" Bacon. All this was exciting, but each brother had his own opinion on what his favorite part of the trip had been.
"My favorite thing was riding around on the bikes," Jake said of the sightseeing tour the family took. Will disagreed, preferring the National Hockey League to the national monuments. "We got to go to a Capitals game," he said.
The one thing the brothers can agree on is that they miss their dad, who has been deployed since June 10. Though they get to talk to him every Saturday and Sunday and get daily e-mails, it's just not the same as having him home coaching.
"He tells me to scoot back or to go forward when I'm catcher," said Will, who's looking forward to playing first base this year. "It's a bit easier because it's more accurate, and (the ball isn't) going that fast." Bacon is expected home around the first of June.
Gates said the Bacon family exemplifies the patriotism and dedication of the country's reserve force. Bacon's father is a retired Army Reserve chaplain, and his mother is an Army Reserve judge advocate general officer. All three -- mother, father and son -- were deployed to Iraq in 2003.
Will and Jake are just two of the nearly 3,000 children of deployed Guardsmen and reservists who have benefitted from Our Military Kids' $1 million in grants in the three short years since the group began.
"This event provides Our Military Kids an opportunity to publically recognize the military children that are asked to be supportive of their parents who serve our country," said Linda Davidson, Our Military Kids co-founder. "We applaud these families for the daily sacrifices they make and the many challenges they overcome during lengthy deployments and separations."
Gail Kruzel, the organization's other co-founder, said Our Military Kids will continue to applaud these families and will strive for even bigger goals in the future.
"Tonight we're celebrating the fact that we have given out a million dollars in grants," she said. "But this year, we plan to give out a million dollars in 2008."
Our Military Kids is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
U.S., Chile Sign Information-Sharing Agreement
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Top defense officials for the United States and Chile today signed an agreement to begin sharing science and technology information, further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. "Our bilateral defense relationship with Chile is strong because it is driven by our shared values of democracy, market economy, and a commitment to social justice and human rights," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at the signing ceremony in the Pentagon.
The Master Information Exchange Agreement is a framework agreement that formalizes the exchange of military technical data on a reciprocal basis.
This is a new agreement between the two countries and, while there was nothing in place before to stop the two countries from sharing data, this agreement is considered a fundamental building block to developing a serious science and technology relationship, a senior defense official said. These formal agreements also tend to deepen the interaction between two countries and can "spawn" further relationships, the official said.
"As a next step, we hope to identify specific defense-related science and technology projects to work on with Chile," Gates said.
In June, the United States and Chile signed an agreement that allowed for exchange of staff between the two defense laboratories. This summer, a Chilean military officer will be assigned to the Army lab, and a U.S. researcher is planned for assignment to Chile, the official said.
American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - Top defense officials for the United States and Chile today signed an agreement to begin sharing science and technology information, further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. "Our bilateral defense relationship with Chile is strong because it is driven by our shared values of democracy, market economy, and a commitment to social justice and human rights," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at the signing ceremony in the Pentagon.
The Master Information Exchange Agreement is a framework agreement that formalizes the exchange of military technical data on a reciprocal basis.
This is a new agreement between the two countries and, while there was nothing in place before to stop the two countries from sharing data, this agreement is considered a fundamental building block to developing a serious science and technology relationship, a senior defense official said. These formal agreements also tend to deepen the interaction between two countries and can "spawn" further relationships, the official said.
"As a next step, we hope to identify specific defense-related science and technology projects to work on with Chile," Gates said.
In June, the United States and Chile signed an agreement that allowed for exchange of staff between the two defense laboratories. This summer, a Chilean military officer will be assigned to the Army lab, and a U.S. researcher is planned for assignment to Chile, the official said.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Face of Defense: Flight Engineer Reaches 10,000-Hour Milestone
By Air Force Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - A flight engineer with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron surpassed 10,000 flight hours during a KC-10 Extender mission March 29. Senior Master Sgt. Robert Fisher, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native home-stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., ended his landmark flight with 10,003 hours.
"The most difficult part about achieving this milestone is just being around long enough to do it," he said with a chuckle. "It feels excellent to be among such a rarified group of people."
The 10,000-flight-hour community is small, and achieving this milestone is all about longevity, he said. Fisher has been flying the line since 1986. He has been in the air as a flight engineer on the C-141 Starlifter and the KC-10 Extender, and has served in operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
"When I first came into the Air Force, there were a lot of 10,000-hour crew members around, and I thought, 'Wow, I'd like to do that,'" Fisher said. "But as the years went by, I felt like I'd never get there because, well, our airplanes fly much faster. So I figured 5,000 would be nice. Then, after I reached that, I figured I could probably do about 7,500."
Fisher continued to exceed his goals and reset them. "So, when I passed 8,500, it finally hit me that I was really close to my goal of 10,000, and that maybe I could do this, so here I am."
Air Force Lt. Col. Tim White, 908th EARS commander, said most flyers accumulate 3,000 to 5,000 hours in the span of a career.
"For Sergeant Fisher to eclipse 10,000 hours is a reflection of great dedication to the mission and the art of flying," he said. "If one were to fly around the world for 10,000 hours, he or she would circle the planet over 300 times, or go back and forth to the moon nine times. Sergeant Fisher is one of the greatest assets in the KC-10 community, and his work ethic speaks for itself."
Fisher has had a long bird's-eye view of much of the globe, and he gives most of that credit to the Air Force.
"I've been really lucky in my life, in that the Air Force has given me the opportunities to see a lot of really excellent places and travel the world," he said. "When I enlisted in '81, the recruiter said, 'Hey join the Air Force, see the world,' and the Air Force has kept up its end of the bargain on that one."
"I'd like to say that I've given the Air Force all these wonderful things," he continued, "but to be honest, the Air Force has given Bob Fisher way more than Bob Fisher has given the Air Force."
(Air Force Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten serves with 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 8, 2008 - A flight engineer with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron surpassed 10,000 flight hours during a KC-10 Extender mission March 29. Senior Master Sgt. Robert Fisher, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native home-stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., ended his landmark flight with 10,003 hours.
"The most difficult part about achieving this milestone is just being around long enough to do it," he said with a chuckle. "It feels excellent to be among such a rarified group of people."
The 10,000-flight-hour community is small, and achieving this milestone is all about longevity, he said. Fisher has been flying the line since 1986. He has been in the air as a flight engineer on the C-141 Starlifter and the KC-10 Extender, and has served in operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
"When I first came into the Air Force, there were a lot of 10,000-hour crew members around, and I thought, 'Wow, I'd like to do that,'" Fisher said. "But as the years went by, I felt like I'd never get there because, well, our airplanes fly much faster. So I figured 5,000 would be nice. Then, after I reached that, I figured I could probably do about 7,500."
Fisher continued to exceed his goals and reset them. "So, when I passed 8,500, it finally hit me that I was really close to my goal of 10,000, and that maybe I could do this, so here I am."
Air Force Lt. Col. Tim White, 908th EARS commander, said most flyers accumulate 3,000 to 5,000 hours in the span of a career.
"For Sergeant Fisher to eclipse 10,000 hours is a reflection of great dedication to the mission and the art of flying," he said. "If one were to fly around the world for 10,000 hours, he or she would circle the planet over 300 times, or go back and forth to the moon nine times. Sergeant Fisher is one of the greatest assets in the KC-10 community, and his work ethic speaks for itself."
Fisher has had a long bird's-eye view of much of the globe, and he gives most of that credit to the Air Force.
"I've been really lucky in my life, in that the Air Force has given me the opportunities to see a lot of really excellent places and travel the world," he said. "When I enlisted in '81, the recruiter said, 'Hey join the Air Force, see the world,' and the Air Force has kept up its end of the bargain on that one."
"I'd like to say that I've given the Air Force all these wonderful things," he continued, "but to be honest, the Air Force has given Bob Fisher way more than Bob Fisher has given the Air Force."
(Air Force Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten serves with 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 8, 2008
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals LLC., Orange, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $32,000,000 firm fixed price, cost reimbursement contract for services and facilities to receive, store and ship turbine and aviation fuel. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. This proposal was originally electronically solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Jun. 17, 2013. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-C-5808).
NAVY
British Aerospace Systems & Armaments, L.P., Armament Systems Division, Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded a $31,610,052 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5464) for procurement of FY08 MK 14 MOD 2 Canisters, including packaging, handling, storage, transportation equipment, and FY08 Reconfigurable Coding Plug Assemblies. MK 14 canisters for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, store, safely transport, and enable loading of Tomahawk missiles into MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems aboard DDG-51 Class and CG-47 Class ships. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, S.D., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Angel Staffing, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded a contract for $13,274,805. This action will provide for Nurses (RNs, LVNs, and CNA's), estimated quantity 247, at Willford Hall Medical Center, Lackland, Air Force, Texas. At this time $13,274,805 has been obligated. Lackland AFB, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3047-08-D0012).
Terma North America Inc., of Warner Robins, Ga., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $8,369,746. This action provides for repair of USAF and FMS AN/ALG-213 components managed by Combat Sustainment Group at Robins AFB, Ga. At this time $0 has been obligated. Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8540-08-D-0003).
ARMY
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $17,503,997 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort contract for FY08 Patriot Engineering Services contract option award for 134,472 man-hours of effort. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, MA., (72.65 percent); Andover, MA., (12.73 percent); Huntsville, AL., (7.87percent); Burlington, MA., (4.49 percent); El Paso, TX., (2.06 percent); Norfolk, VA (0.20 percent). The estimated completion date is Jan. 31, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL. (W31P4Q-04-C-0020).
Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals LLC., Orange, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $32,000,000 firm fixed price, cost reimbursement contract for services and facilities to receive, store and ship turbine and aviation fuel. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. This proposal was originally electronically solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Jun. 17, 2013. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-C-5808).
NAVY
British Aerospace Systems & Armaments, L.P., Armament Systems Division, Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded a $31,610,052 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5464) for procurement of FY08 MK 14 MOD 2 Canisters, including packaging, handling, storage, transportation equipment, and FY08 Reconfigurable Coding Plug Assemblies. MK 14 canisters for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, store, safely transport, and enable loading of Tomahawk missiles into MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems aboard DDG-51 Class and CG-47 Class ships. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, S.D., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Angel Staffing, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded a contract for $13,274,805. This action will provide for Nurses (RNs, LVNs, and CNA's), estimated quantity 247, at Willford Hall Medical Center, Lackland, Air Force, Texas. At this time $13,274,805 has been obligated. Lackland AFB, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3047-08-D0012).
Terma North America Inc., of Warner Robins, Ga., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $8,369,746. This action provides for repair of USAF and FMS AN/ALG-213 components managed by Combat Sustainment Group at Robins AFB, Ga. At this time $0 has been obligated. Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8540-08-D-0003).
ARMY
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 7, 2008, a $17,503,997 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort contract for FY08 Patriot Engineering Services contract option award for 134,472 man-hours of effort. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, MA., (72.65 percent); Andover, MA., (12.73 percent); Huntsville, AL., (7.87percent); Burlington, MA., (4.49 percent); El Paso, TX., (2.06 percent); Norfolk, VA (0.20 percent). The estimated completion date is Jan. 31, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL. (W31P4Q-04-C-0020).
Family Support Network Helps Families During Marine Deployments
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 7, 2008 - Dealing with a loved one's deployment can be difficult. But for Marine families based thousands of miles from home, the challenges might seem even more daunting if not for an active family support network in place to help them. Here at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, home to more than 11,000 Marines and sailors and their families, the Marine Corps Family Team Building program plays a critical role in helping families through multiple deployments.
Historically a volunteer-based effort, the program now benefits from a recent Headquarters Marine Corps decision to create permanent, paid positions at every Marine base to ensure consistent, continuous family support programs throughout the Corps, explained Xiomara Bowes, the program's director.
The Marine Corps dedicated other expanded resources to the program, as well, introducing broader family support efforts. "We have supplies; we have equipment; we have office spaces; we have facilities," as well as additional child care and extended-hour training programs, Bowes said.
Now, she said, the program can provide additional services and training, not only to spouses, but also to children of deployed Marines and sailors, as well as their parents and extended families. "It opens it up for more training opportunities, more learning opportunities to just get through the challenging lifestyle," she said.
But even with this seven-person paid staff, Bowes said the network couldn't serve the families of about 1,700 currently deployed Marines without a vast volunteer network. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's 2nd Battalion is deployed now, and the 1st Battalion is preparing to deploy later this year.
"We're busy when it comes to deployments, especially with the times we are in," Bowes said. "There's simply no way we could provide the support families need by ourselves, without the commitment of our volunteers."
Bowes described the far-reaching efforts she said are particularly important here, because there's no way to hop into the family car and drive home, and airline tickets home cost hundreds of dollars.
"There's a sense of isolation for many of them," said Bowes, a Navy wife herself who understands the challenges deployments bring. "When you're here in Hawaii and your family is Montana, it's not like you can get on a plane and go to Montana."
The isolation can be particularly difficult for younger spouses experiencing their first deployment, she said. The average Marine here is 19 to 20 years old, and about 25 percent of the base population is married.
Even spouses able to pick up and fly home during the deployment can run into a quandary, explained Cheryl Roy, the base's readiness and deployment support trainer and wife of a 30-year Marine who recently retired. If they leave their base housing for more than 90 days, they're required to give it up to the next person in line for housing and to get back on the waiting list when they return.
Their medical benefits can transfer with them, but change because the family is moving from a base outside the continental United States to one within CONUS. And if they have pets, they have to consider the quarantine requirements on their return to Hawaii, Roy said. "It's not an easy move; even if they decide to do that, it has challenges, as well," Bowes said.
These factors, she said, make a solid family support network especially important.
Spouses often seek out the Family Team Building staff to help them deal with a particular problems, but get something far more important, Roy said. "I think what they're looking for and what we're trying to give them are possibly two different things," she said, "because they come looking for services, and we want to teach them how to take care of themselves. And if you look at each one of our programs, you'll see that the commonality is in teaching them and educating them in different ways to do just that."
Training programs are offered on base and online, and they run the gamut from courses that promote personal development such as communication skills and financial awareness to those that develop career skills.
"Our focus is on empowering them. We're building resiliency," Bowes said.
"It's always going to be up and down. It's just the nature of being in a military family. ... There are constant changes to our lifestyle," she said. "And so because of that, what we want to build is resiliency so they can accept change, transition from one thing to the next, and never skip a beat. ... We want to help build resiliency so they can get through those challenges.
The LINKS program -- better known by its acronym than its full name: Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills program -- is a vital part of this effort, Bowes said. She described LINKS as "Marine Corps 101," a program that teaches families about the Marine Corps and its traditions. This, she said, helps build pride among family members and helps them better understand the culture they live in and how it operates.
LINKS also covers topics ranging from how to read a leave and earnings statement, to what services are provided on base and where to go for them, to an overview of Hawaiian culture and language.
The base's programs also help families understand the family dynamics that take place before, during and after a deployment. Roy pointed to a seven-stage emotional cycle that begins up to six weeks before the Marine's departure and continues up to 12 weeks after the homecoming -- each stage involving emotional ups and downs for the family.
"We want to teach them about the emotional cycles of deployment, so they understand and are prepared for the emotional roller coaster," she said. The Family Team Building program's offerings span the full deployment cycle, from pre-deployment briefings to prepare families for what's ahead to support groups during the deployment to a warrior transition briefing that helps redeploying Marines transition back to their roles at home.
To help families reach out to each other and give them a little fun during the deployment the base also sponsors an active Operation Homefront program, said Louise Yeager, Marine Corps community services area coordinator. Each month, the program offers a free event for families of deployed Marines and sailors: a bowling day, pool party, picnic, or visit to the local Tiki Island amusement park.
"The families really look forward to these events," Yeager said. "It's a chance for them to have fun, but also to get together with the other family members for sharing and support."
As the Marine Corps Family Team Building program helps families, it's also helping improve the Marines' readiness for their deployments, Bowes said.
If the family is not ready for a deployment and not stable enough to handle the deployment -- to be alone, to be without the second parent -- then the Marine can't go off and do his job," she said. "A Marine has to be able to go out and concentrate solely on what the mission is. ... We have found that, in order to have mission readiness, you also have to have family readiness. They actually correlate."
A distracted Marine puts his or her entire unit at risk, Roy said. "And we can't have that, because we want our Marines and sailors to come home. That's why we're so committed to this program. We believe in what we're doing. We believe in our mission to help them achieve their mission."
American Forces Press Service
April 7, 2008 - Dealing with a loved one's deployment can be difficult. But for Marine families based thousands of miles from home, the challenges might seem even more daunting if not for an active family support network in place to help them. Here at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, home to more than 11,000 Marines and sailors and their families, the Marine Corps Family Team Building program plays a critical role in helping families through multiple deployments.
Historically a volunteer-based effort, the program now benefits from a recent Headquarters Marine Corps decision to create permanent, paid positions at every Marine base to ensure consistent, continuous family support programs throughout the Corps, explained Xiomara Bowes, the program's director.
The Marine Corps dedicated other expanded resources to the program, as well, introducing broader family support efforts. "We have supplies; we have equipment; we have office spaces; we have facilities," as well as additional child care and extended-hour training programs, Bowes said.
Now, she said, the program can provide additional services and training, not only to spouses, but also to children of deployed Marines and sailors, as well as their parents and extended families. "It opens it up for more training opportunities, more learning opportunities to just get through the challenging lifestyle," she said.
But even with this seven-person paid staff, Bowes said the network couldn't serve the families of about 1,700 currently deployed Marines without a vast volunteer network. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's 2nd Battalion is deployed now, and the 1st Battalion is preparing to deploy later this year.
"We're busy when it comes to deployments, especially with the times we are in," Bowes said. "There's simply no way we could provide the support families need by ourselves, without the commitment of our volunteers."
Bowes described the far-reaching efforts she said are particularly important here, because there's no way to hop into the family car and drive home, and airline tickets home cost hundreds of dollars.
"There's a sense of isolation for many of them," said Bowes, a Navy wife herself who understands the challenges deployments bring. "When you're here in Hawaii and your family is Montana, it's not like you can get on a plane and go to Montana."
The isolation can be particularly difficult for younger spouses experiencing their first deployment, she said. The average Marine here is 19 to 20 years old, and about 25 percent of the base population is married.
Even spouses able to pick up and fly home during the deployment can run into a quandary, explained Cheryl Roy, the base's readiness and deployment support trainer and wife of a 30-year Marine who recently retired. If they leave their base housing for more than 90 days, they're required to give it up to the next person in line for housing and to get back on the waiting list when they return.
Their medical benefits can transfer with them, but change because the family is moving from a base outside the continental United States to one within CONUS. And if they have pets, they have to consider the quarantine requirements on their return to Hawaii, Roy said. "It's not an easy move; even if they decide to do that, it has challenges, as well," Bowes said.
These factors, she said, make a solid family support network especially important.
Spouses often seek out the Family Team Building staff to help them deal with a particular problems, but get something far more important, Roy said. "I think what they're looking for and what we're trying to give them are possibly two different things," she said, "because they come looking for services, and we want to teach them how to take care of themselves. And if you look at each one of our programs, you'll see that the commonality is in teaching them and educating them in different ways to do just that."
Training programs are offered on base and online, and they run the gamut from courses that promote personal development such as communication skills and financial awareness to those that develop career skills.
"Our focus is on empowering them. We're building resiliency," Bowes said.
"It's always going to be up and down. It's just the nature of being in a military family. ... There are constant changes to our lifestyle," she said. "And so because of that, what we want to build is resiliency so they can accept change, transition from one thing to the next, and never skip a beat. ... We want to help build resiliency so they can get through those challenges.
The LINKS program -- better known by its acronym than its full name: Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills program -- is a vital part of this effort, Bowes said. She described LINKS as "Marine Corps 101," a program that teaches families about the Marine Corps and its traditions. This, she said, helps build pride among family members and helps them better understand the culture they live in and how it operates.
LINKS also covers topics ranging from how to read a leave and earnings statement, to what services are provided on base and where to go for them, to an overview of Hawaiian culture and language.
The base's programs also help families understand the family dynamics that take place before, during and after a deployment. Roy pointed to a seven-stage emotional cycle that begins up to six weeks before the Marine's departure and continues up to 12 weeks after the homecoming -- each stage involving emotional ups and downs for the family.
"We want to teach them about the emotional cycles of deployment, so they understand and are prepared for the emotional roller coaster," she said. The Family Team Building program's offerings span the full deployment cycle, from pre-deployment briefings to prepare families for what's ahead to support groups during the deployment to a warrior transition briefing that helps redeploying Marines transition back to their roles at home.
To help families reach out to each other and give them a little fun during the deployment the base also sponsors an active Operation Homefront program, said Louise Yeager, Marine Corps community services area coordinator. Each month, the program offers a free event for families of deployed Marines and sailors: a bowling day, pool party, picnic, or visit to the local Tiki Island amusement park.
"The families really look forward to these events," Yeager said. "It's a chance for them to have fun, but also to get together with the other family members for sharing and support."
As the Marine Corps Family Team Building program helps families, it's also helping improve the Marines' readiness for their deployments, Bowes said.
If the family is not ready for a deployment and not stable enough to handle the deployment -- to be alone, to be without the second parent -- then the Marine can't go off and do his job," she said. "A Marine has to be able to go out and concentrate solely on what the mission is. ... We have found that, in order to have mission readiness, you also have to have family readiness. They actually correlate."
A distracted Marine puts his or her entire unit at risk, Roy said. "And we can't have that, because we want our Marines and sailors to come home. That's why we're so committed to this program. We believe in what we're doing. We believe in our mission to help them achieve their mission."
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