Latest Recruiting Numbers Underscore Strength of All-Volunteer Force

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - Defense officials today pointed to the 13th consecutive month of recruiting success as a sign that the all-volunteer force, now 35 years old, remains solid. Recruiting and retention statistics for June, released today, show that all services met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals. The June figures mark more than a full year of across-the-board recruiting successes.

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said this trend, particularly during a protracted conflict, demonstrates the strength of the all-volunteer force.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed appreciation earlier this week for military recruiters and the big role they play in filling the ranks in a challenging recruiting environment. He noted during his June 8 visit with enlisted troops in Mosul, Iraq, that only 30 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for military service.

"I've seen tremendous success in recruiting all across the services," he told the troops during an "all-hands call" at Forward Operating Base Marez. "My hat goes off to those who recruit as they continue to make their numbers from month to month."

The June recruiting and retention figures reflect recruiters' hard work and young people's continued willingness to step up and serve, Lainez said. The Army signed up 9,365 new soldiers in June, 101 percent of its 9,250-soldier goal. The Marine Corps recruited 4,531 Marines, topping its monthly goal of 3,934 recruits by 15 percent. The Navy met its goal of 4,209 sailors, and the Air Force brought in 2,203 airmen, six recruits over its June goal.

In the reserve components, the trend lines remained positive as well, Lainez said. The Army National Guard recruited 5,290 soldiers in June, 100 percent of its goal. The Marine Corps Reserve reached its goal with 1,054 recruits. Despite falling 1 percent short of its June goal, the Army Reserve, with 3,138 new recruits in June, stands at 108 percent of its year-to-date goal, Lainez said.

The Air National Guard recruited 910 airmen, 119 percent of its June goal, and the Air Force Reserve met its 690-airman goal. The Navy Reserve and Air Force Reserve both met their June goals, recruiting 725 sailors and 690 airmen, respectively.

Meanwhile, retention remained strong in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Lainez said, with each service meeting or exceeding its year-to-date goals.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, praised troops' commitment to continue serving as he re-enlisted 1,215 servicemembers during a Fourth of July ceremony in Baghdad.

"Volunteering to continue to serve our nation while deployed is both noble and inspiring," he said. "It is, as award citations often state, in keeping with the finest traditions of our military services."

July 1 marked the 35th anniversary of the U.S. armed forces consisting solely of volunteers. Until July 1973, the military operated under an involuntary draft policy to produce manpower to fight the country's wars. Draftees served during both world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Since then, volunteers have served the armed forces through peacetime and war, including the Cold War and conflicts in Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and elsewhere around the world.

Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel and policy, said the all-volunteer force has continued to prove itself during ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"There were concerns about how today's fight would affect retention, and yet, retention has been as strong as any period in our history," he said on the all-volunteer force's 35th anniversary. "Volunteers want to serve; their performance is strong, their behaviors are strong, and their discipline is high."

Their choice to become members of the armed forces "speaks volumes for the dedication and loyalty of our nation and its volunteers," Carr said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 10, 2008

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is modifying a fixed price incentive firm contract not to exceed $324,600,000 with Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems of San Diego, Calif. This contract will provide 2 RQ-4B Block 301 Global Hawk air vehicles, 3 RQ-4B Block 40 air vehicles with MP-RTIP sensor, 1 mission element, 1 launch and recovery element, and associated equipment; option for 4 EISS sensor payloads. At this time $180,351,181 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-07-C-4015 P00008).

NAVY

Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kan.., is being awarded an estimated $48,800,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of six C-12 replacement aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kan., and is expected to be completed in February 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via electronic request for proposal. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0057).

ARMY

BAE Systems Tactical Vehicle Systems, LP, Sealy, Texas, was awarded on July 8, 2008, a $16,231,327 firm-fixed price contract for low-signature armored cab upgrade kits. Work will be performed in Sealy, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 28, 2007. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-A500).

Penn Detroit Diesel Allison, LLC, York Haven, Pa., was awarded on July 9, 2008, a $7,345,000 firm-fixed price contract for dressed transmissions for the family of medium tactical vehicles. Work will be performed in York Haven, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 7, 2007, and seven bids were received. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0464).

Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Chantilly, Va., was awarded on July 9, 2008, a $6,703,557 fixed-price incentive with award fee contract for a modification to incorporate in-scope changes to the Pentagon renovation. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jan. 19, 2001. Pentagon Renovation & Construction Program Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (MDA947-01-C-2001).

Mercar USA, Marshall, Texas, was awarded on July 8, 2008, a $6,364,000 firm-fixed price contract for non-standard ammunition. Work will be performed in Marshall, Texas, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 22, 2008, and three bids were received. Headquarters, Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-08-C-0027).

SAIC, McLean, Va., was awarded on July 9, 2008, a $6,200,000 time and materials contract for professional support services for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology). Work will be performed in the National Capitol Region, primarily, and is expected to be completed by July 6, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six bids were solicited on May 16, 2008, and two bids were received. Army Contracting Activity, Alexandria, Va., is the contracting activity (GS-23F-0107J).

Bering Straits Information Technology, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska* is being awarded a maximum $5,860,413 firm fixed price, total set aside, 8(a) Alaskan Native sole-source contract to provide all labor and staff o provide backorder reduction, post-award workload and management of National Stock Number assistance to Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR). Other location of performance is in Richmond. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency. There was originally 1 proposal solicited with 1 response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is July 31, 2011. The contracting activity is DSCR, Richmond, Va. (SP4703-08-C-0013).

Senate Confirms Petraeus, Odierno

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - The Senate has confirmed Army Gen. David H. Petraeus as commander of U.S. Central Command and Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to receive his fourth star and succeed Petraeus as commander of Multinational Force Iraq. The full Senate confirmed Petraeus by a vote of 95-2 and Odierno by a 96-1 margin. Odierno is the Army's 3rd Corps commander and served as commander of Multinational Corps Iraq for 14 months.

The changes put Petraeus -- who implemented the U.S. surge into Iraq -- in charge of U.S. military forces in a dangerous part of the world. The command stretches from Pakistan to Egypt and from Kazakhstan to the Saudi Arabian peninsula. It includes the war in Afghanistan and, until Oct. 1, also includes control of Joint Task Force Horn of Africa based in Djibouti.

Petraeus will take over CentCom after giving his assessment on the post-surge conditions in Iraq. The last surge brigade will leave Iraq at the end of this month.

Petraeus called for -- and Defense Department leaders agreed to -- a pause before bringing the U.S. force in Iraq down any further. The decision on further withdrawals probably will not come until mid-September, and Petraeus will not leave the Iraq command until that is complete, officials said.

In another general officer announcement today, the White House has officially nominated Gen. Norton A. Schwartz to be Air Force chief of staff and Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb to succeed Schwartz as commander of U.S. Transportation Command, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Senate officials could not say when the confirmation hearings for the men would be.

Navy Mainstay Retires After 50 Years of Military, Civilian Service

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - If you cut Paul Brady, he would probably bleed sea water. Brady is Navy through and through, and he retires today after more than 50 years of service as a sailor and a civilian.

Brady, from near Nashville, Tenn., joined the service in 1958 and served on active duty through 1969. He worked as a civilian Navy communicator from 1969 to 1992, and has worked as a budget analyst in the service's counterdrug program since then.

The 72-year old former sailor was one of only eight survivors among the 28 people working in the Navy Command Center on Sept. 11, 2001. "The good Lord was looking out for me that day," Brady said during a recent interview. "That, and my Navy training."

Brady and the other members of his office watched on television as the airliners hit the World Trade Center. "After the second airliner hit, I remember saying that we would be the next target," Brady said.

He went back to his office against the D-Ring of the Pentagon, and the explosion came. "It sounded like an eight-inch shell detonating behind me," Brady said. It was Flight 78 hitting the building. The shock wave pushed Brady and a co-worker to the floor.

The air was filled with acrid, choking smoke, dust and fiberglass from the overhead tiles. The lights were out, and the water sprinklers cut on. "The place was in complete darkness," he said. "There were no battery-powered battle lanterns in the command center like we have on ships to provide lighting below decks."

Brady stood to find total chaos. He turned to see how his co-worker was and, "there, wonder of wonders, was a light shining through the smoke and dust," he said. "I immediately dropped to the deck and crawled over the rubble, staying below the smoke line to the light. 'Stay low. Stay alive' was drilled into our heads in damage control schools in the fleet."

He came upon a 4-foot square hole in the masonry and limestone wall of the Pentagon. "I bent over and walked through it to the alleyway between the rings," he said. His co-worker was already there, and he helped the then-66-year-old Brady over the rubble. They worked their way along the alleys between the rings to the Pentagon's center courtyard, and then out of the building.

"Aside from some cuts and bruises, I was fine," Brady said.

Brady was on active duty when the Soviets put up the Berlin Wall in 1961, and he helped enforce the blockade of Cuba in 1962 when Soviet missiles were found 90 miles from America's shores.

"Nothing happened either time," he said. "When you are 66 years old and at a desk in the Pentagon, one does not expect a hijacked airliner to blast into the command center."

Brady lives in Dumfries, Va., and is the proud father of seven children. He still tells sea stories of his service aboard the USS Newport News -- "the best damn cruiser in the fleet," he says -- during the Cuban missile crisis.

Over his career, Brady has seen many changes in the Pentagon. He said that when he started in 1969, there were no paintings or displays up in the corridors. People smoked at their desks, and eating establishments were few and far between.

"In the offices, people were really crammed together, and they didn't have the elevators they have now," he said. But not everything at the Pentagon has changed. "The paperwork and bureaucracy are just as bad as they always have been," he noted.

During his half-century of service, the military has become far more of a joint organization, Brady said. He started as a communicator and worked only on systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Later, that included the U.S. Air Force. Now, as a budget analyst with the counterdrug office, he routinely works with representatives of the other services, the Joint Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Though Brady retires today, he's not severing his connections to the Pentagon.

"I plan to work as a volunteer in the Pentagon chaplain's office," he said. "Hopefully, I can help some people out and stay in contact with my good friends."

America Supports You: Restored 1931 Buick Showcases 'Faces of Valor'

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - Patriotism runs high at Chick and Ruth's Delly, a mainstay along the Maryland capital's Main Street. Ted Levitt, the deli's owner, starts each morning leading patrons as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A huge flag hovers high over the lunch counter, and yellow-and-orange walls are covered with photos of troops in uniform. Now Levitt has a new addition: a fully restored 1931 Buick, airbrushed with the faces of 43 heroes who have served the country in the armed forces or as police officers, firefighters and other first responders.

Levitt hopes to use his labor of love, which he's named "Faces of Valor USA," to raise money for scholarships and financial assistance for or in honor of those wounded or killed while performing their duty.

The red, white and blue car took two and a half years to restore and made its debut appearance during Annapolis' Fourth of July Parade. Now Levitt is lining up events where he can showcase the car to raise funds to help those who have sacrificed for their country and the families some of them left behind.

Levitt said he got the idea to personalize his project after the parents of Marine Capt. Ben Sammis stopped into his deli to tell him that their son had been killed conducting helicopter rescues in Iraq. Sammis graduated from The Citadel in South Carolina, but met Levitt when he frequented Chick and Ruth's Delly while attending a U.S. Naval Academy program.

Devastated to hear of his death, Levitt asked Beth and Steve Sammis for permission to use their son's face on his car.

Levitt took the project farther, ultimately choosing 43 people to depict on his car and bring faces to the concepts of sacrifice and service. In addition to 15 firefighters killed in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Faces of Valor project highlights troops who have served in operations from the Vietnam War to the war in Iraq.

Levitt knows all but the New York firefighters personally, from his cousin, Army Chief Warrant Officer Stewart Goldberg, who was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Vietnam in July 1969, to Master Sgt. Karl Allen, a local businessman who retired from the reserve components after three deployments.

The face of Army Capt. D.J. Skelton, a Chick and Ruth's Delly patron, appears with his left eye closed; he lost it during a rocket-propelled-grenade attack while serving with 25th Infantry Division in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004.

But Levitt said he intentionally chose to use not only faces of those wounded or killed in the line of duty.

"This is a tribute, not a memorial," he said of the Faces of Valor project. "A lot of people think you have to have been killed to be honored, but that's not the point here. What matters is that these people put their lives on the line every day to protect us. It's because of them that we get to live the lives we live."

Levitt said he wants people who see the car to focus on each face and recognize the sacrifices so many people make so Americans can live in safety and enjoy freedoms some only dream about.

"These are the men and women who allow us to live in freedom, to do any kind of job we want and allow our constitution to live on," he said. "It's because of them that we get to do what we do."

At age 51, Levitt said, he remembers the protests and abuse that awaited many Vietnam veterans when they returned from that war, and said he wants to ensure that never happens to today's returning troops.

"They need to be treated as heroes," he said. "And for those who need help, they need to know that they will be taken care of. We owe them that."

America Supports You: Communities Sign On for Annual Observance

By Sharon Foster
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - Two years ago, Steve Newton, founder of Silver Star Families of America, asked the governors of all 50 states and the mayor of the District of Columbia to sign a proclamation to observe May 1 as Silver Star Banner Day, honoring wounded and ill servicemembers from all wars. "We asked the governors to make this day a permanent and official day of observance each year thereafter," Newton said. "This is a community outreach program that can be implemented by each governor to benefit the wounded and ill troop population in this unique way."

Governors held ceremonies honoring wounded and ill servicemembers, Newton said, but the news was not always reaching small cities and towns. They, too, wanted to get involved.

"We started to get feedback, and many mayors wondered why we did not include their cities and towns in this event," Newton said. "They were not able to go to the state capital, but they wanted to do something in their own community."

That feedback led Newton to reach out to 5,000 cities and towns -- 100 per state -- across the nation in preparation for next year's Silver Star Banner Day.

"We want to get down to the grassroots level and have local communities honor their wounded and ill, as well," Newton explained. "At the same time, we wish to send the nation's largest thank you."

May 1 was chosen for this recurring event because it is Loyalty Day and the first day of Military Appreciation Month, Newton said.

A Silver Star Families of America committee contacts city clerks and mayors to inform them of the event and to ask for their participation. When they agree, they receive a proclamation letter to sign. To date, nearly 60 cities in 18 states have signed on to observe Silver Star Banner Day in 2009 and thereafter. The organization's Web site, www.silverstarfamilies.org, is the place to start for people who want to ensure their community has the opportunity to participate.

"It is amazing the outpouring of admiration for our wounded and ill," Newton said. "The general response from the cities has been, 'We are honored to be included in this endeavor.'"

Newton said he hopes this event will let all servicemembers know that "we have not forgotten them and never will."

"Their love of country and sacrifice will remain alive in our hearts," he said, "and the Silver Star Families of America will always be here to make sure we never forget."

Silver Star Families of America is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Cpl. Steven Lucas, U.S. Army, of Johnson City, N.Y. He will be buried July 11 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Lucas' next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

In late November 1950, Lucas was assigned to the Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment making up part of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), then engaging enemy forces east of the Chosin Reservoir near Kaljon-ri, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea. On Nov. 29, remnants of the RCT began a fighting withdrawal to more defensible positions near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. Lucas never made it to the lines at Hagaru-ri and was last seen on Nov. 30.

Between 1991-94, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of several boxes in 1993 indicated that the remains from that box were exhumed near Kaljon-ri. This location correlates with Lucas' last known location.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Lucas' remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169

America Supports You: Fund Assists Severely Injured Veterans

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

July 9, 2008 - An organization that focuses on helping severely injured veterans channels its efforts toward providing the kinds of assistance they don't otherwise get. The Independence Fund provides "the tools, therapies and guidance that they are otherwise not receiving," said Steve Danyluk, the organization's president.

The Independence Fund, he explained, is built upon three pillars of support. These pillars, according to the Independence Fund Web site, include providing specialized tools and therapies to troops and veterans, promoting the overall well-being of severely injured veterans through physical and leisure activity, and providing advocacy and guidance through veterans and family members who have experienced similar events and injuries.

For example, the Independence Fund provides assistance such as iBot wheelchairs and sports equipment that has been modified so disabled veterans can take part in athletic pursuits or leisure sports.

The fund also provides two different types of therapies to injured troops.

"Sports and art therapy are the two big programs we champion," Danyluk said. "Some of the art has become part of our traveling art exhibit, which is steadily growing and been displayed, most recently at the Indianapolis [Veterans Affairs] hospital, and next at the Arlington Art Center in Virginia."

Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans can apply for funding through the Independence Fund's Web site, where a downloadable document also is available, Danyluk said.

Once an application is accepted, an Independence Fund case director conducts an interview, and a grant funding board then reviews the application to determine whether the candidate receives a grant, Danyluk explained. The funding for grants distributed through the Independence Fund comes mostly in the form of donations, he added.

The Independence Fund is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Face of Defense: Paralegal Succeeds in Army

By Army Spc. Allison Churchill
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 9, 2008 - Army Spc. Matthew Duras decided to join the Army because he wanted to serve his country. Since becoming a soldier, he balances helping his fellow soldiers and reaching out to the community. Duras brought a diverse educational and working background to the table when he joined the Army.

After earning an associate's degree in paralegal studies from Harcum College, in Bryn Mawr, Pa., in 1994 and a bachelor's degree in the same field from Widener University, in Wilmington, Del., in 2001, Duras held a variety of jobs. He worked as a paralegal for DuPont and the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, but he didn't initially consider the legal field for his Army career. Instead, after working at a truck assembly plant as a fire marshal -- a combination of being a security guard and a fire inspector -- and volunteering as a firefighter, Duras intended to use that experience and join as an Army firefighter.

"It seemed like the next step," said Duras, who's deployed with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Fires Brigade.

But his recruiter looked at his educational background and told him about a different option, recommending that Duras join the Army as a paralegal.

"I was fortunate to have a really good recruiter," the West Deptford, N.J., native said. "I've always been the type of person who likes to help someone out. The Army has helped me reach that goal."

Before the brigade deployed, Duras' normal day included preparing paperwork for nonjudicial judgments and separations from the Army and helping brigade lawyers during courts-martial. During his deployment here, he also writes power-of-attorney documents and processes damage claims from Iraqi citizens.

Duras' superiors said they're impressed with his work.

"He is a dedicated soldier with an incredible heart and an excellent paralegal," said Army Capt. Patrick Gilman, the 41st Fires Brigade's command judge advocate. Gilman administered the oath of enlistment when Duras re-enlisted in November.

When Duras isn't in the office helping soldiers, he's often representing them in public arenas. He said he was especially happy to take part in a Veterans Day ceremony before a race at Texas Motor Speedway.

"It was like Christmas morning," the NASCAR fan recalled about getting to walk up and down "Pit Road" before the race.

Duras also took time during his pre-deployment leave to reach out to his hometown. He was invited by a friend to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Lakewood (N.J.) Blue Claws professional baseball game May 5. He said seeing his Army combat uniform sparked patriotism in the fans.

"A bunch of people thanked me, and a [father] and his daughter shook my hand," Duras said.

Duras also made a video for the congregation of Gloucester County Community Church, which will be played over Veterans Day weekend.

When the 41st Fires Brigade completes its deployment, Duras is scheduled to relocate to Germany.

(Army Spc. Allison Churchill serves in the 41st Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office.)

Pentagon Reopens Bidding on Tanker Contract

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

July 9, 2008 - The Defense Department has reopened the bidding process for a multibillion-dollar midair refueling tanker contract, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. The announcement comes after the Government Accountability Office last month found improper practices related to the $35 billion contract awarded in February to the Northrop-Grumman/EADS/Airbus consortium, which prompted a protest from rival bidder Boeing Company.

"Industry, Congress and the American people all must have confidence in the integrity of this acquisition process," Gates said at a Pentagon news conference. "I believe the revised process will result in the best tanker for the Air Force at the best price for the American taxpayer."

Replacing the Air Force as the "source selection authority" is John J. Young Jr., undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. He is tasked with appointing an advisory committee to oversee the selection of a bidder to supply the modified commercial aircraft fleet that will phase out the current KC-135 tankers, which are 47 years old, on average.

The Defense Department has ordered Northrop-Grumman to stop work on its contract, and a modified request for proposal could be issued as early as this month. The tanker request will remain in "open competition" until a new contract is awarded, which Gates said he expects will happen before year's end.

"It is important to remember that this decision does not represent a return to the first step of a process that has already gone on far too long," the secretary said, referring to the tanker contract as one of the department's most "time-critical."

The Boeing protest filed early this year alleged more than 100 violations of proper contracting practices, eight of which were sustained by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

After reviewing the GAO's decision, Michael B. Donley, acting secretary of the Air Force, said he concluded that the Air Force's acquisition system is not "fatally flawed."

"However, the GAO did sustain the protest in eight areas, and this has been sufficient to cast doubt on the Air Force's management of the overall process," he said.

While re-bidding the contract will add months to the process, Donley said, it offers "the most direct route to complete the competition, achieve a final decision and field the tanker that represent the best value for the warfighter and the taxpayer."

Donley, who joined Gates at today's briefing, became the Air Force's acting secretary last month following a shakeup at the top levels of the service branch. The 67-page GAO report that cited "significant errors" in Air Force recruiting practices became public nine days into his tenure.

Donley's predecessor, Michael W. Wynne, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley resigned in the wake of a report detailing the accidental shipment of four non-nuclear missile trigger components rather than the intended helicopter batteries to Taiwan in August 2006. The erroneous delivery came on the heels of another Air Force incident in which a B-52 bomber flew across the United States carrying six armed nuclear cruise missiles.

"The Air Force needs to rapidly apply the lessons learned from this experience and move forward," Donley said of the tanker contract, pressing the need to rebuild confidence in the Defense Department acquisition process. "Other Air Force acquisition decisions are on the horizon.

"GAO's conclusions show that even in a large, complex procurement with considerable staff resources and oversight, work accomplished by our contracting personnel, our warfighters and our engineers is not always adequately prepared to withstand the detailed audits and the legal challenges that we can now expect," he said.

Asked how the Defense Department will mitigate the chance of a future protest, Gates said the department will carry out the new process with transparency, open communication, clear expectations and fairness.

"My hope would be that when we reach the end of this process we will have a solution, will be able to reward a contract and get moving with the contract," he said.

Young, who will head up the source selection committee, entertained the possibility that new proposals from industry bidders could come with a smaller price tag than their original offers.

"We'll see what the industry teams propose," he told reporters here. "I think that would probably be the only silver lining in this, is the possibility that both teams decide to sharpen their pencils and offer the taxpayer and the warfighter an even better deal."

New Cluster Bomb Policy Aims to Reduce Collateral Damage

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 9, 2008 - The Defense Department today announced new standards for cluster bombs to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure from the unintended consequences of unexploded munitions. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates signed the policy that aims to reduce collateral effects of cluster munitions used to pursue legitimate military objectives.

The new policy is designed to eliminate the number of bomblets dispersed by cluster bombs that don't explode on impact, explained Air Force Lt. Col. Almarah Belk, a Pentagon spokeswoman. It sets new safety standards that, by 2018, would require 99 percent of all bomblets to explode on contact.

The military will begin reducing its inventory of cluster bombs that don't meet that standard as soon as possible, and will stop using them altogether by 2018, the policy notes.

The new policy is designed to eliminate the chance that the bombs could remain active and pose a potential threat to civilians on the ground after the hostilities, Belk said.

A State Department white paper attributed fewer than 400 casualties to cluster bombs in 2006. Intent on reducing these numbers, the Defense Department launched a year-long review of its previous cluster munitions policy, Belk said.

The new policy strikes a critical balance between operational requirements and safety concerns, she said. "The United States believes that the new cluster munitions policy will provide better protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure following a conflict, while allowing the retention of a legitimate and useful weapon," she said.

Belk noted that cluster bombs offer distinct advantages against a range of targets while reducing risks to U.S. forces and saving U.S. lives.

Defense Department officials view the new policy as a viable alternative to a complete ban on cluster bombs, as proposed last month by the Oslo Process in Dublin, Ireland, she said. With no alternative to cluster munitions, she said, eliminating them altogether would create a critical capability gap.

"This would make the wholesale elimination of cluster munitions unacceptable," Belk said.

Future adversaries are likely to use civilian shields for military targets — for example, by placing a military target on the roof of an occupied building, she noted. Under circumstances like that, she said, cluster bombs would cause fewer civilian casualties and damage than other, far more destructive weapons.

The United States will use the policy in its negotiations toward an international agreement at the U.N. Convention of Conventional Weapons that began July 7. The United States hopes to see a new cluster bomb policy completed by the year's end.

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 9, 2008

AIR FORCE

ITT Systems Division of Colorado Springs, Colo., is being awarded a fixed price, cost plus award fee with const reimbursable line items contract for $33,697,369. The Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) is a counterdrug program funded by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counter Narcotics, Counter Proliferation, and Global Threats. It provides a radar surveillance capability able to detect low-level targets in the United States – Mexico border, the Florida Straits, and southwest Puerto Rico regions in support of USNROTHCOMs and USSOUTHCOM's Counterdrug/Counter-Narco Terrorism (CD/CNT) missions. In addition to the CD/CNT mission, TARS surveillance data also supports North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) air sovereignty mission for the Continental United States (CONUS). This contract requires operating, maintaining, and supporting eight operational TARS sites 24 hours a day/seven days per week (24/7). Additionally, a key element of this contract is for the contractor to provide life-cycle management (cradle-to-grave) support for the entire TARS network. At this time $1.5 million has been obligated. ACC AMIC/PKC SunTrust Building, Newport News, Va., is the contracting activity (FA4890-08-C-0005).

NAVY

MEC Earth & Environmental, Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $13,727,945 for firm-fixed price Task Order #0002 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity environmental multiple award contract (N62473-08-D-8816) for remedial design and remedial action at Installation Restoration Site One at Alameda Point. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer environmental services for Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Underground Storage Tanks Programs. The contract contains ten options totaling $7,106,256 which may be exercise within 696 calendar days, bringing the total contract amount to $20,834,201. Work will be performed in Alameda, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Mar. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Massa Products Corp. Hingham, Mass., is being awarded a $12,066,819 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price provisions for procurement of DT-574 Hydrophones. Twelve First Article units and up to 2,500 DT-574 Hydrophones (with 25 ft. and 50 ft. pigtails) and up to 600 DT-574 Hydrophones (with 100 ft. pigtail) per year could be procured. Work will be performed in Hingham, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via Federal Business Opportunities, with two offers received. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R. I., is the contracting activity (N66604-08-D-0513).

Tesoro Corp., Beaufort, N.C., is being awarded a $5,663,496 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of armories and interim facilities for Marine Aviation Support Squadron 1 (MASS-1), Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C. The work includes foundations for and erection of two pre-engineered buildings, utilities and site improvements for the MASS-1, foundations for and assembling of modular armory units, utilities and site improvements for the interim armory compound; and incidental related work. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed Apr. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the General Multiple Award Construction Contract for the N.C. area with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-07-D-1912-0027).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

General Electric Co., Lynn, Mass., is being awarded a maximum $18,447,224.32 fixed price with economic price adjustment, sole source contract for combustion chamber frame. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response from a qualified source only. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is May 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va. (FA8104-05-G-0004-UN01).

Texican Natural Gas Co., Charlotte, N.C.*, is being awarded a maximum $41,457,901.54 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for natural gas. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army and Federal Civilian Agencies. There were originally 166 proposals solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sep. 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-7511).

America Supports You: Blockbuster, USO Join Forces for Troops

By Sharon Foster
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 8, 2008 - Movies and games have always been popular among deployed troops, providing a break from the intense daily realities of their duties and a way to fill downtime while away from their loved ones. With that in mind, Blockbuster stores nationwide, in partnership with United Service Organizations, are making it easy for Americans to donate video games and DVDs to deployed forces.

"The DVD and game drive is a way for Blockbuster stores and the American public to make life a little better for U.S. servicemen and women when they're so far away from home," Larcine Bland, Blockbuster's vice president for community affairs, said.

Customers simply purchase new or previously viewed DVDs and games at participating Blockbuster stores, then drop them into convenient USO drop boxes. For security reasons, Bland emphasized, the USO can accept only DVDs and games originating from participating Blockbuster stores in this program.

The entertainment retailer will match donations made at its stores - up to 20,000 DVDs - and work with the USO to distribute them to troops stationed across the world.

"We are excited to work with Blockbuster to continue to boost the morale of our men and women in uniform and their families around the world," said Edward A. Powell, USO president and chief executive officer.

Over the last 10 years, Blockbuster has regularly provided entertainment for military personnel by donating movies, games and home entertainment equipment to the USO.
To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.

Gates Visits Troops in Washington State

By Rachel Young
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 8, 2008 - Fort Lewis soldiers received a visit from Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week, as he spent yesterday and today talking with soldiers, airmen and their families. Gates, who lives near Mount Vernon, Wash., when he is not at the Pentagon, stopped by Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base for a visit on his way back to Washington, D.C., after the Independence Day holiday.

Gates visited wounded warriors at Madigan Army Medical Center, talked with Army Rangers, McChord airmen and some Fort Lewis spouses, including a few who had just given birth at Madigan.

"It's been very useful," Gates told reporters this morning after receiving a briefing in the Intelligence Operations Facility. "The conversations with NCOs and their wives are always instructive, and I'm always impressed with their dedication and their commitment."

Gates praised Army spouses for their commitment and affection for the military, saying that theirs might be even stronger than that of their soldiers.

The secretary also received a briefing from Army Col. Harry D. Tunnell, commander of 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and Stryker soldiers from 4th and 5th brigades, 2nd Infantry Division, about their vehicles. Gates, accompanied by Army Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., commander of 1st Corps and Fort Lewis, and Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, military assistant to the secretary of defense, toured four Strykers: a commander's vehicle, an infantry carrier vehicle, a mobile gun system and an engineer squad vehicle.

While receiving his briefing on the mobile gun system, Gates got a fresh-from-the-battlefield perspective from Capt. Christopher Lilley, a vehicle commander and platoon leader in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, part of 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Lilley and his soldiers returned from Iraq last month, where they were the first to use the mobile gun system in combat. Lilley said he was pleased to be able to share his knowledge with the secretary of defense.

"It was very nice," he said. "I think he saw the point we were trying to get across to him, ... how important this vehicle is for the infantry commanders and also the infantry to have this weapon system at their hands to help them out and support them in their mission and provide the security and firepower that they need."

A senior official explained that Gates visits troops often to get a feeling for what is on their minds.

"We do this as much a possible," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

Gates finds it useful to gather troops and spend time talking to them and allowing them to ask candid questions, Morrell said.

(Rachel Young is a reporter with Fort Lewis' Northwest Guardian.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 8, 2008

ARMY

Navistar Defense, LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $27,705,422 firm-fixed price contract for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected sustainment spare parts. Work will be performed primarily in Springfield, Ohio, and Springfield, Mo., as well as locations across the U.S., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 29, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 26, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0522).

TCI Architects/Engineers/Contractors, La Crosse, Wis., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $23,256,980 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of a U.S. Armed Forces Reserve Center. Work will be performed in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 3, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Sep. 25, 2007, and four bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0015).

LECON, Inc., Houston, Texas, was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $22,626,579 firm-fixed price contract for channel rectification in Sims Bayou. Work will be performed in Houston, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 5, 2008, and one bid was received. USA Engineer District, Galveston, Texas, is the contract activity (W912HY-08-C-0023).

Tug Hill Construction, Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Jul. 7, 2008, a $15,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for materials, equipment and labor for the construction of the Combat Aviation Brigade infrastructure. Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five bids were solicited on Feb. 22, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-06-D-0032).

Teng Construction, L.L.C., Chicago, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, an $8,552,000 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of an addition/alteration to the Winder Health Clinic and a 7,000 square-foot addition to the Salomon Dental Clinic. Work will be performed at Fort Benning, Ga., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 15, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on Mar. 10, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-07-D-0053).

The Davis Group, Inc., Sanford, Fla., was awarded on Jul. 7, 2008, a $7,431,550 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of a co., operations facility. Work will be performed in Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., and is expected to be completed by Apr. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Eight bids were solicited on Sep. 15, 2007, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-D-0037).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

MedImmune Vaccines, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is being awarded a maximum $28,379,470.00 firm fixed price contract for influenza vaccine packages. Other location of performance is in Penn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Federal Civilian Agencies. There were originally 4 proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM2DP-08-D-0005).

NAVY

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a not-to-exceed ceiling $13,578,000 cost reimbursement letter contract for engineering services in support of the Maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defense Planning System (MIPS). MIPS will provide the Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander a tool to allocate resources and assess risks in a timely manner to mitigate the threat. The MIPS capability optimizes the use of force at the operational level, through warfighter knowledge and judgment, by providing a tool to rapidly and effectively solve complex air defense asset allocation issues. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Va., (90 percent) and Fairfax, Va., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,789,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-5215).

AIR FORCE

The Boeing Co., of St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a modified firm fixed price contract for $8,183,281. This tail cone assembly is applicable to the KC-135 aircraft. It is comprised of the rear most structural component of the air refueling boom. It provides support for the fuel dump mechanism and several lights. It is primarily a single shell type construction technique that supports the structural load using the external skin of the aircraft, a quantity of 85 units. At this time no funds have been obligated. 448 SCMG/PKBF, Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8103-05-G-0002-0124).

America Supports You: Organizations Join to Help Veterans, Families

American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - AMVETS, one of the nation's leading veterans service organizations, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness signed a memorandum of understanding last week at the alliance's Virginia headquarters in Arlington. The memorandum allows AMVETS and NAMI to share resources to assist veterans and their families in identifying and coping with mental illness. Together, the two organizations have more than 2,500 locations where veterans and their families can go to learn more about readjustment issues and mental illness.

"When troops come home from war, they just want to go home. They often don't want to admit that they're having issues readjusting," said John P. Brown III, AMVETS national commander. "By partnering with NAMI, AMVETS will help teach families about some of the warning signs of mental illness and show them where to get help for their loved ones."

A recent report by the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, found that nearly 300,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 320,000 potentially suffer from traumatic brain injuries, according to the report.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged some of these veterans aren't within commuting distance of VA health care facilities, which creates gaps in available care. While VA takes steps to bridge these gaps, AMVETS and NAMI are taking steps of their own to provide assistance.

The NAMI partnership, which developed out of AMVETS' "National Symposium on the Needs of Young Veterans," will help families of deployed servicemembers to identify warning signs of potential mental health problems once their loved ones return from combat.

AMVETS is uniquely poised to offer assistance to servicemembers and their families through a 2005 memorandum of understanding with the National Guard Bureau, which allows AMVETS posts and departments to work directly with National Guard units across the country.

To date, AMVETS has provided thousands of man-hours in support of the National Guard. The new partnership with NAMI will augment the kind of support that AMVETS offers to recently returned veterans facing a potentially difficult transition.

AMVETS also will work with NAMI to dispel the negative stigma surrounding post-combat mental health issues, something the Rand study suggests keeps many veterans from seeking treatment. However, AMVETS is looking to teach that the human reaction to combat experience is natural and can be addressed through proper mental health channels.

AMVETS is a supporter of America Support You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Air Guard Rescue Unit Certifies in Firefighting Technique

By Air Force Capt. Alyson M. Teeter
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - Crews from the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing are now certified to perform water bucket operations, making the 129th the only rescue unit in the Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires. The certification coincides with an early start to the fire season in northern California, which is where the 129th RQW is based.

The aircrews and their Pave Hawk helicopters have been on temporary duty here in support of Operation Lightning Strike, the California National Guard's firefighting support mission. While the equipment modifications and required training were being accomplished, the unit has maintained a continuous alert posture for search-and-rescue and high-risk medical-evacuation missions.

The 129th Rescue Wing is the lead wing for HH-60G Pave Hawk water bucket certification efforts, Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group director, said. The training, equipment modifications and certification process lay the groundwork for other combat search-and-rescue wings to obtain water bucket certification.

"Joint firefighting operations are analogous to the joint combat search-and-rescue operating environment our crews will experience in combat environments," Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel Lapostole, 129th Rescue Squadron commander, said. "The training value is unmatched."

The training the aircrews received is in accordance with the California Interagency Military Helicopter Firefighting Program and was provided by certified California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection instructors.

The Air National Guardsmen and their aircraft now are certified to use the 660-gallon water bucket. The bucket is rigged for use with the helicopter's cargo hook, and water is released by a contact switch.

Once the crew receives orders to perform fire duty, maintainers must remove the internal auxiliary tank, install a radio and release switches, and then paint the aircraft with required markings. The water bucket is attached once the helicopter arrives for a firefighting mission. Simultaneously, the crews maintain airborne search-and-rescue alert.

The HH-60Gs also have an aerial-refueling capability that allows airmen to perform long rescue and firefighting-support missions. The aerial refueling is accomplished by the 129th RQW's MC-130P Combat Shadow tankers.

"Airmen from the 129th are motivated and ready to assist their neighbors in fighting the fires here in California," said Air Force Col. Amos Bagdasarian, 129th Rescue Wing commander. "Our search-and-rescue mission, coupled with the fire bucket certification, adds to the state's broad range of fire fighting capabilities."

(Air Force Capt. Alyson M. Teeter serves with 129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs.)

Mullen Kicks Off USO Tour, Troop Visit in Middle East

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - The top U.S. military officer traveled to Kuwait and Iraq today for the first stops of a seven-day, summer troop visit and United Service Organizations tour. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a USO party of National Football League and television celebrities kicked off their trip showing their support and offering admiration to troops at an air base in Kuwait.

"We're certainly honored to be here today," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "On behalf of everyone in our party, it's a privilege to be here with our troops to demonstrate the appreciation and support we have for them."

The base theater was lined from front to back with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines getting autographs and taking photographs with the celebrities.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Taylor was particularly excited when he found out the USO tour was going to be visiting his base. The aircraft mechanic has been working 12-hour shifts every day for the past couple of months and was looking forward to something to break the usual routine, he said.

"Everything's the same here," Taylor said. "You work a 12-hour shift, and nothing's really different from one day to the next, so we really appreciate the USO tour coming out."

Taylor, an avid football fan, said he was mostly eager to meet Goodell. "He's the commissioner of the NFL, and you know he's an extremely busy guy," he said. "The fact that [he] and the celebrities came out just to spend a little time with us and sign a few autographs really does means a lot."

Along with Mullen and Goodell, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders Christina Parker and Deryn Derbigny and television's "Heroes" actor Milo Ventimiglia are on the trip.

"Special people have taken time out of their summer to come over and visit with our troops, and it means a lot," Mullen said. "USOs are great assets. They make a big difference in trying to create smiles by spending a little time here and bringing a little home into theater. It makes a big difference in a lot of peoples' lives.

Brees has visited troops in Japan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on USO trips over the past few years and said he always looks forward to the next opportunity to visit troops.

"I'm a huge fan of the military, and I believe our troops deserve a lot more credit than what they get," he said. "Not only are they fighting to restore our freedom, but they're also helping to gain freedom for people who've never really had it."

Brees said he also enjoys experiencing the culture and circumstance of each region, because it gives him a better understanding of what the troops endure.

"Just the opportunity to go to these places and endure the conditions and get a feel for what these men and women are going through is amazing," he said. "Just trying to understand what these guys are going through on a daily basis gives you such a greater appreciation for troops."

From Kuwait, Mullen and the USO team traveled to Baghdad to begin the Iraq leg of the tour.

Guard Forces Go to Ground in State's Fire Fight

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

July 7, 2008 - The first group of 200 California National Guard members called out by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for direct ground support on the fire line July 1 have competed their classroom training and are ready to deploy for hands-on training tomorrow, National Guard officials here said today. Answering two call-ups by Schwarzenegger for additional wildfire assistance on the ground last week, 400 California National Guard members joined or were preparing to join the more than 20,000 civilian ground-based firefighters and support personnel today engaged in extinguishing 330 active fires charring the state.

Officials said that the addition of Guard members at the fire lines will help relieve "overburdened and exhausted" firefighters on the ground. It's the first time California Guard members have formally deployed for the governor to a fire line in nearly three decades.

"I have ordered additional California National Guard soldiers to provide direct ground support to our firefighters in their efforts," Schwarzenegger said. "These additional soldiers will bring much-needed assistance to the efforts of the firefighters who continue to tirelessly battle the blazes across California."

Nearly 1,000 National Guard members are supporting numerous firefighting operations in California. Since June 21, at least 32 Guard fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft and aircrews from more than half a dozen states repeatedly have joined state and federal agencies battling wild land blazes from the state's smoke-filled skies.

The Guard's aerial missions have dropped more than 1.7 million gallons of water and fire retardant in and around the state's wild land fires.

Most recently, aircrews from the California Guard's 129th Rescue Wing joined the air battle as the state's first combat search and rescue wing to qualify and carry 660-gallon buckets of water to the wild fires.

The recent introduction of National Guard ground forces into the fire fight includes 200 soldiers who trained at the state's Wild Land Fire Training Center at the former McClellan Air Force Base.

"The California National Guard is actively engaged in responding to the wildfires in Northern California by providing assistance to local authorities and to the citizens of the affected communities," Army Maj. Gen. William Wade, California adjutant general, said. "We continue to do this through air assets and personnel and equipment on the ground. The California Guard is proud of its ability to respond rapidly to those citizens affected by this horrible disaster."

Officials said the soldiers were trained by the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention personnel in fire behavior, fire safety and how to create fire containment lines using hand tools. The soldiers will be issued equipment tomorrow and conduct hands-on fire training today at a "cold-line" section where wild fires have previously burned. A majority of the soldiers are from the 100th Troop Command and the 115th Regional Support Group.

"It will be tough work, tedious and dangerous," said retired Army Col. Terry Knight, director of community relations for the California Guard. "They are getting hot and heavy as we speak."

Knight said a primary function for the two teams will be to construct fire lines, by hand, in places heavy equipment cannot reach. Still, other Guard officials said, the Guard members also will provide follow-up support and may possibly end up fighting active wild fires.

Officials said an additional 200 California Guard soldiers, called out by the governor July 4, are the next group to train at McClellan for ground firefighting support.

Other California Guard forces on the ground are providing truck transportation and command and control personnel for civilian responders. Eight California Guard bulldozers and operators are also cutting fire lines in their efforts to contain the blazes.

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

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 7, 2008

ARMY

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $56,857,635 firm-fixed price contract for an assortment of automotive parts, including wheels, axles, air conditioners, engines, compressors, generators, and transmissions. Work will be performed primarily in Springfield, Ohio, with limited production in various cities across the nation, and is expected to be completed by May 4, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 2, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0494).

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $21,420,480 firm-fixed price contract for wheels and pneumatic tires. Work will be performed in Trenton, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 25, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-C-0520).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fairfax, Va., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, an $18,370,444 firm-fixed price contract for support to the National Geospatial-Intelligence agency's human development directorate by providing employees with mission-essential technical skill training, systems training and leadership and intelligence professional education. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Va., Bethesda, Md., and St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Ten bids were solicited on Nov. 1, 2005, and one bid was received. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, Md., is the contracting activity (HM1576-06-C-0007).

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Charlotte, N.C., was awarded on Jul. 2, 2008, a $15,678,590 fixed-price incentive fee contract for full production of the Joint Service Lightweight Standoff Chemical Agent Detector increment one systems and spares. Work will be performed in Charlotte, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on May 24, 2007. U.S. ARMY Research and Development Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W911SR-08-D-0022).

ECI Construction, LLC, Dillsburg, Pa., was awarded on Jul. 3, 2008, a $5,636,800 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of a physical fitness facility. Work will be performed at the Defense Distribution Depot, New Cumberland, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Twenty-six bids were solicited on Apr. 29, 2008, and seven bids were received. U.S. ARMY Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-08-C-0034).

NAVY

CSC Applied Technologies, LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $12,774,553 modification to previously awarded contract (N66604-05-C-1277) for reimbursable food services and material purchases to support increased operations at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). AUTEC is a major range and test facility base providing both deep and shallow water test and training environments. Efforts for this modification support increased test range operations with the procurement of equipment, food services, consumables and other items needed to support this effort. This modification is a retroactive equitable adjustment to the contract. Work was performed at Andros Island, The Bahamas (81 percent); West Palm Beach, Fla., (18 percent); and Cape Canaveral, Fla., (1 percent), and the work was completed in Mar. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity.

Compass Systems, Inc.*, Lexington Park, Md., is being awarded a $10,065,612 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide engineering aide for the design, manufacture and sustainment of avionic systems for the NAVY Special Projects Program. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Md., and is expected to be completed in Jul. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-C-0319).

Earl Industries, Portsmouth, Va., is being awarded a $9,117,440 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4403) for FY08 CNO availability for maintenance, repair, and alterations of USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43). The modification increases the total contract value to $189,966,878. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Va., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2008. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

The AIR FORCE is modifying a fixed price economic price adjustment contract not to exceed $17.4 million with Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, of Marietta, Ga. This contract modification is an Undefinitized Contract Action for CCP 553 for Readiness Spares Package for the C-5M Reliability Enhancements and Re-engining Program (RERP). At this time $8.7 million has been obligated. 716 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-07-C-6471, P00005).

Workshop Prepares Transitioning Troops for Civilian Careers

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - About 60 servicemembers gathered here today to begin five days of seminars and workshops to help them tap into experience and skills gained through the military as they transition to civilian careers. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, some wrapping up their initial tour of duty, others retiring with more than 20 years of service, gathered for the post's monthly Transition Assistance Program workshop that some consider among the best in the military.

Operated as a partnership by the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Transportation and the Labor Department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, the Transition Assistance Program brings job-search help and related services to separating servicemembers.

The TAPS workshop is the highlight of the program, taking servicemembers away from their work sites for an intensive, five-day focus on the transition they are about to make.

Pamela Schulman, transition manager for the post's Navy Fleet and Family Support Center, brought together an array of speakers this week to share insights about how to look for and land for a job, launch a small business and tap into veterans' benefits and services.

Schulman, a former sailor, understands firsthand the challenges of leaving the military culture to become a civilian. "It can be a difficult mindset to change, whether they've been in the military for three years or for 30," she said. "When they leave the military, they're becoming a whole new person."

Schulman and the speakers she brings in to address the group teach servicemembers how to tap into the experience and other attributes they've gained through military service that make them particularly attractive job candidates.

"They have real-world experience, and they bring a level of maturity, along with good communications skills," said Robert Henry, a retired Navy petty officer 1st class who spoke to the group about the Troops to Teachers Program.

"But beyond that, troops bring a sense of commitment to mission accomplishment," Henry said. "For them, failure is not an option. There's a kind of mentality they bring to the job that means they will do whatever they need to do to get something done and to do it right."

Kathy Lane, a placement coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security, said servicemembers often underestimate the skills they've gained in the military that translate into sought-after civilian skills.

She gave the example of a foot soldier who knows how to analyze a situation, conduct a security analysis, come up with a solution to mitigate risks, then evaluate how that approach worked.

In addition, servicemembers often overlook the value of cultural backgrounds they've been exposed to and language skills they've picked up along the way as they present themselves to potential employers, Lane said. "You have to be sure your resume reflects all your skills," she told the group. "It's all about selling yourself, and this is the perfect opportunity."

Schulman urged the workshop participants to take advantage of opportunities to promote themselves and their skills to potential employers. It's something she conceded doesn't always come naturally to servicemembers, so she encouraged each to come up with what she calls a "30-second commercial."

"It's basically an 'elevator speech' so you can talk to anybody and everybody about what you are doing, what skills you have and what you are interested in doing," she said. "It's what you say when you are looking for a job -- how you 'sell' yourself."

Schulman said she is a huge advocate of networking, and encouraged the group to tap into their personal and professional contacts during their job search. "Networking is when you talk to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody else," she said. "It extends your reach through the people you know."

June Napier, a recruiter for Emerging Technologies, emphasized the importance of a professionally written, well-organized resume that shows increasing levels of responsibility and continued educational growth. When she sorts through piles of resumes to determine who will get an interview, Napier said, she looks for one basic thing: "I want to know without talking to you what made you irreplaceable [in your job]," she said.

While getting an interview is critical, employers at the workshop emphasized that job candidates have to arrive at the interview well prepared, dressed professionally and ready to talk about what they have to offer. "The interview is an opportunity for you to shine," Rich Goble, a retired Navy master chief petty officer who's now a recruiter for L-3 Communications, told the group.

Later this week, participants in the TAP workshop will devote two and a half days to developing job-search techniques. An image consultant will teach them to "dress for success," and they'll also learn about other benefits provided for transitioning servicemembers.

Air Force Senior Airman John Kennedy said he's impressed with the wealth of information the workshop provides and hopes it helps him when he goes on terminal leave in November. "There's a lot here," he said. "You learn to write resumes, dress for the job, and find out what kind of benefits you're entitled to when you get out. It's a lot of information."

"This workshop is priceless," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rich Rice, who is preparing to leave the Navy in November after more than nine years of service. "It's all the questions you've been thinking of, all bundled up in one week."

"It's absolutely valuable," agreed Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Latosha Gibbs, a cryptologic technician at the National Security Agency here, who will leave the Navy in early October. "This tells you about all kinds of resources out there, and you get to hear it directly from the experts."

Marine Sgt. Ian Johnson, an intelligence noncommissioned officer at the National Security Agency, called the workshop a unique opportunity for him to focus on what's ahead for him after he leaves the military next month.

Johnson said he's changed dramatically during five years in the Marine Corps, and knows he has attributes employers want.

"I'm steps and bounds ahead of where I'd have been if I'd just gone straight to college," he said. "I feel like I'm well-rounded and I have skills that make me pretty marketable out there. Employers look at you and figure you have discipline, counseling skills and organizational skills. I love that."