Navy
American Systems, Chantilly, Va.; Square D, Palatine, Ill.; and Weston Solutions, San Antonio, Texas, are each being awarded a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract in support of the Advance Metering Infrastructure Program at U.S. Navy and Marine Corps installations worldwide. The work to be performed provides for services for the design, procurement, installation, testing, and sustainment of building level advanced metering solutions in support of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for Navy and Marine Corps requirements on a worldwide basis. This will allow the Navy and Marine Corps to cost-effectively allocate and manage electricity, natural gas, steam, and water commodities. The maximum dollar value for all three contracts is $250,000,000. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations worldwide, and work is expected to be Sept. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. These three contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisitions, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62583-08-D-0136/0137/0138).
Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded an $8,162,000 firm-fixed-priced order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-08-G-0016) for services in support of the FY 2008 ARC-210 Radio hardware design changes to evolve the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite communication waveform capability in the next generation tactical networking radio, RT-1939(C) radio system. Tasking includes program management, system engineering, hardware development, and data deliverables. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in Aug. 2009. 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.
Square D Co., Palatine, Ill., is being awarded $6,000,000 for firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62473-07-D-4012) for the repair/overhaul of Mobile Utility Support Equipment (MUSE) substations and generators from Rota, Spain in support of the Global War on Terror. The work to be performed provides for the repair and overhaul of MUSE transportable substations. Completed work shall provide a professional appearance, reliable operation at rated capacity, structural integrity, and corrosion control. Work will be performed in Cerritos and Bakersfield, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisitions, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Correction: L-3 Services, Inc., Marlton, N.J., contract (N68936-08-D-0027) awarded Aug. 29, 2008, should have stated the work percentage in Camarillo, Calif., as 61% not 67%.
Air Force
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $21,490,004. This action will provide Program Executive Office (PEO) Ammunition and Joint Munitions and Lethality Office Cycle Management Command with strategic planning, studies, and analysis. At this time $596,666 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380, Delivery Order: 0274).
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $7,632,519. The action will provide Electronic Weapons (EW) analysis and support of Air Force systems. At this time $386,473 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380, Delivery Order: 0273).
The Air Force is modifying a firm fixed price contract with Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., of Hurst, Texas, for an estimated $7,605,799. The contractor shall provide 64 each TH-1H/Huey-II tailboom structural assembly, part number 212-030-100-245 and associated non-recurring engineering as part of the Tailboom Assembly Modification Program. At this time all funds have been obligated. 580th ACSG/GFKAB, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8509-08-C-0017-P00001).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Sysco FoodServices of Hampton Roads, Inc., Suffolk, Va. is being awarded a maximum $15,875,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract for total food and beverage support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. This contract is exercising the third option year. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with 2 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is September 4, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3146).
Army
Vetco, Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008, a $ 15,045,820 firm/fixed price contract for construction of the 300-member Army Reserve Center, consisting of a training building, an organizational maintenance shop, and an unheated storage building at Fort Drum, N.Y. Work will be performed in Fort Drum, N. Y., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2010. Bids were solicited via Internet and two bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (912QR-08-C-0031).
General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on
Aug. 29, 2008, a $9,342,000 cost/plus/fixed fee contract for System Technical support (STS) for the Abrams Tank program to include field service representatives to the Australian Tank program. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM-Warren, AMSTA-AQ-AHLC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0046).
AM General, LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008, a $533,553,384 firm/fixed price contract for EA High Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vechile (HMMWV). Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM-Warren, AMSTA-AQ-AHLC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001).
General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on
Aug. 29, 2008, a $5,900,000 cost/plus/fixed fee contract for System Technical support (STS) for the Abrams Tank program to include field service representative to support Leave Behind Equipment (LBE) at Fort Carson, Colo. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM-Warren, AMSTA-AQ-AHLC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0046).
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008, a $6,211,115 firm/fixed price contract for maintenance dredging of the Arthur Kill Reach of the N.Y. & N.J. channels and Raritan River N.J. Work will be performed in N.Y. & N.J., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 17, 2008. Twenty three bids were solicited and three bids were received. Corp of Engineers, N.Y. City, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-07-C-0017).
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on
Sept. 1, 2008, a $16,975,000 firm/fixed price contract. This procurement is for non-recurring engineering, integration and qualification of modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot's night vision sensor selected obsolescence replacement components. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army Aviation and Missile Command, AMSAM-AC-AP-B, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-06-C-0169).
W.M. Jordan Co., Inc, Newport News, Va., was awarded on Sept. 2, 2008, a $35,104,000 firm /fixed price contract. Construct a 600- person Air Force/Navy dormitory at Fort Lee, Va. The project includes design and complete construction with a furniture option. Work will be performed in Fort Lee, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 30, 2010. One hundred and thirteen bids were solicited and nine bids were received. US Army Engineer District, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-C-0062).
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Chairman Expresses Confidence U.S., Iraq Will Agree on Troop Status
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed confidence yesterday that Washington and Baghdad will reach an agreement before the year's end on the future role of U.S. forces in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also discussed his outlook on past and present U.S. humanitarian relief missions in a Pentagon Channel podcast interview.
Mullen praised the bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and Iraq, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a one-day visit last month to discuss the status of forces agreement with Iraqi counterparts.
"There's actually great debate about this right now, and I think that's pretty healthy," Mullen said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has expressed the desire for Iraqi sovereignty and independence, which the United States encourages, Mullen said.
"That's one of the things that we've encouraged as his burgeoning democracy comes forward," he said.
The deadline for a United Nations mandate allowing the U.S. and Iraq to negotiate a status of forces deal is Dec. 31, after which American forces may not legally remain in Iraq without an agreement in place.
"We really need to make sure that that agreement is in place," Mullen said. "And from my view -- while certainly it's not done, because people are still working it -- it's all headed in the right direction."
Meanwhile, coalition forces handed over provincial control of Anbar province to Iraqis this week, a development that Mullen said indicates continued security improvement.
"Two years ago, not many of us would have thought that possible," he said, referring to the handover of what formerly was one of the most violent regions of Iraq. "I'm hopeful we can move forward and continue to reduce our force levels there."
On humanitarian relief, Mullen said the U.S. military's flexibility enables it to intervene swiftly in the wake of natural or other disasters.
"It says a lot about what our capability is, what our flexibility is, and also our presence, our engagement around the world, because we've been able to respond very quickly, typically by air and by sea," he said.
The chairman added that the average servicemember engaged in a relief effort later describes it as a source of pride.
"Typically, they tell you that they've never been prouder of carrying out a mission than when they were able to carry out this kind of humanitarian mission and disaster relief," he said.
Mullen cited the U.S. relief roles following earthquakes in China and Pakistan, and a humanitarian mission after a cyclone hit Burma and a tsunami struck Indonesia.
"It's the kind of engagement and support that has an impact not just in the disaster, but has an impact on the long-term relationships," he said, citing the United States' ongoing mission in Georgia as an example.
"I think it says a lot about the United States military," Mullen said, "and a lot about the United States of America: that we care, that we are engaged in a way that has a positive impact on lives."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed confidence yesterday that Washington and Baghdad will reach an agreement before the year's end on the future role of U.S. forces in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also discussed his outlook on past and present U.S. humanitarian relief missions in a Pentagon Channel podcast interview.
Mullen praised the bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and Iraq, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a one-day visit last month to discuss the status of forces agreement with Iraqi counterparts.
"There's actually great debate about this right now, and I think that's pretty healthy," Mullen said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has expressed the desire for Iraqi sovereignty and independence, which the United States encourages, Mullen said.
"That's one of the things that we've encouraged as his burgeoning democracy comes forward," he said.
The deadline for a United Nations mandate allowing the U.S. and Iraq to negotiate a status of forces deal is Dec. 31, after which American forces may not legally remain in Iraq without an agreement in place.
"We really need to make sure that that agreement is in place," Mullen said. "And from my view -- while certainly it's not done, because people are still working it -- it's all headed in the right direction."
Meanwhile, coalition forces handed over provincial control of Anbar province to Iraqis this week, a development that Mullen said indicates continued security improvement.
"Two years ago, not many of us would have thought that possible," he said, referring to the handover of what formerly was one of the most violent regions of Iraq. "I'm hopeful we can move forward and continue to reduce our force levels there."
On humanitarian relief, Mullen said the U.S. military's flexibility enables it to intervene swiftly in the wake of natural or other disasters.
"It says a lot about what our capability is, what our flexibility is, and also our presence, our engagement around the world, because we've been able to respond very quickly, typically by air and by sea," he said.
The chairman added that the average servicemember engaged in a relief effort later describes it as a source of pride.
"Typically, they tell you that they've never been prouder of carrying out a mission than when they were able to carry out this kind of humanitarian mission and disaster relief," he said.
Mullen cited the U.S. relief roles following earthquakes in China and Pakistan, and a humanitarian mission after a cyclone hit Burma and a tsunami struck Indonesia.
"It's the kind of engagement and support that has an impact not just in the disaster, but has an impact on the long-term relationships," he said, citing the United States' ongoing mission in Georgia as an example.
"I think it says a lot about the United States military," Mullen said, "and a lot about the United States of America: that we care, that we are engaged in a way that has a positive impact on lives."
Chrysler Earns Top Employer-Support Award
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - Defense officials have chosen Chrysler to receive the department's top employer-support award for providing exceptional financial and emotional support to its employees who deploy as National Guard or reserve members. Chrysler will receive the Freedom Award along with 14 other companies in a ceremony Sept. 18 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.
The automaker provides pay differential and full benefits for up to 48 months of military service for all its Guard and reserve employees.
"The fact that Chrysler made up my pay was a huge help, because I don't think I could've made it financially without them," said Navy Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Theresa Jones, a Chrysler employee who has spent two years away from work fulfilling reserve duties.
In addition to providing pay and benefits, the Chrysler Veterans Committee regularly collects items and sends comfort packages to deployed employees and other servicemembers.
"It was so nice to receive care packages from my colleagues at Chrysler while I was serving in Iraq," Jones said in a news release. "They even sent me a microwave so we could pop our own popcorn!"
Robert Nardelli, Chrysler's chairman and chief executive officer, signed a military support agreement in May that pledged the company's commitment to supporting employees who are called into military service.
"I just want to thank all the men and women who give of themselves, who are apart from their families, who are enduring tremendous hardship to maintain the freedom, the democracy on which this country was founded," Nardelli said at the May 5 signing of the ESGR 5-Star military Support Agreement.
Meanwhile, Chrysler is sponsoring an ongoing program called "Freedom Calls" to allow families of deployed troops to participate in a video-teleconference with their loved ones in Iraq.
The Freedom Award recognizes U.S. employers that rise above the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
As shown by testimony from Air Force Tech Sgt. Robert Langlois, who has spent an average of 100 days a year on security-force tours in Germany, his national service likely wouldn't have been possible without Chrysler's exceptional support.
"If not for the incredible support of Chrysler, both financially and emotionally, I don't think I could've stayed in uniform serving this country," he said in a statement. "I'm so very thankful to them."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - Defense officials have chosen Chrysler to receive the department's top employer-support award for providing exceptional financial and emotional support to its employees who deploy as National Guard or reserve members. Chrysler will receive the Freedom Award along with 14 other companies in a ceremony Sept. 18 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.
The automaker provides pay differential and full benefits for up to 48 months of military service for all its Guard and reserve employees.
"The fact that Chrysler made up my pay was a huge help, because I don't think I could've made it financially without them," said Navy Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Theresa Jones, a Chrysler employee who has spent two years away from work fulfilling reserve duties.
In addition to providing pay and benefits, the Chrysler Veterans Committee regularly collects items and sends comfort packages to deployed employees and other servicemembers.
"It was so nice to receive care packages from my colleagues at Chrysler while I was serving in Iraq," Jones said in a news release. "They even sent me a microwave so we could pop our own popcorn!"
Robert Nardelli, Chrysler's chairman and chief executive officer, signed a military support agreement in May that pledged the company's commitment to supporting employees who are called into military service.
"I just want to thank all the men and women who give of themselves, who are apart from their families, who are enduring tremendous hardship to maintain the freedom, the democracy on which this country was founded," Nardelli said at the May 5 signing of the ESGR 5-Star military Support Agreement.
Meanwhile, Chrysler is sponsoring an ongoing program called "Freedom Calls" to allow families of deployed troops to participate in a video-teleconference with their loved ones in Iraq.
The Freedom Award recognizes U.S. employers that rise above the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
As shown by testimony from Air Force Tech Sgt. Robert Langlois, who has spent an average of 100 days a year on security-force tours in Germany, his national service likely wouldn't have been possible without Chrysler's exceptional support.
"If not for the incredible support of Chrysler, both financially and emotionally, I don't think I could've stayed in uniform serving this country," he said in a statement. "I'm so very thankful to them."
USAA Aligns the Stars to Salute the Troops on ABC, Sunday, September 7 9/8c
September 3, 2008 -- A diverse cross-section of America’s most popular performers and entertainers – including Toby Keith, Janet Jackson, ZZ Top, Jessica Simpson, Snoop Dogg and others – are coming together on the same stage for one night only at an all-star salute to the nation’s military men and women.
America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt 'thank you' to the men and women of the U.S. military
USAA, a diversified financial services firm, is honored to present America United In Support of Our Troops, airing on ABC Sunday, September 7, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central.
Other performers and celebrities slated to appear include country musician Clint Black, comedians Carlos Mencia and Kathy Griffin, and many more. Filmed in front of audiences in Iraq, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Fort Campbell, Ky., the show features popular music, celebrity cameos, tributes to the troops, and heart-warming stories.
“America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the U.S. military,” said USAA President and CEO Joe Robles. “USAA has proudly served our nation’s military families for 86 years, and it is our honor to sponsor this tribute. We hope Americans will tune in this Sunday, support our troops and enjoy this terrific show.”
The show will be re-broadcast Monday, Sept. 8 for military members serving overseas and on ships at sea through the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
The only full-service insurance, banking and investment company dedicated to serving the military, USAA has many employees who have served in the military or have a direct connection to those in uniform.
For more information regarding the show and how to thank the troops, visit www.usaa.com/salute.
About USAA
USAA, a diversified financial services group of companies, is the leading provider of financial planning, insurance, investments, and banking products to members of the U.S. military and their families. Named by BusinessWeek as No. 1 Customer Service Champ in 2007 and 2008, USAA provides highly competitive financial products to its 6.4 million members. For more information about USAA, or to learn more about membership, visit www.usaa.com.
America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt 'thank you' to the men and women of the U.S. military
USAA, a diversified financial services firm, is honored to present America United In Support of Our Troops, airing on ABC Sunday, September 7, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central.
Other performers and celebrities slated to appear include country musician Clint Black, comedians Carlos Mencia and Kathy Griffin, and many more. Filmed in front of audiences in Iraq, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Fort Campbell, Ky., the show features popular music, celebrity cameos, tributes to the troops, and heart-warming stories.
“America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the U.S. military,” said USAA President and CEO Joe Robles. “USAA has proudly served our nation’s military families for 86 years, and it is our honor to sponsor this tribute. We hope Americans will tune in this Sunday, support our troops and enjoy this terrific show.”
The show will be re-broadcast Monday, Sept. 8 for military members serving overseas and on ships at sea through the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
The only full-service insurance, banking and investment company dedicated to serving the military, USAA has many employees who have served in the military or have a direct connection to those in uniform.
For more information regarding the show and how to thank the troops, visit www.usaa.com/salute.
About USAA
USAA, a diversified financial services group of companies, is the leading provider of financial planning, insurance, investments, and banking products to members of the U.S. military and their families. Named by BusinessWeek as No. 1 Customer Service Champ in 2007 and 2008, USAA provides highly competitive financial products to its 6.4 million members. For more information about USAA, or to learn more about membership, visit www.usaa.com.
Louisiana Guard Reacts to Damage, Assesses Needs
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - In response to flooding yesterday in West Monroe, La., the Louisiana National Guard delivered 58,000 sandbags throughout the night, with 50,000 more expected to be delivered today. More than 20 engineer work teams are moving throughout the state to support efforts to assess what needs to be done in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav's Sept. 1 landfall.
National Guard personnel are deploying to assist with secondary road and tree clearing, debris and trash removal, water and food distribution, evacuee return efforts, generator and power support, transportation and search and rescue.
Security at shelters and hospitals continues to be a priority, as well as hourly patrols to ensure the security of property as residents begin returning to their homes. Soldiers also are helping local police with curfew enforcement to curtail looting and preventing accidents in areas where traffic lights are still out.
"These highly trained and professional citizen-soldiers are willing and prepared to defend themselves and protect the lives of other Louisiana residents," said Army Capt. Taysha Deaton Gibbes, deputy public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard. "National Guardsmen are working closely with local policemen to provide security, supply and water distribution, transportation, and other assistance as locations and requirements are determined."
The Louisiana National Guard's 62nd Civil Support Team based at the Gillis W. Long Center in Carville, La., is in Terrebonne Parish today conducting environmental assessments and identifying potential hazards that may have been caused by wind and rain from Hurricane Gustav. The 19-member team is working with the parish's Emergency Operations Center, helping to provide them with communications, and assisting in damage assessment.
"We will stay here in Terrebonne until our mission is complete and all environmental concerns have been addressed," Army 2nd Lt. Jacob L. Witte, team leader, said.
Several Civil support teams have been brought into the state through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual-support agreement among states. The 7th Civil Support Team has brought 17 members from Missouri to Rapides Parish, and the 45th Civil Support Team from Tennessee is in Lafourche Parish with its 22-member crew.
(From a Louisiana National Guard news release.)
Sept. 3, 2008 - In response to flooding yesterday in West Monroe, La., the Louisiana National Guard delivered 58,000 sandbags throughout the night, with 50,000 more expected to be delivered today. More than 20 engineer work teams are moving throughout the state to support efforts to assess what needs to be done in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav's Sept. 1 landfall.
National Guard personnel are deploying to assist with secondary road and tree clearing, debris and trash removal, water and food distribution, evacuee return efforts, generator and power support, transportation and search and rescue.
Security at shelters and hospitals continues to be a priority, as well as hourly patrols to ensure the security of property as residents begin returning to their homes. Soldiers also are helping local police with curfew enforcement to curtail looting and preventing accidents in areas where traffic lights are still out.
"These highly trained and professional citizen-soldiers are willing and prepared to defend themselves and protect the lives of other Louisiana residents," said Army Capt. Taysha Deaton Gibbes, deputy public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard. "National Guardsmen are working closely with local policemen to provide security, supply and water distribution, transportation, and other assistance as locations and requirements are determined."
The Louisiana National Guard's 62nd Civil Support Team based at the Gillis W. Long Center in Carville, La., is in Terrebonne Parish today conducting environmental assessments and identifying potential hazards that may have been caused by wind and rain from Hurricane Gustav. The 19-member team is working with the parish's Emergency Operations Center, helping to provide them with communications, and assisting in damage assessment.
"We will stay here in Terrebonne until our mission is complete and all environmental concerns have been addressed," Army 2nd Lt. Jacob L. Witte, team leader, said.
Several Civil support teams have been brought into the state through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual-support agreement among states. The 7th Civil Support Team has brought 17 members from Missouri to Rapides Parish, and the 45th Civil Support Team from Tennessee is in Lafourche Parish with its 22-member crew.
(From a Louisiana National Guard news release.)
America Supports You: Online Radio Show Gives Voice to Military Community
By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The host of a radio program available worldwide on the Internet gives servicemembers a chance to tell their stories. "This is one way that I can serve the military," Dave Whitten, host of "Voice of the Troops," a weekly hour-long show on Phoenix station KFNX and carried on the station's Web site, said in an "ASY Live" BlogTalkRadio interview.
"ASY Live" is part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects American citizens and companies with servicemembers at home and abroad.
"I grew up in a very military household," Whitten said. "I always kick myself for not serving."
The idea started for Whitten a year and a half ago, he said, after listening to the radio and television and sensing a need to bring to light the voice of the individual servicemember.
"You hear all the bad stuff that goes on," he said. "Let's face it, war is not pretty. ... But you never [get] to hear the good stories about the good things that our troops [are] doing."
on the program airs Sundays at 7 p.m. PST and is available on the Web at www.1100kfnx.com.
"I give them an hour every week to talk about whatever they want without cutting them up into sound bites," Whitten said. Topics range from post-traumatic stress disorder to military history.
"On one of our most memorable shows, we had two of the remaining five Navajo code talkers talking about how they saved countless numbers of Marine lives in the Pacific Theater," he said. "What was really interesting was that many of these guys were in their mid-80s, and you never know, this might be the last time we capture this. I was told by another Marine, "You guys have captured a part of history."
It's important, especially with current conflicts, to talk to those who are directly affected, Whitten said.
"Kimberly Dozier was a CBS News reporter that we had on our show recently to talk about her experience," he said. "Kimberly and her video crew were involved in an [improvised explosive device] explosion over in Iraq and almost lost her life. [As a] matter of a fact, her photographer and sound person did lose their lives, and she knows first-hand the type of quality care that military survivors received. We got her on the show to talk about how the military doctors got her back to normal."
The show also discusses recent topics of interest and the important ramifications of new military policy.
"Recently, we had a show with two colonels, Kevin and Kate Voight, who talked about their experience serving as intel officers based in Baghdad, Iraq," he said. "Now that Army rules have changed, they can actually serve in a combat area together and have their own housing. It's a way to attract qualified people, because they can have the 15 months of actually functioning as a husband and wife."
Voice of the Troops also brings to light plans for future development of new capabilities. For example, he said, he has lined up Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, commander of the Air Force's provisional Cyberspace Command, as a guest for an upcoming program to talk about the importance of defending the nation's computer systems from adversaries.
Whitten said he appreciates that programs like America Supports You work to get the message out to servicemembers about programs like his.
"We are proud to work with programs like America Supports You, [which] has done a phenomenal job in garnering the support of people throughout the nation," Whitten said. "We need to help [the public] understand that there is a need out there. We still have men and women in a combat zone, and my hat's off to ASY for what they do."
(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The host of a radio program available worldwide on the Internet gives servicemembers a chance to tell their stories. "This is one way that I can serve the military," Dave Whitten, host of "Voice of the Troops," a weekly hour-long show on Phoenix station KFNX and carried on the station's Web site, said in an "ASY Live" BlogTalkRadio interview.
"ASY Live" is part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects American citizens and companies with servicemembers at home and abroad.
"I grew up in a very military household," Whitten said. "I always kick myself for not serving."
The idea started for Whitten a year and a half ago, he said, after listening to the radio and television and sensing a need to bring to light the voice of the individual servicemember.
"You hear all the bad stuff that goes on," he said. "Let's face it, war is not pretty. ... But you never [get] to hear the good stories about the good things that our troops [are] doing."
on the program airs Sundays at 7 p.m. PST and is available on the Web at www.1100kfnx.com.
"I give them an hour every week to talk about whatever they want without cutting them up into sound bites," Whitten said. Topics range from post-traumatic stress disorder to military history.
"On one of our most memorable shows, we had two of the remaining five Navajo code talkers talking about how they saved countless numbers of Marine lives in the Pacific Theater," he said. "What was really interesting was that many of these guys were in their mid-80s, and you never know, this might be the last time we capture this. I was told by another Marine, "You guys have captured a part of history."
It's important, especially with current conflicts, to talk to those who are directly affected, Whitten said.
"Kimberly Dozier was a CBS News reporter that we had on our show recently to talk about her experience," he said. "Kimberly and her video crew were involved in an [improvised explosive device] explosion over in Iraq and almost lost her life. [As a] matter of a fact, her photographer and sound person did lose their lives, and she knows first-hand the type of quality care that military survivors received. We got her on the show to talk about how the military doctors got her back to normal."
The show also discusses recent topics of interest and the important ramifications of new military policy.
"Recently, we had a show with two colonels, Kevin and Kate Voight, who talked about their experience serving as intel officers based in Baghdad, Iraq," he said. "Now that Army rules have changed, they can actually serve in a combat area together and have their own housing. It's a way to attract qualified people, because they can have the 15 months of actually functioning as a husband and wife."
Voice of the Troops also brings to light plans for future development of new capabilities. For example, he said, he has lined up Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, commander of the Air Force's provisional Cyberspace Command, as a guest for an upcoming program to talk about the importance of defending the nation's computer systems from adversaries.
Whitten said he appreciates that programs like America Supports You work to get the message out to servicemembers about programs like his.
"We are proud to work with programs like America Supports You, [which] has done a phenomenal job in garnering the support of people throughout the nation," Whitten said. "We need to help [the public] understand that there is a need out there. We still have men and women in a combat zone, and my hat's off to ASY for what they do."
(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Gates OKs Call-up of 50,000 Guard Troops for Hurricane Support
By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Up to 50,000 National Guard personnel can be called up for the response to Hurricane Gustav if needed, a National Guard Bureau official said yesterday. "They will operate under the control of the governors through the adjutants general," Air Force Maj. Gen. William Etter, director of domestic operations for the National Guard Bureau, said at a media briefing held by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates authorized the call-up Aug. 31 for a period ending Sept. 15.
Etter said the National Guard has more than 14,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen deployed to the Gulf Coast, and "we are poised to flex this number as required."
"Their response so far has been superb, and no effort has been spared to ensure the safety, security and well being of the citizens of the Gulf Coast," he said.
Etter praised the Guard's interagency partners for their teamwork. "We all recognized ... early on the potential seriousness of this storm and started coordination to support the affected states," he said. "And right now, we believe we have had a rapid, effective response to the storm."
Over the weekend, the National Guard evacuated more than 17,000 citizens from New Orleans and almost 600 special-needs patients regionally.
Current operations include 24-hour security patrols in New Orleans. Also, 350 buses with National Guard drivers are pre-positioned to conduct a post-landfall evacuation if needed.
The National Guard has more than 3,800 highwater vehicles and 86 helicopters in the region, ready to deploy as needed, Etter said.
In addition to its response to Hurricane Gustav, the National Guard is preparing for the potential landfall of Tropical Storm Hanna.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Up to 50,000 National Guard personnel can be called up for the response to Hurricane Gustav if needed, a National Guard Bureau official said yesterday. "They will operate under the control of the governors through the adjutants general," Air Force Maj. Gen. William Etter, director of domestic operations for the National Guard Bureau, said at a media briefing held by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates authorized the call-up Aug. 31 for a period ending Sept. 15.
Etter said the National Guard has more than 14,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen deployed to the Gulf Coast, and "we are poised to flex this number as required."
"Their response so far has been superb, and no effort has been spared to ensure the safety, security and well being of the citizens of the Gulf Coast," he said.
Etter praised the Guard's interagency partners for their teamwork. "We all recognized ... early on the potential seriousness of this storm and started coordination to support the affected states," he said. "And right now, we believe we have had a rapid, effective response to the storm."
Over the weekend, the National Guard evacuated more than 17,000 citizens from New Orleans and almost 600 special-needs patients regionally.
Current operations include 24-hour security patrols in New Orleans. Also, 350 buses with National Guard drivers are pre-positioned to conduct a post-landfall evacuation if needed.
The National Guard has more than 3,800 highwater vehicles and 86 helicopters in the region, ready to deploy as needed, Etter said.
In addition to its response to Hurricane Gustav, the National Guard is preparing for the potential landfall of Tropical Storm Hanna.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Air Guard Assists Thousands Displaced by Gustav
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - With tens of thousands of Gulf Coast residents in the potential path of Hurricane Gustav during the Labor Day weekend, Air National Guard members put aside their last-minute school shopping and backyard picnics to bring their states' Guard airpower to the displaced. Taking to the skies Aug. 30 and 31 were Air Guard aeromedical evacuation squadrons from at least four states. They deployed their aircrews, aircraft and medical specialists to a mobile air staging facility in Carswell, Texas. In total, the team air evacuated more than 473 patients. At least seven other states prepared aeromedical teams to respond to calls for emergency assistance.
In all, the National Guard's soldiers and airmen helped evacuate nearly 17,000 Gulf Coast residents via the skies and roadways, including 325 special-needs patients, from New Orleans before the storm's arrival yesterday.
A medical team of Air Guard members including five C-130 Hercules aircraft and a Delaware Air Guard C-130 and airmen from West Virginia, Oklahoma and Tennessee helped airlift at least 247 patients from Beaumont, Texas. The patients were medically assessed, monitored and flown out of the storm's path to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The highly trained flight medics then boarded their aircraft and flew to Belle Chasse Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base outside New Orleans to assist in the Guard's continued Gustav relief missions.
"The Air National Guard medical community is honored and humbled to bring our medical talent and compassion to communities in times of need," said Air Force Col. (Dr.) Constance McNabb, Texas Military Forces joint surgeon, in a state news release. "Helping other people is why Guard medics serve."
On the receiving end, more than 160 Kentucky Air Guard members in Louisville assisted thousands of displaced people who were flown out of New Orleans on commercial aircraft to the Kentucky Air National Guard Base there. They were then taken by bus to Red Cross shelters at the Louisville fairgrounds and in Lexington.
"Kentucky is a reception state to displaced persons being evacuated from New Orleans via commercial airlines," Air Force Capt. Dale Greer, Kentucky Guard spokesman, said. He reported that the hurricane evacuation was a multi-agency effort calling on the resources of federal, state and local governments, as well as the American Red Cross.
Other Air Guard members at McGee Tyson Air Guard Base in Knoxville, Tenn., and in Nashville and Memphis, received similar evacuee missions at their bases.
Still other Air Guard units positioned their states' assets around the nation to better support potential storm-damaged states after Gustav's landfall.
In West Virginia, Air Guard aircrews and their C-130s from the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston transported a special joint National Guard communications support team with their radio, telephone, video and satellite equipment to Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 31.
A Mississippi C-17 Globemaster III transport jet and aircrew of the 172nd Airlift Wing – which flies the nation's aeromedical evacuation missions from Balad Air Base, Iraq – flew to Anchorage, Alaska, and delivered two Army Guard HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Jackson, Miss.
In Sioux City, Iowa, an aircrew from the 185th Air Refueling Wing flew their KC-135 Stratotanker and transported 50 Army Guard members and equipment from the state to Alexandria, La.
In all, Guard officials said nearly 14,000 National Guard airmen and soldiers were positioned with their equipment over the holiday weekend.
The Kansas Air Guard's 190th Air Refueling Wing, which flew the state's 35th Infantry Division advance-party soldiers to Alexandria, La. -- Two Nevada Air Guard aircrews and C-130s from the 152nd Airlift Wing flew to the Gulf Coast area to prepare for airlift missions.
The New York Air Guard deployed 15 aeromedical airmen from the 109th Airlift Wing, as well as two HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and 16 airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing. In Mississippi, the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian was on full alert with an RC-26 reconnaissance aircraft and aircrew to assist in hurricane response missions. The California Air Guard deployed 19 airmen, including pararescuemen and two HH-60s, and was planning to deploy additional Airmen, aircraft and pararescue equipment to the Gulf Coast.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - With tens of thousands of Gulf Coast residents in the potential path of Hurricane Gustav during the Labor Day weekend, Air National Guard members put aside their last-minute school shopping and backyard picnics to bring their states' Guard airpower to the displaced. Taking to the skies Aug. 30 and 31 were Air Guard aeromedical evacuation squadrons from at least four states. They deployed their aircrews, aircraft and medical specialists to a mobile air staging facility in Carswell, Texas. In total, the team air evacuated more than 473 patients. At least seven other states prepared aeromedical teams to respond to calls for emergency assistance.
In all, the National Guard's soldiers and airmen helped evacuate nearly 17,000 Gulf Coast residents via the skies and roadways, including 325 special-needs patients, from New Orleans before the storm's arrival yesterday.
A medical team of Air Guard members including five C-130 Hercules aircraft and a Delaware Air Guard C-130 and airmen from West Virginia, Oklahoma and Tennessee helped airlift at least 247 patients from Beaumont, Texas. The patients were medically assessed, monitored and flown out of the storm's path to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The highly trained flight medics then boarded their aircraft and flew to Belle Chasse Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base outside New Orleans to assist in the Guard's continued Gustav relief missions.
"The Air National Guard medical community is honored and humbled to bring our medical talent and compassion to communities in times of need," said Air Force Col. (Dr.) Constance McNabb, Texas Military Forces joint surgeon, in a state news release. "Helping other people is why Guard medics serve."
On the receiving end, more than 160 Kentucky Air Guard members in Louisville assisted thousands of displaced people who were flown out of New Orleans on commercial aircraft to the Kentucky Air National Guard Base there. They were then taken by bus to Red Cross shelters at the Louisville fairgrounds and in Lexington.
"Kentucky is a reception state to displaced persons being evacuated from New Orleans via commercial airlines," Air Force Capt. Dale Greer, Kentucky Guard spokesman, said. He reported that the hurricane evacuation was a multi-agency effort calling on the resources of federal, state and local governments, as well as the American Red Cross.
Other Air Guard members at McGee Tyson Air Guard Base in Knoxville, Tenn., and in Nashville and Memphis, received similar evacuee missions at their bases.
Still other Air Guard units positioned their states' assets around the nation to better support potential storm-damaged states after Gustav's landfall.
In West Virginia, Air Guard aircrews and their C-130s from the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston transported a special joint National Guard communications support team with their radio, telephone, video and satellite equipment to Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 31.
A Mississippi C-17 Globemaster III transport jet and aircrew of the 172nd Airlift Wing – which flies the nation's aeromedical evacuation missions from Balad Air Base, Iraq – flew to Anchorage, Alaska, and delivered two Army Guard HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Jackson, Miss.
In Sioux City, Iowa, an aircrew from the 185th Air Refueling Wing flew their KC-135 Stratotanker and transported 50 Army Guard members and equipment from the state to Alexandria, La.
In all, Guard officials said nearly 14,000 National Guard airmen and soldiers were positioned with their equipment over the holiday weekend.
The Kansas Air Guard's 190th Air Refueling Wing, which flew the state's 35th Infantry Division advance-party soldiers to Alexandria, La. -- Two Nevada Air Guard aircrews and C-130s from the 152nd Airlift Wing flew to the Gulf Coast area to prepare for airlift missions.
The New York Air Guard deployed 15 aeromedical airmen from the 109th Airlift Wing, as well as two HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and 16 airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing. In Mississippi, the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian was on full alert with an RC-26 reconnaissance aircraft and aircrew to assist in hurricane response missions. The California Air Guard deployed 19 airmen, including pararescuemen and two HH-60s, and was planning to deploy additional Airmen, aircraft and pararescue equipment to the Gulf Coast.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
America Supports You: Troop-Support Group Gets Grant to Go Green
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The future is getting "greener," and so are the houses Homes for Our Troops will build in the future, thanks to a $1 million grant from The Sierra Club Foundation. The grant will allow the organization to build environment-friendly homes.
"We are excited to increase the green building we incorporate into the homes we build for the severely injured veterans we assist," said John Gonsalves, Homes for Our Troops president and founder. "This grant will allow us to incorporate state-of-the-art building techniques and materials such as geothermal heating systems and photovoltaic solar panels to give our veterans the long-term economic and environmental benefits of green building."
The Sierra Club Foundation is happy to help Homes for Our Troops in that endeavor and give back to servicemembers and their families at the same time.
"We're thrilled to be able to give back to families that have given so much to our country," said Peter Martin, director of The Sierra Club Foundation. "We hope this project will demonstrate how easy it is to save energy at home. We can lower our energy bills, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create jobs in the green building sector at the same time."
Spread over three years, the grant also will allow Homes for Our Troops to reach out to educate the public and builders about green building, said Dawn Teixeira, the troop-support organization's vice president.
"What we'll do with the grant is pretty much educate ourselves and create a program to kind of start our homes to be green," Teixeira said. "We kind of are hoping to use these houses also as a teaching tool."
The program to begin making the houses Homes for Our Troops builds greener already is in the works, and Teixeira said she anticipates the first of the environmentally conscious homes will appear within the next year. The potential exists for all of the 100 homes the organization plans to build over the next three years to be green homes, she added.
Going green isn't without geographic challenges, however.
For instance, a home the organization recently built and presented to an injured veteran in Denver is "green." Denver, with 300 days of sun each year, is perfect for solar energy technology, Teixeira said.
"Minnesota on the other hand, is not," she said, referring to a home that was presented to another injured veteran in St. Paul yesterday. "So, we [had] to use different technologies."
Homes for Our Troops officials hope to work with companies trying to market green technologies to take some of the challenge out of the equation. The partnership seems serendipitous.
"There are so many companies out there that have these products that are not in the market place," Teixeira said. "We think that we're the perfect vehicle to help them get them out there."
Homes for Our Troops, a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, has completed 30 homes since October 2005 for veterans seriously injured while serving in the global war on terrorism. America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The future is getting "greener," and so are the houses Homes for Our Troops will build in the future, thanks to a $1 million grant from The Sierra Club Foundation. The grant will allow the organization to build environment-friendly homes.
"We are excited to increase the green building we incorporate into the homes we build for the severely injured veterans we assist," said John Gonsalves, Homes for Our Troops president and founder. "This grant will allow us to incorporate state-of-the-art building techniques and materials such as geothermal heating systems and photovoltaic solar panels to give our veterans the long-term economic and environmental benefits of green building."
The Sierra Club Foundation is happy to help Homes for Our Troops in that endeavor and give back to servicemembers and their families at the same time.
"We're thrilled to be able to give back to families that have given so much to our country," said Peter Martin, director of The Sierra Club Foundation. "We hope this project will demonstrate how easy it is to save energy at home. We can lower our energy bills, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create jobs in the green building sector at the same time."
Spread over three years, the grant also will allow Homes for Our Troops to reach out to educate the public and builders about green building, said Dawn Teixeira, the troop-support organization's vice president.
"What we'll do with the grant is pretty much educate ourselves and create a program to kind of start our homes to be green," Teixeira said. "We kind of are hoping to use these houses also as a teaching tool."
The program to begin making the houses Homes for Our Troops builds greener already is in the works, and Teixeira said she anticipates the first of the environmentally conscious homes will appear within the next year. The potential exists for all of the 100 homes the organization plans to build over the next three years to be green homes, she added.
Going green isn't without geographic challenges, however.
For instance, a home the organization recently built and presented to an injured veteran in Denver is "green." Denver, with 300 days of sun each year, is perfect for solar energy technology, Teixeira said.
"Minnesota on the other hand, is not," she said, referring to a home that was presented to another injured veteran in St. Paul yesterday. "So, we [had] to use different technologies."
Homes for Our Troops officials hope to work with companies trying to market green technologies to take some of the challenge out of the equation. The partnership seems serendipitous.
"There are so many companies out there that have these products that are not in the market place," Teixeira said. "We think that we're the perfect vehicle to help them get them out there."
Homes for Our Troops, a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, has completed 30 homes since October 2005 for veterans seriously injured while serving in the global war on terrorism. America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
U.S. Military Aircraft, Ships Continue Georgian Missions
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - U.S. military aircraft and ships continue to bring humanitarian supplies to Georgia, defense officials said today. The humanitarian need still exists in the former Soviet republic, and the United States will continue sending help "as long as it's needed," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Russian troops continue to be in violation of the cease-fire agreement signed in August, Whitman said. "There has been some progress, but they remain in violation," he said.
So far, 62 air sorties have flown humanitarian aid to Georgia, and two ships – the USS McFaul and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas – have delivered 1,138 short tons of supplies to the country. The McFaul and Dallas have finished their missions to Georgia, and the USS Mount Whitney will deliver humanitarian supplies in the next few days, Whitman said.
He called Russian charges that the deliveries contained weapons "false, untrue, unfounded, accusations without merit." All of the supplies delivered to Georgia have been to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country that the Russian invasion caused, he emphasized.
About 100 American servicemembers and DoD civilians are in Georgia coordinating the missions, officials said, working closely with U.S. embassy personnel and the Georgian government to prioritize the needs.
The flights and ships are delivering cots, tents, humanitarian daily rations, comfort packs, medical supplies and other humanitarian goods.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - U.S. military aircraft and ships continue to bring humanitarian supplies to Georgia, defense officials said today. The humanitarian need still exists in the former Soviet republic, and the United States will continue sending help "as long as it's needed," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Russian troops continue to be in violation of the cease-fire agreement signed in August, Whitman said. "There has been some progress, but they remain in violation," he said.
So far, 62 air sorties have flown humanitarian aid to Georgia, and two ships – the USS McFaul and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas – have delivered 1,138 short tons of supplies to the country. The McFaul and Dallas have finished their missions to Georgia, and the USS Mount Whitney will deliver humanitarian supplies in the next few days, Whitman said.
He called Russian charges that the deliveries contained weapons "false, untrue, unfounded, accusations without merit." All of the supplies delivered to Georgia have been to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country that the Russian invasion caused, he emphasized.
About 100 American servicemembers and DoD civilians are in Georgia coordinating the missions, officials said, working closely with U.S. embassy personnel and the Georgian government to prioritize the needs.
The flights and ships are delivering cots, tents, humanitarian daily rations, comfort packs, medical supplies and other humanitarian goods.
Corps of Engineers Surveys New Orleans Levee System in Gustav's Wake
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Army Corps of Engineers teams have fanned out across New Orleans to survey the 350 miles of levees, floodgates and floodwalls that protect New Orleans, while expressing cautious optimism that the reinforced system successfully withstood Hurricane Gustav. "All indications are that the system held, as expected," Amanda Jones, a Corps spokeswoman, said from the Corps' Vicksburg, Miss., district office.
Jones reported water overwashing levees in some areas, but said no breaches have been identified in the system that's been heavily reinforced since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
The Corps has about 30 people on the ground assessing the network and expected to do a flyover of the region today, Jones said. Additional Corps members are expected to arrive within the next day or two to step up those assessments.
But by all indications, Jones said, the reinforced system appears to have stood up to its first post-Katrina test as Hurricane Gustav made landfall yesterday as a Category 2 hurricane.
Corps staffers rode out Gustav at each of three outfall canals in New Orleans as well as the Harvey Canal and at all locks.
In dramatic footage captured by a television news crew, William Zar from the Corps' New Orleans District Office dove into Industrial Canal's choppy waters to secure a 500-gallon diesel fuel tank that had broken loose and threatened to ram a floodwall. Zar was patrolling the area in the Corps' tugboat Kent when he spotted the tank.
Last night, Corps workers closed gates to the London and 17th Street canals in the face of rising water, Jones said. The gates will be reopened as water levels drop, she added. The levees along the 17th Street Canal broke during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to widespread flooding.
Army Maj. Gen. Don Riley, the Corps' deputy commander, expressed optimism yesterday that New Orleans had survived Hurricane Gustav, but said it's still too soon to declare victory.
"There is still a danger, clearly, because of the wind and the wave wash that's occurring, and the tremendous pressure that's against all of the levees and floodwalls," he said at a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing in Washington. "Until that abates, I think there's still danger. But we're confident they will withstand the erosion and the forces they see right now."
The Corps is halfway through a six-year project to strengthen the Crescent City's hurricane defenses, Corps of Engineers officials reported. So far, 220 miles of floodwalls and levees have been repaired and restored, with I-walls replaced with stronger T-walls at breach sites, floodwalls armored and transition points strengthened between floodwalls and levees, officials said. In addition, 18 interior pump stations have been repaired and improved, with eight more under construction and four in the design phase.
In preparation for Gustav, the Corps followed its emergency response plan, alerting its emergency command posts, stationing liaisons in all 13 of Louisiana's coastal parishes for redundant communications and preparing to operate canal gates.
The Corps also pre-positioned supplies, rocks, sand, bastions and equipment, and had 400 4,000-to-7,000-pound sandbags filled and ready for use. As a flood-fighting measure, workers placed sand baskets along an 1,800-foot section of the Industrial Canal's west floodwall. They also tested gates and temporary pumping stations – each capable of pumping 16,000 cubic feet of water per second -- at the three outfall canals.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Army Corps of Engineers teams have fanned out across New Orleans to survey the 350 miles of levees, floodgates and floodwalls that protect New Orleans, while expressing cautious optimism that the reinforced system successfully withstood Hurricane Gustav. "All indications are that the system held, as expected," Amanda Jones, a Corps spokeswoman, said from the Corps' Vicksburg, Miss., district office.
Jones reported water overwashing levees in some areas, but said no breaches have been identified in the system that's been heavily reinforced since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
The Corps has about 30 people on the ground assessing the network and expected to do a flyover of the region today, Jones said. Additional Corps members are expected to arrive within the next day or two to step up those assessments.
But by all indications, Jones said, the reinforced system appears to have stood up to its first post-Katrina test as Hurricane Gustav made landfall yesterday as a Category 2 hurricane.
Corps staffers rode out Gustav at each of three outfall canals in New Orleans as well as the Harvey Canal and at all locks.
In dramatic footage captured by a television news crew, William Zar from the Corps' New Orleans District Office dove into Industrial Canal's choppy waters to secure a 500-gallon diesel fuel tank that had broken loose and threatened to ram a floodwall. Zar was patrolling the area in the Corps' tugboat Kent when he spotted the tank.
Last night, Corps workers closed gates to the London and 17th Street canals in the face of rising water, Jones said. The gates will be reopened as water levels drop, she added. The levees along the 17th Street Canal broke during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to widespread flooding.
Army Maj. Gen. Don Riley, the Corps' deputy commander, expressed optimism yesterday that New Orleans had survived Hurricane Gustav, but said it's still too soon to declare victory.
"There is still a danger, clearly, because of the wind and the wave wash that's occurring, and the tremendous pressure that's against all of the levees and floodwalls," he said at a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing in Washington. "Until that abates, I think there's still danger. But we're confident they will withstand the erosion and the forces they see right now."
The Corps is halfway through a six-year project to strengthen the Crescent City's hurricane defenses, Corps of Engineers officials reported. So far, 220 miles of floodwalls and levees have been repaired and restored, with I-walls replaced with stronger T-walls at breach sites, floodwalls armored and transition points strengthened between floodwalls and levees, officials said. In addition, 18 interior pump stations have been repaired and improved, with eight more under construction and four in the design phase.
In preparation for Gustav, the Corps followed its emergency response plan, alerting its emergency command posts, stationing liaisons in all 13 of Louisiana's coastal parishes for redundant communications and preparing to operate canal gates.
The Corps also pre-positioned supplies, rocks, sand, bastions and equipment, and had 400 4,000-to-7,000-pound sandbags filled and ready for use. As a flood-fighting measure, workers placed sand baskets along an 1,800-foot section of the Industrial Canal's west floodwall. They also tested gates and temporary pumping stations – each capable of pumping 16,000 cubic feet of water per second -- at the three outfall canals.
Mississippi Guard Responds to Hurricane Gustav
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Labor Day began here yesterday with pounding rain and high-velocity winds from a hurricane that many believed would match the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wrought three years ago, but the coast is clear today and damage was minimal from the weaker-than-expected Hurricane Gustav. After an assessment of the area, senior officials from the Mississippi National Guard's joint task force headquarters here said the storm was not as intense as forecasters anticipated, and the city should be back to business as usual by the end of the week.
"It was a relief, but not a surprise," said Army Brig. Gen. Ben Gaston, the task force commander. "The Mississippi Gulf was very lucky."
Gustav struck the Gulf Coast yesterday morning. Heavy rain and tornado warnings were in effect for most of the day as the hurricane traveled west into Louisiana and Texas.
Many of Gulfport's citizens evacuated over the weekend, but as they return throughout the week, they'll find that all the traffic lights are operating, few power lines are down, and little debris pollutes the streets. Schools should be in session, and most shops and businesses could be open as early as tomorrow, Gaston said.
With the exception of the roads flooding along the beach, which the Guardsmen had anticipated, the infrastructure is in good condition, he said.
"We had a pretty good read on what the storm surge was going to be, so we really didn't have any major surprises," the general said.
Although Gustav didn't have the impact of Katrina, the seasoned Guardsmen were prepared for the worst. The state's citizen-soldiers and -airmen are familiar with natural disasters and hurricanes.
"We've had a number of devastating storms dating back to the 1960s," Gaston said. "We understand what disaster recovery means to the state."
When the local power grid comes up, the Guard troops should be able to stand down and let the local authorities take over. But until then, they will focus on distributing water, food and ice and conducting presence patrols. They'll also assist local authorities with traffic control points, Gaston said.
"Showing a presence is the most important aspect of our mission right now," he said. "As long as we're showing a presence here, the [citizens] feel safe and protected. Military presence does deter theft and crime."
The citizen-soldiers and -airmen were alerted for their current mission Aug. 28 and began pre-positioning immediately at the Gulfport Army National Guard Readiness Center, Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, and at Vancleave Middle School in Jackson County. After President Bush declared a national state of emergency along the Gulf Coast a day later, the Guardsmen began personal evacuation notifications, eventually evacuating about 2,800 people here.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Labor Day began here yesterday with pounding rain and high-velocity winds from a hurricane that many believed would match the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wrought three years ago, but the coast is clear today and damage was minimal from the weaker-than-expected Hurricane Gustav. After an assessment of the area, senior officials from the Mississippi National Guard's joint task force headquarters here said the storm was not as intense as forecasters anticipated, and the city should be back to business as usual by the end of the week.
"It was a relief, but not a surprise," said Army Brig. Gen. Ben Gaston, the task force commander. "The Mississippi Gulf was very lucky."
Gustav struck the Gulf Coast yesterday morning. Heavy rain and tornado warnings were in effect for most of the day as the hurricane traveled west into Louisiana and Texas.
Many of Gulfport's citizens evacuated over the weekend, but as they return throughout the week, they'll find that all the traffic lights are operating, few power lines are down, and little debris pollutes the streets. Schools should be in session, and most shops and businesses could be open as early as tomorrow, Gaston said.
With the exception of the roads flooding along the beach, which the Guardsmen had anticipated, the infrastructure is in good condition, he said.
"We had a pretty good read on what the storm surge was going to be, so we really didn't have any major surprises," the general said.
Although Gustav didn't have the impact of Katrina, the seasoned Guardsmen were prepared for the worst. The state's citizen-soldiers and -airmen are familiar with natural disasters and hurricanes.
"We've had a number of devastating storms dating back to the 1960s," Gaston said. "We understand what disaster recovery means to the state."
When the local power grid comes up, the Guard troops should be able to stand down and let the local authorities take over. But until then, they will focus on distributing water, food and ice and conducting presence patrols. They'll also assist local authorities with traffic control points, Gaston said.
"Showing a presence is the most important aspect of our mission right now," he said. "As long as we're showing a presence here, the [citizens] feel safe and protected. Military presence does deter theft and crime."
The citizen-soldiers and -airmen were alerted for their current mission Aug. 28 and began pre-positioning immediately at the Gulfport Army National Guard Readiness Center, Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, and at Vancleave Middle School in Jackson County. After President Bush declared a national state of emergency along the Gulf Coast a day later, the Guardsmen began personal evacuation notifications, eventually evacuating about 2,800 people here.
MILITARY CONTRACTS September 2, 2008
Air Force
The Air Force is exercising an option with Computer Sciences Raytheon, of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., for $78,134,869. The Eastern Range Technical Services will provide operations, maintenance, and sustainment of critical range and launch processing systems that support the launch processing mission of the 45th Space Wing and its launch customers at Cape Canaveral Air Station. The scope of this acquisition will include all critical range systems and associated support system. Services include downrange facilities support, base and range local area network/metropolitan area network services, and other minor technical supports required for successful range mission accomplishment. The location of performance is Computer Sciences Raytheon, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. No money has been obligated at this time. Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA2521-07-C-0011).
The Air Force is modifying a contract with United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, of East Hartford, Conn., for $30,042,543. This contract will exercise an option for three combined test force engines. The location of performance is United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford, Conn. At this time $30,042,543 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8611-06-C-2900).
The Air Force is modifying a time and materials contract with Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, for $7,290,485. This action will increase the T&M ceilings on the over and above contract line items 0313 and 0318 to allow the continued authorization of over and above work until the end of the calendar year. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas. At this time $7,290,485 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8611-08-C-2897)
The Air Force is exercising an option with Tybrin Corp., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for $52,849,939. The Air Force is exercising option year six for software engineering support of guided weapons systems evaluations, simulations, and other services supporting research and development for the principals and customers of the Air Armament Center. The location of performance is Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. No money has been obligated at this time. Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08635-02-C-0034).
The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract to Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., for $9,539,622. This contract action will provide Joint Functional Component Command for space J2 survivability and vulnerability analysis. The location of performance is Santa Maria, Calif., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. At this time, $439,614 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).
The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract to Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., for $21,520,038. The action will provide U.S. Marine Corps Mission Assurance Program Development with technical analysis and operation integration. The location of performance is Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va. At this time, $4,554,591 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity. (SP0700-03-D-1380)
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Booz-Allen and Hamilton, of McLean, Va., for $7,246,345. This action provides for financial sector resilience studies, analysis, and exercise. The location of performance is McLean, Va., and Washington, D.C. At this time $2,415,459 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).
Navy
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an advance acquisition contract with an estimated value of $78,065,000 for long lead components, parts and materials associated with the lot three low rate initial production of 8 Joint Strike Fighter Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy, 10 Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Air Force, 2 CTOL propulsion systems for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and three STOVL propulsion systems for the United Kingdom Royal Navy. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn.,(70 percent), and Bristol, United Kingdom, (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jan. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($37,800,000; 48.4 percent); the U.S. Air Force ($26,900,000; 34.5 percent); the Governments of the Netherlands, ($2,025,000; 2.6 percent); and the United Kingdom, ($11,340,000; 14.5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0033).
Knik Construction Co., Inc., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a maximum $50,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for paving and resurfacing projects at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Task Order 0001 is being awarded at $4,138,785 for paving and resurfacing in the Guantanamo Bay, Housing at the time of award. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Aug. 2009. All work on this contract will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2013. Contract funds for Task Order 0001 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-D-1272).
ILSC Holdings LC, dba Katmai Research*, Van Nuys, Calif., is being awarded a ceiling $45,673,958 modification to previously awarded delivery order contract (M67854-08-D-2007). to perform post-deployment software support and system software support facility (SSSF) support and sustainment of the AN/TYQ-23, Tactical Air Operations Module. This contract modification will provide increased support for the design, development and implementation of Interface Change Proposals and Problem Change Requests of tactical software for the AN/TYQ-23 version four ((V)4). No funds are associated with the base contract award requirements will be identified in individual delivery orders issued under this contract. Work will be performed in Van Nuys, Calif., and is expected to be completed in May 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity
Basile Baumann Prost Cole & Associates, Inc., Annapolis, Md., is being awarded a maximum $40,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity time and materials contract for professional services in support of the Department of the Navy public-private ventures and other special programs located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic area of responsibility. The work to be performed consists of providing research and analysis for all aspects of special venture acquisitions, including family and unaccompanied housing public private ventures, enhanced use leasing, portfolio management, program development, financial analysis, and other public-private venture opportunities. Work will be performed primarily in Va., (50 percent) and Md., (50 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-08-D-2006).
Webco Roofing and Waterproofing*, Ventura, Calif., is being awarded $6,538,679 for firm-fixed-price task order #0020 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-06-D-1010) for various roofing projects at Naval Base Ventura County. The work to be performed provides for labor, materials, equipment, supervision and transportation necessary to complete roofing projects. Work will be performed in Ventura County, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division, Naval Base Ventura County, Calif., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
BOH Environmental, LLC, New Orleans, La., is being awarded a maximum $100,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, sole source contract for specialized shipping and storage containers with accessories. Other locations of performance are in Texas and Penn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 28, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM8ED-08-D-0251).
Army
C.W. Roberts Construction, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $42,439,910 firm/fixed price contract to provide 8.5 linear miles of roadway shoulder sheet piling for shoulder and roadway protection against erosion and scour, caused from hurricane storm surge. Work will be performed in Elgin Air Force Base, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 26, 2010. Bids solicited were FEDBIZOPS and nine bids were received Corps of Engineers Mobile, Mobile Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-08-C-0048).
BAE Systems, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008, a $11,638,114 firm/fixed price contract. This contract requirement is for the incorporation of the approved engineering change proposal on the Bradley automated fire extinguishing system (AFES) for 419. Work will be performed in York, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2009. Aug. 31, 2009. One was bid solicited and one bid was received. US Army TACOM LCMC Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $6,239,038 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract fiscal year 2008 engineering services contract option award for 11,195 man–hours of effort. Work will be performed in Burlington, Mass., Huntsville, Ala., Andover, Mass., Tewksbury, Mass., El Paso, Texas, and Norfolk, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-C-0020).
Sheets T.A. Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $5,664,000 firm/fixed price contract design and construction of fiscal year 2008 permanent party chapel complex at Fort Lee, Petersburg, Va. Work will be performed in Fort Lee, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 29, 2010. Bids were solicited via Internet and one bid was received. US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-08-C-0019).
The Air Force is exercising an option with Computer Sciences Raytheon, of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., for $78,134,869. The Eastern Range Technical Services will provide operations, maintenance, and sustainment of critical range and launch processing systems that support the launch processing mission of the 45th Space Wing and its launch customers at Cape Canaveral Air Station. The scope of this acquisition will include all critical range systems and associated support system. Services include downrange facilities support, base and range local area network/metropolitan area network services, and other minor technical supports required for successful range mission accomplishment. The location of performance is Computer Sciences Raytheon, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. No money has been obligated at this time. Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA2521-07-C-0011).
The Air Force is modifying a contract with United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, of East Hartford, Conn., for $30,042,543. This contract will exercise an option for three combined test force engines. The location of performance is United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford, Conn. At this time $30,042,543 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8611-06-C-2900).
The Air Force is modifying a time and materials contract with Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, for $7,290,485. This action will increase the T&M ceilings on the over and above contract line items 0313 and 0318 to allow the continued authorization of over and above work until the end of the calendar year. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas. At this time $7,290,485 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8611-08-C-2897)
The Air Force is exercising an option with Tybrin Corp., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for $52,849,939. The Air Force is exercising option year six for software engineering support of guided weapons systems evaluations, simulations, and other services supporting research and development for the principals and customers of the Air Armament Center. The location of performance is Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. No money has been obligated at this time. Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is the contracting activity (F08635-02-C-0034).
The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract to Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., for $9,539,622. This contract action will provide Joint Functional Component Command for space J2 survivability and vulnerability analysis. The location of performance is Santa Maria, Calif., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. At this time, $439,614 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).
The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract to Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, Va., for $21,520,038. The action will provide U.S. Marine Corps Mission Assurance Program Development with technical analysis and operation integration. The location of performance is Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va. At this time, $4,554,591 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity. (SP0700-03-D-1380)
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Booz-Allen and Hamilton, of McLean, Va., for $7,246,345. This action provides for financial sector resilience studies, analysis, and exercise. The location of performance is McLean, Va., and Washington, D.C. At this time $2,415,459 has been obligated. Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).
Navy
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded an advance acquisition contract with an estimated value of $78,065,000 for long lead components, parts and materials associated with the lot three low rate initial production of 8 Joint Strike Fighter Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy, 10 Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Air Force, 2 CTOL propulsion systems for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and three STOVL propulsion systems for the United Kingdom Royal Navy. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn.,(70 percent), and Bristol, United Kingdom, (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jan. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($37,800,000; 48.4 percent); the U.S. Air Force ($26,900,000; 34.5 percent); the Governments of the Netherlands, ($2,025,000; 2.6 percent); and the United Kingdom, ($11,340,000; 14.5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0033).
Knik Construction Co., Inc., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a maximum $50,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for paving and resurfacing projects at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Task Order 0001 is being awarded at $4,138,785 for paving and resurfacing in the Guantanamo Bay, Housing at the time of award. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Aug. 2009. All work on this contract will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2013. Contract funds for Task Order 0001 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-D-1272).
ILSC Holdings LC, dba Katmai Research*, Van Nuys, Calif., is being awarded a ceiling $45,673,958 modification to previously awarded delivery order contract (M67854-08-D-2007). to perform post-deployment software support and system software support facility (SSSF) support and sustainment of the AN/TYQ-23, Tactical Air Operations Module. This contract modification will provide increased support for the design, development and implementation of Interface Change Proposals and Problem Change Requests of tactical software for the AN/TYQ-23 version four ((V)4). No funds are associated with the base contract award requirements will be identified in individual delivery orders issued under this contract. Work will be performed in Van Nuys, Calif., and is expected to be completed in May 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity
Basile Baumann Prost Cole & Associates, Inc., Annapolis, Md., is being awarded a maximum $40,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity time and materials contract for professional services in support of the Department of the Navy public-private ventures and other special programs located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic area of responsibility. The work to be performed consists of providing research and analysis for all aspects of special venture acquisitions, including family and unaccompanied housing public private ventures, enhanced use leasing, portfolio management, program development, financial analysis, and other public-private venture opportunities. Work will be performed primarily in Va., (50 percent) and Md., (50 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-08-D-2006).
Webco Roofing and Waterproofing*, Ventura, Calif., is being awarded $6,538,679 for firm-fixed-price task order #0020 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-06-D-1010) for various roofing projects at Naval Base Ventura County. The work to be performed provides for labor, materials, equipment, supervision and transportation necessary to complete roofing projects. Work will be performed in Ventura County, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division, Naval Base Ventura County, Calif., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
BOH Environmental, LLC, New Orleans, La., is being awarded a maximum $100,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, sole source contract for specialized shipping and storage containers with accessories. Other locations of performance are in Texas and Penn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 28, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM8ED-08-D-0251).
Army
C.W. Roberts Construction, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $42,439,910 firm/fixed price contract to provide 8.5 linear miles of roadway shoulder sheet piling for shoulder and roadway protection against erosion and scour, caused from hurricane storm surge. Work will be performed in Elgin Air Force Base, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 26, 2010. Bids solicited were FEDBIZOPS and nine bids were received Corps of Engineers Mobile, Mobile Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-08-C-0048).
BAE Systems, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., was awarded on Aug. 29, 2008, a $11,638,114 firm/fixed price contract. This contract requirement is for the incorporation of the approved engineering change proposal on the Bradley automated fire extinguishing system (AFES) for 419. Work will be performed in York, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2009. Aug. 31, 2009. One was bid solicited and one bid was received. US Army TACOM LCMC Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $6,239,038 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract fiscal year 2008 engineering services contract option award for 11,195 man–hours of effort. Work will be performed in Burlington, Mass., Huntsville, Ala., Andover, Mass., Tewksbury, Mass., El Paso, Texas, and Norfolk, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. US Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-C-0020).
Sheets T.A. Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2008, a $5,664,000 firm/fixed price contract design and construction of fiscal year 2008 permanent party chapel complex at Fort Lee, Petersburg, Va. Work will be performed in Fort Lee, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 29, 2010. Bids were solicited via Internet and one bid was received. US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-08-C-0019).
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Canada Helps Gustav Effort Through Civil Assistance Plan
By Canadian Air Force Maj. Brian Martin
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - A civil assistance plan signed six months ago between U.S. Northern Command and Canada Command was used for the first time over the weekend to expedite and coordinate Canadian military support to the U.S. Gulf Coast region in response to Hurricane Gustav. "This was a great first use of the civil assistance plan," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart, NorthCom commander. "Everything went exactly as it was designed to."
After receiving approval from both the governments of Canada and the United States, the Canadian Forces quickly deployed a CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft from 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario, to Lakefront, La. The aircrew and medical team aboard the aircraft flew seven littered and 13 ambulatory patients from New Orleans to Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 31.
"I am proud of our men and women in uniform for answering this call and know that we have the mechanisms in place to respond to these types of requests quickly and effectively," said Vice Adm. Dean McFadden, commander of Canada Command and former commander of the Canadian task group that deployed to the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005 to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Signed on Feb. 14, the civil assistance plan formalized the longstanding tradition of military-to-military cooperation that has long existed between both countries, officials said.
(Canadian Air Force Maj. Brian Martin serves in the U.S. Northern Command/North American Aerospace Defense Command Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - A civil assistance plan signed six months ago between U.S. Northern Command and Canada Command was used for the first time over the weekend to expedite and coordinate Canadian military support to the U.S. Gulf Coast region in response to Hurricane Gustav. "This was a great first use of the civil assistance plan," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart, NorthCom commander. "Everything went exactly as it was designed to."
After receiving approval from both the governments of Canada and the United States, the Canadian Forces quickly deployed a CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft from 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario, to Lakefront, La. The aircrew and medical team aboard the aircraft flew seven littered and 13 ambulatory patients from New Orleans to Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 31.
"I am proud of our men and women in uniform for answering this call and know that we have the mechanisms in place to respond to these types of requests quickly and effectively," said Vice Adm. Dean McFadden, commander of Canada Command and former commander of the Canadian task group that deployed to the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005 to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Signed on Feb. 14, the civil assistance plan formalized the longstanding tradition of military-to-military cooperation that has long existed between both countries, officials said.
(Canadian Air Force Maj. Brian Martin serves in the U.S. Northern Command/North American Aerospace Defense Command Public Affairs Office.)
Hurricane Hunters Track Gustav on Katrina Anniversary
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Hurricane Hunters from the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing here spent the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina flying into yet another tempest, Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall yesterday just west of Grand Island, La. Three years ago, the Hurricane Hunters evacuated aircraft and personnel from this Gulf-Coast base to forward operating locations, where they continued flying into Katrina to provide the National Hurricane Center with critical data used by forecasters to make warnings to areas in the path of the storm.
Crews watched from 10,000 feet as the pounding surf and pulverizing winds destroyed the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including their homes, businesses and those of their friends and family. In the days following Katrina, the citizen-airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron continued flying missions, never missing a single tasking.
Officials deployed the 403rd Wing's fleet of WC-130J and C-130J aircraft to forward operating locations last month when Tropical Storm Fay threatened heavy winds across the Gulf Coast. Aircraft remained in place as follow-on taskings called for them to fly missions into Hurricane Gustav and another recently developed system, Tropical Storm Hanna.
Any time a tropical system threatens the U.S. coastline or those of U.S. interests in the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean basin, the Hurricane Hunters fly around-the-clock missions.
Tasked by the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane Hunters flew several missions into Gustav, pinpointing the location of the center of the storm and providing real-time data to forecasters via satellite communication.
Information relayed to the National Hurricane Center helps forecasters to narrow warning areas by more than 30 percent. With increased accuracy in the forecast, the likelihood that people in those areas will heed watches and warnings also improves.
This year, all 10 state-of-the-art WC-130J aircraft are equipped with the stepped-frequency microwave radiometer, which allows airmen on board to measure surface winds directly below the aircraft constantly. The SFMR, affectionately known as the "Smurf," also can determine rainfall rates within a storm system. This, in addition to wind speed measurements at flight level, provides structural detail of the storm.
Already this season, the Smurf has given forecasters significantly more data to feed into their models and provided more accurate surface-level wind data not always available in the past.
Having the Smurf on board is the most important advancement for this season, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, chief aerial reconnaissance weather officer for the Hurricane Hunters. With the full capability to provide surface wind speed data, the unit gives National Hurricane Center forecasters the most accurate surface wind speed information prior to landfall.
"This translates into more accurate warnings for the public," he said.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett serves in the 403rd Wing Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Hurricane Hunters from the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing here spent the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina flying into yet another tempest, Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall yesterday just west of Grand Island, La. Three years ago, the Hurricane Hunters evacuated aircraft and personnel from this Gulf-Coast base to forward operating locations, where they continued flying into Katrina to provide the National Hurricane Center with critical data used by forecasters to make warnings to areas in the path of the storm.
Crews watched from 10,000 feet as the pounding surf and pulverizing winds destroyed the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including their homes, businesses and those of their friends and family. In the days following Katrina, the citizen-airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron continued flying missions, never missing a single tasking.
Officials deployed the 403rd Wing's fleet of WC-130J and C-130J aircraft to forward operating locations last month when Tropical Storm Fay threatened heavy winds across the Gulf Coast. Aircraft remained in place as follow-on taskings called for them to fly missions into Hurricane Gustav and another recently developed system, Tropical Storm Hanna.
Any time a tropical system threatens the U.S. coastline or those of U.S. interests in the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean basin, the Hurricane Hunters fly around-the-clock missions.
Tasked by the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane Hunters flew several missions into Gustav, pinpointing the location of the center of the storm and providing real-time data to forecasters via satellite communication.
Information relayed to the National Hurricane Center helps forecasters to narrow warning areas by more than 30 percent. With increased accuracy in the forecast, the likelihood that people in those areas will heed watches and warnings also improves.
This year, all 10 state-of-the-art WC-130J aircraft are equipped with the stepped-frequency microwave radiometer, which allows airmen on board to measure surface winds directly below the aircraft constantly. The SFMR, affectionately known as the "Smurf," also can determine rainfall rates within a storm system. This, in addition to wind speed measurements at flight level, provides structural detail of the storm.
Already this season, the Smurf has given forecasters significantly more data to feed into their models and provided more accurate surface-level wind data not always available in the past.
Having the Smurf on board is the most important advancement for this season, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, chief aerial reconnaissance weather officer for the Hurricane Hunters. With the full capability to provide surface wind speed data, the unit gives National Hurricane Center forecasters the most accurate surface wind speed information prior to landfall.
"This translates into more accurate warnings for the public," he said.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett serves in the 403rd Wing Public Affairs Office.)
Conversation in Diner Solidifies Texas Gustav Support
By Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Rescue efforts in a large state like Texas and a large neighboring state to the east take many levels of support and cooperative efforts, and sometimes a simple conversation struck up in a diner. Army Lt. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, adjutant general for Texas Military Forces, visited a 136th Airlift Wing crew and medical personnel here as they were beginning the careful task of medically evacuating patients from Beaumont to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
He met with Port Arthur police officer Tim Dinger at a diner on Aug. 29, and compared the responsibilities of the police with those assigned to the Texas Military Forces and made a connection that may prove valuable in the future.
"We are so much more aware of what needs to be done," Dinger said. "Now, we have backup generators and contracts to keep important facilities like this running."
Back at the airport, the medical crew was busy getting people comfortable on the aircraft. "This is something we did three years ago with two hours' notice," the airport manager said. "This time it was so much different. I am no less tired, but it is really worth it," he said with a weary smile.
As the transport aircraft rumbled down the tarmac and lifted off to the west, yet another bus arrived with more patients. In the meantime, fleets of buses were lined up, carrying up to 500 area residents to Tyler, a four-hour trip to the north.
"I really care about this," Army Sgt. Jessie Conley, assigned to Company A, 536th Forward Support Battalion, said. "If I did not, I would not be here."
By yesterday, seven missions had been flown from Beaumont to San Antonio and three from New Orleans to Austin, Texas, with a total of nearly 300 patients.
(Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada serves in the Texas National Guard as state public affairs deputy. Army Col. William D. Meehan, state public affairs officer, contributed to this story.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Rescue efforts in a large state like Texas and a large neighboring state to the east take many levels of support and cooperative efforts, and sometimes a simple conversation struck up in a diner. Army Lt. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, adjutant general for Texas Military Forces, visited a 136th Airlift Wing crew and medical personnel here as they were beginning the careful task of medically evacuating patients from Beaumont to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
He met with Port Arthur police officer Tim Dinger at a diner on Aug. 29, and compared the responsibilities of the police with those assigned to the Texas Military Forces and made a connection that may prove valuable in the future.
"We are so much more aware of what needs to be done," Dinger said. "Now, we have backup generators and contracts to keep important facilities like this running."
Back at the airport, the medical crew was busy getting people comfortable on the aircraft. "This is something we did three years ago with two hours' notice," the airport manager said. "This time it was so much different. I am no less tired, but it is really worth it," he said with a weary smile.
As the transport aircraft rumbled down the tarmac and lifted off to the west, yet another bus arrived with more patients. In the meantime, fleets of buses were lined up, carrying up to 500 area residents to Tyler, a four-hour trip to the north.
"I really care about this," Army Sgt. Jessie Conley, assigned to Company A, 536th Forward Support Battalion, said. "If I did not, I would not be here."
By yesterday, seven missions had been flown from Beaumont to San Antonio and three from New Orleans to Austin, Texas, with a total of nearly 300 patients.
(Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada serves in the Texas National Guard as state public affairs deputy. Army Col. William D. Meehan, state public affairs officer, contributed to this story.)
Mullen Praises Military Response to Hurricane Gustav
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today praised the U.S. military, in particular the National Guard, for its role in the government's response to Hurricane Gustav, which lashed the Louisiana coast yesterday. The National Guard has more than 14,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen deployed to the Gulf Coast, according to the latest Defense Department statistics, with troops manning security positions and evacuation vehicles.
"They've been called out in several states; they were called out early," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said of the Guardsmen in a Pentagon Channel podcast interview. "We made them available earlier, we supported them from the federal standpoint very early, and I know that that made a difference."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates authorized the call-up Aug. 31 for a period ending Sept. 15.
Mullen expressed gratitude for the Guard's effort so far, but stressed that assessments are ongoing to determine the effects of Gustav, which caused some 2 million people to evacuate their homes. He added that the military is now watching two other storms that ponentially could strike the U.S. coast.
"We're very much in preparation for the next two hurricanes, and I'm confident we'll do all we can to prepare for those disasters," he said.
The armed forces' response to Gustav assisted the overall government effort, Mullen said.
"We were able to plan for and prepare for this in a way that allowed us to, as a military, greatly assist the rest of government organizations, whether it was national, state or local governments," he said.
Mullen said the government learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina, which battered homes, flooded cities and led to widespread looting and death in 2005.
"We put those lessons into play, and done it in a way that ... [generated] a very positive outcome," he said, referring to the response to Gustav. "So I'm proud of our participation. The military has really made a difference here."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today praised the U.S. military, in particular the National Guard, for its role in the government's response to Hurricane Gustav, which lashed the Louisiana coast yesterday. The National Guard has more than 14,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen deployed to the Gulf Coast, according to the latest Defense Department statistics, with troops manning security positions and evacuation vehicles.
"They've been called out in several states; they were called out early," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said of the Guardsmen in a Pentagon Channel podcast interview. "We made them available earlier, we supported them from the federal standpoint very early, and I know that that made a difference."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates authorized the call-up Aug. 31 for a period ending Sept. 15.
Mullen expressed gratitude for the Guard's effort so far, but stressed that assessments are ongoing to determine the effects of Gustav, which caused some 2 million people to evacuate their homes. He added that the military is now watching two other storms that ponentially could strike the U.S. coast.
"We're very much in preparation for the next two hurricanes, and I'm confident we'll do all we can to prepare for those disasters," he said.
The armed forces' response to Gustav assisted the overall government effort, Mullen said.
"We were able to plan for and prepare for this in a way that allowed us to, as a military, greatly assist the rest of government organizations, whether it was national, state or local governments," he said.
Mullen said the government learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina, which battered homes, flooded cities and led to widespread looting and death in 2005.
"We put those lessons into play, and done it in a way that ... [generated] a very positive outcome," he said, referring to the response to Gustav. "So I'm proud of our participation. The military has really made a difference here."
Monday, September 01, 2008
Hurricane Gustav Slams Into Louisiana
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 1, 2008 - With Hurricane Gustav hitting the southwestern Louisiana coast, all preparations have been made. "Now, we pray," said an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency today. More than 7,000 National Guardsmen from Florida to Texas have been called up for state missions and are patrolling New Orleans and other cities and towns in the region. Active-duty military personnel are standing by ready to lend a hand if needed, FEMA officials said. U.S. Northern Command is working closely with civilian and state agencies along the Gulf Coast, and will provide needed capabilities if asked.
U.S. Transportation Command, based in Scott Air Force Base, Ill., coordinated the evacuation of 16,000 "special needs" citizens out of the affected areas. Canada sent a CC-177 Globemaster 3 aircraft – the Canadian version of the C-17 – to help evacuate people from Louisiana.
Dubbed Operation Unify, the CC-177 and Canadian Forces crew flew from Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont., to Lakefront, La., to aid in the evacuation. The aircraft is part of Canada Command – the Canadian Forces formation responsible for the conduct of all Canadian military routine and contingency domestic operations in North America. The command is working closely with its U.S. counterpart, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Transportation Command, as part of a whole of government approach to ensure appropriate support.
Gustav made landfall near Cocodrie, La., with near 110-mile-per-hour sustained winds. Storm surge could be up to 15 feet and could challenge the levees and flood control projects to the west and south of the city, officials said.
Forecasters said the storm is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. The winds in New Orleans should be somewhat less at a category 1 level – 74 to 95 miles per hour.
Once the storm moves ashore there is a chance it will breed tornadoes and drop significant amounts of rain on an area extending into Northern Louisiana and East Texas. Flooding is a real possibility in those areas, officials said.
"The Army Corps of Engineers informs me that while the levees are stronger than they've ever been, people across the Gulf Coast, especially in New Orleans, need to understand that in a storm of this size there is serious risk of significant flooding," President Bush said following an operations update at FEMA headquarters, yesterday.
President Bush declared the states federal disaster areas well in advance of the storm's approach to make delivering aid easier. Almost 2 million people evacuated in advance of Gustav's approach. News reports indicate the states and federal government's learned the lessons of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the evacuation went smoothly.
"The most important aspect was that people all over the Gulf Coast took this storm seriously," said the FEMA official.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 1, 2008 - With Hurricane Gustav hitting the southwestern Louisiana coast, all preparations have been made. "Now, we pray," said an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency today. More than 7,000 National Guardsmen from Florida to Texas have been called up for state missions and are patrolling New Orleans and other cities and towns in the region. Active-duty military personnel are standing by ready to lend a hand if needed, FEMA officials said. U.S. Northern Command is working closely with civilian and state agencies along the Gulf Coast, and will provide needed capabilities if asked.
U.S. Transportation Command, based in Scott Air Force Base, Ill., coordinated the evacuation of 16,000 "special needs" citizens out of the affected areas. Canada sent a CC-177 Globemaster 3 aircraft – the Canadian version of the C-17 – to help evacuate people from Louisiana.
Dubbed Operation Unify, the CC-177 and Canadian Forces crew flew from Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont., to Lakefront, La., to aid in the evacuation. The aircraft is part of Canada Command – the Canadian Forces formation responsible for the conduct of all Canadian military routine and contingency domestic operations in North America. The command is working closely with its U.S. counterpart, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Transportation Command, as part of a whole of government approach to ensure appropriate support.
Gustav made landfall near Cocodrie, La., with near 110-mile-per-hour sustained winds. Storm surge could be up to 15 feet and could challenge the levees and flood control projects to the west and south of the city, officials said.
Forecasters said the storm is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. The winds in New Orleans should be somewhat less at a category 1 level – 74 to 95 miles per hour.
Once the storm moves ashore there is a chance it will breed tornadoes and drop significant amounts of rain on an area extending into Northern Louisiana and East Texas. Flooding is a real possibility in those areas, officials said.
"The Army Corps of Engineers informs me that while the levees are stronger than they've ever been, people across the Gulf Coast, especially in New Orleans, need to understand that in a storm of this size there is serious risk of significant flooding," President Bush said following an operations update at FEMA headquarters, yesterday.
President Bush declared the states federal disaster areas well in advance of the storm's approach to make delivering aid easier. Almost 2 million people evacuated in advance of Gustav's approach. News reports indicate the states and federal government's learned the lessons of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the evacuation went smoothly.
"The most important aspect was that people all over the Gulf Coast took this storm seriously," said the FEMA official.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Guard Aids New Orleans Evacuation, Braces for Storm Mission
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 31, 2008 - With the full force of the Louisiana National Guard activated, more than 7,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen are assisting local authorities with evacuation and security efforts in New Orleans and performing dozens of other missions across the state as Hurricane Gustav approaches. As the Guard and the state brace for the powerful storm, each day brings new challenges that all agencies involved must work together to overcome. "Louisiana citizens and our governor needed the Guard, and we were there immediately, redirecting hundreds of troops to assist New Orleans with their evacuation plan," Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, Louisiana's adjutant general, said.
Guard soldiers began patrolling the streets of New Orleans yesterday, assisting with security as the area began evacuating citizens. They were scheduled to begin helping the state police with "contraflow" operations today, a process that converts normally inbound roads to handle outbound evacuation traffic.
About 400 National Guard soldiers and airmen are driving buses, transporting citizens to shelters across the state.
In other areas, convoys carrying more than 900 soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade arrived in Lake Charles, Napoleonville, Iowa, Breaux Bridge, Lake Charles and Rayne yesterday to assist civil authorities with evacuation and security of citizens moving from southwestern Louisiana on contraflow routes.
"One of our greatest strengths is that we are citizen-soldiers and live in the communities we serve, Landreneau said. "We are able to transition from our civilian careers to military roles quickly when called upon."
The activation of the 225th Engineer Brigade calls into service soldiers who are responsible for boat search-and-rescue missions, engineer assessment teams that will deploy to support coastal parishes, security teams and contraflow support.
As the Louisiana Guard activation has reached full potential, officials have called on sister states to support additional requirements created by Gustav's landfall, expected tomorrow afternoon. Battalions from Kentucky and Tennessee and 28 aircraft arrived in Louisiana yesterday, thanks to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual-support agreement among states.
A Guard military intelligence battalion already serving in hurricane operations has provided a Spanish-speaking soldier to relocate to New Orleans and assist residents in understanding instructions being given by the governor and other agencies.
In an advisory issued at 1 p.m. EDT today, the National Weather Service said Gustav was 270 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving toward the northwest at 17 mph. Though maximum sustained winds had dropped to 115 mph with higher gusts, forecasters said, it could regain Category 4 status tonight or tomorrow. A Category 4 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph.
Aug. 31, 2008 - With the full force of the Louisiana National Guard activated, more than 7,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen are assisting local authorities with evacuation and security efforts in New Orleans and performing dozens of other missions across the state as Hurricane Gustav approaches. As the Guard and the state brace for the powerful storm, each day brings new challenges that all agencies involved must work together to overcome. "Louisiana citizens and our governor needed the Guard, and we were there immediately, redirecting hundreds of troops to assist New Orleans with their evacuation plan," Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, Louisiana's adjutant general, said.
Guard soldiers began patrolling the streets of New Orleans yesterday, assisting with security as the area began evacuating citizens. They were scheduled to begin helping the state police with "contraflow" operations today, a process that converts normally inbound roads to handle outbound evacuation traffic.
About 400 National Guard soldiers and airmen are driving buses, transporting citizens to shelters across the state.
In other areas, convoys carrying more than 900 soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade arrived in Lake Charles, Napoleonville, Iowa, Breaux Bridge, Lake Charles and Rayne yesterday to assist civil authorities with evacuation and security of citizens moving from southwestern Louisiana on contraflow routes.
"One of our greatest strengths is that we are citizen-soldiers and live in the communities we serve, Landreneau said. "We are able to transition from our civilian careers to military roles quickly when called upon."
The activation of the 225th Engineer Brigade calls into service soldiers who are responsible for boat search-and-rescue missions, engineer assessment teams that will deploy to support coastal parishes, security teams and contraflow support.
As the Louisiana Guard activation has reached full potential, officials have called on sister states to support additional requirements created by Gustav's landfall, expected tomorrow afternoon. Battalions from Kentucky and Tennessee and 28 aircraft arrived in Louisiana yesterday, thanks to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual-support agreement among states.
A Guard military intelligence battalion already serving in hurricane operations has provided a Spanish-speaking soldier to relocate to New Orleans and assist residents in understanding instructions being given by the governor and other agencies.
In an advisory issued at 1 p.m. EDT today, the National Weather Service said Gustav was 270 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving toward the northwest at 17 mph. Though maximum sustained winds had dropped to 115 mph with higher gusts, forecasters said, it could regain Category 4 status tonight or tomorrow. A Category 4 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph.
Governor Calls Louisiana National Guard to Full Operational Status
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 30, 2008 - As 1,500 National Guard members arrived in New Orleans yesterday to support the city's police department and assist in executing civil support missions, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the activation of all available remaining Louisiana National Guard forces to assist with emergency operations in preparation for Hurricane Gustav. With the newly activated troops coming on board today, the total of Louisiana Guard members activated reaches 7,000.
Gustav, which grew to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, is bearing down on western Cuba today with sustained winds of more than 120 mph, and is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sept. 1 or early Sept. 2.
The Guard troops who arrived in New Orleans yesterday will safeguard homes and businesses during evacuation and instill confidence in the citizens, state Guard officials said.
The state's adjutant general assured residents of a response to Gustav that's based on lessons learned three years ago, when back-to-back hurricanes struck the region.
"The Louisiana National Guard is fully prepared for a hurricane disaster and has improved reaction times, communication and equipment resources by learning from hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau said. "Throughout the year, the Louisiana National Guard, in coordination with other state and local agencies has conducted numerous statewide emergency response exercises testing capabilities, and validating plans to improve overall efficiency and reaction time. These coordinated efforts were and continue to be crucial to our current success."
As state forces in Louisiana have reached a full operational capability status, neighboring states are preparing assets in the event they are needed as well.
The Louisiana National Guard has requested additional aviation assets and personnel through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact -- a mutual-support agreement -- to assist with meeting potential mission requirements, with the Arkansas National Guard responding and moving into place.
Headquarters 1-114th Aviation Battalion of North Little Rock, Ark., is sending 44 personnel to Esler Field in Pineville, La., to fill in for Louisiana's 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion of the 204th Theater Airfield Operations Group, currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Other neighboring states also have National Guard forces ready to deploy if additional support is needed, officials said.
(From a Louisiana National Guard news release.)
Aug. 30, 2008 - As 1,500 National Guard members arrived in New Orleans yesterday to support the city's police department and assist in executing civil support missions, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the activation of all available remaining Louisiana National Guard forces to assist with emergency operations in preparation for Hurricane Gustav. With the newly activated troops coming on board today, the total of Louisiana Guard members activated reaches 7,000.
Gustav, which grew to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, is bearing down on western Cuba today with sustained winds of more than 120 mph, and is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sept. 1 or early Sept. 2.
The Guard troops who arrived in New Orleans yesterday will safeguard homes and businesses during evacuation and instill confidence in the citizens, state Guard officials said.
The state's adjutant general assured residents of a response to Gustav that's based on lessons learned three years ago, when back-to-back hurricanes struck the region.
"The Louisiana National Guard is fully prepared for a hurricane disaster and has improved reaction times, communication and equipment resources by learning from hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau said. "Throughout the year, the Louisiana National Guard, in coordination with other state and local agencies has conducted numerous statewide emergency response exercises testing capabilities, and validating plans to improve overall efficiency and reaction time. These coordinated efforts were and continue to be crucial to our current success."
As state forces in Louisiana have reached a full operational capability status, neighboring states are preparing assets in the event they are needed as well.
The Louisiana National Guard has requested additional aviation assets and personnel through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact -- a mutual-support agreement -- to assist with meeting potential mission requirements, with the Arkansas National Guard responding and moving into place.
Headquarters 1-114th Aviation Battalion of North Little Rock, Ark., is sending 44 personnel to Esler Field in Pineville, La., to fill in for Louisiana's 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion of the 204th Theater Airfield Operations Group, currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Other neighboring states also have National Guard forces ready to deploy if additional support is needed, officials said.
(From a Louisiana National Guard news release.)
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