MILITARY CONTRACTS October 22, 2008

ARMY

AM General LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded Oct. 21, 2008, a $179,586,188 firm/ fixed price contract for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled vehicles to contract. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., with an estimated and completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. Bids solicited were via Broad Agency Announcement and nine bids were received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S-001).

CPP Construction Co., Gaithersburg, Md., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $14,850,000 firm/fixed price contract. Construct facilities at the Dalecarlia and McMillian Water Treatment Plants to replace existing chlorine storage and feed systems with aqueous hypochlorite storage. Work will be performed in Wash., with an estimated and completion date of July 3, 2010. Bids solicited were via the Web and nine bids were received. USA Corp of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity
(W912DR-09-C-0005).

Air Force

Assurance Technologies of Carlisle, Mass., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver, Colo., are being awarded cost plus incentive fee/fixed fee contracts for $29 million. This action will provide for Self-Awareness Space Situations Awareness acquisition, which is born out of the Air Force's need to provide threat-warning instruments or sensors for our nation's space-based assets. This two-year developmental project will work towards demonstrating a viable sensing capability, as well as integration, for high-value space assets to include detection, assessment and notification of any attribute interference or attacks from multiple threats. At this time $10 million per contract has been obligated. Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Superiority Systems Wing, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8819-09-C-0021 (AT) and FA8819-09-C-0023 (Lockheed)).

ATK Mission Research of Santa Barbara, Calif., is being awarded a cost plus incentive fee contract for $26,116,415. The contractor shall accomplish all the effort necessary to design, fabricate, install, and test the Space Threat Assessment Testbed (STAT) System to meet all specification requirements (one lot). The STAT will create a realistic space environment to perform developmental and early operational testing of space hardware for Department of Defense, national Reconnaissance Office, and other agencies against man-made threats and naturally occurring environmental phenomena. STAT will emulate the environmental conditions existing at various orbits and self-induced effects. Additionally, STAT will emulate man-made threats to perform real-time system test and evaluation. Finally, STAT will lay the foundation for near real-time connectivity to a satellite operations center for integrated system testing, training, tactics, techniques, and procedures development. This action is a 54-month effort. At this time $1 million has been obligated. AEDC/PKM, Arnold AFB, Tenn., is the contracting activity (FA9101-09-C-0002).

Missile Defense Agency Contract Award

Alliant Techsystems Inc. of Elkton, Maryland, is being awarded a $8,331,652 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for designing, fabricating and testing components as a risk reduction program for future unitary kill vehicle divert and attitude control systems. Award is in response to the Broad Agency Announcement HQ0006-06-MP-BAA. Work will be performed at Elkton, Maryland with an estimated completion date of January 2010. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HQ0006-08-C-0045). The contract will be incrementally funded by $850,000 using Fiscal Year 2008 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funds.

NAVY

Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. is being awarded a $5,851,025 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2104) for planning and design yard functions for Standard Navy Valves in support of Nuclear Powered Submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va. and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Navy Commissions Submarine New Hampshire

The Navy's newest attack submarine New Hampshire (SSN 778) will be commissioned Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

Sen. Judd Gregg will deliver the ceremony's principal address. The ship's sponsor, Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., is the widow of Lt. Cmdr. Thomas McGuinness, a veteran Navy pilot and co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when McGuinness gives the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

The fifth submarine of the Virginia-class, New Hampshire was delivered eight months early thanks to the Navy's on-going cost-reduction initiatives. This will mark the first time since 1996 that the Navy has commissioned two submarines of the same class in the same year -- USS North Carolina was commissioned in May.

Through their unique capabilities of stealth and endurance, Virginia-class submarines directly enable the Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, and maritime security. Equally adept at operating in the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, New Hampshire will significantly contribute to the mission areas of anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; special operations forces; strike; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare.

Cmdr. Mike Stevens, a native of Tacoma, Wash., will become the ship's first commanding officer, leading a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.

The 7,800-ton New Hampshire was built under a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. New Hampshire is 337 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at depths greater than 800 feet and at speeds exceeding 25 knots submerged. New Hampshire is also designed with a reactor plant which will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.

Additional information about this class of submarine is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .

Serbian, U.S. Officials View Balkans Regionally, Mullen Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - Serbian and American military officials understand the two nations disagree about Kosovo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today, but they recognize the relationship has to be about more than just that nation. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with Serbian President Boris Tadic last night and discussed ways the U.S. and Serbian militaries can work together.

Tadic recognizes that there is more to the U.S.-Serbian relationship than their disagreement on Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States quickly recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February.

Serbia has turned to the West, and is working to join the European Union. It is also a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, often a stepping-stone to full membership in the alliance. The nation is working to eliminate the barriers to full integration in the European economy and the Euro-Atlantic community, the chairman said.

This includes energetically searching for Ratko Mladic and other war criminals from the Bosnian war.

"I get the sense that they are focused on the underpinning of the military-to-military [relationship] and a future that has them as members of the European Union and NATO," Mullen said.

Serbia has a strong strategic commitment to keep tensions low and to make sure violence doesn't break out over Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States and Serbia must continue to make progress in Kosovo, he said, and the next big way is to support the European Union Rule of Law Commission in Kosovo.

"There is so much focus on security and stability in Kosovo that everything is seen through the prism of Kosovo," Mullen said. "We have got to look beyond Kosovo independence, because that isn't the end of the importance of the region. We have to focus on the Balkans writ large. I'm mindful to focus on Serbia as Serbia affects the region, and not just how Serbia affects Kosovo.

"There has to be a balance there," he said.

Mullen said he is pleased with the path of the military-to-military relationship between the United States and Serbia. "Part of that is the great relationship with the Ohio National Guard [as part of a Guard partnership program], but part of it is the general slope-up."

The chairman said he'd like to see Serbian forces working alongside U.S. forces in actual operations. "You can only learn so much from training," he said. "There's always learning that goes on from a real-world operation."

Police Union Signs Statement of Support for Guardsmen, Reservists

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

Oct. 21, 2008 - The National Fraternal Order of Police formalized its support here yesterday for the men and women who wear both the military uniform and that of their local law enforcement agencies. "I don't know of any other profession that has as many people in the National Guard and Reserve as law enforcement," said Chuck Canterbury, president of the Police union. "It just seems like the two go hand in hand. I'd just like to apologize that we haven't done this before."

Canterbury signed his organization's commitment to ensure job security as well as employee benefits for its police officer in the nation's military reserve components and their families during war and peacetime. The organization understands the requirements and essential roles military volunteers hold in preserving national security, he said.

"So many of our members are in the Guard or Reserves, and we just wanted to show our support and make sure the people that are mobilized are remembered and taken care of," Canterbury said. "Law enforcement and the military are both highly regarded by the national public, and it's always good for these groups to speak in a united voice."

Now that the National Fraternal Order of Police has formally affirmed support of its military members and the federal government, the next step is to challenge local chapters and lodges nationwide to make the same commitment, he said.

"The next step is to go out to our 2,200 lodges and chapters throughout the country and having them sign a show of support," he said. "We've just done it at the national level, so now we've got to do it at the local levels, so they will know what we're doing."

The Fraternal Order of Police is more than 320,000 members strong and is the most affected among organizations working with the Defense Department's National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs.

"This show of commitment is going to mean a lot throughout the country," Hall said. "Service as a police officer is very compatible with that of military service. With that, the support of organizations like the [Fraternal Order of Police], who understand the rules and the laws and go far beyond that, are critical."

ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve-component members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. It is the lead Defense Department organization for this mission.

Airman Missing In Action From Wwii is Identified

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

He is 2nd Lt. Ray D. Packard, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Atwood, Calif. He will be buried on Oct. 22 in Prescott, Ariz.

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

On Aug. 25, 1944, Packard was a pilot in a flight of 22 P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft that left the allied airfield at St. Lambert, France, to attack enemy airfields near Laon-Chambry, France. Enroute to their target, the fighter group was intercepted by more than 80 German fighters near Beauvais, France. During the ensuing dogfight, 11 P-38s were shot down, including Packard's which crashed 15 miles south of Beauvais near the town of Angy. Five of the pilots escaped and evaded enemy capture and two were taken as prisoners of war. Of the four men who were missing in action, three were later recovered and identified, but Packard remained unaccounted-for.

In 1951, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Command team investigated the incident and interviewed a French citizen who said he recovered human remains from a P-38 crash site in Angy. The team also interviewed the mayor of Angy who said that the remains had been buried in a local cemetery, but had later been exhumed and he didn't know what happened after the disinterment. The team went to the crash site, but only found small pieces of aircraft wreckage.

In 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team traveled to Angy to investigate the incident. The team interviewed the son of the French citizen interviewed in 1951. He turned over to the team human remains and other non-biological evidence recovered from the crash site. The team interviewed another French citizen, an aircraft wreckage hunter, who turned over remains and other evidence from an excavation that he conducted at the site.

In 2006 and 2007, JPAC teams conducted two excavations and recovered more human remains, aircraft wreckage, and material evidence including Packard's identification tag.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons in the identification of Packard's remains.

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

Defense Department at Forefront of Energy Conservation, Official Says

By Navy Seaman William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - The Defense Department is constantly looking for ways to proactively conserve and reuse energy, a department official said. "We're really leading the nation in looking at energy and considering energy," Mindy Montgomery, deputy director for investment, Office of the Director for Defense Research and Engineering, said during a teleconference with bloggers Oct. 20.

Montgomery said that every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oilraises the DoD's fuel spending by $1.3 billion per year. The department has spent $3 billion to $5 billion extra each year due to the price increase over the last couple years, she said.

But energy conservation does more than help to compensate for rising prices, Montgomery said. It makes operational sense, too, she noted.

"Seventy percent of the convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel and water," she said. "So if we can reduce those, we can reduce all the security assets that go along with all ... these convoys."

While DoD has made progress in energy conservation, Montgomery said, it still has a long way to go.

"Since 2005 we've reduced our total energy consumption by 6 percent," Montgomery said. "On the installation side, since 2003, we've reduced our demand by 10 percent."

Unfortunately, reduced energy consumption doesn't automatically translate to money saved, Montgomery said. DoD has spent $13 billion in total energy costs since 2005 due to rising fuel costs, she said.

"I'd like to say we've saved, but unfortunately, energy costs have gone way up," Montgomery said. "Even though we've reduced consumption, it still costs us more in the long run."

Montgomery said that some electricity costs have stabilized, which should lead to savings in the near future. Installation-specific improvements also should lead to savings, she said.

To reduce energy consumption at installations, the department created the Power Surety Task Force to focus on combatant commanders' energy needs, Montgomery said. For instance, in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers were using tents that were worn out and were not energy efficient, Montgomery said. The task force recently found a substance called installation foam to spray on the tents, which is reducing energy consumption by about 30 percent.

"Now, we're keeping the air inside," Montgomery said. "By the way, the tents are actually about 20 percent cooler than they ever got with the air conditioning," she added.

Montgomery estimated that the DoD will save about $400,000 a day and take about 13 fuel trucks off the roads a day as a result of using the insulation foam.

The Department also is looking at more efficient turbine engines for aircraft, more fuel-efficient engines for the next generation Humvee, and other alternatives that may decrease energy and fuel costs, Montgomery added.

"That program is run by the Army tank and automotive command," she said. "They're looking at different drivetrains, different kinds of engines, [and] different power systems on the vehicle."

Montgomery said the task force also has been focusing on modifying technologies and looking for new methods of power generation.

"We actually just opened a solar farm [that produces] over 14 megawatts in Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada," she said. "We've also, for the last 20 years, had a geothermal plant at China Lake [Naval Air Weapons Station, Calif.]," she added. "I want to say it produces somewhere between 180 and 200 megawatts."

Officials also are looking at expanding its use of geothermal power generation, which uses heat from the Earth.

(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS October 21, 2008

Navy

EDO Communications and Countermeasures Systems, Inc., Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded a $205,802,682 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-07-C-6311 for the production and support of 2,866 JCREW 2.1 Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems to meet urgent Department of Defense (DoD) requirements in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vehicle-mounted CREW systems are one element of the DoD's Joint Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare program. Spiral 2.1 CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices. This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of CREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. The Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of Defense's Joint IED Defeat Organization. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif. and is expected to be completed by April 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $17,409,817 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical and engineering services for communications-electronics advanced technology systems supporting the special communications requirements division of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland. The estimated level of effort for this option is 150,028 man-hours. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Md. (70 percent) and St. Inigoes, Md. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured by electronic solicitation, with three firms solicited and one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md. is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0016).

ARMY

Grandis Inc, Milpitas, Calif., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $6,048,181 cost/sharing contract. This program relates to DARPA Spin /Torque/Transfer/Random /Access/Memory technologies program. The goal of this program is to develop materials and processes to fully exploit the spin/torque transfer phenomenon for creating universal memory elements. Work will be performed in Milpitas, Calif., Charlottesville, Va., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., with an estimated and completion date of Oct. 20, 2012. Bids solicited were via broad agency announcement and nine bids were received. Defense advanced research projects agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0023).

America Supports You: New Jersey Guardsmen to Benefit from Joint Event

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - A day-long event Oct. 18, hosted by five branches of a major retailer, netted a plethora of items for Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon to pack up and ship to members of the New Jersey Army National Guard. Food, personal care items, small electronics, entertainment items and cash donations were collected in bins placed in five Best Buy stores to benefit New Jersey units, said Alan Krutchkoff, Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon's president.

"We've found that people enjoy connecting with our troops, especially when their donations reach soldiers from the local area," he said. "Best Buy is helping us make that happen, and it's very exciting to partner with this community-minded organization."
The event was sponsored by the chain's "Women's Leadership Forum."

"The WOLF mission is to engage and inspire female employees and customers and create new opportunities for Leadership, networking and community service," said Amie Gustanski, senior project manager. "Supporting [Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon] not only fits in with this mission, but also enables our employees and customers to feel engaged and provide valuable community service to our local soldiers and their families."

Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is included on the America Supports You Web site. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that communicates citizen support to military members and their families.

Gates Honors Career Civilian Employees for Service, Dedication

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today honored career civilian employees from throughout the department, crediting them with providing extraordinary support to warfighters and their families while improving efficiency and saving taxpayer dollars. Gates presented seven employees the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the highest department honor recognizing exceptional contributions by a civil servant. He also presented the David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award that recognizes a nonmanagerial department employee who exhibits potential as a future federal executive.

"It has been an honor to work with the people in this department – professionals whose overriding priority is the defense of our nation," Gates told the honorees.

He noted the broad range of pursuits in which the group has excelled: providing housing for troops, fielding new weapons systems while ensuring support for troops in the field, teaching safety training to foreign partners, helping to stand up U.S. Africa Command, negotiating treaties with allies and training new leaders.

Gates conceded that it's not always fashionable in Washington to honor federal government employees, and that some politicians have been elected by criticizing the people they seek to lead.

"During my career, however, I have dealt with governments all over the world, and have found that the United States has the most dedicated, most honest and most capable public servants of any," he said.

The secretary praised dedicated career employees he said provide stability through leadership changes. "You are the foundation that allows the Defense Department, the largest and most complex organization on the planet, to operate smoothly and efficiently," he said.

"Public service can often seem to be a thankless job," he said, adding that he counsels young people to accept the challenges because, "in truth, the satisfactions far outnumber the difficulties."

Gates told today's honorees their decision to dedicate themselves to public service "is to the betterment of our 2.7 million men and women serving in the active and reserve armed forces and to our leaders here."

Michael L. Rhodes, acting director for the DoD Office of Administration and Management and host of today's awards ceremony, said the award recipients demonstrate the tremendous dedication public servants take on every day.

The winners were selected through an extensive review process that culminated in 25 nominations, Rhodes said. Ultimately, those chosen for honors today "have truly set themselves apart and proved themselves worthy," he said.

Honorees awarded today were:

-- Stephen A. Fleet, director of Missile Defense Agency's Warfighter Support Center, who was recognized for excellence in leading the center through rapid changes while providing vital support to the warfighter community;

-- Steven M. Huybrechts, a director in the DoD Networks and Information Integration Office, for championing the strategy that provided precision targeting, secure unmanned aerial vehicle operations while denying these capabilities to the enemy;

-- Frank D. Kenlon, a director in the DoD Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Office, for his roles as the lead negotiator on the Joint Strike Fighter memorandum of understanding and in drafting and negotiating the U.S.-United Kingdom and U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties.

-- Claudia S. Knott, the Defense Logistics Agency's acquisition management director, for leading programs that transformed the agency's business practices while improving customer service in its global logistics mission.

-- Barbara Estock Mays, deputy intelligence enterprise manager for the Defense Intelligence Agency, for applying innovative approaches to transfer responsibilities and design an intelligence enterprise for the new U.S. Africa Command.

-- John K. Russell, tactical safety specialist for Marine Corps Base Hawaii's Base Safety Center, for developing the Marine Corps' forward-deployed ground safety program during Operation Iraqi Freedom II that provided a model for follow-on operations there; and

-- Edmund G. Zelnio, an engineer in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Sensor Automatic Target Recognition Technology Division, for contributions leading to the successful deployment of new sensor and sensor exploitation technologies in numerous weapons systems.

Gates also presented Umit A. Spencer the David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award. Spencer, housing maintenance contract monitor with the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, was honored for excellence in improving and maintaining 1,474 military family housing units, 48 playgrounds and five athletic courts.

Mullen Meets With Russian Counterpart in Helsinki

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with his Russian counterpart here today in the first face-to-face meeting between the two powers since Russia's invasion of Georgia in August. The Russians requested the meeting between Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Gen. Nikolai Makarov, officials said.

Makarov, who was installed as the chief of the General Staff in June, presided over Russia's incursion into Georgia over the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhasia.

Mullen spoke on the phone with the new Russian military leader when the crisis broke on Aug. 6, a senior U.S. military official, speaking on background, told reporters. The chairman appreciated the fact that there was an open line of communication between Washington and the Kremlin at that critical time, the official said.

The conversations covered the flight of U.S. Air Force C-17 transport jets carrying Georgian troops serving in Iraq back to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, and later, the USS Mount Whitney carrying humanitarian supplies to the port of Poti. Makarov gave assurances that Russia would not interfere, the official said.

The two men disagree on many points, but they could still maintain a dialogue and are looking to work together where the two nations can, the official said.

Today's meeting is not a replacement for a formal visit, the official said. Mullen hosted the previous Russian defense chief in Washington in December, and had been invited to Russia for a reciprocal visit in July. The change in command stopped that visit.

With no set agenda, the official said, Mullen entered the meeting ready to listen to whatever Makarov wished to discuss.

Officials regard the meeting itself as a positive sign. Strategically, it is important to have a dialogue with Russia, and the United States and Russia must sustain a relationship, the official said. The two nations will disagree on some issues – Georgia would head the list now – but there are other areas, such as Iran, where there should be agreement, the official said.

Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons and is looking to deploy them. Those weapons would have the range to target Europe and Russia, and within seven to 10 years, could hit the United States, the official said.

Intelligence services in the United States and Russia know that Iran is developing these weapons, the official noted, adding that the threat emanating from Iran should be enough to convince the Russians that the missile defense system to be based in the Czech Republic and Poland is for defense against Iran and is not aimed at countering Russian weapons.

National Guard Gains in Full-Time Manning, Controlled Grades

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - An increase in full-time manning for the Army National Guard and controlled grades for both the Army and Air National Guard were included in the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Bush on Oct. 14. The increase in full-time manning for the Army National Guard authorizes an additional 3,564 personnel, including 2,110 Active Guard Reserve slots above the budget request.

National Guard officials said it is the biggest increase in the Army Guard in 22 years.

"Full-time manning is a critical component to increasing readiness in the Army National Guard," said Army Col. Marianne Watson, the Army National Guard's personnel chief. "The full-time manning increases will be targeted to support personnel readiness, transformation initiatives and increasing unit level readiness throughout all 54 states and territories.

"This growth, although significant, must be continued to fully support the transition of the ARNG from the strategic reserve construct to an operational force," Watson said.

The increase in controlled grades for full-time officers and senior enlisted members of the Army and Air National Guard will help to reduce delays in promotions. This applies to lieutenant colonels and colonels in the Air Guard, and first sergeants, master sergeants and sergeants major, as well as majors through colonels, for the Army Guard.

"The increase in Air National Guard controlled grades and military construction authorizations will provide needed flexibility to the ANG as it continues to bed down critical new Air Force missions to meet our responsibilities to the combatant commanders and our governors," said Air Force Col. Jeffrey A. Lewis, director of Manpower, Personnel and Services for the Air National Guard.

National Guard officials said this increase provides a total of more than 1,000 new Active Guard Reserve promotion opportunities across the National Guard.

Other major National Guard provisions included in the NDAA include:

-- Mobilized officers can be considered for unit vacancy promotions back at home.

-- The president and governors can consent to the appointment of a National Guard officer for "dual hat" status in advance of actually taking command of forces, which will guarantee continuity of command. This section of the legislation also specifies that they will not be subject to the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits federal military personnel and units of the National Guard under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States.

-- The age limit for chaplains and medical officers increases from age 64 to 68, which equalizes the age limits between the reserve and active-duty components.

-- Funding was authorized for seven Army joint cargo aircraft, but none for the Air Force program.

-- For fiscal 2009, Congress appropriated $22.9 billion for the National Guard, which is an additional $1.2 billion, or 5.4 percent, over the president's request of $21.6 billion.

-- The Army Guard's operations and maintenance account and the Air Guard's personnel account were funded below the president's request, but all other accounts were appropriated more than requested, National Guard officials said.

-- The law also authorizes a 3.9 percent pay raise for servicemembers, to take effect Jan. 1. This represents a 0.5 percent increase over the president's initial request.

-- Funds were appropriated to continue action on recommendations of the president's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors. Defense Department officials said the funds will ensure world-class health and rehabilitative care to warfighters who are wounded, ill or injured in service to the nation.

(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

Mullen Offers Reassurance to Baltic Republics

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - Following a meeting this morning in Helsinki, Finland, with his Russian counterpart, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff traveled here to discuss defense issues with Latvian officials. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, accompanied by Latvian Brig. Gen. Juris Maklakovs, the chief of defense, discussed defense and NATO issues with Latvian President Vladis Zatlers, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and Defense Minister Vinets Veldre.

The Baltic republics – all members of NATO – are nervous following Russia's invasion of Georgia in August. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia all want more precise NATO defense plans in the wake of the Russian action in the Caucasus. Mullen said his trip is designed to assuage some of the nations' concerns.

"One of the reasons I am here is to send a very visible message of reassurance," the chairman said during a news conference with Zatlers.

Alliance members are having discussions on the Russian actions and all nations remain committed to staying unified on the Georgia invasion, the chairman said. "It's been pretty clear across the board that NATO was not accepting in any way, shape or form what Russia has done in Georgia," he said.

"All of us are concerned by the recent invasion into Georgia of Russia," Mullen said. "In my past experience in NATO, I've always tried to understand the views of the Baltic [republics] because of the history and how they view what has happened. Those are part of the conversations we have had today. I think it is very important that ... NATO recognizes what the alliance means and the responsibilities and obligations that go with it."

NATO fighters guard the Baltic nations' airspace and perform the peacetime air defense and air policing function. U.S. Air Force F-15 aircraft based at Lakenheath, England, currently have that mission as part of NATO.

The mission over the Baltic republics is an important one, Mullen said. The alliance had a recent exercise of that mission, he noted. All nations realize its importance to the alliance and to the Baltic nations, he said, though he would not go into specifics about air police plans or specific scenarios used to train the NATO flyers.

"It is a NATO mission that many nations have stepped up to in the past and will continue, certainly through 2011," Mullen said.

The chairman thanked Latvia for its support in the Balkans and for sending personnel to Afghanistan.

Dialogue With Russian Defense Chief Encourages Mullen

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today he is encouraged that his Russian counterpart reached out to keep the dialogue between the two countries open. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met Russian army Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the General Staff, here this morning. The mood of the meeting was positive, Mullen said during an interview with reporters traveling with him following the meeting.

The chairman would not discuss the specifics of the meeting, but did sketch the general nature of the talks. He told reporters he went to listen and wanted to hear what Makarov had to say and what concerns he has.

The two men discussed Georgia, operations in the Black Sea, Afghanistan, and the relationship between NATO and Russia. While Russia has isolated itself with its invasion of Georgia in August, the United States and Russia have been able to cooperate in other areas, Mullen said. Russia, for example, has supported the U.S. position on Afghanistan in the United Nations Security Council, he noted.

"The most important part of [today's meeting] was the dialogue and the commitment to continue the dialogue ... into the future and not put us into an all-on or all-off situation," Mullen said. "Obviously, the relationship has changed because of what happened in Georgia, but by no means does it – or should it – end."

Mullen said he does not believe the two countries have cut off all relations, "nor do I believe that it should resume on the old plan, like Georgia didn't occur." The relationship should be somewhere in the middle of that continuum, he said.

"As I pointed out during the meeting, even in the darkest days of the Cold War, we were talking to each other," he said.

The chairman said his Russian counterpart was personable and engaging. "I would characterize these as discussions," he said. "[They were] not by rote or by reading a script. So it was an engagement, and it was a meaningful engagement across a lot of important areas."

The two men covered other areas of mutual concern including the threat of Iran, counter-terrorism, counter-drug strategy and combating weapons of mass destruction, Mullen said. Concrete proposals would come out of the meeting, he added, but he wouldn't discuss them.

The chairman said he was encouraged by the opportunity to speak face-to-face with Makarov, and that he is pleased that his Russian counterpart wants to stay engaged and involved.

"It's also very important for all of us to walk the walk, not just talk the talk," he said.

Defense Media Activity Officially Stands Up with Pentagon Ceremony

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

Oct. 20, 2008 - The Defense Media Activity gives public affairs within the Defense Department a new structure to move forward as a consolidated and integrated team, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during the organization's activation ceremony at the Pentagon today. "This is where jointness really pays off," England said. "But this is an area where jointness has real dividends, and it's hugely important that we do this."

Born out of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's 2005 conclusions, the Defense Media Activity will unite DoD internal information programs -- the Army Broadcasting Service, Soldiers Radio and TV, the Soldiers Media Center, the Naval Media Center, the Air Force News Agency, Marine Corps internal information assets and the Army and Air Force Hometown News Service with the American Forces Information Service -- under one roof at Fort Meade, Md., in 2011. Meanwhile, the new activity will operate with its components in place at their current locations.

American Forces Radio and Television Service, American Forces Press Service, the Pentagon Channel, Stars and Stripes and the Joint Combat Camera Center are among the offices that transferred to the new activity.

The activity will work under the direction of the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

"[The new structure] helps consolidate organizations to do a better job in terms of the quality [and] timeliness of a product," England said. "Now we have a consolidated organization where we can bring people from all these different functions together in one place, under one organizational structure, and my judgment is that this will be vastly superior to how we have operated in the past."

Army Col. Mike Galloucis, chief of staff for the Defense Media Activity, and Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Al Moore, the activity's senior enlisted advisor, unfurled the new organization's colors, marking the activity's official activation.

Robert T. Hastings Jr., principal deputy assistant defense secretary for public affairs, said the activation is one of the most significant changes to happen to public affairs in a lifetime because of the opportunities for improvements it affords to Defense Department public affairs.

"What we have is the opportunity to fundamentally look at the way we deliver news and information to the men and women of the armed forces and their families, and determine if that's right, and look at how we can make improvements," Hastings said.

The change in how the Defense Department provides news and information "represents the fact that we are one Department of Defense, and we do operate jointly," he said.

The idea is that teams of reporters, photographers, videographers and TV producers will deploy to an area and send command information products back. Experts at the activity can package the reports for distribution by any media. "The DMA is how we will deliver that," he said.

The concept of operations for the new activity is still developing, Hastings said. The activity's focus will be more on information and audience, and less about the medium used.

"[With the DMA], we're able to improve efficiencies in the back office," he said. It'll free up resources to support the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that are delivering. No one can even imagine yet what the DMA can provide.

U.S., Serbian Leaders Discuss New Ways to Cooperate

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - The military-to-military relationship between the United States and Serbia is growing closer, the top military officers of both countries said here today. Serbian Army Chief of Defense Gen. Zdravko Ponos and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to reporters following their meeting on the relationship.

Mullen is the highest-ranking U.S. officer to visit Belgrade since General of the Army Omar Bradley did so in 1951. He said the two men had a good, candid and productive meeting. "I always learn a great deal coming out and meeting someone face to face," Mullen said.

The relationship between the United States and Serbia is difficult. The United States participated in Operation Allied Force – a 72-day NATO bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999 that forced the nation to withdraw military and paramilitary units out of Kosovo. Following U.S. recognition of Kosovo's independence earlier this year, a mob attacked the U.S. embassy here and burned part of it.

Still, the United States and Serbia must work together for peace in the region and beyond, Mullen said.

"This is a friendship that has weathered many trials and grown stronger and stronger with each additional contact," he said. "We are also partners, and partnerships are very important in the 21st century."

The Serb Army is seeking to modernize, and the United States can help, the chairman said. Serbian officers are attending U.S. staff and war colleges, and Serbian cadets attend the U.S. military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Serb military leaders also are working to establish a modern noncommissioned officer corps, modeled after the U.S. example. But cooperation in the region is most important, Mullen said.

"Serbia's cooperation with [NATO's Kosovo Force] in the Joint Implementation Council has been greatly appreciated, and your interest in modernizing your military through the Partnership for Peace program is commendable," he said.

The chairman called Ponos a strong partner in a vital region where "security and stability continue to be incredibly important to achieve and sustain."

Both men agreed that their two countries have totally different opinions of Kosovo and that this complicates the relationship. Serbs regard Kosovo as an integral part of their nation, even though only a small number of ethnic Serbs live there.

"These are very complicated political relations in which the military has to cooperate," Ponos said through an interpreter.

The relations between the two countries have come a long way since the low point of the late 1990s. After the democratically elected government came into power following the fall of Serb strongman Slobodon Milosevic, the United States and Serbia began rebuilding the military-to-military relationship. Now, "there is too big an investment to be pulled down," Ponos said.

"Under such difficult political relations, economic relations between the two nations continue to grow," he said. "Cultural relations continue to grow, too. Why shouldn't military relations continue to grow, even though those are the most difficult aspect of it all?"

The Serb military chief said that every generation of leaders must continue to build relations. "Everything they are doing should be putting one more brick into the relationship for the generation to come," he said.

Mullen said that although the nations are separated on Kosovo, they share much common ground.

"We are in complete agreement on the success of the military-to-military engagements," the chairman said, "not just on paper, [but also] on the ground, where we are able to exchange and assist and make a difference for the future.

"Most importantly," he said, "what we continue to agree on is that these developments occur in an environment that does not have violence in it, and we continue to move ahead peacefully with respect to Kosovo and, indeed, in the region."

Mullen said he is not in Serbia to dictate to the Serb military leaders what they should do. Rather, he said, he is here to listen to the leaders, address their concerns, and find new ways to work together.

Group Helps Military Families Take Flight

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - While on patrol in northern Iraq last year, Army Spc. Kevin Hardin of Jupiter, Fla., was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered injuries to his hands and arms. As a result, some of his fingers were amputated. Shrapnel penetrated his skull, leaving inoperable injuries. Twenty surgeries later, and while recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Hardin wrote to Luke's Wings, a Washington-based group that provides travel tickets and travel agency services for families of wounded servicemembers. He asked if the group could arrange for his mother and brothers to join his father at his side as he faced yet another operation.

"By purchasing travel agency services and travel tickets for loved ones, Luke's Wings provides an immediate and invaluable service to families of our men and women in the Armed Forces," Fletcher Gill, co-founder of Luke's Wings, said. "We receive about one request per month. I believe once the word gets out, we will see a flood of requests, and we will try to fill all of them."

Recognizing the immediate need for families to be with their loved ones after being wounded in combat, Luke's Wings provides them with the means to visit their servicemembers during hospitalization and rehabilitation at Walter Reed and at the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Md.

Since its inception in December, Luke's Wings has purchased eight tickets and has helped three families travel to the Washington area to visit servicemembers.

Luke's Wings has raised nearly $30,000 in 10 months, mostly through fundraisers and private and corporate donations. A recent fundraiser, a 1940s-style cocktail party at a local club, attracted some 200 guests who donned period attire and military uniforms to dance the night away.

"We not only raised enough money to pay for our next family," Gill said, "but had enough left over to finance a minimum of two more families."

The idea to create Luke's Wings came when co-founder Sarah Wingfield, then a Washington Redskins football team ambassador, visited Walter Reed to sign autographs and entertain veterans receiving treatment. There, she met a soldier she refers to as Luke, a triple amputee struggling to accept what had happened to him.

From talking to him and seeing his need to have his family around for support, she met with Gill, her long-time friend, to create Luke's Wings. Families such as the Hardin's are glad such an organization exists.

"We are so very thankful our son is alive," Terry Hardin said. "We have Luke's Wings to thank for making it possible for us to visit with him this year for yet another surgery. They will never be forgotten for what they have done for us." Her son is still recovering at Walter Reed.

Luke's Wings is included on the America Supports You Web site. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that communicates citizen support to the men and women serving in the nation's armed forces and their families.

Mullen Arrives in Belgrade for Talks With Serb Leaders

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen today became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to visit this European capital. The chairman is visiting the largest nation of what once was Yugoslavia to work to improve American military-to-military relations with Serbia.

The United States was part of NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia over Kosovo in 1999. The alliance operated under a U.N. mandate to force the government of Slobodon Milosevic to withdraw all military and paramilitary forces from Kosovo and allow foreign peacekeepers into the nation.

Buildings in downtown Belgrade still show signs of the bombing campaign.

Mullen arrived aboard an Air Force C-32 and was whisked to the American embassy, which itself is an example of the tension in U.S.-Serb relations. Following Kosovo's declaration of independence in February, mobs set fire to the older portion of the building. Kosovo has great symbolic meaning to the Serbian people, and is regarded by many of them as an essential part of the nation.

Still, the Serbian leadership is committed to the West and is seeking to join the European Union. The nation is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program – usually a steppingstone to alliance membership.

At the embassy, Mullen met with U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter and the American country team. After the briefing, the chairman moved to Topchider Barracks for a full-honors arrival ceremony hosted by Serbia's chief of defense, Gen. Zdravko Ponos. Mullen and Ponos met privately and then continued discussions over lunch.

The admiral then went to the Defense Ministry, where he met Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac. He is scheduled to have dinner with President Boris Tadic.

Face of Defense: Passion for Teaching Drives Instructor

By Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - When he graduated from Air Force basic training six years ago, he knew he'd be back one day, "pushing" his own flight of fledgling airmen through their first military paces. But Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Coltrin didn't know he not only would push Air Force basic trainees as a military training instructor, but also would go to Iraq and help Iraqi basic training instructors push their recruits.

Two years into his MTI tour at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Coltrin is deployed to the 370th Expeditionary Training Squadron here as an air advisor to Iraqi basic military training instructors.

"I love discipline. I love drill. I love the extreme passion for being the best you can possibly be," the native of Lake Charles, La., said. "I knew it would be tough to come back, but I always knew I'd end up back at Lackland.

Coltrin said his work in Iraq doesn't differ much from his work at his home station.

"We interact with our Iraqi instructor teams here the same as we would young MTIs back at Lackland," he said. "We advise them of the best way to operate, and then let them do things their way. Then if things don't go right, we help them make fixes."

Coltrin has taken advising the Iraqis full throttle by learning not only the Queen's drill movements, the British-style that Iraqi airmen use, but also Arabic drill commands.

"I messed up a few times while calling commands, but they covered for me," he said.

Teaching is Coltrin's passion. One could even say it's a family affair. His mother, Tama Ray, is an assistant principal at J.I. Watson Middle School in Iowa, La. His sister is a teacher, and his wife, Renee, also teaches.

"For me, teaching and being able to work with people is about being able to mentor and influence someone's life," he said. "It's about making them better than they were before you met them. That's what I get out of this job more than anything."

Before becoming an MTI, Coltrin spent four years as an F-15 Eagle avionics technician. But since earning his distinctive MTI hat, which is adorned with a coveted "blue rope," an honor bestowed on the top 10 percent of the MTI corps.

"When you put that blue rope on your hat, you are the walking example of the MTI. You have to be on your best behavior at all times," Coltrin said. "You've got to lead by example, and you become more focused on the betterment of the corps itself, not just the trainees.

"I always set my standards extremely high," he continued, but any way the Air Force wants to use me would be outstanding. I just really love the Air Force."

(Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland serves at U.S. Air Forces Central.)

Virtual Community for Military Families Meets Live in San Antonio

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - SpouseBuzz, a support group that connects military spouses online, held its fifth live conference here over the weekend. SpouseBuzz allows spouses to get advice and find resources that might not be readily available in their surrounding community as part of a growing trend toward online communities and discussion forums that are becoming a staple, especially for next-generation military families, Andi Hurley, the organization's founder, said.

"Essentially, SpouseBuzz is like a virtual family readiness support center," Hurley said during her opening remarks at the live conference. "When we used to [move to a new duty station], we would just get right up and drive -- there was no research online. Now, you can leave information for a spouse that's coming behind you."

One of SpouseBuzz's members, a military husband who writes by the code name of "Toad," echoed this concern, explaining the need for an increased awareness of online resources in military communities.

"We are dealing with a different demographic of military families," he said. "The first place these kids go to get information about the base is online. They won't come into our facilities. If we don't have information online, we can't reach them."

Another SpouseBuzz "author," Ginger, founder of the troop-support group Sew Much Comfort, agreed.

"Back in the day," she said, "advisors were readily available to talk you through the process of moving to a new base. But these new families want to be able to access all the information about services and groups on the Internet."

Amanda and Amber, 28 and 23 respectively, are Army wives stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, who represent this new generation of military spouses who rely on the Internet as a primary resource. The two found out about the SpouseBuzz conference from an e-mailed newsletter they received from Military.com, a private-enterprise online news resource for the military.

"I use the Internet to communicate with my husband primarily, so it's just so much easier to find information there," Amanda explained. "Message boards are so much more useful than finding groups on base. I even use online financial calculators to handle the finances while my husband is away."

Amber agreed that the Internet is a vital component of modern life. "I take classes online because I need a career and school that's portable, so it's the best place to find information," she said. "It's a good way to get to know people and find people that are like you instead of only connecting with the people in your family support group."

The live conference, though, is an opportunity to combine the online and physical community, allowing spouses to connect in person.

"Conversations on the blog are now going to take place here, in person," Hurley said. The conference was free to spouses, and topics ranged from humorous accounts of civilian misperceptions of the military life to real-life accounts such as the struggle of caring for a wounded servicemember.

Aside from providing a place for spouses to connect, the event also served as a way to introduce spouses who are less familiar with online resources to what's out there.

"One of the biggest challenges is finding and recruiting the young military spouses for support groups like the spouses' clubs," said Jeanette Hawk of the Navy Wives Club. "I can't wait to get home and get on the computer and say I'm on a blog."

"I'm trying to get up to speed," another military spouse said. "I don't use the Internet enough. In fact, I found out about the conference from a friend, but I am definitely going to use this blog now."

Online support groups, message boards, and social networks are just a few of the online resources that are becoming second nature to new and old military spouses, and these resources will continue to grow as the need arises.

"As 'milspouses,' when we see the need, we just automatically move to fill it," Hurley said.

(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

MILITARY CONTRACT October 20, 2008

Army

Thales-Raytheon Systems Company LLC, Fullerton, Calif., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $217,967,106 firm fixed price contract for 60 Reliability Maintainability Improvement production modification kits and 77 power amplifier modules in support of the Firefinder AN/TPQ-37 Reliability Maintainability Improvement Program. Work will be performed in Fullerton, Calif., with an estimated and completion date of May 31, 2013. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contractW15P7T-06-D-T001).

Rush-Peak Three, Titusville, Fla., was awarded Oct. 16, 2008, a $9,243,000 firm fixed fee price contract for construction of a multi-story parking garage within the headquarters of U.S. Special Operations Command compound at MacDill Air force Base, Florida. Work will be performed in MacDill Air force Base, Tampa, Fla., with an estimated and completion date of Feb. 27, 2010. Bids solicited were via the FedBizOpps and four bids were received. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-09-C-0003).

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunitions Co., LLC., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $5, 545,455 firm fixed price contract for M855 green ammunition Phase IIIA which develops a production capability of six million cartridge per month. Work will be performed in Lake City, Independence, Mo., with an estimated and completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAA09-99-D-0016).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

SUEZ Energy Resources NA, Inc, Houston, Texas, is being awarded a maximum $49,666,373 fixed price contract to provide electricity to Navy installations in Texas. The installations are JRB Navy Reserves, NS Ingleside, NAS Corpus Christi, and NAS Kingsville. The proposal elicited 12 responses. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Ft. Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-09-D-8003).

TXU Energy, Irving, Texas, is being awarded a $6,573,281.37 fixed price contract to provide electricity to Air force Space Command, Archer City, Texas, and Army Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas, Texas. The proposal elicited 12 responses. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Ft. Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-09-D-8005).

NAVY

Science Applications International Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $33,273,342 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract with a cost plus fixed fee pricing arrangement for emerging technologies and systems for positioning, navigation and timing for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems. The work includes research, investigation, test and evaluation of emerging navigation technologies, sensors and systems with potential for applicability in the areas of air, ground, and shipboard C4ISR system technologies, and position, navigation and timing systems. This contract includes two options and six award terms, which if exercised/awarded, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $94,788,999. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (89 percent), Robins Air force Base, Ga., (7 percent), and Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., (4 percent) and is expected to be completed by Oct. 19, 2017. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited on an unrestricted basis, and one offer was received via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems E-commerce web site. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific, Calif. is the contracting activity (N66001-09-D-0020).

Air force

The Air force is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, of Tucson, Ariz., for $12,948,761. This action will provide for 436 propulsion sections (baseline rocket motors) to be installed into AIM-120B Air Vehicles. This effort supports foreign military sales to Turkey, Denmark, and Finland. At this time all funds have been obligated. 695ARSS, Eglin AFB, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-08-C-C=0049 P00005).

DoD Reaches Out to Parents in New Ad Campaign

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - Defense Department marketers launched a new television and online advertising campaign today, but its primary target is not potential military recruits – it's their parents. In one of the handful of ads slated to begin airing nationally, a mother and father sit in their car parked outside a convenience store, talking as their teenage son runs inside.

"The military. I didn't see that coming," the mom comments.

"You're telling me," the dad responds.

"I'm scared, obviously. But kind of impressed, too," says the mom.

"He doesn't want to wait to do something important," the dad replies.

"Wow," the dad says.

"Yeah," the mom agrees.

While this conversation plays out on a TV screen between actors, officials with DoD's Joint Advertising, Market Research and Studies program believe it is a conversation that is happening in kitchens and bedrooms, on ball field sidelines and on couches in living rooms across America. And it is a conversation they want to encourage.

"There are few things as influential as the parents' advice and support. That's why we want parents to know the facts [about military service]," said Air Force Maj. Michele A. Gill with JAMRS.

JAMRS is a small office located in Arlington, Va., not far from the Pentagon. It places advertising and conducts research for the Defense Department, which it shares with each military service's recruiting command.

But the program is not a recruiting agency, Gill said, and its primary focus is on educating those influential in the decisions of potential recruits. This ad campaign targets the middle-aged parents of young adults between 17 and 22 years old.

"Our goal ... is to educate the families and give them a reliable, honest look at what the military has to offer, and even some of the risks that are involved, ... just to help them make a wise decision," Gill said.

In fact, Gill said, it is simply the conversation about military service they are after, not necessarily an endorsement of military service from the parent. DoD officials want military service to be considered as an option equally with college or vocational training, she said.

"We want the conversation to happen between the parent and the young person regardless of whether the young person decides to join the military or not," Gill said. "Just the fact that they're having the conversation is 'mission accomplished' for us."

The conversation about military service between parents and teenagers is a relatively new phenomenon in an era in which parents are now much more involved in their sons' and daughters' decisions, said Tom Jump, a managing partner with Mullen Advertising, the agency that developed the campaign.

"I think the family unit is fundamentally different," Jump said. "Parents have taken a much more collaborative and integrated role in raising their children. It's not just the decision of the child or the parents; it's a family decision.

"They really want to provide a strong foundation and make sure that their children understand all of their options and possibilities, and really have open conversation about what are going to be significant decisions in that child's life," he said.

Also, Gill noted, in past generations it was more common to enlist because many parents served and children often grew up around veterans.

"There are a lot of parents in today's generation who have not served in the military, so there could be a lack of information out there about what the military has to offer," Gill said. "Maybe the only thing they know about the military is what they see on the movies or in the news."

Executives at Mullen Advertising have worked with JAMRS for six years and helped produced a previous campaign that pushed influencers to "Make it a two-way conversation."

That campaign focused on the decision from the potential recruit's perspective, while this campaign focuses on the decision from the influencer's perspective.

Jump called it an evolution of the previous campaign and said that the agency hopes it models a positive response by the parents. This campaign promotes the theme, "It's a big decision. Talk about it."

"If you've got somebody who has enlisted and has the support of their family members, loved ones and friends, they would have a very positive view going into the service," Jump said. "Our role is to really educate them and make sure they have all the answers they need and give them an unbiased view of what those options and opportunities are."

The ads were directed by a company that also has produced Super Bowl advertisements for the likes of Pepsi and Budweiser. The ads offer diverse environments and family models, and officials hope to connect using what they said are real-life situations and the emotions involved in the discussions.

Each ad directs viewers to the Web site www.todaysmilitary.com for more information on military service.

"Military service can be a difficult subject to broach. That's why it's important for parents to know the facts," Gill said. "Joining the military is a big decision. We want to encourage parents to really listen to their son or daughter who has talked to them about serving our country and doing something bigger than themselves."

Gill said that an informed family decision can lead to a more qualified lead for military recruiters.

"They're sure they want to serve. They know what the risks are. They know what the benefits are," she said. "It's not just some quick decision. They've actually thought about the decision. The help of the parents just reinforces the decision."

Gill joined the Air Force at 17 years old, she said, after talking about it with her parents starting in about the sixth grade. In her junior year of high school, her parents starting taking her desire to serve seriously, Gill said. And, she said, their support was a major factor in her decision.

"My parents were definitely a part of that decision-making process. I wanted their support. I wanted their advice," Gill said. "If they would have highly discouraged it, I probably wouldn't have gone into the military."

Now raising three small children herself, the career Air Force officer said she also would want to be a part of their eventual career decisions.

"I'd definitely want my children to come talk to me," she said. "I want to be involved in their life. And I would hope that they would trust me enough to have that conversation with me."

Gates Promises Continued Commitment to Wounded Warrior Care

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 20, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured participants in the first Wounded Warriors Family Summit here today he will "continue to press forward with a sense of urgency" to provide top-level care and support for wounded warriors in a way that lays groundwork for the next administration's leaders to build on. "I take the issue of wounded warriors personally," Gates told the audience of wounded warriors, families of wounded and fallen troops, and representatives of family support programs and veteran service organizations.

"I will repeat here the pledge I made to myself, to Congress and to countless moms and dads, husbands and wives," Gates told the group. "Other than winning the wars we are in, my highest priority is providing the best possible care for those who are wounded in combat."

As it presses forward, Gates said, his team will "do everything we can to set up the next leadership team for success" to ensure the work continues without interruption. "As long as there are wounded warriors in our care, we must – and we will – continue to fulfill our obligation to them," he said.

Gates praised the "grit and resilience" of wounded warriors and acknowledged the families of the severely wounded and fallen who "have sacrificed and suffered for our country in the most challenging ways."

He also extended thanks to volunteer groups and individuals who have worked on behalf of the troops and their families.

Gates cited broad strides in treating wounded warriors, including warrior transition units created to help wounded servicemembers navigate the system as they get treatment and return to their units or transition to veteran status. During the last 19 months, the Army has dedicated more than 3,200 permanent cadre and staff to this effort to help nearly 8,500 soldiers.

In addition, Gates described efforts to merge the Defense Department's and Department of Veterans Affairs' disability evaluation systems so one process will result in one legally binding determination. He noted that a pilot program is under way, and that early indications show the effort will cut by half the time required for veterans to receive full VA compensation.

"We're making progress in improving the disability evaluation system, but we still have a long way to go to make to as easy as it should be," he told the audience.

Gates also cited progress in providing care for traumatic brain injury, combat stress and other mental-health issues, and in eliminating the stigma attached with seeking this care.

He pointed to improved evaluation and screening for anyone affected by blast or blunt trauma in the combat zone to help identify TBI, and the new Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center that centralizes responsibility for consolidating information as it promotes TBI research.

"We've invested $900 million in this effort, which includes $300 million in research," he said. "And while we've learned a lot about how to better care for those with TBI over the past few years, we are poised to learn a great deal more."

Gates also noted elimination of "Question 21" on the federal security clearance form. The question about seeking mental-health care was considered an obstacle by some who thought it might jeopardize their careers.

"Although we have made significant progress in the last year and a half, there is no doubt that we still have a lot of work to do," Gates told the audience.

He cited the frustrating and often confusing paperwork process, incomplete and sometimes contradictory information provided about pay, benefits and compensation, and gaps in information sharing between DoD and the VA.

In lieu of the question-and-answer session scheduled to follow his address, Gates told attendees he wanted to be on the receiving end to hear from them. Participants took turns at the microphone, describing their personal situations and problems they face and recommending fixes. "I take these comments seriously, and we will do everything we can," he told the speakers.

Gates praised the summit organizers for providing a forum where wounded troops and family members could voice their concerns while sharing their experiences and roads to recovery. These conferences are "vital to keeping focus and attention on heroes" and ensuring that the United States stays true to the debt it owes them and their families, he said.

Gates noted that today's Wounded Warriors Family Summit served as a prelude to next month's Warrior Care Month observance.

"It will provide an opportunity to highlight the sacrifices of wounded troops and their families, take stock of how much has been achieved in this area, and reflect on how much more needs to be done," he said.