By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - Residents of three states still are recovering with help from the National Guard a week after a major ice storm that stretched from the Ozarks through Appalachia. Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri still have troops on duty clearing debris and conducting welfare checks, and they are getting help from neighboring states as well.
In Kentucky, the state's entire Army National Guard and about 325 Air National Guard members have been activated, for a total of 5,000 soldiers and airmen in what has been described as the largest call-up in state history.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said in a news release that he made the decision to ensure the safety and well-being of Kentucky's citizens after a storm that left about 700,000 residents without power and paralyzed the western part of the state.
"It's going to be a long haul for us," he told the Associated Press yesterday as he toured the state. "We've thrown everything we have at it. We're going to continue to do that until everyone is back in their homes and back on their feet."
The Kentucky Guard also is providing communications support, engineering capability, power generation, security and aviation recovery missions as well as distributing food and water.
Through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact request, the Florida Air National Guard will provide six regional emergency response networks, -- communications system operated by four-person teams -- and the Tennessee National Guard will send 30 Humvees to help with the storm response. More Humvees are expected to come from other states today.
National Guard Bureau officials said the Kentucky Guard has distributed about 100 generators throughout the state.
Beshear said the storm was the biggest natural disaster ever to hit the state. The Associated Press reported that the storm knocked out power to 1.3 million customers from Texas to Maine, including 700,000 in Kentucky and 300,000 in Arkansas.
In Arkansas, almost 1,000 Guard members are working in nine counties across the northern third of the state. They are being deployed in teams of 50 to support local authorities.
One team was sent to Marmaduke, Ark., to clear debris from the roadways, while others went door to door to notify the residents of an order to boil water before consuming it.
During the door-to-door visits, soldiers encountered a single mother and her children who had been stranded with nothing to eat for a number of days, according to a news release from the Arkansas Guard. The soldiers provided the family with their own food and water and notified community leaders for further support.
The Arkansas Guard also has provided power generation, cots and blankets, emergency shelter, fuel, water, shower systems, radios and chainsaws.
Army Capt. Chris Heathscott, the state public affairs officer, said the Guard's missions are expected to continue until the power companies restore power to the affected communities.
In Missouri, about 400 Guard members have been sent to 10 counties to support the needs of the communities in the southeastern part of the state.
"The service of our citizen-soldiers and -airmen in southeast Missouri continues to be invaluable in this recovery effort," Gov. Jay Nixon said.
In addition to route clearance and welfare checks, the Guard members have provided transportation support as well as 15 trucks of water, three trucks of cots and two trucks of blankets in Jefferson City, Mo. Two 5-ton trucks were sent to Poplar Bluff, Mo., to distribute food and water in the area.
"While Missourians continue to be affected by this devastating storm, your Missouri National Guard works alongside communities to help citizens get the help they need," Army Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, Missouri adjutant general, said.
Danner and the governor visited the affected areas over the weekend. "During our visit to the area yesterday, my heart went out to those families affected by the devastation," Danner said. "But as bad as the devastation is, the local communities are working nonstop to ensure their citizens get the help they need.
"The Missouri National Guard is proud to be a strong part of that help," he said.
Missouri National Guard units supporting the mission are: 35th Engineer Brigade of Fort Leonard Wood; 1138th Engineer Company of Farmington; Headquarters Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion of Cape Girardeau; 880th Engineer Company of Perryville; Forward Support Company 1140th Engineer Battalion of Cape Girardeau; 205th Military Police Battalion of Poplar Bluff; 735th Quartermaster Company of DeSoto, Poplar Bluff, Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau, Rolla and Jefferson Barracks; 220th Engineer Company of Festus; 935th Aviation Support Battalion of Springfield; 276th Engineer Company of Monett and Pierce City; 294th Engineer Company of Carthage and Anderson; 1138th Military Police Company of West Plains and Springfield; 1137th Military Police Company of Kennett, Jackson and Doniphan; 1175th Military Police Company of St. Clair and St. Louis; 1035th Maintenance Company of Jefferson Barracks; 1140th Military Police Company of Fulton and Columbia; 131st Fighter Wing of St. Louis; and Joint Force Headquarters of Jefferson City.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Monday, February 02, 2009
New GI Bill Carries Different Eligibility, Benefits
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - A series of educational assistance programs administered by the Veterans Affairs Department, commonly called the GI Bill, have helped servicemembers pursue post-secondary learning for decades. Soon, another program will be added to the mix: The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Bill will be available to qualified individuals Aug. 1.
"We previously administered four major education programs before this bill came along," Keith M. Wilson, VA's education service director, said. "The new Post-9/11 GI Bill has different eligibility criteria [and] pays for different types of training."
The new GI Bill provides three separate types of benefit payments to those who entered the military on or after Sept. 10, 2001, and have at least 90 days of active service.
The first type of payment covers tuition and fees equal to what each state's most expensive state-run school charges for in-state, undergraduate study.
In addition, an allowance based on the Defense Department's basic housing allowance for an E-5 with dependents is available as a benefit paid monthly, Wilson said. The housing allowance's dollar amount depends on the location of the school the servicemember or veteran is attending, he added.
The third benefit is a stipend of up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies.
"Now, each of those payments is subject to the amount of active duty an individual has," Wilson said. Eligible people with 36 or more months of active duty will receive 100 percent of the three payments, he said. Those with less than 36 months of active service will receive a prorated amount.
For example, Wilson said, someone with 90 days to six months of active service qualifies for 40 percent of each of the three types of payments. The benefits increase with an individual's amount of active service, and extend to National Guardsmen and reservists who have at least 90 days of active service.
"Previously the Guard and reserve members didn't really have a stake in the GI Bill per se," he said. "Now, we have one program that covers both the active duty and the Guard and reserves."
For those who incur out-of-state tuition, attend a private school, or want to pursue graduate studies but find their tuition and fees above the cap set by the VA, there's the Yellow Ribbon program.
"The Yellow Ribbon program is a sub-element of the Post-9/11 GI Bill," Wilson said. "The ... program allows schools to enter into an agreement with VA by which the school will waive up to half of the difference of their tuition and fees charges and what the cap is for that state, and VA will match the amount that the school waives.
"It's basically a supplemental amount of tuition and fees that would be payable to the school," he added.
Wilson said he thinks the voluntary supplemental program has been well received by schools. He cautioned, however, that the VA still has steps to take before any formal agreements between any institution of higher learning and the VA can take place, including finalizing regulations and setting tuition caps.
"So no school, public or private, that would be interested in the Yellow Ribbon program really has enough information yet to make [the decision to participate]," he said.
It remains to be seen, Wilson said, what effect the country's current economic situation may have on the Yellow Ribbon program.
"The important thing to remember is that the Yellow Ribbon program is available to all schools," he said. "[Speculation about] whether or not schools' financial situations are going to impact their participation or not is a little bit premature. They don't have all the information they need from us yet."
More information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, eligibility, and how this new bill could affect those with service prior to Sept. 10, 2001, is available on the Veterans Affairs GI Bill site or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 toll-free. Along with answers to frequently asked questions, visitors to the site will find a link that will allow them to receive updates on the new GI Bill via e-mail as they become available.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - A series of educational assistance programs administered by the Veterans Affairs Department, commonly called the GI Bill, have helped servicemembers pursue post-secondary learning for decades. Soon, another program will be added to the mix: The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Bill will be available to qualified individuals Aug. 1.
"We previously administered four major education programs before this bill came along," Keith M. Wilson, VA's education service director, said. "The new Post-9/11 GI Bill has different eligibility criteria [and] pays for different types of training."
The new GI Bill provides three separate types of benefit payments to those who entered the military on or after Sept. 10, 2001, and have at least 90 days of active service.
The first type of payment covers tuition and fees equal to what each state's most expensive state-run school charges for in-state, undergraduate study.
In addition, an allowance based on the Defense Department's basic housing allowance for an E-5 with dependents is available as a benefit paid monthly, Wilson said. The housing allowance's dollar amount depends on the location of the school the servicemember or veteran is attending, he added.
The third benefit is a stipend of up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies.
"Now, each of those payments is subject to the amount of active duty an individual has," Wilson said. Eligible people with 36 or more months of active duty will receive 100 percent of the three payments, he said. Those with less than 36 months of active service will receive a prorated amount.
For example, Wilson said, someone with 90 days to six months of active service qualifies for 40 percent of each of the three types of payments. The benefits increase with an individual's amount of active service, and extend to National Guardsmen and reservists who have at least 90 days of active service.
"Previously the Guard and reserve members didn't really have a stake in the GI Bill per se," he said. "Now, we have one program that covers both the active duty and the Guard and reserves."
For those who incur out-of-state tuition, attend a private school, or want to pursue graduate studies but find their tuition and fees above the cap set by the VA, there's the Yellow Ribbon program.
"The Yellow Ribbon program is a sub-element of the Post-9/11 GI Bill," Wilson said. "The ... program allows schools to enter into an agreement with VA by which the school will waive up to half of the difference of their tuition and fees charges and what the cap is for that state, and VA will match the amount that the school waives.
"It's basically a supplemental amount of tuition and fees that would be payable to the school," he added.
Wilson said he thinks the voluntary supplemental program has been well received by schools. He cautioned, however, that the VA still has steps to take before any formal agreements between any institution of higher learning and the VA can take place, including finalizing regulations and setting tuition caps.
"So no school, public or private, that would be interested in the Yellow Ribbon program really has enough information yet to make [the decision to participate]," he said.
It remains to be seen, Wilson said, what effect the country's current economic situation may have on the Yellow Ribbon program.
"The important thing to remember is that the Yellow Ribbon program is available to all schools," he said. "[Speculation about] whether or not schools' financial situations are going to impact their participation or not is a little bit premature. They don't have all the information they need from us yet."
More information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, eligibility, and how this new bill could affect those with service prior to Sept. 10, 2001, is available on the Veterans Affairs GI Bill site or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 toll-free. Along with answers to frequently asked questions, visitors to the site will find a link that will allow them to receive updates on the new GI Bill via e-mail as they become available.
California Guard Gets Green Light for New Airborne Firefighting System
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. SmithSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - A long-anticipated upgrade to the modular airborne firefighting system that's used to battle the nation's wildfires recently was approved for operational use. The approval comes months before the next fire season, National Guard Bureau officials said.
MAFFS II, as the new system is known, was approved for use on the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft.
The state has two of the new systems, which were showcased Jan. 30 to state officials and local media at McClellan Air Park in Sacramento, Calif.
MAFFS modules are owned by the U.S. Forest Service and are flown on Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve C-130 aircraft. Guard and Reserve wings, state governors and firefighting and federal agencies team up to operate MAFFS nationwide in wildfire responses. The aircraft and crews always are ready to deploy in anticipation of a state emergency, officials said.
"This new system is more capable; it can make a more effective [wildfire] retardant line and is more efficient," said Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Dave Condit, deputy commander of the MAFFS Expeditionary Air Group, which overseas three Air National Guard wings and one Air Force Reserve wing. "For those two reasons combined, we hope it's a more effective resource for fighting wildfires."
The system's orange-colored mixture of fire retardant and water coats fuel sources such as dry grass, brush and trees to keep a fire from spreading.
Condit said seven aircrews are trained in the new system and certified by the Forest Service.
MAFFS II eventually will replace all of the wings' older systems, Condit said.
"We hope that throughout this 2009 wildfire season, we will fully integrate the new equipment on all MAFFS aircraft," he said. He added that the older systems will be stored and kept ready to use on a moment's notice. The wildfire season comprises spring and summer.
Bringing MAFFS II to the fire line has taken "huge amounts" of cross-agency coordination and cooperation among MAFFS II designers at Aero Union, the Forest Service, the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Stoddard, Air National Guard MAFFS spokesman, said. "This capability is going to increase our nation's ability to protect itself against wildfires."
California has not had a firefighting capability on its C-130s since late 2006, which caused public concern over the ability to protect the state from wildfires, officials said. In 2008, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to President George W. Bush asking that the state's Air Guard have MAFFS II for its wildfire response.
"This [MAFFS] asset is an important federal resource that we have relied upon in the past," Schwarzenegger wrote.
That year, California "suffered severe fires ... driven by high temperatures, dry conditions, and strong Santa Ana winds," according to National Climatic Data Center reports. "Mid-November fires ravaged much of Southern California, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of dwellings."
To support California, the nation's three remaining MAFFS wings -- the Wyoming Air Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing, the North Carolina Air Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado flew numerous fire retardant drops.
Condit said the arrival of MAFFS II in California will add to the state's critical wildfire assets. "Having that extra key member back again and fully capable is a big plus for the organization," he said.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Indiana Guard Sends Humvees to Winter Storm Recovery Effort
By Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - The Indiana National Guard has provided 100 Humvees to the Kentucky National Guard to aid in relief efforts after a crippling winter storm. "We're tickled to death about borrowing these Humvees," Army Sgt. Joe Kidwell said. Kidwell is a generator mechanic with the Kentucky Army National Guard's Company C, 276th Aviation Battalion, with headquarters in Frankfort, Ky.
Kidwell said he and members of his unit will travel door to door to check on people and make sure they are surviving the wintry blast of ice and snow that fell upon the Bluegrass State last week.
"A lot of people are without power – they're saying about 400,000 people here," said Army Spc. John Mitchell, a medic with the Kentucky Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 63rd Aviation Battalion.
Army Sgt. Henry Kinney of the Kentucky Guard said some of the Humvees will be used to transport troops and supplies for the troops, and he is happy about being able to help Kentucky citizens in their time of need.
"This is my job. This is what I signed up to do," he said of his first time being called up for state active duty. Kinney, a 16-year military veteran, has served in the Kentucky Guard for about two years. He has spent the remainder of his service in the Marine Corps and the active-duty Army.
The Kentucky troops arrived here and checked the Humvees to make sure they were in working order. Then it was about a two-hour convoy south to Kentucky's capital of Frankfort and other towns in the state. The troops also signed for Humvees in New Albany, Ind., and Evansville, Ind., and drove them southward.
"It feels good we can help out a neighboring state," said Army Spc. Ronald Smith, a supply clerk here. "I'm sure they'd help us out if we needed it."
Kinney agreed. "We're all Guard family," he said. "One big family."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry serves with the Indiana National Guard.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - The Indiana National Guard has provided 100 Humvees to the Kentucky National Guard to aid in relief efforts after a crippling winter storm. "We're tickled to death about borrowing these Humvees," Army Sgt. Joe Kidwell said. Kidwell is a generator mechanic with the Kentucky Army National Guard's Company C, 276th Aviation Battalion, with headquarters in Frankfort, Ky.
Kidwell said he and members of his unit will travel door to door to check on people and make sure they are surviving the wintry blast of ice and snow that fell upon the Bluegrass State last week.
"A lot of people are without power – they're saying about 400,000 people here," said Army Spc. John Mitchell, a medic with the Kentucky Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 63rd Aviation Battalion.
Army Sgt. Henry Kinney of the Kentucky Guard said some of the Humvees will be used to transport troops and supplies for the troops, and he is happy about being able to help Kentucky citizens in their time of need.
"This is my job. This is what I signed up to do," he said of his first time being called up for state active duty. Kinney, a 16-year military veteran, has served in the Kentucky Guard for about two years. He has spent the remainder of his service in the Marine Corps and the active-duty Army.
The Kentucky troops arrived here and checked the Humvees to make sure they were in working order. Then it was about a two-hour convoy south to Kentucky's capital of Frankfort and other towns in the state. The troops also signed for Humvees in New Albany, Ind., and Evansville, Ind., and drove them southward.
"It feels good we can help out a neighboring state," said Army Spc. Ronald Smith, a supply clerk here. "I'm sure they'd help us out if we needed it."
Kinney agreed. "We're all Guard family," he said. "One big family."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry serves with the Indiana National Guard.)
Face of Defense: Weight Loss Paves Airman's Road to Success
By Air Force Airman 1st Class David Salanitri
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - When Steven Childers decided he wanted to join the Air Force to follow in his father's footsteps, he knew some changes were in order, because he was significantly overweight. "I would get out of breath just walking up the stairs from my room to the living room," he said. "That's when I knew I needed a change." Knowing he had a long way to go to meet standards, he said, he waited a few months before visiting a recruiter.
"I lost about 20 pounds when I first went to the recruiter, which was enough to get the paperwork going, but I still needed to lose more," he said. "I started walking around my building during my lunch breaks at work. I cut out fried foods and started to run with my dad, who was training for a marathon."
Childers' father is a retired Air Force master sergeant.
"The first time my dad took me out to run," Childers said, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack after only one mile."
But after losing 70 pounds Childers was sworn into the Air Force and shipped off for basic training. But his success story doesn't end there.
He entered the Air Force in November, and was among the airmen to graduate from the new 8.5-week basic military training course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
"My dad told me about being a BMT honor graduate -- what it was and what it meant. He told me if you earn honor grad that you get a ribbon -- a ribbon he doesn't have, which made me want it even more."
Childers was selected as an honor graduate at the end of basic military training.
"It was such an honor to wear my uniform at his graduation -- just to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and be able to pass on the legacy was moving for me," retired Master Sgt. Tim Childers, Airman Childers' father, said.
"I wanted a solid career so I could provide for me and my wife," said the younger Childers, a Utah native who is now a student in the 338th Training Squadron's electronic principles course here. His wife, Ashley, said BMT training was one of the proudest moments of her life.
"I know all of the men and women had worked hard to get through basic training, but I knew that Steven started working hard long before basic training," she said.
Eighty pounds lighter since his journey to join the Air Force began, Childers said he is healthier and happier than he ever has been.
"I ran the fastest mile I have ever run in my entire life last week," he said. "I have more energy than ever before, and I feel confident in myself."
"It has been amazing to watch him come from obese to healthy," his wife said. "I know it wasn't easy, but he just kept working hard. I cry every time I look at the old pictures of my husband, because it reminds me of his outstanding dedication. He wanted to join the Air Force, so he did what he had to do."
(Air Force Airman 1st Class David Salanitri serves in the 81st Training Wing public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - When Steven Childers decided he wanted to join the Air Force to follow in his father's footsteps, he knew some changes were in order, because he was significantly overweight. "I would get out of breath just walking up the stairs from my room to the living room," he said. "That's when I knew I needed a change." Knowing he had a long way to go to meet standards, he said, he waited a few months before visiting a recruiter.
"I lost about 20 pounds when I first went to the recruiter, which was enough to get the paperwork going, but I still needed to lose more," he said. "I started walking around my building during my lunch breaks at work. I cut out fried foods and started to run with my dad, who was training for a marathon."
Childers' father is a retired Air Force master sergeant.
"The first time my dad took me out to run," Childers said, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack after only one mile."
But after losing 70 pounds Childers was sworn into the Air Force and shipped off for basic training. But his success story doesn't end there.
He entered the Air Force in November, and was among the airmen to graduate from the new 8.5-week basic military training course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
"My dad told me about being a BMT honor graduate -- what it was and what it meant. He told me if you earn honor grad that you get a ribbon -- a ribbon he doesn't have, which made me want it even more."
Childers was selected as an honor graduate at the end of basic military training.
"It was such an honor to wear my uniform at his graduation -- just to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and be able to pass on the legacy was moving for me," retired Master Sgt. Tim Childers, Airman Childers' father, said.
"I wanted a solid career so I could provide for me and my wife," said the younger Childers, a Utah native who is now a student in the 338th Training Squadron's electronic principles course here. His wife, Ashley, said BMT training was one of the proudest moments of her life.
"I know all of the men and women had worked hard to get through basic training, but I knew that Steven started working hard long before basic training," she said.
Eighty pounds lighter since his journey to join the Air Force began, Childers said he is healthier and happier than he ever has been.
"I ran the fastest mile I have ever run in my entire life last week," he said. "I have more energy than ever before, and I feel confident in myself."
"It has been amazing to watch him come from obese to healthy," his wife said. "I know it wasn't easy, but he just kept working hard. I cry every time I look at the old pictures of my husband, because it reminds me of his outstanding dedication. He wanted to join the Air Force, so he did what he had to do."
(Air Force Airman 1st Class David Salanitri serves in the 81st Training Wing public affairs office.)
Officials Work to Meet Pentagon's Need for Space Capabilities
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - Adapting new capabilities within the rapidly changing military space environment is increasingly important to national security, and Defense Department officials in the Operationally Responsive Space office are working to meet the Pentagon's needs for space capabilities rapidly. ORS requires current technologies to be developed and fielded quickly to ensure the capabilities are available within months, and not decades as they were in the past, ORS director Peter Wegner said recently in an interview with American Forces Press Service.
The evolution of military space assets such as satellite imagery, global positioning systems, high-speed communications and missile warning systems have been a growing national defense necessity since the Cold War era, Wegner said, and with the threat of terrorism lurking throughout the world, those assets remain equally valuable today.
"In the past five years, the concept of ORS has gotten a lot of traction," Wegner said, noting the positive impact GPS and up-to-date digital imagery have had for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Commanders at every echelon in the global war on terror have come to rely on military space capabilities, he said. But the current space architecture consists of mostly larger, more exquisite satellite systems and is shared by all levels within the Defense Department, with the president having top priority, he said.
The priority list for those satellites can impede opportunities for ground commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan to benefit from their capabilities, Wegner said. For instance, soldiers in Afghanistan planning to raid an al-Qaida cell would benefit more from a satellite image of their target and route that is 30 minutes old than they would from a three-day-old image. If a bridge on their route was destroyed after the three-day-old image was take, he explained, the entire mission could be jeopardized.
So, when Pentagon officials established the ORS office at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in May 2007, they wanted to build on the concept of augmenting the current space architecture with smaller satellites to provide more frequent audio, video and radio support for the warfighters on the ground, he continued.
"I want to be able to give [warfighters] a picture of what's over the next hill 30 minutes before they ever get there," Wegner said. "I want to be able to pick up the radio signals of the guy over the next hill, too, and tell troops what he's doing. I want to give troops radio links so that when part of them are over that hill and part of them aren't, they can still talk."
Pentagon space analyst Robert "Bo" Reese agreed that timely information is critical for warfighters. "It does no good to give [a commander] the best product in the world two days late," he said. "We need to give him a product to do his mission within an operationally relevant timeframe."
Another benefit of having more frequent access to satellite systems is systems in space are not regulated as conventional aircraft are. Though unmanned aerial vehicles and other surveillance aircraft have been generally successful, Reese said, operators must be aware of national airspace. Satellite surveillance has no such boundaries.
"One of the beauties of space is you go wherever you want," he explained. "In airspace, you have to be respectful of other nations' airspace. One of the things that space allows you is access to denied airspace."
"As [the Defense Department] began to integrate space capabilities into tactical warfighting, the demand for that capability is almost insatiable," he added. "The demand for intelligence surveillance and for communication and situational awareness in space and on the ground is critical to commanders."
Throughout the past year, ORS has developed solutions for several different needs, including UHF communications and enhanced space situational awareness, Wegner said.
"Whatever that capability is that the warfighter needs, [ORS] wants to get it to him," he said. "We want to provide assured space power focused on timely satisfaction of joint forces commanders' needs."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - Adapting new capabilities within the rapidly changing military space environment is increasingly important to national security, and Defense Department officials in the Operationally Responsive Space office are working to meet the Pentagon's needs for space capabilities rapidly. ORS requires current technologies to be developed and fielded quickly to ensure the capabilities are available within months, and not decades as they were in the past, ORS director Peter Wegner said recently in an interview with American Forces Press Service.
The evolution of military space assets such as satellite imagery, global positioning systems, high-speed communications and missile warning systems have been a growing national defense necessity since the Cold War era, Wegner said, and with the threat of terrorism lurking throughout the world, those assets remain equally valuable today.
"In the past five years, the concept of ORS has gotten a lot of traction," Wegner said, noting the positive impact GPS and up-to-date digital imagery have had for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Commanders at every echelon in the global war on terror have come to rely on military space capabilities, he said. But the current space architecture consists of mostly larger, more exquisite satellite systems and is shared by all levels within the Defense Department, with the president having top priority, he said.
The priority list for those satellites can impede opportunities for ground commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan to benefit from their capabilities, Wegner said. For instance, soldiers in Afghanistan planning to raid an al-Qaida cell would benefit more from a satellite image of their target and route that is 30 minutes old than they would from a three-day-old image. If a bridge on their route was destroyed after the three-day-old image was take, he explained, the entire mission could be jeopardized.
So, when Pentagon officials established the ORS office at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in May 2007, they wanted to build on the concept of augmenting the current space architecture with smaller satellites to provide more frequent audio, video and radio support for the warfighters on the ground, he continued.
"I want to be able to give [warfighters] a picture of what's over the next hill 30 minutes before they ever get there," Wegner said. "I want to be able to pick up the radio signals of the guy over the next hill, too, and tell troops what he's doing. I want to give troops radio links so that when part of them are over that hill and part of them aren't, they can still talk."
Pentagon space analyst Robert "Bo" Reese agreed that timely information is critical for warfighters. "It does no good to give [a commander] the best product in the world two days late," he said. "We need to give him a product to do his mission within an operationally relevant timeframe."
Another benefit of having more frequent access to satellite systems is systems in space are not regulated as conventional aircraft are. Though unmanned aerial vehicles and other surveillance aircraft have been generally successful, Reese said, operators must be aware of national airspace. Satellite surveillance has no such boundaries.
"One of the beauties of space is you go wherever you want," he explained. "In airspace, you have to be respectful of other nations' airspace. One of the things that space allows you is access to denied airspace."
"As [the Defense Department] began to integrate space capabilities into tactical warfighting, the demand for that capability is almost insatiable," he added. "The demand for intelligence surveillance and for communication and situational awareness in space and on the ground is critical to commanders."
Throughout the past year, ORS has developed solutions for several different needs, including UHF communications and enhanced space situational awareness, Wegner said.
"Whatever that capability is that the warfighter needs, [ORS] wants to get it to him," he said. "We want to provide assured space power focused on timely satisfaction of joint forces commanders' needs."
Web Site Helps Troops, Families Adjust After Deployments
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - A Military Health System Web site continues to help returning servicemembers and families adjust after a deployment ends, the site's program manager said Jan. 29. About 20 percent of servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan experience adjustment difficulties such as stress, irritability and sleep problems, Dr. Robert Ciulla, program manager for afterdeployment.org, said on the "Dot Mil Docs" program on BlogTalkRadio.com.
The afterdeployment.org project is one of several core projects within the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, known as "T2," located at Fort Lewis, Wash., under the direction of Dr. Greg Gahm. T2 is a directorate of the Defense Department's Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.
Ciulla noted that possible barriers to obtaining services, including a perceived stigma, stop many servicemembers from seeking out care. Ciulla emphasized that online resources have many advantages.
"Users can log on to afterdeployment.org in the privacy and comfort of their own homes and work with the site's resources anonymously. This should help with concerns about stigma," he said.
Ciulla said that logging on to afterdeployment.org "means that users don't have to worry about transportation, or scheduling appointments, or arranging a sitter for the kids." He added that online tools have other advantages, including 24/7 access anywhere an Internet connection is available.
Afterdeployment.org was officially launched in August, and is designed to provide behavioral health tools to servicemembers, their families and veterans in all the service branches, Ciulla said. It includes exercises and tools that the entire family can use.
"All of the materials on the site have value to families ... the main exercises and tools on the site -- such as stress and anger management, sleep hygiene, getting balance in one's life -- all of these tools are as relevant for a spouse or other family member as they are for someone on active duty just returning from deployment," he said. "We consider the self-help workshops, modeled after actual therapy sessions and which include exercises and vignettes and self-assessments, to be the site's signature elements."
Ciulla said the self-care tools available on afterdeployment.org provide the entire military community with vital service-delivery options. He noted that the site has particular advantages for National Guard and reserve units, who may be distant from a military treatment facility or otherwise located in areas lacking providers who are knowledgeable about military-related adjustment concerns.
Ciulla added that officials are working on future workshops on topics such as traumatic brain injury and resilience training. He also said he and others in the project office have "listened to the feedback we have received over the past months."
"In addition to TBI and resilience training," he said, "we'll be targeting content in a number of areas, including domestic and partner issues, and veterans' issues and women's issues, to name a few."
Additionally, Ciulla said, military leaders and health care providers can tap the site's materials to learn about common problems and change strategies, and to obtain useful contact information concerning local resources.
Currently, afterdeployment.org offers 12 programs: Adjusting to War Memories, Dealing with Depression, Handling Stress, Improving Relationships, Succeeding at Work, Overcoming Anger, Sleeping Better, Controlling Alcohol and Drugs, Helping Kids Deal with Deployment, Seeking Spiritual Fitness, Living with Physical Injuries and Balancing Your Life.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - A Military Health System Web site continues to help returning servicemembers and families adjust after a deployment ends, the site's program manager said Jan. 29. About 20 percent of servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan experience adjustment difficulties such as stress, irritability and sleep problems, Dr. Robert Ciulla, program manager for afterdeployment.org, said on the "Dot Mil Docs" program on BlogTalkRadio.com.
The afterdeployment.org project is one of several core projects within the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, known as "T2," located at Fort Lewis, Wash., under the direction of Dr. Greg Gahm. T2 is a directorate of the Defense Department's Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.
Ciulla noted that possible barriers to obtaining services, including a perceived stigma, stop many servicemembers from seeking out care. Ciulla emphasized that online resources have many advantages.
"Users can log on to afterdeployment.org in the privacy and comfort of their own homes and work with the site's resources anonymously. This should help with concerns about stigma," he said.
Ciulla said that logging on to afterdeployment.org "means that users don't have to worry about transportation, or scheduling appointments, or arranging a sitter for the kids." He added that online tools have other advantages, including 24/7 access anywhere an Internet connection is available.
Afterdeployment.org was officially launched in August, and is designed to provide behavioral health tools to servicemembers, their families and veterans in all the service branches, Ciulla said. It includes exercises and tools that the entire family can use.
"All of the materials on the site have value to families ... the main exercises and tools on the site -- such as stress and anger management, sleep hygiene, getting balance in one's life -- all of these tools are as relevant for a spouse or other family member as they are for someone on active duty just returning from deployment," he said. "We consider the self-help workshops, modeled after actual therapy sessions and which include exercises and vignettes and self-assessments, to be the site's signature elements."
Ciulla said the self-care tools available on afterdeployment.org provide the entire military community with vital service-delivery options. He noted that the site has particular advantages for National Guard and reserve units, who may be distant from a military treatment facility or otherwise located in areas lacking providers who are knowledgeable about military-related adjustment concerns.
Ciulla added that officials are working on future workshops on topics such as traumatic brain injury and resilience training. He also said he and others in the project office have "listened to the feedback we have received over the past months."
"In addition to TBI and resilience training," he said, "we'll be targeting content in a number of areas, including domestic and partner issues, and veterans' issues and women's issues, to name a few."
Additionally, Ciulla said, military leaders and health care providers can tap the site's materials to learn about common problems and change strategies, and to obtain useful contact information concerning local resources.
Currently, afterdeployment.org offers 12 programs: Adjusting to War Memories, Dealing with Depression, Handling Stress, Improving Relationships, Succeeding at Work, Overcoming Anger, Sleeping Better, Controlling Alcohol and Drugs, Helping Kids Deal with Deployment, Seeking Spiritual Fitness, Living with Physical Injuries and Balancing Your Life.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
People Key to Sustaining a Military 'Second to None,' Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - The military's emphasis on people needs to continue, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Reserve Officers Association here today. "I am 100 percent convinced that if we get it right for our people and their families, we will be able to continue and sustain a military second to none," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told about 2,000 members of the association.
Reservists play an increasingly important role in national defense. During the Cold War, the reserve components were a strategic reserve, only called up if the Soviets went over the East German border.
Today, the reserves are an integral part of American military might. More than 600,000 reservists have been called up to serve in the U.S. Central Command area since 2001, Mullen said. The reserve components serve vital roles in Iraq and Afghanistan and other areas of the globe.
Mullen addressed the changing situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The elections in Iraq over the weekend were a signature event," Mullen said. "The outcome in Iraq was positive for the people. As conditions permit, I would hope that we can continue to draw forces down, because we also have change in Afghanistan."
As Afghanistan moves to the head of the queue for military resources, planners should keep in mind that the military cannot solve all problems. "Good governance is the lead issue in Afghanistan," he said. "The Afghan people are the center of gravity in the country."
Mullen said that when he visits troops overseas, he can't tell just by looking at the troops which are active duty and which belong to the reserves. This says much about the integration between the active and reserve components.
"It is a clarion call to a future that is more and more integrated," Mullen said.
Mullen stressed that the department must do more to address the problems of training, mobilization, deployment and demobilization, keeping the focus on reserve-component reintegration.
"One of the biggest concerns I have for the reserves is, you go to the fight for 12 months, you come back, you get off the airplane on Friday, and Monday you are in your job," he said. More has to be done to help these returning servicemembers.
The department also must do more to evolve career fields in civil affairs, military police, logistics, intelligence and areas that are under-manned, yet in high-demand.
"We need to make sure we never forget the fallen and the families of the fallen," Mullen said. "We must also do whatever it takes to take care of the people wounded in this conflict."
This includes helping those suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The services and the Veterans Affairs Department must connect with people and give them a "lifeline or life preserver when problems crop up," he said.
The military is operating in a time of tremendous change and officials are "dependent on our young leaders for their feedback and to translate the lessons we have learned in what is now our eighth year of war," Mullen said.
He told the young officers to capture those lessons, and implored the seasoned leaders to listen.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - The military's emphasis on people needs to continue, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Reserve Officers Association here today. "I am 100 percent convinced that if we get it right for our people and their families, we will be able to continue and sustain a military second to none," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told about 2,000 members of the association.
Reservists play an increasingly important role in national defense. During the Cold War, the reserve components were a strategic reserve, only called up if the Soviets went over the East German border.
Today, the reserves are an integral part of American military might. More than 600,000 reservists have been called up to serve in the U.S. Central Command area since 2001, Mullen said. The reserve components serve vital roles in Iraq and Afghanistan and other areas of the globe.
Mullen addressed the changing situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The elections in Iraq over the weekend were a signature event," Mullen said. "The outcome in Iraq was positive for the people. As conditions permit, I would hope that we can continue to draw forces down, because we also have change in Afghanistan."
As Afghanistan moves to the head of the queue for military resources, planners should keep in mind that the military cannot solve all problems. "Good governance is the lead issue in Afghanistan," he said. "The Afghan people are the center of gravity in the country."
Mullen said that when he visits troops overseas, he can't tell just by looking at the troops which are active duty and which belong to the reserves. This says much about the integration between the active and reserve components.
"It is a clarion call to a future that is more and more integrated," Mullen said.
Mullen stressed that the department must do more to address the problems of training, mobilization, deployment and demobilization, keeping the focus on reserve-component reintegration.
"One of the biggest concerns I have for the reserves is, you go to the fight for 12 months, you come back, you get off the airplane on Friday, and Monday you are in your job," he said. More has to be done to help these returning servicemembers.
The department also must do more to evolve career fields in civil affairs, military police, logistics, intelligence and areas that are under-manned, yet in high-demand.
"We need to make sure we never forget the fallen and the families of the fallen," Mullen said. "We must also do whatever it takes to take care of the people wounded in this conflict."
This includes helping those suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The services and the Veterans Affairs Department must connect with people and give them a "lifeline or life preserver when problems crop up," he said.
The military is operating in a time of tremendous change and officials are "dependent on our young leaders for their feedback and to translate the lessons we have learned in what is now our eighth year of war," Mullen said.
He told the young officers to capture those lessons, and implored the seasoned leaders to listen.
Army Reserve Chief Describes Employer Partnership Initiative
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - An Army Reserve human capital strategy called the Employer Partnership Initiative is delivering staffing solutions and tangible incentives to businesses that employ Army Reserve soldiers while sustaining the operational nature of today's force. "What employers are telling us is when they hire a Reserve soldier, they don't just get an employee, they get somebody that has a great work ethic, that has integrity, that has loyalty, that has dedication, and that productivity goes up," Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, said to online journalists and bloggers Jan. 28.
Stultz came to his job with years of experience in the Army Reserve that has included several deployments.
"I have a good perspective, I think, in terms of how you go back and forth between a civilian to military, back to civilian -- some of the challenges it presents for both employers and the soldier, as well as for the family," he said.
The Employer Partnership Initiative was launched in spring 2008, and complements the Employer Support to the Guard and Reserve program by finding career employment opportunities for soldiers with employers who understand the demands of today's operational military climate and proactively seek to hire them.
"This truly is an operational force, and if you join the Army Reserve today, you are going to deploy," Stultz said. "What we owe you is predictability. What we owe you is to take care of your family. What we owe you is to help you with your employer to make sure that you can maintain a civilian job while you're serving your country. And, what we ask of you is your service."
Stultz added that the Army Reserve's retention is good, running at about 120 percent of its retention goal.
The EPI program benefits both the Army Reserve and potential employers, the general said.
"Rather than coming out and asking [employers] to give up [their] employees to be soldiers," he explained, "[we ask them], 'Why don't you let me go recruit for you, because we share the same skill sets?'"
He added that one of the first organizations that Army Reserve officials talked with was the American Trucking Associations. "I'm recruiting truck drivers, and I'm training truck drivers, and I'm putting them into Iraq and Afghanistan to prove their capability," he said.
Stultz added that after tapping into the trucking fields, officials sought future recruits from the medical community. Employers in other fields now are lining up to find the best candidates. "I've got 150 employers already signed up, [and] I've got 200 waiting," Stultz said.
An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Army Reserve soldiers are mobilized on active duty, and about 20,000 of them are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. The other mobilized reservists are serving in the United States in support and administration roles.
"Even in the current economic situation, we still have a lot of employers out there that are calling us every day," Stultz said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2009 - An Army Reserve human capital strategy called the Employer Partnership Initiative is delivering staffing solutions and tangible incentives to businesses that employ Army Reserve soldiers while sustaining the operational nature of today's force. "What employers are telling us is when they hire a Reserve soldier, they don't just get an employee, they get somebody that has a great work ethic, that has integrity, that has loyalty, that has dedication, and that productivity goes up," Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, said to online journalists and bloggers Jan. 28.
Stultz came to his job with years of experience in the Army Reserve that has included several deployments.
"I have a good perspective, I think, in terms of how you go back and forth between a civilian to military, back to civilian -- some of the challenges it presents for both employers and the soldier, as well as for the family," he said.
The Employer Partnership Initiative was launched in spring 2008, and complements the Employer Support to the Guard and Reserve program by finding career employment opportunities for soldiers with employers who understand the demands of today's operational military climate and proactively seek to hire them.
"This truly is an operational force, and if you join the Army Reserve today, you are going to deploy," Stultz said. "What we owe you is predictability. What we owe you is to take care of your family. What we owe you is to help you with your employer to make sure that you can maintain a civilian job while you're serving your country. And, what we ask of you is your service."
Stultz added that the Army Reserve's retention is good, running at about 120 percent of its retention goal.
The EPI program benefits both the Army Reserve and potential employers, the general said.
"Rather than coming out and asking [employers] to give up [their] employees to be soldiers," he explained, "[we ask them], 'Why don't you let me go recruit for you, because we share the same skill sets?'"
He added that one of the first organizations that Army Reserve officials talked with was the American Trucking Associations. "I'm recruiting truck drivers, and I'm training truck drivers, and I'm putting them into Iraq and Afghanistan to prove their capability," he said.
Stultz added that after tapping into the trucking fields, officials sought future recruits from the medical community. Employers in other fields now are lining up to find the best candidates. "I've got 150 employers already signed up, [and] I've got 200 waiting," Stultz said.
An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Army Reserve soldiers are mobilized on active duty, and about 20,000 of them are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. The other mobilized reservists are serving in the United States in support and administration roles.
"Even in the current economic situation, we still have a lot of employers out there that are calling us every day," Stultz said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS February 2, 2009
ARMY
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $128,150,933.68 cost plus fixed fee, level-of-effort engineering services contract award for 702,599 man-hours of effort. Work is being performed at Burlington, Andover, and Tewksbury, Mass.; Huntsville, Ala.; and El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2014. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-C-0057).
Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, an $87,176,614
Task Order (0001) firm fixed price contract for design and construction of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Light) Complex 2 – Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing – Barracks, PN 68961, Fort Bliss, Texas. This project is required by the Army's Military Construction Transformation Initiatives and will house single soldiers on a permanent basis and provide laundry facilities, and other amenities. Work is being performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 23, 2010. Bids solicited: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors; Bids received: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-09-D-0011).
Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, an $87,176,614 Task Order (0002) firm fixed price contract for design and construction of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Light) Complex 2 – Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing – Barracks, PN 68962, Fort Bliss, Texas. This project is required by the Army's Military Construction Transformation Initiatives and will house single Soldiers on a permanent basis and provide laundry facilities, and other amenities. Work is being performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Apr. 20, 201l. Bids solicited: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors; Bids received: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-09-D-0011).
KILGORE FLARES COMPANY, LLC, Toone, Tenn., was awarded on Jan 30, 2009, a $22,801,750 firm fixed price contract for 225,800 M206 and 488,580 MJU-7A/B IR Countermeasure Flares. Work is being performed at Toone, Tenn., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 30, 2010. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-04-C-0097).
ARMTEC COUNTERMEASURES, CO., Coachella, Calif., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $19,951,263 firm fixed price contract for 184,800 M206 and 399,720 MJU-7A/B IR Countermeasure Flares. Work is being performed at East Camden, Ark., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 30, 2010. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-04-C-0096).
General Dynamics C4 Systems Inc, Taunton, Mass., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $9,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract. General Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S) is currently performing System Development and Demonstration (SDD) for the Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) under Contract DAAB07-02-C-F404. The effort will define, model, simulate, and demonstrate in a field environment the WIN-T System's architecture. Work is being performed at Taunton, Mass., and Gaithersburg, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited by sole source and one bid received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-02-C-F404).
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $7,347,421 cost plus fixed fee contract for research with the primary objective of the program to carry out Phase 1 of the DiscRotor Risk Reduction Study. The DiscRotor concept consists of a fixed-wing aircraft fitted with a retractable single rotor. The DiscRotor concept has substantial potential to provide a high-speed, high-altitude aircraft (400+ KTAS at 30,000 ft) that has the hover and low-speed characteristics of a helicopter. Work is being performed at Philadelphia, Pa., and Blacksburg, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jul 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0056).
ALLIANT AMMUNITION AND POWDER COMPANY LLC, Radford, Va., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $7,142,000 firm fixed price modification to facility contract in support of the modernization effort at Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Work will be performed at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAA09-03-E-0001).
BLUE TEE CORP, Enid, Okla., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $6,073,366 firm fixed price construction contract for Water Well Drilling System for the Government of Egypt. Work will be performed at Enid, Okla., and in Egypt, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Programs Center, Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-09-C-0005).
Alliant Techsystems Inc., Plymouth, Minn., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2009, a $29,729,805 firm fixed price modification for the manufacture and delivery of approximately 3,240 M829 A3 120mm Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot Tracer Cartridges. Work will be performed at 21 stateside locations with an estimated completion date of Apr. 11, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality LCMC, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-07-C-0085).
DON JON MARINE COMPANY, Hillside, N.J., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $31,945,000 firm fixed price contract consisting of deepening of the existing 47 feet Mean Low Water (MLW) Federal Navigation Channel System to a depth of 52 feet (MLW). The project consists of dredging and disposal of non-rock and possible drilling, blasting, dredging and disposal of rock. Work will be performed at New York and New Jersey Harbor Westside of Newark Bay. Bids were solicited by Unrestricted Open Competition with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District New York, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-09-C-0003).
Alutiiq International, Huntsville, Ala., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $13,140,665 firm fixed price construction contract for a project consisting of various buildings comprising the Transportation Management School. Work is to be performed at Fort Lee, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2011. Eighty bids were solicited with 13 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District Norfolk, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-09-C-0021).
Daimler Trucks North America LLC, Portland, Ore., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $6,517,184.70 firm fixed price 9 Year Requirements contract: Delivery Order 0111 adds 11 each, M916A3 Light Equipment Transporters and 20 each, M917A2 Dump Trucks to the contract. Work is to be performed at Portland, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2009. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-00-D-S022).
Bogert International Inc., Pasco, Wash., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $16,570,656 firm fixed price, 5-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to procure lifting jacks for the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) for a minimum quantity of 10,000 each and a maximum of 108,243 each. Work is to be performed at Pasco, Wash., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2014. U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0060).
DRS C3 Systems Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $13,915,132 firm fixed price contract for new work modification under the authority of Unusual and Compelling Urgency for 1,520 Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE) TWV A-Kits (mounting hardware, wiring, and connectors) for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Program and 224 DVE CV A-Kits and 756 cable assemblies. Work is being performed at Fort Walton Beach, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-06-C-W006).
Colt Defense LLC, Hartford, Conn., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $9,494,376 firm fixed price 5-year Requirements contract for Barrel & Front Assembly 18,000 each; Hand Guard 13,600 each; Heavy Barrel Assembly 7,100 each; Receiver, Cartridge 22,000 each; Extractor Spring Assembly 200,000 each. Work is to be performed at Hartford, Conn., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2012. Tank and Automotive Command Rock Island, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAE20-03-D-0191).
MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY CONTRACT AWARD
The Boeing Co., Integrated Defense Systems (Global Services and Support Division), St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded $249, 937,154 for a cost plus fixed fee contract for operations and sustainment support for the fielded portions of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) System for calendar year (CY) 2009 with an option for CY 2010. The principal places of performance are the contractor's facility in Huntsville, Ala., and Missile Defense Agency facilities at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Fort Greely, Alaska. This sole source contract is awarded pursuant to 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1. Specifically, as provided in the Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition, Boeing, as the incumbent prime contractor for the operations and sustainment of the GMD Weapon System, is the only qualified source to perform this effort without unacceptable delay to critical program schedules and unaffordable duplication of costs. The MDA, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (HQ0147-09-C-0007). The period of performance is from Jan. 2009 through Dec. 2009 with a one year option to continue work from Jan. 2010 through Dec. 2010. The contract will be incrementally funded for $133,429,130 at award. Fiscal year (FY) 09 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds (RDT&E) will be used for the primary operations and sustainment support activities. FY09 Army Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funds will be used for training of Army soldier-operators. The RDT&E funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The O&M funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This award is an interim measure which will continue essential O&S support to the GMD system in the near-term while MDA acquires and verifies necessary technical data and develops its strategy for competitive acquisition of follow-on GMD O&S support. On January 29, 2009, MDA published a formal announcement of its intent relative to follow-on GMD O&S efforts subsequent to effort covered by this current award. The purpose of the Jan. 29, 2009 FEDBIZOPPS announcement is to initiate immediate dialogue with industry regarding a competitive acquisition strategy for follow-on GMD O&S support requirements, with a stated intent to make a competitive award for such requirements no later than calendar year 2011.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a contract to Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana for $120,000,000. This contract action covers sustaining services including logistics support, program management support, engineering services, spares and technical data in support of the C-130J propulsions system which include the AE 2100D3 engine and R-391 propeller systems. At this time $17,511,485 has been obligated. 330 ACSG/GFKA, Robins, AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8504-07-D-0001-P00004).
The Air Force is awarding a time and material contract to General Dynamics Information Technology Inc of Fairfax, Va., for $22,953,332. This action will provide personnel, equipment, materials, supervision, all items and onsite services to perform support services for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, Rome Research Site, and Hanscom AFB. At this time, $376,000 has been obligated. 88 CONS/PKA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8601-09-F-0024).
The Air Force is awarding a firm fixed price contract with time and material and cost reimbursable elements to Abacus Technology Corporation of Chevy Chase, Md., for $14,645,109. This action will provide 34 Engineers for the Foreign Military Sales customer, Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi Arabia for 30 Months to provide management, operation, maintenance and support of C4I Systems and provide training of military, civilian and contractor personnel. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 350 ESG/CONS, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8706-09-C-0002).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio for $8,761,285. This action will evaluate the effectiveness of Coast Guard unit and installation CBRN response readiness, identify gaps in preparedness, and develop training, risk reduction, and other mitigation techniques to minimize effects of on Coast Guard ashore, afloat, and aviation commands. At this time $903,591 has been obligated. 55CONS/LGCD is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180).
NAVY
TEC, Inc. Joint Venture, Charlottesville, Va., is being awarded a $25,000,000 firm fixed price contract modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the Guam build-up to support the relocation of the U.S. Marines Corps from Okinawa to Guam. The work to be performed provides for Architect-Engineering (A-E) Services for Environmental Planning to Support Strategic Forward Basing Initiatives and Related Technical Services. This includes environmental impact documents, environmental studies and technical services which may include, but are not limited to, preliminary site assessment studies, feasibility assessments, and engineering services with associated multi-discipline A-E support as required. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $65,000,000. Work will be performed in Guam, and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-06-D-1870).
Michigan Technology University, Houghton, Mich., is being awarded a $14,850,000 ceiling priced, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to transition current laboratory Electro-Optical technology (e.g. photonic integrated circuits, optical fiber interconnects, and transmission media) and implement its application in real world printed circuit board manufacturing for use in military aerospace environments. Work will be performed in Houghton, Mich., (80 percent); Calumet, Mich., (10 percent); Eagan, Minn., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jan. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement, with one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-D-0003).
Concurrent Technology Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded an $11,468,212 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a cost plus fixed fee pricing arrangement to provide technical and engineering services for continued Carriage, Stream, Tow, and Recovery System (CSTRS) development, test, and analysis. This procurement is in support of the ongoing development and test of the CSTRS to incorporate Airborne Mine Countermeasures capabilities and will be utilized on the MH-60S helicopter. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., (88 percent) and Panama City, Fla., (12 percent), and is expected to completed by Feb. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-09-D-0004).
Converteam, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $9,313,451 firm fixed price contract for long lead materials for the DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical Advanced Induction Motor, Motor Drive, and Harmonic Filters for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. This long lead material will eventually be incorporated into a DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical Advanced Induction Motor, Motor Drive, and Harmonic Filters that will be delivered to the Navy Land Based Test Site in Philadelphia, Pa. These components will meet the same specification established by the DDG 1000 shipyards for the lead ship installation. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract wasnot competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4203).
General Dynamics, Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,290,977 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4003) for Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department tasks in support of maintenance, repair and modernization of operational nuclear submarines. Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will continue to perform project management, engineering and planning, training, inspection and nuclear services. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6,290,977 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE
Lockheed Martin Government Services, Inc., Seabrook, Md., was awarded an eighth year option of $26,370,708 as part of contract MDA220-01-D-0002 for management of the Retired and Annuitant pay service formerly managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), which was the subject of an A-76 action. The estimated aggregate face value of this contract at time of award was $346,432,288. Primary work is performed at DFAS Cleveland, Ohio and secondary work which includes document scanning and primarily imaging is performed at London, Kentucky. Under this option work will be performed between Feb. 01, 2009, through Jan. 31, 2010. The DFAS Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (MDA220-01-D-0002).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Tennier Industries, Boca Raton, Fla.*, is being awarded a maximum $36,610,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for cold weather parkas. Other location of performance is in Tennessee. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-09-D-0026).
AGE Refining, Inc., San Antonio, Texas*, is being awarded a minimum $12,382,273 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for aviation fuel. Other location of performance is in Texas. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 92 proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification exercises the first option period of the base contract. The date of performance completion is Mar. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-07-D-0464).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $128,150,933.68 cost plus fixed fee, level-of-effort engineering services contract award for 702,599 man-hours of effort. Work is being performed at Burlington, Andover, and Tewksbury, Mass.; Huntsville, Ala.; and El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2014. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-C-0057).
Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, an $87,176,614
Task Order (0001) firm fixed price contract for design and construction of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Light) Complex 2 – Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing – Barracks, PN 68961, Fort Bliss, Texas. This project is required by the Army's Military Construction Transformation Initiatives and will house single soldiers on a permanent basis and provide laundry facilities, and other amenities. Work is being performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 23, 2010. Bids solicited: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors; Bids received: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-09-D-0011).
Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, an $87,176,614 Task Order (0002) firm fixed price contract for design and construction of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Light) Complex 2 – Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing – Barracks, PN 68962, Fort Bliss, Texas. This project is required by the Army's Military Construction Transformation Initiatives and will house single Soldiers on a permanent basis and provide laundry facilities, and other amenities. Work is being performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Apr. 20, 201l. Bids solicited: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors; Bids received: RFP 0001 – 3 Offerors. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-09-D-0011).
KILGORE FLARES COMPANY, LLC, Toone, Tenn., was awarded on Jan 30, 2009, a $22,801,750 firm fixed price contract for 225,800 M206 and 488,580 MJU-7A/B IR Countermeasure Flares. Work is being performed at Toone, Tenn., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 30, 2010. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-04-C-0097).
ARMTEC COUNTERMEASURES, CO., Coachella, Calif., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $19,951,263 firm fixed price contract for 184,800 M206 and 399,720 MJU-7A/B IR Countermeasure Flares. Work is being performed at East Camden, Ark., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 30, 2010. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-04-C-0096).
General Dynamics C4 Systems Inc, Taunton, Mass., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $9,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract. General Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S) is currently performing System Development and Demonstration (SDD) for the Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) under Contract DAAB07-02-C-F404. The effort will define, model, simulate, and demonstrate in a field environment the WIN-T System's architecture. Work is being performed at Taunton, Mass., and Gaithersburg, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited by sole source and one bid received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-02-C-F404).
The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $7,347,421 cost plus fixed fee contract for research with the primary objective of the program to carry out Phase 1 of the DiscRotor Risk Reduction Study. The DiscRotor concept consists of a fixed-wing aircraft fitted with a retractable single rotor. The DiscRotor concept has substantial potential to provide a high-speed, high-altitude aircraft (400+ KTAS at 30,000 ft) that has the hover and low-speed characteristics of a helicopter. Work is being performed at Philadelphia, Pa., and Blacksburg, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jul 31, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0056).
ALLIANT AMMUNITION AND POWDER COMPANY LLC, Radford, Va., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $7,142,000 firm fixed price modification to facility contract in support of the modernization effort at Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Work will be performed at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Headquarters, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAA09-03-E-0001).
BLUE TEE CORP, Enid, Okla., was awarded on Jan. 30, 2009, a $6,073,366 firm fixed price construction contract for Water Well Drilling System for the Government of Egypt. Work will be performed at Enid, Okla., and in Egypt, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Programs Center, Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-09-C-0005).
Alliant Techsystems Inc., Plymouth, Minn., was awarded on Jan. 29, 2009, a $29,729,805 firm fixed price modification for the manufacture and delivery of approximately 3,240 M829 A3 120mm Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot Tracer Cartridges. Work will be performed at 21 stateside locations with an estimated completion date of Apr. 11, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality LCMC, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-07-C-0085).
DON JON MARINE COMPANY, Hillside, N.J., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $31,945,000 firm fixed price contract consisting of deepening of the existing 47 feet Mean Low Water (MLW) Federal Navigation Channel System to a depth of 52 feet (MLW). The project consists of dredging and disposal of non-rock and possible drilling, blasting, dredging and disposal of rock. Work will be performed at New York and New Jersey Harbor Westside of Newark Bay. Bids were solicited by Unrestricted Open Competition with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District New York, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-09-C-0003).
Alutiiq International, Huntsville, Ala., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $13,140,665 firm fixed price construction contract for a project consisting of various buildings comprising the Transportation Management School. Work is to be performed at Fort Lee, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2011. Eighty bids were solicited with 13 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District Norfolk, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-09-C-0021).
Daimler Trucks North America LLC, Portland, Ore., was awarded on Jan. 28, 2009, a $6,517,184.70 firm fixed price 9 Year Requirements contract: Delivery Order 0111 adds 11 each, M916A3 Light Equipment Transporters and 20 each, M917A2 Dump Trucks to the contract. Work is to be performed at Portland, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2009. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-00-D-S022).
Bogert International Inc., Pasco, Wash., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $16,570,656 firm fixed price, 5-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to procure lifting jacks for the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) for a minimum quantity of 10,000 each and a maximum of 108,243 each. Work is to be performed at Pasco, Wash., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2014. U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0060).
DRS C3 Systems Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $13,915,132 firm fixed price contract for new work modification under the authority of Unusual and Compelling Urgency for 1,520 Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE) TWV A-Kits (mounting hardware, wiring, and connectors) for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Program and 224 DVE CV A-Kits and 756 cable assemblies. Work is being performed at Fort Walton Beach, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-06-C-W006).
Colt Defense LLC, Hartford, Conn., was awarded on Jan. 27, 2009, a $9,494,376 firm fixed price 5-year Requirements contract for Barrel & Front Assembly 18,000 each; Hand Guard 13,600 each; Heavy Barrel Assembly 7,100 each; Receiver, Cartridge 22,000 each; Extractor Spring Assembly 200,000 each. Work is to be performed at Hartford, Conn., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2012. Tank and Automotive Command Rock Island, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAE20-03-D-0191).
MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY CONTRACT AWARD
The Boeing Co., Integrated Defense Systems (Global Services and Support Division), St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded $249, 937,154 for a cost plus fixed fee contract for operations and sustainment support for the fielded portions of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) System for calendar year (CY) 2009 with an option for CY 2010. The principal places of performance are the contractor's facility in Huntsville, Ala., and Missile Defense Agency facilities at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Fort Greely, Alaska. This sole source contract is awarded pursuant to 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1. Specifically, as provided in the Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition, Boeing, as the incumbent prime contractor for the operations and sustainment of the GMD Weapon System, is the only qualified source to perform this effort without unacceptable delay to critical program schedules and unaffordable duplication of costs. The MDA, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (HQ0147-09-C-0007). The period of performance is from Jan. 2009 through Dec. 2009 with a one year option to continue work from Jan. 2010 through Dec. 2010. The contract will be incrementally funded for $133,429,130 at award. Fiscal year (FY) 09 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds (RDT&E) will be used for the primary operations and sustainment support activities. FY09 Army Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funds will be used for training of Army soldier-operators. The RDT&E funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The O&M funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This award is an interim measure which will continue essential O&S support to the GMD system in the near-term while MDA acquires and verifies necessary technical data and develops its strategy for competitive acquisition of follow-on GMD O&S support. On January 29, 2009, MDA published a formal announcement of its intent relative to follow-on GMD O&S efforts subsequent to effort covered by this current award. The purpose of the Jan. 29, 2009 FEDBIZOPPS announcement is to initiate immediate dialogue with industry regarding a competitive acquisition strategy for follow-on GMD O&S support requirements, with a stated intent to make a competitive award for such requirements no later than calendar year 2011.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a contract to Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana for $120,000,000. This contract action covers sustaining services including logistics support, program management support, engineering services, spares and technical data in support of the C-130J propulsions system which include the AE 2100D3 engine and R-391 propeller systems. At this time $17,511,485 has been obligated. 330 ACSG/GFKA, Robins, AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8504-07-D-0001-P00004).
The Air Force is awarding a time and material contract to General Dynamics Information Technology Inc of Fairfax, Va., for $22,953,332. This action will provide personnel, equipment, materials, supervision, all items and onsite services to perform support services for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, Rome Research Site, and Hanscom AFB. At this time, $376,000 has been obligated. 88 CONS/PKA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8601-09-F-0024).
The Air Force is awarding a firm fixed price contract with time and material and cost reimbursable elements to Abacus Technology Corporation of Chevy Chase, Md., for $14,645,109. This action will provide 34 Engineers for the Foreign Military Sales customer, Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi Arabia for 30 Months to provide management, operation, maintenance and support of C4I Systems and provide training of military, civilian and contractor personnel. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 350 ESG/CONS, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8706-09-C-0002).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio for $8,761,285. This action will evaluate the effectiveness of Coast Guard unit and installation CBRN response readiness, identify gaps in preparedness, and develop training, risk reduction, and other mitigation techniques to minimize effects of on Coast Guard ashore, afloat, and aviation commands. At this time $903,591 has been obligated. 55CONS/LGCD is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180).
NAVY
TEC, Inc. Joint Venture, Charlottesville, Va., is being awarded a $25,000,000 firm fixed price contract modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the Guam build-up to support the relocation of the U.S. Marines Corps from Okinawa to Guam. The work to be performed provides for Architect-Engineering (A-E) Services for Environmental Planning to Support Strategic Forward Basing Initiatives and Related Technical Services. This includes environmental impact documents, environmental studies and technical services which may include, but are not limited to, preliminary site assessment studies, feasibility assessments, and engineering services with associated multi-discipline A-E support as required. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $65,000,000. Work will be performed in Guam, and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-06-D-1870).
Michigan Technology University, Houghton, Mich., is being awarded a $14,850,000 ceiling priced, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to transition current laboratory Electro-Optical technology (e.g. photonic integrated circuits, optical fiber interconnects, and transmission media) and implement its application in real world printed circuit board manufacturing for use in military aerospace environments. Work will be performed in Houghton, Mich., (80 percent); Calumet, Mich., (10 percent); Eagan, Minn., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jan. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement, with one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-D-0003).
Concurrent Technology Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded an $11,468,212 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a cost plus fixed fee pricing arrangement to provide technical and engineering services for continued Carriage, Stream, Tow, and Recovery System (CSTRS) development, test, and analysis. This procurement is in support of the ongoing development and test of the CSTRS to incorporate Airborne Mine Countermeasures capabilities and will be utilized on the MH-60S helicopter. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., (88 percent) and Panama City, Fla., (12 percent), and is expected to completed by Feb. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-09-D-0004).
Converteam, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $9,313,451 firm fixed price contract for long lead materials for the DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical Advanced Induction Motor, Motor Drive, and Harmonic Filters for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. This long lead material will eventually be incorporated into a DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical Advanced Induction Motor, Motor Drive, and Harmonic Filters that will be delivered to the Navy Land Based Test Site in Philadelphia, Pa. These components will meet the same specification established by the DDG 1000 shipyards for the lead ship installation. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract wasnot competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4203).
General Dynamics, Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,290,977 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4003) for Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department tasks in support of maintenance, repair and modernization of operational nuclear submarines. Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will continue to perform project management, engineering and planning, training, inspection and nuclear services. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6,290,977 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE
Lockheed Martin Government Services, Inc., Seabrook, Md., was awarded an eighth year option of $26,370,708 as part of contract MDA220-01-D-0002 for management of the Retired and Annuitant pay service formerly managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), which was the subject of an A-76 action. The estimated aggregate face value of this contract at time of award was $346,432,288. Primary work is performed at DFAS Cleveland, Ohio and secondary work which includes document scanning and primarily imaging is performed at London, Kentucky. Under this option work will be performed between Feb. 01, 2009, through Jan. 31, 2010. The DFAS Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (MDA220-01-D-0002).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Tennier Industries, Boca Raton, Fla.*, is being awarded a maximum $36,610,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for cold weather parkas. Other location of performance is in Tennessee. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 29, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-09-D-0026).
AGE Refining, Inc., San Antonio, Texas*, is being awarded a minimum $12,382,273 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for aviation fuel. Other location of performance is in Texas. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 92 proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification exercises the first option period of the base contract. The date of performance completion is Mar. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-07-D-0464).
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Cooperation Provides Key for Central American Security, Southcom Commander Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2009 - The senior U.S. military officer focused on Latin America and the Caribbean arrived in Guatemala today to bolster the solid U.S.-Guatemalan partnership and underscore the growing importance of international and interagency cooperation in protecting regional stability. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. Southern Command, left his Miami headquarters for Guatemala City, where he will meet with President Alvaro Colom Caballeros and his senior defense and military leaders. Stavridis also plans to visit one of Guatemala's major peacekeeper training centers.
Stavridis said that, throughout his visit, he'll echo the message he delivered just a few days earlier to Honduran government and defense leaders in Tegucigalpa: Partnership is vital because no one country can tackle the region's transnational security challenges alone.
"In everything we do at SOUTHCOM -- in every aspect of our security cooperation -- our approach is international," Stavridis told American Forces Press Service Jan. 30 during his return flight from Honduras. "We try to be a force for multinational activity, because of the power in everyone working together."
SOUTHCOM works actively to help partner nations build capacity within their armed forces through training programs, bilateral and multilateral exercises and equipment contributions.
While in Guatemala, for example, Stavridis will help christen three Boston Whaler vessels that will support Guatemala's counter-narcotics operations. The United States purchased the launches and 20 sets of night-vision goggles through a counterdrug security assistance program.
Days earlier, Honduras took delivery of four U.S.-funded "fast boats" to enhance its own capabilities in protecting its shores and waterways from transnational threats ranging from narcotics trafficking to piracy to global terrorism.
That effort, part of SOUTHCOM's Enduring Friendship security assistance program, also includes training in how to operate and maintain the watercraft, improving Honduras' ability to protect its shores.
Stavridis said he was impressed in Honduras by the country's deep interest in international cooperation and recognition of its benefits.
The day before his arrival, Honduran police seized 1.5 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $25 million, as well as an aircraft and two "go-fast" boats used by the drug runners. Tipped off by intelligence from SOUTHCOM's Joint Interagency Task Force-South counterdrug operation based in Key West, Fla., and with tracking and hand-off involving the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, Honduran forces swooped in on the traffickers in their first-ever aircraft interdiction.
Stavridis called the mission "a huge win" and said it exemplified the power of cooperation.
"The Hondurans were so excited about this drug bust which their forces concluded, but really was the result of Mexican, U.S., Guatemalan and Honduran activity coming together, in terms of both intelligence and actual activity," he said. "And in all our conversations, the Hondurans emphasized how excited they were about further international cooperation"
Stavridis praised the partnerships Honduras and Guatemala have forged with each other and other neighboring nations to promote their shared security interests. "They work together on everything from trade and the economy to counternarcotics, disaster relief and peacekeeping," he said.
This cooperation, he said, is paying off through increased information sharing and interoperability, and enhanced capability that promotes regional security and stability.
Stavridis noted the professionalism of the all-volunteer Honduran military, which includes a U.N.-certified peacekeeping battalion. It's reflective, he said, of the steady democratic leadership that's governed Honduras since 1983, a stark contrast to the country's first 150 volatile years of independence.
Writing in his personal blog during the return flight to Miami, Stavridis summed up his impressions after two days in Tegucigalpa.
"After a busy couple of days, I felt good about our security engagement and the continuing partnership," he wrote. "Clearly our interagency partners are doing fine work in their lane of development and diplomacy." He also noted that the largest Peace Corps contingent in the Americas is at work in Honduras.
"And I felt that our work on security and defense issues was a helpful part of the equation," he wrote.
During all his country visits, Stavridis said he carries the message about the strength of interagency as well as international cooperation. He said he hopes the U.S. example can serve as "a powerful model" for the region.
While in Honduras, he met with the embassy's country team to discuss security challenges and ongoing initiatives and pledge continued support to the collective interagency effort to help Honduras address them.
Stavridis spends about 75 percent of his time visiting the 45 countries and territories in his area of focus, which covers 16 million square miles. Since taking command two and a half years ago, he figures he's visited just about every country, and many two or three times.
That's because, he said, there's no better way to foster the relationships that lead to powerful partnerships than face to face.
Fluent in Spanish, Stavridis said he enjoys talking with officials and reporters alike in their own language, often surprising his hosts in what he views as a simple sign of respect. He's now studying Portuguese so he can better communicate directly when visiting Brazil.
In a region highly unlikely to experience all-out war, Stavridis calls communication the most important tool in his arsenal. "In this hemisphere, we are in the business of ideas, not missiles," he said. "Our main battery, so to speak, is communications."
And the best way to communicate, he said, is in person.
"You can write articles, post to blogs and send out videos and magazines, but nothing can beat personal contact," Stavridis said. "There is real power in human contact. It trumps everything. And that's really what these trips are all about."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2009 - The senior U.S. military officer focused on Latin America and the Caribbean arrived in Guatemala today to bolster the solid U.S.-Guatemalan partnership and underscore the growing importance of international and interagency cooperation in protecting regional stability. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. Southern Command, left his Miami headquarters for Guatemala City, where he will meet with President Alvaro Colom Caballeros and his senior defense and military leaders. Stavridis also plans to visit one of Guatemala's major peacekeeper training centers.
Stavridis said that, throughout his visit, he'll echo the message he delivered just a few days earlier to Honduran government and defense leaders in Tegucigalpa: Partnership is vital because no one country can tackle the region's transnational security challenges alone.
"In everything we do at SOUTHCOM -- in every aspect of our security cooperation -- our approach is international," Stavridis told American Forces Press Service Jan. 30 during his return flight from Honduras. "We try to be a force for multinational activity, because of the power in everyone working together."
SOUTHCOM works actively to help partner nations build capacity within their armed forces through training programs, bilateral and multilateral exercises and equipment contributions.
While in Guatemala, for example, Stavridis will help christen three Boston Whaler vessels that will support Guatemala's counter-narcotics operations. The United States purchased the launches and 20 sets of night-vision goggles through a counterdrug security assistance program.
Days earlier, Honduras took delivery of four U.S.-funded "fast boats" to enhance its own capabilities in protecting its shores and waterways from transnational threats ranging from narcotics trafficking to piracy to global terrorism.
That effort, part of SOUTHCOM's Enduring Friendship security assistance program, also includes training in how to operate and maintain the watercraft, improving Honduras' ability to protect its shores.
Stavridis said he was impressed in Honduras by the country's deep interest in international cooperation and recognition of its benefits.
The day before his arrival, Honduran police seized 1.5 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $25 million, as well as an aircraft and two "go-fast" boats used by the drug runners. Tipped off by intelligence from SOUTHCOM's Joint Interagency Task Force-South counterdrug operation based in Key West, Fla., and with tracking and hand-off involving the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, Honduran forces swooped in on the traffickers in their first-ever aircraft interdiction.
Stavridis called the mission "a huge win" and said it exemplified the power of cooperation.
"The Hondurans were so excited about this drug bust which their forces concluded, but really was the result of Mexican, U.S., Guatemalan and Honduran activity coming together, in terms of both intelligence and actual activity," he said. "And in all our conversations, the Hondurans emphasized how excited they were about further international cooperation"
Stavridis praised the partnerships Honduras and Guatemala have forged with each other and other neighboring nations to promote their shared security interests. "They work together on everything from trade and the economy to counternarcotics, disaster relief and peacekeeping," he said.
This cooperation, he said, is paying off through increased information sharing and interoperability, and enhanced capability that promotes regional security and stability.
Stavridis noted the professionalism of the all-volunteer Honduran military, which includes a U.N.-certified peacekeeping battalion. It's reflective, he said, of the steady democratic leadership that's governed Honduras since 1983, a stark contrast to the country's first 150 volatile years of independence.
Writing in his personal blog during the return flight to Miami, Stavridis summed up his impressions after two days in Tegucigalpa.
"After a busy couple of days, I felt good about our security engagement and the continuing partnership," he wrote. "Clearly our interagency partners are doing fine work in their lane of development and diplomacy." He also noted that the largest Peace Corps contingent in the Americas is at work in Honduras.
"And I felt that our work on security and defense issues was a helpful part of the equation," he wrote.
During all his country visits, Stavridis said he carries the message about the strength of interagency as well as international cooperation. He said he hopes the U.S. example can serve as "a powerful model" for the region.
While in Honduras, he met with the embassy's country team to discuss security challenges and ongoing initiatives and pledge continued support to the collective interagency effort to help Honduras address them.
Stavridis spends about 75 percent of his time visiting the 45 countries and territories in his area of focus, which covers 16 million square miles. Since taking command two and a half years ago, he figures he's visited just about every country, and many two or three times.
That's because, he said, there's no better way to foster the relationships that lead to powerful partnerships than face to face.
Fluent in Spanish, Stavridis said he enjoys talking with officials and reporters alike in their own language, often surprising his hosts in what he views as a simple sign of respect. He's now studying Portuguese so he can better communicate directly when visiting Brazil.
In a region highly unlikely to experience all-out war, Stavridis calls communication the most important tool in his arsenal. "In this hemisphere, we are in the business of ideas, not missiles," he said. "Our main battery, so to speak, is communications."
And the best way to communicate, he said, is in person.
"You can write articles, post to blogs and send out videos and magazines, but nothing can beat personal contact," Stavridis said. "There is real power in human contact. It trumps everything. And that's really what these trips are all about."
Friday, January 30, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS January 30, 2009
NAVY
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., is being awarded a $146,156,130 cost plus incentive fee contract for a Trident II (D5) MK6 Life Extension Guidance System. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Fla., (35 percent); Plymouth, Minn., (27 percent); Bloomington, Minn., (16 percent), Cambridge, Mass., (12 percent); Pittsfield, Mass., (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. Strategic systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-09-C-0011).
Pave-Tech, Inc.*, Carlsbad, Calif., is being awarded $13,995,000 for firm fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1605) for concrete and lighting repairs of Runway 13R-31L at Naval Air Station, Fallon. Work will be performed in Fallon, Nev., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
IAP World Services, Inc., Cape Canaveral, Fla., is being awarded a $13,352,747 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for base operating support services at Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The work to be performed provides for all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, and other items to provide services included, but not limited to, operation and maintenance of the Central Heating Plant, Water Treatment Plant, Waste Water Treatment Plant, utility systems, sustainment of site utilities, infrastructure, building structures and systems, and transportation. The contract also contains eight unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $179,829,122. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Md., and work is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Online Website, with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington D.C., Public Works Department Annapolis, Annapolis, Md., is the contracting activity (N40080-09-D-0512).
Eastern GCR, LLC, JV*, Pinehurst, N.C., is being awarded a $9,461,295 modification under a previously awarded firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N40080-05-D-3002) to exercise Option 3 for small business base operating support services at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River Complex. The work to be performed provides for all managerial, supervision, labor, tools, materials, equipment and transportation necessary to provide janitorial, portable toilets, pest control, grounds maintenance, snow removal, street sweeping and transportation services. The current total contract amount after exercise of this option is $34,181,276. Work will be performed primarily at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md., (79 percent); Webster Outlying Field, St. Inigoes, Md., (19 precent); and Solomons Recreation Center, Solomons, Md., (2 percent), and work is expected to be completed Jan. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineer Command, Washington, Public Works Department, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
T. B. Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $7,625,101 for firm fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8612) for design and construction of a Combined Child Care and Youth Center at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $8,223,724. Work will be performed in El Centro, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $6,490,441 cost plus fixed fee order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to assess and define the static structural and fatigue capabilities of the LITENING Targeting Pod to support a Fleet flight clearance for carriage on weapons station four of the F/A-18A-D aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., (60 percent); Patuxent River, Md., (20 percent); El Segundo, Calif., (10 percent); and Rolling Meadows, Ill., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in Apr. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $2,743,444 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Propper International, Inc., Mayaquez, Puerto Rico is being awarded a maximum $74,293,980 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform, coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are in Puerto Rico. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0408).
American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $34,782,000 firm fixed price, partial set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform coats. Other locations of performance are in Alabama. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0406).
D.J. Manufacturing Corp., Caguas, Puerto Rico is being awarded a maximum $32,114,016 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform, coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are in Puerto Rico. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0407).
Golden Manufacturing Inc., Golden, Miss., is being awarded a maximum $19,942,920 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform coats. Other locations of performance are in Mississippi. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0409).
Woolrich, Woolrich, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $13,004,376 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform trousers. Other locations of performance are in Ga, Texas and Illinois. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0410).
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., is being awarded a maximum $8,913,246 firm fixed price contract for runway snow broom/blowers. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There were originally two proposals solicited with 1 response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 15, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0066-0021).
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding a firm fixed contract to Northrop Grumman, Palmdale, California for $35,150,555.00. This contract action will provide for B-2 Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment Team Contract, Performance Based Logistics, and CY09 Contract Depot Maintenance. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 448 SCMG/PKBF Tinker AFB, Oklahoma is the contracting activity (F33657-99-D-0028).
The Air Force is awarding a contract modification to Lockheed Martin Co., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., for $29,087,742.00. This modification will exercise options to purchase initial spares for the Global War on Terror aircraft, support equipment and other items. The work will be performed in Marietta, Ga. USAF/AFMC, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to BAE Systems Electronic Intelligence Support of Nashua, N. H., for $6,275,262. This contract will provide a three-year technology development program to develop a radio frequency detection and space warning receiver system for satellites. The work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity. (FA9453-09-C-0335)
The Air Force is awarding a contract to L3 Communications Corp., Integrated Systems Joint Operations of Lexington, Ky., for $6,156,863. This contract is to exercise the remaining option for the production and installation of dual rails applicable to the MC-130P. The work will be performed in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. WR-ALC/580th ACSSG/Contracting, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (USZA22-03-D-0006-RJ31-03).
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., is being awarded a $146,156,130 cost plus incentive fee contract for a Trident II (D5) MK6 Life Extension Guidance System. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Fla., (35 percent); Plymouth, Minn., (27 percent); Bloomington, Minn., (16 percent), Cambridge, Mass., (12 percent); Pittsfield, Mass., (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. Strategic systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-09-C-0011).
Pave-Tech, Inc.*, Carlsbad, Calif., is being awarded $13,995,000 for firm fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1605) for concrete and lighting repairs of Runway 13R-31L at Naval Air Station, Fallon. Work will be performed in Fallon, Nev., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
IAP World Services, Inc., Cape Canaveral, Fla., is being awarded a $13,352,747 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for base operating support services at Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The work to be performed provides for all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, and other items to provide services included, but not limited to, operation and maintenance of the Central Heating Plant, Water Treatment Plant, Waste Water Treatment Plant, utility systems, sustainment of site utilities, infrastructure, building structures and systems, and transportation. The contract also contains eight unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $179,829,122. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Md., and work is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Online Website, with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington D.C., Public Works Department Annapolis, Annapolis, Md., is the contracting activity (N40080-09-D-0512).
Eastern GCR, LLC, JV*, Pinehurst, N.C., is being awarded a $9,461,295 modification under a previously awarded firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N40080-05-D-3002) to exercise Option 3 for small business base operating support services at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River Complex. The work to be performed provides for all managerial, supervision, labor, tools, materials, equipment and transportation necessary to provide janitorial, portable toilets, pest control, grounds maintenance, snow removal, street sweeping and transportation services. The current total contract amount after exercise of this option is $34,181,276. Work will be performed primarily at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md., (79 percent); Webster Outlying Field, St. Inigoes, Md., (19 precent); and Solomons Recreation Center, Solomons, Md., (2 percent), and work is expected to be completed Jan. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineer Command, Washington, Public Works Department, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
T. B. Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $7,625,101 for firm fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8612) for design and construction of a Combined Child Care and Youth Center at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $8,223,724. Work will be performed in El Centro, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $6,490,441 cost plus fixed fee order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to assess and define the static structural and fatigue capabilities of the LITENING Targeting Pod to support a Fleet flight clearance for carriage on weapons station four of the F/A-18A-D aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., (60 percent); Patuxent River, Md., (20 percent); El Segundo, Calif., (10 percent); and Rolling Meadows, Ill., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in Apr. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $2,743,444 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Propper International, Inc., Mayaquez, Puerto Rico is being awarded a maximum $74,293,980 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform, coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are in Puerto Rico. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0408).
American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $34,782,000 firm fixed price, partial set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform coats. Other locations of performance are in Alabama. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0406).
D.J. Manufacturing Corp., Caguas, Puerto Rico is being awarded a maximum $32,114,016 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform, coats and trousers. Other locations of performance are in Puerto Rico. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0407).
Golden Manufacturing Inc., Golden, Miss., is being awarded a maximum $19,942,920 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform coats. Other locations of performance are in Mississippi. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0409).
Woolrich, Woolrich, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $13,004,376 firm fixed price, total set aside, indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery contract for Army Combat Uniform trousers. Other locations of performance are in Ga, Texas and Illinois. Using service is Army. The proposal was originally Web solicited with 36 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Jan. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM100-05-D-0410).
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., is being awarded a maximum $8,913,246 firm fixed price contract for runway snow broom/blowers. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There were originally two proposals solicited with 1 response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 15, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0066-0021).
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding a firm fixed contract to Northrop Grumman, Palmdale, California for $35,150,555.00. This contract action will provide for B-2 Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment Team Contract, Performance Based Logistics, and CY09 Contract Depot Maintenance. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 448 SCMG/PKBF Tinker AFB, Oklahoma is the contracting activity (F33657-99-D-0028).
The Air Force is awarding a contract modification to Lockheed Martin Co., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., for $29,087,742.00. This modification will exercise options to purchase initial spares for the Global War on Terror aircraft, support equipment and other items. The work will be performed in Marietta, Ga. USAF/AFMC, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to BAE Systems Electronic Intelligence Support of Nashua, N. H., for $6,275,262. This contract will provide a three-year technology development program to develop a radio frequency detection and space warning receiver system for satellites. The work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity. (FA9453-09-C-0335)
The Air Force is awarding a contract to L3 Communications Corp., Integrated Systems Joint Operations of Lexington, Ky., for $6,156,863. This contract is to exercise the remaining option for the production and installation of dual rails applicable to the MC-130P. The work will be performed in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. WR-ALC/580th ACSSG/Contracting, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (USZA22-03-D-0006-RJ31-03).
Alaska Army Guardsman Prepares for Iditarod
By Army Sgt. Karima Turner
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - An Alaska Army National Guardsman is one step closer to competing in the Iditarod, Alaska's famous 1,150-mile sled-dog race. Staff Sgt. Harry Alexie finished ninth with a time of 59 hours, 8 minutes, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in the Copper Basin 300 Dog Sled Race here last week.
The 300-mile race is the second qualifying race for Alexie before the 2009 Iditarod and is considered to be the toughest mid-distance sled-dog race in the world.
The first qualifying race Alexie completed was Alaska's Gin Gin 200 Dog Sled Race in December, in which he placed fifth in the men's division with a time of 10 hours, 48 minutes, after battling 40 mph winds and temperatures that reached minus 40.
In line with National Guard recruiting and retention efforts, the National Guard Bureau is sponsoring Alexie to race in the 2009 Iditarod, to be held in March.
As part of this sponsorship, Alexie asked veteran musher Lance Mackey, a two-time Iditarod champion, to be his trainer, and will use one of Mackey's dog sled teams to run in the upcoming race.
Alexie has been training since October at Mackey's Comeback Kennel training facility in Fairbanks.
"Up to this point, Staff Sgt. Alexie has been doing quite well," Army Sgt. Maj. Clinton Brown II of the Alaska Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention office said. "Given the experience that he has accumulated and the trainer that is preparing him, Staff Sgt. Alexie has the ability to finish in the top 20 of the Iditarod.
"Anything can happen on the trail, but Staff Sgt. Alexie is determined to show that he has what it takes to compete in the Last Great Race."
Alexie, a Yupik Alaska native of Kwethluk and resident of Bethel, has been mushing for about 15 years. He has competed in such races as the Fur Rondy World Championship Sled Dog Race and several sprint races.
"My [race] times have been surprising," Alexie said. "I'm very pleased and surprised for our finishes. Before I started racing distance races, I didn't know it would be so challenging.
"But every race I've competed in, I've learned something, and the Iditarod is something I'm up for. I've completed all of the qualifying races -- the Gin Gin and the Copper Basin 300, and now I'm looking forward to the Iditarod. I can't wait 'till it kicks off."
(Army Sgt. Karima Turner serves in the Alaska National Guard public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - An Alaska Army National Guardsman is one step closer to competing in the Iditarod, Alaska's famous 1,150-mile sled-dog race. Staff Sgt. Harry Alexie finished ninth with a time of 59 hours, 8 minutes, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in the Copper Basin 300 Dog Sled Race here last week.
The 300-mile race is the second qualifying race for Alexie before the 2009 Iditarod and is considered to be the toughest mid-distance sled-dog race in the world.
The first qualifying race Alexie completed was Alaska's Gin Gin 200 Dog Sled Race in December, in which he placed fifth in the men's division with a time of 10 hours, 48 minutes, after battling 40 mph winds and temperatures that reached minus 40.
In line with National Guard recruiting and retention efforts, the National Guard Bureau is sponsoring Alexie to race in the 2009 Iditarod, to be held in March.
As part of this sponsorship, Alexie asked veteran musher Lance Mackey, a two-time Iditarod champion, to be his trainer, and will use one of Mackey's dog sled teams to run in the upcoming race.
Alexie has been training since October at Mackey's Comeback Kennel training facility in Fairbanks.
"Up to this point, Staff Sgt. Alexie has been doing quite well," Army Sgt. Maj. Clinton Brown II of the Alaska Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention office said. "Given the experience that he has accumulated and the trainer that is preparing him, Staff Sgt. Alexie has the ability to finish in the top 20 of the Iditarod.
"Anything can happen on the trail, but Staff Sgt. Alexie is determined to show that he has what it takes to compete in the Last Great Race."
Alexie, a Yupik Alaska native of Kwethluk and resident of Bethel, has been mushing for about 15 years. He has competed in such races as the Fur Rondy World Championship Sled Dog Race and several sprint races.
"My [race] times have been surprising," Alexie said. "I'm very pleased and surprised for our finishes. Before I started racing distance races, I didn't know it would be so challenging.
"But every race I've competed in, I've learned something, and the Iditarod is something I'm up for. I've completed all of the qualifying races -- the Gin Gin and the Copper Basin 300, and now I'm looking forward to the Iditarod. I can't wait 'till it kicks off."
(Army Sgt. Karima Turner serves in the Alaska National Guard public affairs office.)
Army-issued Body Armor Safe, Effective, Official Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Soldiers should have full confidence in the quality of a particular series of Army-issued body armor plates that has come under recent scrutiny, Army officials said.
Scores of Army tests and an independent evaluation have determined the effectiveness of three types of ceramic plates manufactured by Armor Works of Chandler, Ariz., said Army Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, one of the officers who oversees equipment as part of the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier.
"Those plates being worn on the backs and fronts of soldiers all around the world are quality product," Fuller said in an interview today.
An audit published today by the Defense Department's Inspector General concluded the Army did not adhere to contract requirements in the first phase of tests performed on three designs submitted by Armor Works, and recommended the 16,413 sets of these plates in the field be returned.
Army Secretary Pete Geren disputed this finding, but agreed to order the withdrawal of the nearly 33,000 components from the total armor plate supply of about 9 million, as a precautionary measure.
Fuller said reactions to the audit have caused a "perception issue" being fueled by a characterization of the protective components as being unsafe. But a battery of tests performed throughout the life cycle of Army equipment ensures the effectiveness of soldiers' gear, he added.
"The [news] organizations are saying we are doing a recall because we have defective armor," he said. "That is not the case."
While the Army concedes there were "anomalies" in its initial evaluation process, known as first article tests, repeated follow-up analyses by the Army and a separate review by the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation office, validate the equipment's safety, Fuller said.
The test and evaluation office, the Defense Department's premier ballistics testing shop, functions independently of the Army.
"That's why we're standing behind these three sets of designs of body armor," Fuller said. "We've tested it, we've validated it -- in this case, we've even had someone else validate the same information."
The Army, meanwhile, has asked the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense to adjudicate its disagreement with the Inspector General – the first time a mediation request of this kind has been invoked, Fuller said.
Asked what message he sends troops in the field wearing Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts, which entails the Armor Works designs, Fuller said, "Wear them --you've got the best thing on ... It'll stop that round."
Army Sgt. Maj. Tom Coleman, who has had four tours of duty and also works in the Program Executive Office Soldier, said he has full confidence in the plates that are being returned, adding that he has seen them withstand a bullet round in combat.
"I've seen plates that have been hit, and I've seen what happens; it's primarily bruising," Coleman said. "I have never seen the skin get broken on a round that hit the armor.
"I have never seen it fail," he added. "And there are no reports that I've seen or that I'm aware of that are out there of any body armor failing to stop the round it was designed to stop."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Soldiers should have full confidence in the quality of a particular series of Army-issued body armor plates that has come under recent scrutiny, Army officials said.
Scores of Army tests and an independent evaluation have determined the effectiveness of three types of ceramic plates manufactured by Armor Works of Chandler, Ariz., said Army Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, one of the officers who oversees equipment as part of the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier.
"Those plates being worn on the backs and fronts of soldiers all around the world are quality product," Fuller said in an interview today.
An audit published today by the Defense Department's Inspector General concluded the Army did not adhere to contract requirements in the first phase of tests performed on three designs submitted by Armor Works, and recommended the 16,413 sets of these plates in the field be returned.
Army Secretary Pete Geren disputed this finding, but agreed to order the withdrawal of the nearly 33,000 components from the total armor plate supply of about 9 million, as a precautionary measure.
Fuller said reactions to the audit have caused a "perception issue" being fueled by a characterization of the protective components as being unsafe. But a battery of tests performed throughout the life cycle of Army equipment ensures the effectiveness of soldiers' gear, he added.
"The [news] organizations are saying we are doing a recall because we have defective armor," he said. "That is not the case."
While the Army concedes there were "anomalies" in its initial evaluation process, known as first article tests, repeated follow-up analyses by the Army and a separate review by the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation office, validate the equipment's safety, Fuller said.
The test and evaluation office, the Defense Department's premier ballistics testing shop, functions independently of the Army.
"That's why we're standing behind these three sets of designs of body armor," Fuller said. "We've tested it, we've validated it -- in this case, we've even had someone else validate the same information."
The Army, meanwhile, has asked the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense to adjudicate its disagreement with the Inspector General – the first time a mediation request of this kind has been invoked, Fuller said.
Asked what message he sends troops in the field wearing Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts, which entails the Armor Works designs, Fuller said, "Wear them --you've got the best thing on ... It'll stop that round."
Army Sgt. Maj. Tom Coleman, who has had four tours of duty and also works in the Program Executive Office Soldier, said he has full confidence in the plates that are being returned, adding that he has seen them withstand a bullet round in combat.
"I've seen plates that have been hit, and I've seen what happens; it's primarily bruising," Coleman said. "I have never seen the skin get broken on a round that hit the armor.
"I have never seen it fail," he added. "And there are no reports that I've seen or that I'm aware of that are out there of any body armor failing to stop the round it was designed to stop."
Stavridis Praises U.S.-Honduran Cooperation in Confronting Mutual Threats
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Southern Command arrived here yesterday to reaffirm the United States' strategic partnership with Honduras and praise the solid bilateral and interagency cooperation that is delivering tangible success. Navy Adm. James S. Stavridis met with President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, Defense Minister Aristides Mejia Carranza and Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez to discuss security challenges of mutual concern: primarily illicit drug, arms and human trafficking.
These, he said, threaten not just national, but also regional stability.
Stavridis also met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens and his embassy country team, as well as U.S. Military Group Honduras to explore ways to improve military-to-military training, education and other support to the Honduran government.
Declaring an "excellent state of cooperation between our two militaries," Stavridis lauded tremendous progress within Honduras' 11,000-member military.
The Honduran military is the country's most respected government institution, with only the Catholic Church garnering higher public respect, Air Force Col. Ken Rodriguez, commander of U.S. Military Group Honduras, told Stavridis.
That respect follows a decade-long leadership emphasis on excellence, integrity and professionalism within the ranks, coupled with a close military-to-military relationship with the United States, officials here said.
Stavridis' noted Honduras' "extremely full pallet of exercises" to build on those gains. Within the next few months alone, the Honduran military will join the United States and other regional partners to exercise maritime security operations, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, medical readiness and other critical capabilities.
The admiral credited those efforts, along with growing cooperation between the U.S. and Honduran governments, with making big headway against narcotics trafficking and other regional threats.
An example of that success took place the day before Stavridis arrived, when Honduran police seized 1.5 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $25 million, an aircraft and two "go-fast" boats used by drug runners. Tipped off by intelligence from Southcom's Joint Interagency Task Force South counterdrug operation based in Key West, Fla., Honduran authorities closed in on the traffickers in their first aircraft interdiction. The Honduran navy also supported the operation.
Stavridis said he congratulated Honduran leaders on the "extraordinary operation" in which their government took the lead in a cooperative arrangement.
The arrival of four U.S.-funded "fast boats," slated for delivery today, will further enhance Honduras' drug-interdiction capabilities, Rodriguez explained. The United States is providing the boats, as well training and equipment to operate and maintain them, through the Enduring Friendship security assistance program.
By 2010, the United States plans to buy four light observation aircraft for the Honduran military to augment the four the Hondurans recently bought to support counter-trafficking, he said.
Stavridis noted the long history of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Honduras that he said has paved the way for important security successes.
He thanked Honduran leaders for their support for Joint Task Force Bravo, Southcom's only permanently deployed U.S. forces in the region, which has operated in Honduras since 1983.
Based at Soto Cano Air Base, Joint Task Force Bravo stands as Southcom's "911 force," prepared to respond to natural disasters such as severe flooding and landslides that ravaged much of Costa Rica and Panama in late November and early December. In addition to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the task force supports counternarcotics and other missions in the region.
Stavridis asked both Honduran and U.S. leaders here for advice on ways to build on the already-strong U.S.-Honduran relationship. He also emphasized throughout his sessions that confronting transnational challenges demands close interagency cooperation like that already in place here.
"The future of national security is the interagency, all working together," he said.
Stavridis' visit here underscored the value the United States places on its strategic partnership with Honduras in promoting regional security and stability, Rodriguez said.
"We in the United States get as much out of this relationship as [the Hondurans] do," he said. "What we have is a relationship of comrades in arms, working together to confront mutual threats."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Southern Command arrived here yesterday to reaffirm the United States' strategic partnership with Honduras and praise the solid bilateral and interagency cooperation that is delivering tangible success. Navy Adm. James S. Stavridis met with President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, Defense Minister Aristides Mejia Carranza and Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez to discuss security challenges of mutual concern: primarily illicit drug, arms and human trafficking.
These, he said, threaten not just national, but also regional stability.
Stavridis also met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens and his embassy country team, as well as U.S. Military Group Honduras to explore ways to improve military-to-military training, education and other support to the Honduran government.
Declaring an "excellent state of cooperation between our two militaries," Stavridis lauded tremendous progress within Honduras' 11,000-member military.
The Honduran military is the country's most respected government institution, with only the Catholic Church garnering higher public respect, Air Force Col. Ken Rodriguez, commander of U.S. Military Group Honduras, told Stavridis.
That respect follows a decade-long leadership emphasis on excellence, integrity and professionalism within the ranks, coupled with a close military-to-military relationship with the United States, officials here said.
Stavridis' noted Honduras' "extremely full pallet of exercises" to build on those gains. Within the next few months alone, the Honduran military will join the United States and other regional partners to exercise maritime security operations, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, medical readiness and other critical capabilities.
The admiral credited those efforts, along with growing cooperation between the U.S. and Honduran governments, with making big headway against narcotics trafficking and other regional threats.
An example of that success took place the day before Stavridis arrived, when Honduran police seized 1.5 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $25 million, an aircraft and two "go-fast" boats used by drug runners. Tipped off by intelligence from Southcom's Joint Interagency Task Force South counterdrug operation based in Key West, Fla., Honduran authorities closed in on the traffickers in their first aircraft interdiction. The Honduran navy also supported the operation.
Stavridis said he congratulated Honduran leaders on the "extraordinary operation" in which their government took the lead in a cooperative arrangement.
The arrival of four U.S.-funded "fast boats," slated for delivery today, will further enhance Honduras' drug-interdiction capabilities, Rodriguez explained. The United States is providing the boats, as well training and equipment to operate and maintain them, through the Enduring Friendship security assistance program.
By 2010, the United States plans to buy four light observation aircraft for the Honduran military to augment the four the Hondurans recently bought to support counter-trafficking, he said.
Stavridis noted the long history of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Honduras that he said has paved the way for important security successes.
He thanked Honduran leaders for their support for Joint Task Force Bravo, Southcom's only permanently deployed U.S. forces in the region, which has operated in Honduras since 1983.
Based at Soto Cano Air Base, Joint Task Force Bravo stands as Southcom's "911 force," prepared to respond to natural disasters such as severe flooding and landslides that ravaged much of Costa Rica and Panama in late November and early December. In addition to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the task force supports counternarcotics and other missions in the region.
Stavridis asked both Honduran and U.S. leaders here for advice on ways to build on the already-strong U.S.-Honduran relationship. He also emphasized throughout his sessions that confronting transnational challenges demands close interagency cooperation like that already in place here.
"The future of national security is the interagency, all working together," he said.
Stavridis' visit here underscored the value the United States places on its strategic partnership with Honduras in promoting regional security and stability, Rodriguez said.
"We in the United States get as much out of this relationship as [the Hondurans] do," he said. "What we have is a relationship of comrades in arms, working together to confront mutual threats."
Health System Site Helps Troops, Spouses Launch Medical Careers
By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - A major health care provider in the suburbs here is teaming up with the Defense Department to help military members and spouses pursue medical careers. The Fairfax, Va.-based Inova Health System is expanding its partnership with the department to provide training for military spouses and severely injured servicemembers seeking jobs in the health care industry, Daniel Nichols, director of Inova recruitment, said.
Inova plans to launch a virtual career center on their Web site by March that will "help address the busy lives of military spouses and families by offering free, online training that leads directly to jobs inside a long-term career track in a growing industry," Nichols said.
Not only will the center attract military talent into the health care profession, but it also will help retain that talent by assisting in job transition and providing guidance to clarify career steps along the way, Nichols said.
The free training in a virtual setting will free up other Inova organizations to help the effort in other ways, such as awarding scholarships and certifications, he said.
The virtual career center will reserve 1,000 openings for military spouses to take classes in computer literacy skills and Microsoft Office software training that could lead to careers in health administration, health information technology or clinical technology, Nichols said.
The center is adding career guidance information, skill gap analysis and, by the end of the year, will have a talent-exchange section where transitioning military families will be able to connect with affiliated employers to secure jobs prior to their moves, he said.
Inova is funding the initial classes, building the content and overseeing operations of the center.
Late last year, Inova launched a regional initiative called CareerSTAT, which combines the military spouse efforts with training geared toward wounded warriors and, more specifically, those with traumatic brain injury.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - A major health care provider in the suburbs here is teaming up with the Defense Department to help military members and spouses pursue medical careers. The Fairfax, Va.-based Inova Health System is expanding its partnership with the department to provide training for military spouses and severely injured servicemembers seeking jobs in the health care industry, Daniel Nichols, director of Inova recruitment, said.
Inova plans to launch a virtual career center on their Web site by March that will "help address the busy lives of military spouses and families by offering free, online training that leads directly to jobs inside a long-term career track in a growing industry," Nichols said.
Not only will the center attract military talent into the health care profession, but it also will help retain that talent by assisting in job transition and providing guidance to clarify career steps along the way, Nichols said.
The free training in a virtual setting will free up other Inova organizations to help the effort in other ways, such as awarding scholarships and certifications, he said.
The virtual career center will reserve 1,000 openings for military spouses to take classes in computer literacy skills and Microsoft Office software training that could lead to careers in health administration, health information technology or clinical technology, Nichols said.
The center is adding career guidance information, skill gap analysis and, by the end of the year, will have a talent-exchange section where transitioning military families will be able to connect with affiliated employers to secure jobs prior to their moves, he said.
Inova is funding the initial classes, building the content and overseeing operations of the center.
Late last year, Inova launched a regional initiative called CareerSTAT, which combines the military spouse efforts with training geared toward wounded warriors and, more specifically, those with traumatic brain injury.
Obama, Top Pentagon Officials Send Super Bowl Message to Troops
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Deployed troops watching the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 will be greeted with messages from their new commander in chief and top Defense Department officials. Instead of commercials, part of the content carried between downs on the American Forces Network will be public service announcements recorded by President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"As we all take this time to watch the big game, I wanted to be sure to send all of our military men and women a special greeting," the transcript of Obama's salutation reads. "You are tuning in from all over the world. But no matter where you are and no matter which team you're rooting for, this event is bringing you a little closer to home."
Obama, who recorded his video message this week during his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief, tells troops that American events like the Super Bowl are possible only because of the sacrifice and duty paid by servicemembers and their families.
"I am honored to be your commander in chief, I thank you for your courage and sacrifice during these trying times, and I promise to do everything in my power to help you accomplish your mission," he said. "You make us proud each and every day."
Obama, who appears clutching a football and without his suit jacket -- a "sign of solidarity" with Gates who was unable to wear a jacket due to bandaging on his injured left arm -- saw the message as a "an incredible opportunity," Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell said.
"I think the president recognized this is a great platform, an incredible opportunity, in his early days on the job, to send the message to hundreds of thousands of troops deployed around the world," he said. "This is everybody getting a rare break from work, huddled around a TV set watching the most popular program on television."
Gates injected history and humor into his message that will air during breaks in the gridiron action between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, which he noted, used to be one team.
"During World War II, because so many men were serving overseas, the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers actually merged for a season," he said. "They were called the Card-Pitt Combine, and they went 0-10, earning a less-than-flattering nickname: 'the carpets' -- because everyone walked all over them.
"This game is a little more exciting. Wherever you are, I hope that you have a chance to kick back and relax for a few hours -- you have certainly earned it," Gates said. "As always, I thank you for your service, and for the sacrifice you make every day in defense of our nation. Enjoy the game."
Mullen thanked military men and women and their families for their service at this "critical time in our nation's history."
"I know many of you won't be able to watch tonight's game at home with your loved ones, but I also know you are proud of the work you are doing and the difference you are making," Mullen said. "Whatever team you're cheering for tonight, all of America is cheering for you."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Deployed troops watching the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 will be greeted with messages from their new commander in chief and top Defense Department officials. Instead of commercials, part of the content carried between downs on the American Forces Network will be public service announcements recorded by President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"As we all take this time to watch the big game, I wanted to be sure to send all of our military men and women a special greeting," the transcript of Obama's salutation reads. "You are tuning in from all over the world. But no matter where you are and no matter which team you're rooting for, this event is bringing you a little closer to home."
Obama, who recorded his video message this week during his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief, tells troops that American events like the Super Bowl are possible only because of the sacrifice and duty paid by servicemembers and their families.
"I am honored to be your commander in chief, I thank you for your courage and sacrifice during these trying times, and I promise to do everything in my power to help you accomplish your mission," he said. "You make us proud each and every day."
Obama, who appears clutching a football and without his suit jacket -- a "sign of solidarity" with Gates who was unable to wear a jacket due to bandaging on his injured left arm -- saw the message as a "an incredible opportunity," Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell said.
"I think the president recognized this is a great platform, an incredible opportunity, in his early days on the job, to send the message to hundreds of thousands of troops deployed around the world," he said. "This is everybody getting a rare break from work, huddled around a TV set watching the most popular program on television."
Gates injected history and humor into his message that will air during breaks in the gridiron action between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, which he noted, used to be one team.
"During World War II, because so many men were serving overseas, the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers actually merged for a season," he said. "They were called the Card-Pitt Combine, and they went 0-10, earning a less-than-flattering nickname: 'the carpets' -- because everyone walked all over them.
"This game is a little more exciting. Wherever you are, I hope that you have a chance to kick back and relax for a few hours -- you have certainly earned it," Gates said. "As always, I thank you for your service, and for the sacrifice you make every day in defense of our nation. Enjoy the game."
Mullen thanked military men and women and their families for their service at this "critical time in our nation's history."
"I know many of you won't be able to watch tonight's game at home with your loved ones, but I also know you are proud of the work you are doing and the difference you are making," Mullen said. "Whatever team you're cheering for tonight, all of America is cheering for you."
Entertainers Join Elmo to Help Military Families Find 'New Normal'
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Sesame Workshop will air a PBS special April 1 aimed at helping military families cope with changes. Actor/singer Queen Latifah and singer John Mayer will join Elmo to present, "Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change." The special carries a message for children whose parents suffered a physical or psychological wound in combat.
"Rosita's father is in a wheelchair and [she] talks to Elmo about her feelings," Barbara Thompson, director of the Defense Department's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, said. "Elmo very graciously says, 'You need to talk to your dad about that.'"
Rosita does talk with her dad and learns that even though they can't do all the things they used to, they can do other things.
"It gives this sense of relief that I can talk about the change. That my dad is still my dad [and] my parent is still my parent," Thompson said. "It's very powerful for ... parents to see ... what it's like from a child's perspective, what they're feeling and experiencing."
Having celebrities participate also adds value, beyond the "cool" factor, Thompson said.
"I think it ... draws a larger [portion] of the population to the issues that military families [face]," she said. "It shows, I think, people's interest."
The half-hour special, which will air at the beginning of the "Month of the Military Child," is a part of Sesame Workshop's "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative, which began two years ago.
The first phase of the TLC program addressed the issues of multiple deployments and their impact on young children. It included the half-hour TV special, "When Parents Are Deployed," hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr.
The second phase, which includes the upcoming TV special, addresses the issues of changes, both physical and psychological, and the impact those changes can have on a family. It does this, in part, by telling the stories of servicemembers with challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder, and the struggles these families face in finding the "new normal," Thompson said.
To help parents communicate better with their children on these topics, the Sesame Workshop has created an informative kit in both English and Spanish. Defense Department employees served as subject matter experts for the Sesame Workshop kit, which contains two DVDs and printed materials.
"Of course [the Sesame Workshop is] the creative force behind it," Thompson said. "They know how to craft those messages so that children really benefit from the comfort of the Sesame characters."
More than 1.3 million kits are being distributed through Military OneSource, an online resource available to families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The materials also are available through various military organizations. The Sesame Workshop Web site also offers a variety of resources, including printed material, and videos and music to help military families communicate about issues affecting them.
"The range of media tools available through 'Talk, Listen, Connect' truly provides fundamental ways for each family member to support each other through all stages," Gary E. Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop, said. "The deep impact of this project continues to inspire us, which is why we are excited to create [this] new special that will further champion the needs of the military community and will help these families ... find ways to be there for each other."
Sesame Workshop produced the special in association with Lookalike Productions and David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated.
"The men and women of our military have made indescribable sacrifices," Letterman said. "The very least we can do is tell their stories, and to honor the bravery and strength of both the soldiers and their families."
The special is scheduled to air April 1, at 8 p.m. EST.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Sesame Workshop will air a PBS special April 1 aimed at helping military families cope with changes. Actor/singer Queen Latifah and singer John Mayer will join Elmo to present, "Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change." The special carries a message for children whose parents suffered a physical or psychological wound in combat.
"Rosita's father is in a wheelchair and [she] talks to Elmo about her feelings," Barbara Thompson, director of the Defense Department's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, said. "Elmo very graciously says, 'You need to talk to your dad about that.'"
Rosita does talk with her dad and learns that even though they can't do all the things they used to, they can do other things.
"It gives this sense of relief that I can talk about the change. That my dad is still my dad [and] my parent is still my parent," Thompson said. "It's very powerful for ... parents to see ... what it's like from a child's perspective, what they're feeling and experiencing."
Having celebrities participate also adds value, beyond the "cool" factor, Thompson said.
"I think it ... draws a larger [portion] of the population to the issues that military families [face]," she said. "It shows, I think, people's interest."
The half-hour special, which will air at the beginning of the "Month of the Military Child," is a part of Sesame Workshop's "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative, which began two years ago.
The first phase of the TLC program addressed the issues of multiple deployments and their impact on young children. It included the half-hour TV special, "When Parents Are Deployed," hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr.
The second phase, which includes the upcoming TV special, addresses the issues of changes, both physical and psychological, and the impact those changes can have on a family. It does this, in part, by telling the stories of servicemembers with challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder, and the struggles these families face in finding the "new normal," Thompson said.
To help parents communicate better with their children on these topics, the Sesame Workshop has created an informative kit in both English and Spanish. Defense Department employees served as subject matter experts for the Sesame Workshop kit, which contains two DVDs and printed materials.
"Of course [the Sesame Workshop is] the creative force behind it," Thompson said. "They know how to craft those messages so that children really benefit from the comfort of the Sesame characters."
More than 1.3 million kits are being distributed through Military OneSource, an online resource available to families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The materials also are available through various military organizations. The Sesame Workshop Web site also offers a variety of resources, including printed material, and videos and music to help military families communicate about issues affecting them.
"The range of media tools available through 'Talk, Listen, Connect' truly provides fundamental ways for each family member to support each other through all stages," Gary E. Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop, said. "The deep impact of this project continues to inspire us, which is why we are excited to create [this] new special that will further champion the needs of the military community and will help these families ... find ways to be there for each other."
Sesame Workshop produced the special in association with Lookalike Productions and David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated.
"The men and women of our military have made indescribable sacrifices," Letterman said. "The very least we can do is tell their stories, and to honor the bravery and strength of both the soldiers and their families."
The special is scheduled to air April 1, at 8 p.m. EST.
President to Meet with Senior Enlisted Advisors at White House
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet this afternoon with the U.S. military's senior enlisted advisors at the White House, a senior Defense Department official said. The armed services' enlisted advisors are the senior noncommissioned officers for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The president also will greet the Coast Guard's top enlisted leader, spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters today.
Obama is slated to meet with Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick D. West, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles W. Bowen.
The senior enlisted leaders serve as personal advisors to their respective civilian service secretaries and military chiefs of staff or commandants on matters concerning enlisted-force welfare, readiness, morale and utilization.
The meeting is a way for Obama to gain insight and perspective about the enlisted force through the accumulated experience of the military's most senior enlisted leaders, Whitman said.
Just as Obama met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon Jan. 28, Whitman said, the commander in chief also "feels that it's important to talk" to the armed service's senior enlisted advisors.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet this afternoon with the U.S. military's senior enlisted advisors at the White House, a senior Defense Department official said. The armed services' enlisted advisors are the senior noncommissioned officers for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The president also will greet the Coast Guard's top enlisted leader, spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters today.
Obama is slated to meet with Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick D. West, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles W. Bowen.
The senior enlisted leaders serve as personal advisors to their respective civilian service secretaries and military chiefs of staff or commandants on matters concerning enlisted-force welfare, readiness, morale and utilization.
The meeting is a way for Obama to gain insight and perspective about the enlisted force through the accumulated experience of the military's most senior enlisted leaders, Whitman said.
Just as Obama met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon Jan. 28, Whitman said, the commander in chief also "feels that it's important to talk" to the armed service's senior enlisted advisors.
Navy Task Force, Partner Nations Deter Pirate Attacks
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - The presence of partner nations and the newly formed task force to reduce the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden seem to be working, the commander of Combined Task Force 151 said. "I think the combination of the coalition working together [with] the maritime community has decreased the pirate activity over the last couple of months," Navy Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, also the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, told bloggers and online journalists during a Defense Department bloggers roundtable yesterday.
The task force was formed earlier this month and comprises three ships -- USS San Antonio, USS Mahan and HMS Portland -- that are collaborating with other nations to deter future pirate attacks.
While a number of factors -- even the weather -- can impact the number of attacks, McKnight gave credit to the European Union and the nations involved in anti-piracy operations, as well as the task force, with helping to decrease attacks since early December.
"Some things have changed that have helped us in this case to combat piracy," McKnight said. "The United Nations has come out with several resolutions ... that give us more authority to combat piracy."
U.N. Resolution 1846, approved by the United Nations Security Council on Dec. 2, authorizes states and regional organizations cooperating with the Somali transitional government to enter Somalia's territorial waters and use "all necessary means" to combat piracy. Two weeks later, U.N. Resolution 1851 was approved, and calls for those states and organizations to "actively participate in defeating piracy and armed robbery off Somalia's coast by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft, and through seizure and disposition of boats and arms used in the commission of those crimes."
The other recent change that has assisted in combating piracy is the maritime community itself, McKnight said.
"We have tried very hard to say to the maritime community, there are just not enough Navy ships out there to cover 1.1 million square miles," he said.
McKnight added that creating a safe corridor allows the nations involved in combating piracy to offer protection to the maritime vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden.
In standing up Combined Task Force 151, McKnight said, he hopes to "make it unpleasant to be in the pirate business."
"Right now, we have about 14 nations out here with about 20 ships," he said. "We've had some encouraging signs from other ships and other nations to join the task force. I expect that by the spring we will have quite a few ships joining."
McKnight said these and other nations involved and those interested in participating in the future all share the same goal of "free commerce."
"We have to make sure that we have free commerce throughout the open seas and throughout the world," McKnight said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - The presence of partner nations and the newly formed task force to reduce the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden seem to be working, the commander of Combined Task Force 151 said. "I think the combination of the coalition working together [with] the maritime community has decreased the pirate activity over the last couple of months," Navy Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, also the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, told bloggers and online journalists during a Defense Department bloggers roundtable yesterday.
The task force was formed earlier this month and comprises three ships -- USS San Antonio, USS Mahan and HMS Portland -- that are collaborating with other nations to deter future pirate attacks.
While a number of factors -- even the weather -- can impact the number of attacks, McKnight gave credit to the European Union and the nations involved in anti-piracy operations, as well as the task force, with helping to decrease attacks since early December.
"Some things have changed that have helped us in this case to combat piracy," McKnight said. "The United Nations has come out with several resolutions ... that give us more authority to combat piracy."
U.N. Resolution 1846, approved by the United Nations Security Council on Dec. 2, authorizes states and regional organizations cooperating with the Somali transitional government to enter Somalia's territorial waters and use "all necessary means" to combat piracy. Two weeks later, U.N. Resolution 1851 was approved, and calls for those states and organizations to "actively participate in defeating piracy and armed robbery off Somalia's coast by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft, and through seizure and disposition of boats and arms used in the commission of those crimes."
The other recent change that has assisted in combating piracy is the maritime community itself, McKnight said.
"We have tried very hard to say to the maritime community, there are just not enough Navy ships out there to cover 1.1 million square miles," he said.
McKnight added that creating a safe corridor allows the nations involved in combating piracy to offer protection to the maritime vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden.
In standing up Combined Task Force 151, McKnight said, he hopes to "make it unpleasant to be in the pirate business."
"Right now, we have about 14 nations out here with about 20 ships," he said. "We've had some encouraging signs from other ships and other nations to join the task force. I expect that by the spring we will have quite a few ships joining."
McKnight said these and other nations involved and those interested in participating in the future all share the same goal of "free commerce."
"We have to make sure that we have free commerce throughout the open seas and throughout the world," McKnight said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity)
Navy Hydrographers Provide Critical Mapping of Ocean Floor
By John Ohab
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Advanced ocean-bottom mapping technologies have enhanced the Navy's ability to navigate safely throughout the world and have helped support disaster assistance and humanitarian relief operations, the Navy's oldest active diver said. Michael Jeffries, a Navy hydrographer and technical director of the Fleet Survey Team, spoke with bloggers and online journalists on "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military" on BlogTalkRadio.com Jan. 28 about the science of hydrography and the tools and techniques used to develop precise nautical navigation charts.
Hydrography focuses on measurements and descriptions of the physical characteristics of oceans, seas and coastal areas, including lakes and rivers. The primary purpose of collecting hydrographic information is to support the production of nautical charts, graphical representations of the maritime environment and adjacent coastal regions.
The most important information contained on a nautical chart is the depiction of soundings, or the water depths.
"Whether the user is a fisherman or a captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, knowing the depths of the water you are navigating is paramount to maintaining the safety of the vessel and all of its crew," Jeffries, a hydrographer for more than 30 years, said.
The Fleet Survey Team, a subordinate command to the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, supports Navy and Marine Corps global operations by conducting hydrographic surveys that provide critical nautical information, including water depth, tide levels, and the location of navigational aids like buoys, lighthouses, beacons, shipwrecks, rocks and reefs.
The team also conducts expeditionary hydrographic surveys using personal watercraft called "expeditionary survey vessels," or ESVs, to identify underwater hazards during amphibious landing exercises.
"Teams conduct surveys in advance of our amphibious landing forces to determine the most suitable beach landings for the military exercise," Jeffries said.
An estimated 89 percent of Earth's waters have not been adequately charted, and some nautical charts still contain source data from the 19th century, Jeffries said. Furthermore, the marine environment and seafloor are constantly changing due to natural events like hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes, and manmade events like shipwrecks and construction. For these reasons, emerging navigation and positioning equipment play an important role in developing the most accurate and up-to-date nautical charts, he said.
"One of the most remarkable technological advances for the science of hydrography is the use of satellites for positioning and navigation," Jeffries said. "With our current technology, we can refine [positioning] to less than 1 centimeter."
The Fleet Survey Team employs a variety of high resolution sonar systems to define the topographic characteristics of the seafloor. Portable sensors known as "single beam echo sounders" can be outfitted on ESVs to provide depth information. A specialized sensor called "side-scan sonar" is the main tool used by the Naval mine warfare community to locate mine-like objects and other obstructions on the seafloor.
"The key to accurate hydrographic surveying is precise positioning of your vessel and the sensors that collect information about the seafloor," Jeffries said.
Comprising 65 military and civilian personnel, the Fleet Survey Team plays a critical role in support of disaster assistance and humanitarian relief operations. After the 2004 tsunami that struck the coastal town of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, teams surveyed for underwater hazards and cleared waterways for relief ship traffic. Recently, it conducted joint hydrographic surveys with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that waterways were clear in Texas and Louisiana after hurricanes Ike and Gustav.
"Whether here in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, our 'fly-away teams' comprised of three or four Fleet Survey Team members hand-carry suites of sonar sensors with them," Jeffries said. "Upon arriving at their mission location, the teams install these sensors onboard any platform that is made available to them."
The Fleet Survey Team also supports joint hydrographic survey operations with more than 20 international partners.
"Partnership building with other countries contributes to the security and stability of the maritime domain, and this most certainly benefits all of us," Jeffries said.
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2009 - Advanced ocean-bottom mapping technologies have enhanced the Navy's ability to navigate safely throughout the world and have helped support disaster assistance and humanitarian relief operations, the Navy's oldest active diver said. Michael Jeffries, a Navy hydrographer and technical director of the Fleet Survey Team, spoke with bloggers and online journalists on "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military" on BlogTalkRadio.com Jan. 28 about the science of hydrography and the tools and techniques used to develop precise nautical navigation charts.
Hydrography focuses on measurements and descriptions of the physical characteristics of oceans, seas and coastal areas, including lakes and rivers. The primary purpose of collecting hydrographic information is to support the production of nautical charts, graphical representations of the maritime environment and adjacent coastal regions.
The most important information contained on a nautical chart is the depiction of soundings, or the water depths.
"Whether the user is a fisherman or a captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, knowing the depths of the water you are navigating is paramount to maintaining the safety of the vessel and all of its crew," Jeffries, a hydrographer for more than 30 years, said.
The Fleet Survey Team, a subordinate command to the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, supports Navy and Marine Corps global operations by conducting hydrographic surveys that provide critical nautical information, including water depth, tide levels, and the location of navigational aids like buoys, lighthouses, beacons, shipwrecks, rocks and reefs.
The team also conducts expeditionary hydrographic surveys using personal watercraft called "expeditionary survey vessels," or ESVs, to identify underwater hazards during amphibious landing exercises.
"Teams conduct surveys in advance of our amphibious landing forces to determine the most suitable beach landings for the military exercise," Jeffries said.
An estimated 89 percent of Earth's waters have not been adequately charted, and some nautical charts still contain source data from the 19th century, Jeffries said. Furthermore, the marine environment and seafloor are constantly changing due to natural events like hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes, and manmade events like shipwrecks and construction. For these reasons, emerging navigation and positioning equipment play an important role in developing the most accurate and up-to-date nautical charts, he said.
"One of the most remarkable technological advances for the science of hydrography is the use of satellites for positioning and navigation," Jeffries said. "With our current technology, we can refine [positioning] to less than 1 centimeter."
The Fleet Survey Team employs a variety of high resolution sonar systems to define the topographic characteristics of the seafloor. Portable sensors known as "single beam echo sounders" can be outfitted on ESVs to provide depth information. A specialized sensor called "side-scan sonar" is the main tool used by the Naval mine warfare community to locate mine-like objects and other obstructions on the seafloor.
"The key to accurate hydrographic surveying is precise positioning of your vessel and the sensors that collect information about the seafloor," Jeffries said.
Comprising 65 military and civilian personnel, the Fleet Survey Team plays a critical role in support of disaster assistance and humanitarian relief operations. After the 2004 tsunami that struck the coastal town of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, teams surveyed for underwater hazards and cleared waterways for relief ship traffic. Recently, it conducted joint hydrographic surveys with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that waterways were clear in Texas and Louisiana after hurricanes Ike and Gustav.
"Whether here in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, our 'fly-away teams' comprised of three or four Fleet Survey Team members hand-carry suites of sonar sensors with them," Jeffries said. "Upon arriving at their mission location, the teams install these sensors onboard any platform that is made available to them."
The Fleet Survey Team also supports joint hydrographic survey operations with more than 20 international partners.
"Partnership building with other countries contributes to the security and stability of the maritime domain, and this most certainly benefits all of us," Jeffries said.
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
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