NAVY
EJS Contracting, Inc.*, Albany, Ga., is being awarded a $43,112,085 indefinite delivery/, indefinite quantity contract for paving projects at the Marine Corp Logistics Base Albany. Work will be performed in Albany, Ga., and work is expected to be completed April 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-09-D-1761).
General Atomics, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $22,075,929 for cost plus fixed fee task order #0005 under previously awarded contract (N00014-06-D-0056) for the EM Rail Gun to perform technology development and design. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Feb. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 05-003. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Design Partners, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity architect-engineering contract for preparation of plans and specification for bachelor quarters and other architectural projects in the NAVFAC Hawaii area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for preparation of plans, specifications, cost estimates, design analysis and/or preparation of design-build request for proposal contract documents, field investigation, engineering study, geotechnical investigation, topographic survey, interior design, Post Construction Award Services (PCAS), and other related services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Hawaii AOR, and is expected to be completed by April 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 17 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is the contracting activity (N62478-09-D-5005).
ARMY
Clamshell Structures, Inc Ventura, Calif., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009, a $23,204,935 firm fixed price contract for 120 each of large area maintenance shelter, installation kits, shipping kits, and shipping charges. Work is to be performed in Ventura, Calif., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web and One bid received. U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity (W911QY-09-D-0007).
Wilco Pipeline Contractors, LLC.., Rayne, La., was awarded on Apr. 13, 2009 a $9,522,000 firm fixed price contract for the coastal wetlands planning, protection and restoration act. Work is to be performed in Cameron Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web and three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0042).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $20,383,313 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for Marine Corps combat utility uniform. Other locations of performance are in Alabama. Using service is Marine Corps. The original proposal was Web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the third option year. The date of performance completion is April 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SP0100-06-D-0331).
Propper International, Inc., Mayaguez, Puerto Rico is being awarded a maximum $13,603,538 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for Marine Corps combat utility uniform. Other locations of performance are in Puerto Rico. Using service is Marine Corps. The original proposal was Web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract is exercising the third option year. The date of performance completion is April 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SP0100-06-D-0332).
AmeriQual Group, LLC D/B/A AmeriQual Packaging, Evansville, Ind., is being awarded a maximum $7,372,620 fixed price with economic price adjust, indefinite quantity contract for meals, ready-to-eat. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 3 proposals solicited with 3 responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is December 31, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM3S1-06-D-Z103).
Sopakco, Inc., Mullins, S.C., is being awarded a maximum $6,560,190 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite quantity contract for meal, ready-to-eat. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There were originally three proposals solicited with three responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is December 31, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM3S1-06-D-Z104).
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract with Northrop Grumman Mission Systems of Clearfield, Utah for $33,263,356. This action will provide sustainment support for the Minuteman weapon systems. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity. (F42610-98-C-0001, modification number has not been assigned).
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Appreciation Finds No Language Barriers During Continuing Promise
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
April 15, 2009 - Eighty-five-year-old Simone Alexis arrived at a medical clinic set up by the crew of USNS Comfort wearing her Sunday best in anticipation of getting new eyeglasses. Taking her seat alongside other senior citizens and little girls from a local orphanage, Alexis patiently waited for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Martinez to call her into a tent to administer an eye exam.
With nine years as a Navy ophthalmic technician and a current assignment at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Martinez has conducted more eye exams than he can count. But rarely, he said, is the need as great -- or the service as welcomed -- as by patients like Alexis receiving medical and dental care during Continuing Promise 2009.
Martinez gave Alexis two sets of glasses, one for reading and one for distance, then held up a chart up for her to read. SAlexis erupted into a broad smile and thanked Martinez through an interpreter for his help.
Volunteer interpreters abound here during Continuing Promise, clearly identified by the bright yellow T-shirts they wear both on the USNS Comfort hospital ship and at medical clinics and other operations providing services ashore. But as the Comfort crew and Haitian patients alike are coming to realize, appreciation has a universal language all its own.
It comes in many forms: a shy little smile from a pig-tailed orphan who's had her first dental checkup; the wide-eyed curiosity of a toddler as the pediatric surgeon who operated on him the previous day conducts a post-operative exam; the appreciation expressed by a mother whose child will no longer have to grow up with a deforming cleft palate.
"I hear the words 'God bless you' every day," said Air Force Airman 1st Class Shaquonique Jones, an ophthalmic technician based at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
"Being here can be emotionally hard, knowing that we can only do so much for so many," she said. "But we know that we're actually helping people, and it's evident how grateful they are."
Army Spc. John Lewis, a reservist from Camp Robinson, Ark., has seen that gratitude at the Cite Soleil clinic, where he serves as a dental assistant. "Everybody leaves here with a smile, even if they've had [a tooth] extraction," he said. "You just can't not feel good about what you do here."
Air Force Staff Sgt. Shelly Winings, an X-ray technician at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., said she's amazed at the outpouring of appreciation she sees among the patients she works with aboard ship and at onshore medical centers.
'They're so grateful, and they tell you 'Merci,'" Winings said. "I thought language barriers would be a problem here, but it's that smile that does it all for you. It says it all, and makes you so grateful to be here."
Martinez agreed that that gratitude is the big reward of the job.
"The best part of it is when all of a sudden, you put glasses on someone and they start looking all over the place with a big smile," he said. "It's really wonderful, and it makes you feel great."
The smiles USNS Comfort is delivering to Haiti are the first during its four-month humanitarian assistance mission.
After leaving here April 19, Comfort and its crew will visit Antigua, Barbuda, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama, before returning to the United States.
Face of Defense: Military Couple Finds Ways to Be Together
By Army Sgt. Daniel NicholsSpecial to American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - June 6, 1998, the 54th anniversary of D-Day, probably was a day like any other that summer. There's a good chance it was sunny in a small town in New York state outside of Fort Drum, where two young Army captains met for their own rendezvous with destiny. A month later, they went on a date to see "Saving Private Ryan." Eleven years later, Lt. Col. Hailey Clancy, of Mesa, Ariz., and Maj. Michael Clancy of Bronx, N.Y., are happily married and serving together as part of the 1st Armored Division's 2nd "Iron" Brigade Combat Team. They have been deployed to Iraq for a year.
Like most military couples, Hailey Clancy, who serves as the brigade's logistics officer, and Michael Clancy, the 40th Engineer Battalion plans and operations officer in charge and the brigade engineer, have not always been able to stay together, but try to as much as possible.
"We dated for about five years before we got married," they both said together -- not in unison, but with the familiarity of a story told more than once, a story that consisted of being stationed in different places throughout the next five years and spending lots of time on the highway each weekend to see each other.
Two years after they met, Hailey Clancy left Fort Drum to attend graduate school at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Michael Clancy stayed behind for a year and moved even farther away for a job as an active Army advisor to a reserve component unit in Schukyll County, Pa.
"For about three years, we were two-and-a-half hours apart by driving," Michael Clancy said. "We kind of leapfrogged each other: she went to grad school, I went to Pennsylvania, she went to West Point, then I went to West Point," he added.
In the summer of 2002, Hailey Clancy moved to West Point, N.Y., to take a position as an instructor in the chemistry and life science department at the U.S. Military Academy.
"We had Interstate 81 pretty much memorized," Michael Clancy said with a laugh, talking about a highway that runs north and south from New York to Pennsylvania and beyond.
In early 2003, Michael, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy 10 years prior, was assigned to an engineer duty of constructing the new gymnasium at the academy, and at last the couple was together again. After three years of long-distance correspondence and weekend drives, they were engaged for six months, then were married July 12, 2003 on the USMA campus.
Although distance hadn't kept them too far apart for most of their time before marriage, it wasn't much more than a year after they were married that Operation Iraqi Freedom began and required one of them to deploy to Iraq.
"We met right after I had just gotten back from Bosnia in 1998," Hailey Clancy said. "So the whole time that we were dating, we weren't deployed. But as soon as we got married, between the two of us, we've been deployed to Iraq five times."
Being flexible with assignments and volunteering to deploy together has enabled the couple to be together for most of the last five years. The first deployment, however, was solo, and Michael Clancy left for Iraq in 2004 while his wife stayed behind at West Point.
"I lived that life of being the person back home when your husband's deployed and you're doing those 15-minute phone calls at night," she said. "Sometimes it's just frustrating, because you're like, 'What is it like there?' and he doesn't want to talk about Iraq because he's tired, but I want to understand better what it's like where he is."
After Michael returned from his first tour in Iraq, the couple moved to the 3rd Corps Support Command in Wiesbaden, Germany. Michael Clancy was able to enjoy a short five months of dwell time before they both packed up with 3rd COSCOM and headed back downrange. To them, it was just all part of what they needed to do to stay together as much as possible -- something that Michael Clancy said he believes is important for any military couple.
"I would advise other military couples to do whatever you can to stay together, because you'll never know when in the future you might be forced apart," he said. "So if you're given an option that allows you to stay together, then take advantage of that opportunity and stay together."
After their deployment with 3rd COSCOM, the Clancys moved southwest to Baumholder and joined the ranks of the Iron Brigade in June 2007. In April 2008, they found themselves in Iraq together again, this time working closer than ever before.
"This time we've worked together a lot," Hailey Clancy said. "I'm the S-4; he's the engineer, so all of the basing issues we've worked on together. Professionally, we spend a lot of time together. People probably think we're talking about personal stuff, but 90 percent of the time, we're talking about base closures or base transfers."
"It's a little weird sometimes when we get mad at each other professionally," Michael Clancy said with a smile.
"You have to be able to separate the personal and professional, but it's impossible to separate them entirely," he added. "I mean, my best friend is on the brigade staff, so I get to know what's going on in the brigade building."
"And I get a good idea of how things are perceived down at the units," Hailey Clancy said. "I get an honest opinion from somebody."
The perks of being deployed with your spouse are great, to be sure, but not entirely without their drawbacks, the Clancys said.
"It's nice because we have no roommate issues," Hailey Clancy said with a smile. "Emotionally, it's easier, but technically it's harder. There's no one back in the rear to ship you stuff or manage your stuff. Our car is in storage. All of our bills are forwarded to Iraq, so all of our paperwork we have to handle down here, because there's no one back there taking care of business for us," she said.
They both plan on staying in the military, and have worked out new assignments near each other in New York. Beyond the next assignment, they said, they continue to plan to stay together as much as possible while furthering their Army careers.
"I think with dual-military couples, you have to choose either to stay together or go for those assignments you'd really like to have," Michael Clancy said. "If we had both wanted our ideal assignments, we wouldn't be together. You have to take whatever you can to be together."
(Army Sgt. Daniel Nichols serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Mullen Promises Broad Review of Anti-piracy Operations
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - The U.S. military has initiated a review to look "broadly and widely and deeply" at the overall strategy on piracy off the coast of Somalia, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," complimented those who carried out the mission that freed Merchant Marine Capt. Kevin Phillips. Somali pirates had held Phillips hostage since his ship, the Maersk-Alabama, was attacked April 8.
The Maersk-Alabama's crew managed to regain control of the cargo vessel, but pirates took Phillips hostage and sought shelter in an 18-foot lifeboat. Navy SEAL snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge killed three of the pirates aboard the lifeboat when it appeared that Phillips' life was in imminent danger.
Piracy has been a problem for America since the founding of the republic, Mullen said. "We've actually been focused on this issue for some period of time, and set up a task force out in that part of the world last fall," he said. "We've had a focus on it."
Some 16 nations have warships in the region, which covers 1.1 million square miles, a vast area that is difficult to cover; in fact, pirates captured the Greek merchant vessel Irene overnight. "It's a going business for the pirates," Mullen said.
Part of the problem with piracy off Somalia – a failed state – is what to do with pirates who are captured. Mullen said the United States and Kenya have a bilateral agreement for the African nation to prosecute any pirates captured on the high seas in the region. "There's a lot of work to do. It's a big challenge, but there are many, many people working on it right now," Mullen said.
Pirates have vowed reprisals on the United States for the successful operation to free Phillips.
"I certainly take their comments afterwards seriously," Mullen said. "That said, we are very well prepared to deal with anything like that. And that will be part of our military review."
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - The U.S. military has initiated a review to look "broadly and widely and deeply" at the overall strategy on piracy off the coast of Somalia, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," complimented those who carried out the mission that freed Merchant Marine Capt. Kevin Phillips. Somali pirates had held Phillips hostage since his ship, the Maersk-Alabama, was attacked April 8.
The Maersk-Alabama's crew managed to regain control of the cargo vessel, but pirates took Phillips hostage and sought shelter in an 18-foot lifeboat. Navy SEAL snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge killed three of the pirates aboard the lifeboat when it appeared that Phillips' life was in imminent danger.
Piracy has been a problem for America since the founding of the republic, Mullen said. "We've actually been focused on this issue for some period of time, and set up a task force out in that part of the world last fall," he said. "We've had a focus on it."
Some 16 nations have warships in the region, which covers 1.1 million square miles, a vast area that is difficult to cover; in fact, pirates captured the Greek merchant vessel Irene overnight. "It's a going business for the pirates," Mullen said.
Part of the problem with piracy off Somalia – a failed state – is what to do with pirates who are captured. Mullen said the United States and Kenya have a bilateral agreement for the African nation to prosecute any pirates captured on the high seas in the region. "There's a lot of work to do. It's a big challenge, but there are many, many people working on it right now," Mullen said.
Pirates have vowed reprisals on the United States for the successful operation to free Phillips.
"I certainly take their comments afterwards seriously," Mullen said. "That said, we are very well prepared to deal with anything like that. And that will be part of our military review."
Support Group Helps Veterans Navigate Federal Job Application Process
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - Navigating the federal job application process can be mindboggling, but veterans can have a personal guide thanks to a new Military Order of the Purple Heart Web site. MOPH offers veterans its new Vetsjobs.net site as the answer to the puzzle, given that the Labor Department estimates 100,000 new federal jobs will open in the federal sector, the group's national veteran employment officer said.
"There are lots of places that you can go to get information. However, this is one place that you can gather enough information to intelligently apply for a federal job," Don Nichols said. "We knew that the younger generation of veterans probably could use a little bit of help knowing where to go, how to go through the process of applying for a federal job and understanding how the system works."
The site contains information about how to register with www.usajobs.gov, the official Web site for seeking federal employment. This is in addition to links to each state's employment service, the Labor Department, and the Office of Personnel Management.
Veterans also can find information about how veterans preference affects their job search, and watch a video featuring a former active-duty Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, now a reservist. The gunny helps to put the federal job search in a language veterans understand, and he's qualified on both fronts: he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently a federal employee working for the Veterans Affairs medical facility in Muskogee, Okla.
"We wanted to develop a video to talk somebody, or walk somebody, through the process [of applying for a federal job]," Nichol said. "We wanted to have somebody do that that was young, about the same age as the persons getting out of the military, [and who] had some experience with applying for a federal job."
The video, validated by two Veterans Affairs offices, contains a downloadable presentation that goes through each of the talking points of how to register to apply for a federal job, Nichols said. Veterans can learn how to register with USAJobs, how to do a resume step by step, how to tie that resume to the knowledge, skills and aptitude criteria for a particular job, and how to complete the assessment process.
Veterans who take advantage of the site also will be kept in the loop if a new job in their chosen career field and geographical area becomes available.
"All [this] information resided somewhere out there on the Internet, but it's just knowing how to get to it," Nichols said. "So, we've tried to pull it all together in one spot. We think these are the most valuable resources.
"We think it's going to be very helpful for veterans who are applying for a federal job," he added.
The Web site has been active for a couple of weeks, John Bircher, MOPH's national public relations director, said. It was announced only yesterday because MOPH officials just participated in a "very successful" job fair and wanted to add video from the event, Nichols said.
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - Navigating the federal job application process can be mindboggling, but veterans can have a personal guide thanks to a new Military Order of the Purple Heart Web site. MOPH offers veterans its new Vetsjobs.net site as the answer to the puzzle, given that the Labor Department estimates 100,000 new federal jobs will open in the federal sector, the group's national veteran employment officer said.
"There are lots of places that you can go to get information. However, this is one place that you can gather enough information to intelligently apply for a federal job," Don Nichols said. "We knew that the younger generation of veterans probably could use a little bit of help knowing where to go, how to go through the process of applying for a federal job and understanding how the system works."
The site contains information about how to register with www.usajobs.gov, the official Web site for seeking federal employment. This is in addition to links to each state's employment service, the Labor Department, and the Office of Personnel Management.
Veterans also can find information about how veterans preference affects their job search, and watch a video featuring a former active-duty Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, now a reservist. The gunny helps to put the federal job search in a language veterans understand, and he's qualified on both fronts: he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently a federal employee working for the Veterans Affairs medical facility in Muskogee, Okla.
"We wanted to develop a video to talk somebody, or walk somebody, through the process [of applying for a federal job]," Nichol said. "We wanted to have somebody do that that was young, about the same age as the persons getting out of the military, [and who] had some experience with applying for a federal job."
The video, validated by two Veterans Affairs offices, contains a downloadable presentation that goes through each of the talking points of how to register to apply for a federal job, Nichols said. Veterans can learn how to register with USAJobs, how to do a resume step by step, how to tie that resume to the knowledge, skills and aptitude criteria for a particular job, and how to complete the assessment process.
Veterans who take advantage of the site also will be kept in the loop if a new job in their chosen career field and geographical area becomes available.
"All [this] information resided somewhere out there on the Internet, but it's just knowing how to get to it," Nichols said. "So, we've tried to pull it all together in one spot. We think these are the most valuable resources.
"We think it's going to be very helpful for veterans who are applying for a federal job," he added.
The Web site has been active for a couple of weeks, John Bircher, MOPH's national public relations director, said. It was announced only yesterday because MOPH officials just participated in a "very successful" job fair and wanted to add video from the event, Nichols said.
Guard Families Participate in White House Easter Egg Roll
American Forces Press ServiceApril 14, 2009 - National Guard members from five states and their families participated in yesterday's 2009 Easter Egg Roll held on the South Lawn of the White House. This year's theme, "Let's go play," encouraged America's youth to lead healthy and active lives.
According to the White House Web site, more than 30,000 people from 45 states and the District of Columbia attended this year's celebration. About 2,500 tickets were distributed to military families, including 500 National Guard families.
"This was our first time attending the White House Easter Egg Roll, and the kids were very excited to go," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Vogel, who works at the National Guard Bureau. "The experience was a little overwhelming for the kids, because of the large amount of people that were given tickets."
As part of the theme, all of the activities at this year's event taught children about the fun ways to exercise their bodies and minds.
Activities included live musical performances by Fergie, Ziggy Marley and others, cooking with celebrity chefs in the Kid's Kitchen, readings at the Storytime Stage, dance, yoga and jump rope workshops, an Easter egg hunt and traditional Easter egg roll.
"The kids did enjoy actually being at the White House and getting to see Sasha and Malia's new playground equipment, the basketball court and listening to Ziggy Marley," Vogel said.
Children also received a souvenir Easter egg. This year's egg is the greenest egg in history, according to the White House Web site. It is made from hardwood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means that the wood comes from environmentally and socially sustainably managed forests.
First lady Dolly Madison began the tradition of Easter egg rolling in Washington, when local children joined her for an egg roll at the Capitol in 1814. In the following years, the children apparently made quite a mess, which prompted Congress to pass the Turf Protection Law in 1876, banning the use of the Capitol lawn as a playground.
Bad weather kept everyone indoors in 1877, so there was no need to enforce the law, but in 1878 children stood outside the gates of the White House until President Rutherford B. Hayes invited them onto the grounds to continue the egg roll tradition on the South Lawn.
(From a National Guard Bureau news release.)
Education Activity Offers Free Summer Enrichment Program
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - For military students who can't squeeze enough learning into the school year, the Department of Defense Education Activity has the perfect solution. For the fifth year, the agency is offering eligible students in kindergarten through 8th grade a free, four-week summer enrichment program with a curriculum emphasizing math and language arts.
DoDEA officials expect enrollment of about 10 percent of all the 6,500 students in kindergarten through 8th grade in the activity's school system, Joel K. Hansen, DoDEA's special projects coordinator, said.
"It's not a remedial program. It's not a program to help students catch up," he said. "It is ... designed to support and reinforce student learning in high-interest activities."
The curriculum for kindergarten through 5th grade, called "Mysteries," is provided by Texas-based Voyager Expanded Learning Co., Hansen said. It's the same company that provides the "Media Magic" program for older students.
As much as the students enjoy the program, Hansen said, the teachers are just as excited.
"I think the teachers that have been involved in the program have really enjoyed teaching it," he said. "Some of them have been teaching it for several years straight. They don't have to -- they sign up for it."
While students usually are kept with other students their age, in some cases the program will conduct multi-age groups, Hansen added.
"From what I've seen and heard about some of the activities, kids just have a great time," he said. "They're fun. They're engaging. They're active. You have a lot of opportunities for student engagement. Sometimes it's fun to see the little ones work with the older ones."
The pilot for the program began in 2004 with four sites in Germany. DoDEA now offers the program in its Europe, Pacific and stateside schools.
Department of Defense Dependent Schools Pacific will begin the month-long program June 22. DoDDS Europe will begin either June 22 or June 29. Start times for the stateside schools vary, Hansen said. Parents should check with their child's school to determine both eligibility and the start date, he advised.
Neither transportation nor lunch is provided. Students generally don't need to brown-bag it either, as the classes run for three hours in the morning and are over by noon, Hansen said.
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - For military students who can't squeeze enough learning into the school year, the Department of Defense Education Activity has the perfect solution. For the fifth year, the agency is offering eligible students in kindergarten through 8th grade a free, four-week summer enrichment program with a curriculum emphasizing math and language arts.
DoDEA officials expect enrollment of about 10 percent of all the 6,500 students in kindergarten through 8th grade in the activity's school system, Joel K. Hansen, DoDEA's special projects coordinator, said.
"It's not a remedial program. It's not a program to help students catch up," he said. "It is ... designed to support and reinforce student learning in high-interest activities."
The curriculum for kindergarten through 5th grade, called "Mysteries," is provided by Texas-based Voyager Expanded Learning Co., Hansen said. It's the same company that provides the "Media Magic" program for older students.
As much as the students enjoy the program, Hansen said, the teachers are just as excited.
"I think the teachers that have been involved in the program have really enjoyed teaching it," he said. "Some of them have been teaching it for several years straight. They don't have to -- they sign up for it."
While students usually are kept with other students their age, in some cases the program will conduct multi-age groups, Hansen added.
"From what I've seen and heard about some of the activities, kids just have a great time," he said. "They're fun. They're engaging. They're active. You have a lot of opportunities for student engagement. Sometimes it's fun to see the little ones work with the older ones."
The pilot for the program began in 2004 with four sites in Germany. DoDEA now offers the program in its Europe, Pacific and stateside schools.
Department of Defense Dependent Schools Pacific will begin the month-long program June 22. DoDDS Europe will begin either June 22 or June 29. Start times for the stateside schools vary, Hansen said. Parents should check with their child's school to determine both eligibility and the start date, he advised.
Neither transportation nor lunch is provided. Students generally don't need to brown-bag it either, as the classes run for three hours in the morning and are over by noon, Hansen said.
Stability Operations Require More U.S. Focus, Gates Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - The United States should focus more resources on recognizing developing problems abroad and assisting foreign governments through nonmilitary means, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday. In an interview during a visit in which he spoke to a group of 30 students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College, Gates said identifying these early warning signs is the foundation of what he referred to as "Phase Zero" operations, or government intervention that aims to help stabilize deteriorating situations in other countries.
"How do you identify a problem early and put in the resources -- whether it's train and equip or other partnership initiatives -- so that American men and women in uniform don't have to go fight, that we build indigenous capabilities that provide for stability operations, rather than having to go in and do it ourselves in ungoverned spaces in countries that are under stress?"
Traditionally, the Defense Department and the U.S. military has not focused extensively on building such partnership capacity. But the concept is now one of the department's "big themes," reflected in the significant amount of defense funding related to Phase Zero operations, Gates said.
"We've got quite a bit of money in the budget related to that," he said. "I think it's going to be one of the more interesting challenges."
The Defense Department has a robust level of resources and personnel available for Phase Zero, Gates said, but the rest of government should bolster its capabilities as well to achieve a more unified approach.
"When you think of the number of people in the Department of Defense both in and out of uniform who spend their lives planning, doing operational concepts, thinking about the future, and doing that full-time," he said, "it is a huge number of people in the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] and in the services and in the combatant commands.
"No other department of government devotes anywhere near the number of people to that that we do," he said. "And so this is one of these areas where, in the longer term, the interagency needs to get better and stronger, frankly, to match our capabilities, so that our capabilities have the proper context in terms of the whole-government objectives."
Gates cited the State Department as one agency that has not had sufficient resources required for an adequate "level of planning and looking ahead." Key to any U.S. strategy rooted in stability operations is that it be carried out by government agencies working together, he said.
"I think it needs to be in the context of the interagency. There needs to be a broader national strategy with regard to these challenges, of which what we do is a part," Gates said of the Defense Department.
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - The United States should focus more resources on recognizing developing problems abroad and assisting foreign governments through nonmilitary means, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday. In an interview during a visit in which he spoke to a group of 30 students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College, Gates said identifying these early warning signs is the foundation of what he referred to as "Phase Zero" operations, or government intervention that aims to help stabilize deteriorating situations in other countries.
"How do you identify a problem early and put in the resources -- whether it's train and equip or other partnership initiatives -- so that American men and women in uniform don't have to go fight, that we build indigenous capabilities that provide for stability operations, rather than having to go in and do it ourselves in ungoverned spaces in countries that are under stress?"
Traditionally, the Defense Department and the U.S. military has not focused extensively on building such partnership capacity. But the concept is now one of the department's "big themes," reflected in the significant amount of defense funding related to Phase Zero operations, Gates said.
"We've got quite a bit of money in the budget related to that," he said. "I think it's going to be one of the more interesting challenges."
The Defense Department has a robust level of resources and personnel available for Phase Zero, Gates said, but the rest of government should bolster its capabilities as well to achieve a more unified approach.
"When you think of the number of people in the Department of Defense both in and out of uniform who spend their lives planning, doing operational concepts, thinking about the future, and doing that full-time," he said, "it is a huge number of people in the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] and in the services and in the combatant commands.
"No other department of government devotes anywhere near the number of people to that that we do," he said. "And so this is one of these areas where, in the longer term, the interagency needs to get better and stronger, frankly, to match our capabilities, so that our capabilities have the proper context in terms of the whole-government objectives."
Gates cited the State Department as one agency that has not had sufficient resources required for an adequate "level of planning and looking ahead." Key to any U.S. strategy rooted in stability operations is that it be carried out by government agencies working together, he said.
"I think it needs to be in the context of the interagency. There needs to be a broader national strategy with regard to these challenges, of which what we do is a part," Gates said of the Defense Department.
Gates 'On Target' With Defense Procurement Reform, Obama Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama today gave a verbal "high-five" to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' proposal to reform the Pentagon's procurement system to eliminate wasteful programs and curb spiraling weapons and equipment costs. "Secretary Gates recently announced a courageous set of reforms that go right at the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and cost overruns that have bloated our defense budget without making America safer," Obama said during a speech to faculty and students at Georgetown University here.
Obama provided Americans an update on the state of the nation's battered economy. While doing so, the president pointed to Gates' intent to eliminate wasteful spending in the Pentagon's procurement realm.
Last month, during a nationally televised news conference, Obama said that he'd been working with Gates to reform the Pentagon's weapons and procurement system "so that it keeps America safe, and we're not wasting taxpayer dollars." There's broad acknowledgement, Obama said during the news conference, that the Pentagon's procurement system "doesn't work."
Defense procurement experts have identified "a whole range" of multi-billion dollar systems that have incurred cost overruns of 30, 40, and 50 percent, the president said.
Today at Georgetown, Obama said more needs to be done to reduce wasteful or unnecessary spending across the federal government. Gates' proposal to eliminate unnecessary defense programs and to reform unwieldy and inefficient procurement procedures "is right on target," Obama said.
American Forces Press Service
April 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama today gave a verbal "high-five" to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' proposal to reform the Pentagon's procurement system to eliminate wasteful programs and curb spiraling weapons and equipment costs. "Secretary Gates recently announced a courageous set of reforms that go right at the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and cost overruns that have bloated our defense budget without making America safer," Obama said during a speech to faculty and students at Georgetown University here.
Obama provided Americans an update on the state of the nation's battered economy. While doing so, the president pointed to Gates' intent to eliminate wasteful spending in the Pentagon's procurement realm.
Last month, during a nationally televised news conference, Obama said that he'd been working with Gates to reform the Pentagon's weapons and procurement system "so that it keeps America safe, and we're not wasting taxpayer dollars." There's broad acknowledgement, Obama said during the news conference, that the Pentagon's procurement system "doesn't work."
Defense procurement experts have identified "a whole range" of multi-billion dollar systems that have incurred cost overruns of 30, 40, and 50 percent, the president said.
Today at Georgetown, Obama said more needs to be done to reduce wasteful or unnecessary spending across the federal government. Gates' proposal to eliminate unnecessary defense programs and to reform unwieldy and inefficient procurement procedures "is right on target," Obama said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 14, 2009
ARMY
Honeywell International, Inc. Phoenix, Az., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $73,994,878 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee contract for urgent funding action to provided parts support for the overhaul of 1,000 AGT 1500 engines (Abrams Tanks/Army Stock Spares) for program year four (PY4) of the Total Integrated Engines Revitalization (TIGER) program. These parts are required to avoid a break in production at the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) Turbine Value Stream (TVS) AGT 1500 engine overhaul line. Work is to be performed in Anniston, Al., (13 percent), Phoenix, Az., (66 percent), Greer, S.C., (19 percent), and Rocky Mountain, N.C., (2 percent) with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid solicited and one bid received. U.S.A. TACOM, Warren, Mi., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-C-0173).
Butt Construction Co., Inc., Dayton, Ohio was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $36,212,000 firm fixed price contract for the design and construction of alteration of an addition to sensors directorate laboratory. Work is to be performed in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2011. Forty- six bids solicited and six bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0024).
David Boland, Inc., Titusville, Fl., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $10,542,000 firm fixed price contract for repairs of ramp area on west end of Seawall, rehabilitation of groins and down ramps, miscellaneous concrete repairs, and stair handrails. Work is to be performed in Galveston County, Texas with an estimated completion date of Jul. 30, 2009. Eleven bids were solicited and four bids received. U.S.A. Engineer District, Galveston Texas is the contracting activity (W912HY-09-C-0015).
Total Engineering Inc, Lanham, Md., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $7,349,340 firm fixed price contract. The early site work package will consist of , but not limited to, sedimentation and erosion control measures, construction fencing, housing demolition including abatement of hazardous material, site demolition including utilities and paving, earthwork and grading underground and aboveground steam line, underground natural gas line, underground water line, overhead electrical distribution, and sewer system. In support of excavation below two feet geophysical survey and clearance of unexploded ordnance will be a work requirement. The estimated completion date to the project is Apr. 8, 2010. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web and ten bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-09-C-0030).
ECC International Constructions, LLC Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $39,785,103 firm fixed construction contract for brigade housing and south park infrastructure. Work is to be performed in Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of Apr. 30, 2010. Bids were solicited in the World Wide Web and five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Program Center, Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-09-C-0011).
Merrick Construction, Cottonport, La., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $23,742,210 firm fixed price contract for Hubzone Multiple Award task order (task order 0002). Work is to be performed in Jefferson Parish, La with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2010. Eight bids were solicited and five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La. is the contracting activity (W912P8-08-D-0038).
DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $17,199,374 firm fixed price, cost reimbursement contract for maintenance support services to support the royal Saudi aviation land forces. Work is primary, but not limited to Riyadh, King Khalid Military City, Khamis Mushsyt, and Al-Quism, Saudi Arabia with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2014. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web and Two bids received. U.S. Army Contracting Command Aviation and Missile Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Al., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0143).
NAVY
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $24,656,595 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2200) for LPD 20 post shakedown availability tasks and acceleration of fleet required ship alterations. Work to be performed is for completion of government responsible deficiencies; correction of LPD 19 shock trial related deficiencies, class pipe hangers deficiencies, and FCT trials cards; and the acceleration of fleet required ship alterations such as upgrades to the SWAN GiGE Upgrades, MK46 Gun System Upgrade, HF-SAR, SSEE Inc E, Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) and SLQ-32 ICAD. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a $20,746,752 firm fixed price contract for the procurement of one each Crash Survivable Flight Incident Recorder and Flight Data Recorder (CSFIR/FDR) for E-6B Mercury Aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of two modification kits for the Operational Flight Trainer (OFT); and one each modification kit for the OFT Replay Debrief Station Trainer, the Integrated Avionics Trainer; the Part Task Trainer, and the Forward Lower Lobe Device Trainer; and interim spare parts and technical data. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and is expected to be completed in April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0051).
SRCTec Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., is being awarded a $9,934,428 cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for development, demonstration, and delivery of prototype enhancements to Lightweight Counter-Mortar Radars (LCMR) and Lightweight Surveillance and Track Acquisition Radars (LSTAR) designed principally to support the Mobile Optical Search Systems (MOSS) for defense and surveillance purposes. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., (99 percent); Washington, D.C., (.4 percent); Twentynine Palms, Calif., (.3 percent); and Fort A.P. Hill, Va., (.3 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3002).
Kollmorgen Corp., Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $5,622,672 modification to previously awarded contract (N66604-05-C-0572) to exercise an option for 12 Type 8K Mod 4 Periscope Assemblies. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
he Air Force is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with the Schafer Corporation of Chelmsford, Massachusetts for $7,465,366. This action will exercise Option Period 1 for the Headquarters Air Force Space Command Space Control Contract. At this time, $2,515,789 has been obligated. 21CONS, Colorado Springs, Colorado (FA2517-08-C-8000, P 00019).
Correction: Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded $6,928,056 for task order #0001 Phase 1A under a previously awardedcost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity order contract (N00014-09-D-0353) for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class FreeElectron Laser (FEL) device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., (80 percent) and Medford, N.Y., (20 percent), and work is expected to be completed April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 08-013 dated Mar 14, 2008. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., Directed Energy Systems, West Hills, Calif., is being awarded $6,922,312 for task order #0001 Phase 1A under a previously awarded cost plus fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity order contract (N00014-09-D-0354) for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class Free Electron Laser device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. Work will be performed in West Hills, Calif., (43 percent); Seattle Wash., (43 percent); McLean, Va., (10 percent); Medford, N.Y. (4 percent), and work is expected to be completed April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 08-013 dated Mar 14, 2008. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Honeywell International, Inc. Phoenix, Az., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $73,994,878 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee contract for urgent funding action to provided parts support for the overhaul of 1,000 AGT 1500 engines (Abrams Tanks/Army Stock Spares) for program year four (PY4) of the Total Integrated Engines Revitalization (TIGER) program. These parts are required to avoid a break in production at the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) Turbine Value Stream (TVS) AGT 1500 engine overhaul line. Work is to be performed in Anniston, Al., (13 percent), Phoenix, Az., (66 percent), Greer, S.C., (19 percent), and Rocky Mountain, N.C., (2 percent) with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid solicited and one bid received. U.S.A. TACOM, Warren, Mi., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-C-0173).
Butt Construction Co., Inc., Dayton, Ohio was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $36,212,000 firm fixed price contract for the design and construction of alteration of an addition to sensors directorate laboratory. Work is to be performed in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2011. Forty- six bids solicited and six bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0024).
David Boland, Inc., Titusville, Fl., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $10,542,000 firm fixed price contract for repairs of ramp area on west end of Seawall, rehabilitation of groins and down ramps, miscellaneous concrete repairs, and stair handrails. Work is to be performed in Galveston County, Texas with an estimated completion date of Jul. 30, 2009. Eleven bids were solicited and four bids received. U.S.A. Engineer District, Galveston Texas is the contracting activity (W912HY-09-C-0015).
Total Engineering Inc, Lanham, Md., was awarded on Apr. 10, 2009 a $7,349,340 firm fixed price contract. The early site work package will consist of , but not limited to, sedimentation and erosion control measures, construction fencing, housing demolition including abatement of hazardous material, site demolition including utilities and paving, earthwork and grading underground and aboveground steam line, underground natural gas line, underground water line, overhead electrical distribution, and sewer system. In support of excavation below two feet geophysical survey and clearance of unexploded ordnance will be a work requirement. The estimated completion date to the project is Apr. 8, 2010. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web and ten bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-09-C-0030).
ECC International Constructions, LLC Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $39,785,103 firm fixed construction contract for brigade housing and south park infrastructure. Work is to be performed in Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of Apr. 30, 2010. Bids were solicited in the World Wide Web and five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Program Center, Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-09-C-0011).
Merrick Construction, Cottonport, La., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $23,742,210 firm fixed price contract for Hubzone Multiple Award task order (task order 0002). Work is to be performed in Jefferson Parish, La with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2010. Eight bids were solicited and five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La. is the contracting activity (W912P8-08-D-0038).
DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $17,199,374 firm fixed price, cost reimbursement contract for maintenance support services to support the royal Saudi aviation land forces. Work is primary, but not limited to Riyadh, King Khalid Military City, Khamis Mushsyt, and Al-Quism, Saudi Arabia with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2014. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web and Two bids received. U.S. Army Contracting Command Aviation and Missile Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Al., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0143).
NAVY
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $24,656,595 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2200) for LPD 20 post shakedown availability tasks and acceleration of fleet required ship alterations. Work to be performed is for completion of government responsible deficiencies; correction of LPD 19 shock trial related deficiencies, class pipe hangers deficiencies, and FCT trials cards; and the acceleration of fleet required ship alterations such as upgrades to the SWAN GiGE Upgrades, MK46 Gun System Upgrade, HF-SAR, SSEE Inc E, Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) and SLQ-32 ICAD. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a $20,746,752 firm fixed price contract for the procurement of one each Crash Survivable Flight Incident Recorder and Flight Data Recorder (CSFIR/FDR) for E-6B Mercury Aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of two modification kits for the Operational Flight Trainer (OFT); and one each modification kit for the OFT Replay Debrief Station Trainer, the Integrated Avionics Trainer; the Part Task Trainer, and the Forward Lower Lobe Device Trainer; and interim spare parts and technical data. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and is expected to be completed in April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0051).
SRCTec Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., is being awarded a $9,934,428 cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for development, demonstration, and delivery of prototype enhancements to Lightweight Counter-Mortar Radars (LCMR) and Lightweight Surveillance and Track Acquisition Radars (LSTAR) designed principally to support the Mobile Optical Search Systems (MOSS) for defense and surveillance purposes. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., (99 percent); Washington, D.C., (.4 percent); Twentynine Palms, Calif., (.3 percent); and Fort A.P. Hill, Va., (.3 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3002).
Kollmorgen Corp., Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $5,622,672 modification to previously awarded contract (N66604-05-C-0572) to exercise an option for 12 Type 8K Mod 4 Periscope Assemblies. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
he Air Force is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with the Schafer Corporation of Chelmsford, Massachusetts for $7,465,366. This action will exercise Option Period 1 for the Headquarters Air Force Space Command Space Control Contract. At this time, $2,515,789 has been obligated. 21CONS, Colorado Springs, Colorado (FA2517-08-C-8000, P 00019).
Correction: Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded $6,928,056 for task order #0001 Phase 1A under a previously awardedcost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity order contract (N00014-09-D-0353) for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class FreeElectron Laser (FEL) device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., (80 percent) and Medford, N.Y., (20 percent), and work is expected to be completed April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 08-013 dated Mar 14, 2008. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., Directed Energy Systems, West Hills, Calif., is being awarded $6,922,312 for task order #0001 Phase 1A under a previously awarded cost plus fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity order contract (N00014-09-D-0354) for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class Free Electron Laser device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. Work will be performed in West Hills, Calif., (43 percent); Seattle Wash., (43 percent); McLean, Va., (10 percent); Medford, N.Y. (4 percent), and work is expected to be completed April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 08-013 dated Mar 14, 2008. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
Monday, April 13, 2009
On the Ground: U.S. Forces Add Farm Supplies to Iraqi Aid Missions
American Forces Press ServiceApril 13, 2009 - As the planting season gets under way in Iraq, U.S. forces there are adding agriculture supplies to regular humanitarian outreach efforts they conduct with Iraqi forces. The Task Force Bucca civil affairs team presented agricultural equipment April 11 to members of the Umm Qasr and Safwan farmers associations and town councils at Camp Bucca.
The forces presented six water trucks and eight tractors to Majid Talib Muzam, Umm Qasr Town Council president, and Munadhel Shanin Manahe, Safwan Town Council president, who accepted them on the towns' behalf. The project is part of a $2.34 million investment coalition forces made to assist the community's economy, which also included recent renovations to the Safwan Agricultural Center and the donation of seeds, generators, greenhouse kits and plastic sheathing.
Agriculture is Iraq's largest employer, and is the second-largest contributor to the country's economy, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. As such, agricultural aid is "an effective engine for promoting stability through private sector development, poverty reduction and food security," said Army Col. David P. Glaser, commander of the 42nd Military Police Brigade and Task Force Bucca.
"For a long period, the agricultural sector has suffered the challenges of crop production being threatened by the shortage and saltiness of water and old agricultural machines," Majid said. "The borders need exceptional care and support and security protection to enable them to stand on their own again. We are celebrating in this occasion to thank all the hands who participated for their generous support."
Safwan and Umm Qasr each received three water trucks and four tractors. Each truck holds 4,000 gallons of water and will be used to distribute water to local farms to irrigate crops and strengthen the town's farming industry, official said.
The project will promote the legitimacy of the Iraqi government by working with coalition forces to provide a vital service to local communities, said Army Sgt. 1st Class John M. Miller of the 42nd Military Police Brigade, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Task Force Bucca civil affairs Team. The local economy will benefit from long-term jobs, business center development, agriculture initiatives and civic clean-up activities, he said.
"The three water trucks and four tractors each town will receive will contribute to the continued revival of agriculture that is critical to the sustained stability and security in Safwan and Umm Qasr," Glaser said.
Camp Bucca is a forward operating base along the Kuwaiti border near the port city of Umm Qasr, Iraq's southernmost city.
In other humanitarian missions, Iraqi soldiers, supported by Military Transition Team 336, delivered toys, school supplies, backpacks, a freezer and a message to the girls, ages 6 to 12, at Al Bestor School in Hariwab on April 2.
The message included lessons on looking both ways before crossing a street, time management and organization skills. These messages are the same ones American children receive, but Iraqi Maj. Abudil Hussein Kareem, a brigade commander, said it's important for Iraqi children to heed these guidelines as well.
"We went to the school because we cannot talk to all the adults, because they are past the phase of learning," he said. "We went to the school because the children work and build the future. We know they respond, because they are children and they are going to follow what we say. They will follow us."
"This was geared to educate the children of the dangers of running out in the road when convoys are present," Army Maj. Jon K. Thiessen, MiTT 336 operations officer, said. "Our vehicles are much heavier than normal road traffic and are unable to swerve rapidly. Anything we can do to lessen the risk of children getting into the roadway is a noble endeavor."
The Iraqi army donated the freezer to the teachers and the school supplies and toys -- stuffed bears and soccer balls -- were donated by U.S. citizens and aid groups and given to children.
"The Iraqis are trying to do so much with so little, and we are just trying to assist," Army Maj. Thomas Acklen, MiTT 336 executive officer, said. "The children are the next generation of Iraq. They are the ones that will make Iraq for Iraqis. This occasion was planned to help boost relationships between the youth of Iraq and their security forces."
Kareem said missions like this are important because they demonstrate to the Iraqi people that the army is not to be feared now as it was under Saddam Hussein's rule.
"I think when we visited the school today we showed them something - we showed the students we are friendly and we want to help them and we want to help their country," he said. "It helps the relationship between the army, the Iraqi government and the students. The students will grow up one day and know the army helped their country, their people and their future."
The American forces saw, firsthand, the impact of the aid mission.
"Any questions on how this operation was going and its value were answered by the smile of a little girl holding up a soccer ball," Acklen said. "If we can make a positive change in one child, then our job here is successful."
U.S. forces also held a humanitarian operation in northern Iraq's Baraia neighborhood near Samarra on March 31, providing basic necessities and plastic sheeting to help farmers.
Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division's 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, delivered several cases of Halal meals to families in the neighborhood.
"Baraia is an extremely impoverished area of Samarra, and local residents are not used to receiving humanitarian aid from government or coalition forces," Army 1st. Lt. Daniel Flynn, platoon leader, said. "The last time most of these folks saw people in uniform, they were kicking down doors and arresting people."
The local residents appeared cautious at first, but quickly warmed up to the soldiers when it became apparent they were there to help.
In addition to food and water, U.S. and Iraqi forces delivered several large rolls of plastic to help with cultivating crops. "It is difficult to grow here sometimes," said Abdul Hassani, a local farmer. "This will help us very much. We are very grateful."
The Baraia community is home to two small shops, a makeshift soccer field and several acres of farmland. Residents do not have access to clean drinking water, and draw their water directly from the Tigris River.
The nearby village of Rega, where a water treatment facility recently opened, has pledged to provide assistance to neighboring villages, including Baraia.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Division North and Multinational Division South news releases.)
Obama Commends Military, Other Agencies for Maersk-Alabama Captain Rescue
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - President Barack Obama today praised the U.S. military for the Navy's successful efforts over the weekend to rescue the kidnapped captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship from Somali pirates. "I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and the many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Obama said during a visit to the Transportation Department here.
Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued by Navy SEALS aboard the USS Bainbridge yesterday after being held hostage for a reported $2 million ransom in a lifeboat about 18 miles from the Somali coast for five days. SEAL snipers shot and killed the three pirates holding Phillips captive.
Phillips and his 20-member crew were about 300 miles from the coast, when the pirates engaged. He offered himself to the pirates as a hostage to deter aggression toward his ship and crew, who eventually regained control of the ship.
"I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew," the president said. "His safety has been our principal concern. And I know [the rescue] came as a welcome relief to his family and his crew."
Obama said the United States is "resolved to halt the rise of piracy" off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden, where pirates have become more defiant and regular in their attacks against unarmed vessels.
"We're going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks," he said. "We have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise. And we have to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."
Piracy is a growing concern for the United States and internationally, but the issue may worsen without a solid solution, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters here today.
"If that last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that [piracy] is a complicated and international problem that needs to be addressed broadly," Whitman said. "I am fairly certain in the days ahead that this will be an issue that not only this department, but the government at large ... could be doing as a national [effort] and with other international organizations, and with allies in the region as well.
Whether it's humanitarian aide to Somalia or possible military training to Somalis, Whitman said, there's no shortage in ways and means the United States and international partners could approach the piracy issue and Somalia's lack of a legitimate government. The pure size of the region presents difficulties, he added.
"Clearly, it's a big challenge when you're talking about a coastline and body of water as large as it is, and you're dealing with a country that is largely ungoverned -- that certainly is a complicating situation," Whitman said.
"We'll just have to see in the days ahead," he added. "There are going to be a lot of smart people in this government that examine [the piracy issue] closely and see what else we might be able to do to prevent things like this from happening in the future, at least mitigate the number [of attacks] and seriousness."
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - President Barack Obama today praised the U.S. military for the Navy's successful efforts over the weekend to rescue the kidnapped captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship from Somali pirates. "I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and the many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Obama said during a visit to the Transportation Department here.
Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued by Navy SEALS aboard the USS Bainbridge yesterday after being held hostage for a reported $2 million ransom in a lifeboat about 18 miles from the Somali coast for five days. SEAL snipers shot and killed the three pirates holding Phillips captive.
Phillips and his 20-member crew were about 300 miles from the coast, when the pirates engaged. He offered himself to the pirates as a hostage to deter aggression toward his ship and crew, who eventually regained control of the ship.
"I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew," the president said. "His safety has been our principal concern. And I know [the rescue] came as a welcome relief to his family and his crew."
Obama said the United States is "resolved to halt the rise of piracy" off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden, where pirates have become more defiant and regular in their attacks against unarmed vessels.
"We're going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks," he said. "We have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise. And we have to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."
Piracy is a growing concern for the United States and internationally, but the issue may worsen without a solid solution, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters here today.
"If that last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that [piracy] is a complicated and international problem that needs to be addressed broadly," Whitman said. "I am fairly certain in the days ahead that this will be an issue that not only this department, but the government at large ... could be doing as a national [effort] and with other international organizations, and with allies in the region as well.
Whether it's humanitarian aide to Somalia or possible military training to Somalis, Whitman said, there's no shortage in ways and means the United States and international partners could approach the piracy issue and Somalia's lack of a legitimate government. The pure size of the region presents difficulties, he added.
"Clearly, it's a big challenge when you're talking about a coastline and body of water as large as it is, and you're dealing with a country that is largely ungoverned -- that certainly is a complicating situation," Whitman said.
"We'll just have to see in the days ahead," he added. "There are going to be a lot of smart people in this government that examine [the piracy issue] closely and see what else we might be able to do to prevent things like this from happening in the future, at least mitigate the number [of attacks] and seriousness."
Gates Says People Are His Top Budget Priority
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that servicemembers and military families were his primary concern when formulating the fiscal 2010 defense budget recommendations. Speaking to a group of 30 students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College, Gates said he and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared the same top priority.
"The chairman and I were in agreement that our first priority should be the people," Gates said. "If we didn't get the people part right, none of the rest of the decisions would matter."
The meeting here was the first stop on the defense secretary's round of visits this week to each of the military services' war colleges, where he is expected to discuss the strategy underlying his fiscal 2010 defense budget proposal.
Gates announced his recommendations last week, distributing the funds in accordance with what he characterized as the type of "complex hybrid" warfare he expects will be increasingly common. He allotted roughly half of his proposed budget for traditional, strategic and conventional conflict, about 40 percent for dual-purpose capabilities and the remaining 10 percent for irregular warfare.
In addition to the unique breakdown he outlined, the defense secretary's proposal seeks to move funding away from supplemental budgets and into the baseline budget. Gates said his suggestions were derived from his experience as defense secretary over the past two years.
"Everything that I found that needed to be done for the warfighter had to be done outside the base budget and outside the regular bureaucracy of the Pentagon," he said. "It seemed to me strange that the Department of Defense engaged in two wars, had to do all this stuff, in essence, off the cuff and not as part of a regular program."
Supplemental budgets accounted for the funding required to remedy problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; fielding more mine-resistant vehicles, or MRAPs; providing more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to warfighters; and countering threats from makeshift bombs. These additional, ad hoc, budgets also supported family programs, research and medical care for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, and other quality-of-life programs, Gates said.
"I couldn't understand why the building was so consumed with preparing for wars in the future and was so incapable of fighting the wars we were in," he said. "They were being funded in supplementals -- they weren't a part of the permanent budget of the Department of Defense. And so when supplementals went away, they would all be at risk."
Accordingly, Gates recommended the fiscal 2010 budget include $11 billion to increase the Army and Marine Corps end strength and to allow the Navy and Air Force to stop reducing the size of their ranks.
The other thrust of his proposed budget was institutionalizing the warfighters' needs by putting more funding in the baseline budgets of the individual services, Gates said.
The secretary recommended increasing funding for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for each service branch, a 5 percent increase in special operations forces, a $500 million increase for helicopter crews, maintenance, and other programs.
"People have said I'm too focused on the wars of today and too critical of those with 'next-war-itis,'" he said. "And what I tell them is I'm just trying to get the guys who are in the wars of today a seat at the table where the money is handed out."
Meanwhile, Gates said, the U.S. military needs to adopt a 21st-century outlook.
The days of World War II thinking and Cold War strategy have given way to an era of conflicts that blend conventional and irregular capabilities into a complex, hybrid warfare, Gates said. He cited Russia's use of special forces and cyber warfare before invading Georgia in August as an example. "They used all these aspects before their ground troops began moving into Georgia," he said.
Hezbollah also exemplified the concept through its ability to use makeshift explosives and launch small-scale terrorist attacks, all while possessing "more missiles than most countries," he said.
Gates' message to students and faculty members here was clear: "The service culture and mentality has to keep modernizing," he said.
"The Army can't keep thinking about how it's going to fight the Fulda Gap or Desert Storm all over again. The Marines have not had a major amphibious landing since 1950. The Navy keeps wanting to fight Midway again. And the Air Force just loves to fly with pilots in the cockpit," he said.
While no one is proposing a dramatic departure from the past -- such as completely abandoning manned aircraft -- the United States does need to think about how to combine its various means, Gates said.
"I think trying to figure out how you structure a military that provides you with the maximum flexibility for the broadest range of possibilities of conflict seems to me the challenge that faces the department and the services today," he said. "Because the kind of traditional conflicts we've experienced are, as the kids would say, 'So 20th-century.'
"And it's partly a matter of beginning to think about it, and beginning to budget for it," he added.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that servicemembers and military families were his primary concern when formulating the fiscal 2010 defense budget recommendations. Speaking to a group of 30 students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College, Gates said he and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared the same top priority.
"The chairman and I were in agreement that our first priority should be the people," Gates said. "If we didn't get the people part right, none of the rest of the decisions would matter."
The meeting here was the first stop on the defense secretary's round of visits this week to each of the military services' war colleges, where he is expected to discuss the strategy underlying his fiscal 2010 defense budget proposal.
Gates announced his recommendations last week, distributing the funds in accordance with what he characterized as the type of "complex hybrid" warfare he expects will be increasingly common. He allotted roughly half of his proposed budget for traditional, strategic and conventional conflict, about 40 percent for dual-purpose capabilities and the remaining 10 percent for irregular warfare.
In addition to the unique breakdown he outlined, the defense secretary's proposal seeks to move funding away from supplemental budgets and into the baseline budget. Gates said his suggestions were derived from his experience as defense secretary over the past two years.
"Everything that I found that needed to be done for the warfighter had to be done outside the base budget and outside the regular bureaucracy of the Pentagon," he said. "It seemed to me strange that the Department of Defense engaged in two wars, had to do all this stuff, in essence, off the cuff and not as part of a regular program."
Supplemental budgets accounted for the funding required to remedy problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; fielding more mine-resistant vehicles, or MRAPs; providing more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to warfighters; and countering threats from makeshift bombs. These additional, ad hoc, budgets also supported family programs, research and medical care for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, and other quality-of-life programs, Gates said.
"I couldn't understand why the building was so consumed with preparing for wars in the future and was so incapable of fighting the wars we were in," he said. "They were being funded in supplementals -- they weren't a part of the permanent budget of the Department of Defense. And so when supplementals went away, they would all be at risk."
Accordingly, Gates recommended the fiscal 2010 budget include $11 billion to increase the Army and Marine Corps end strength and to allow the Navy and Air Force to stop reducing the size of their ranks.
The other thrust of his proposed budget was institutionalizing the warfighters' needs by putting more funding in the baseline budgets of the individual services, Gates said.
The secretary recommended increasing funding for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for each service branch, a 5 percent increase in special operations forces, a $500 million increase for helicopter crews, maintenance, and other programs.
"People have said I'm too focused on the wars of today and too critical of those with 'next-war-itis,'" he said. "And what I tell them is I'm just trying to get the guys who are in the wars of today a seat at the table where the money is handed out."
Meanwhile, Gates said, the U.S. military needs to adopt a 21st-century outlook.
The days of World War II thinking and Cold War strategy have given way to an era of conflicts that blend conventional and irregular capabilities into a complex, hybrid warfare, Gates said. He cited Russia's use of special forces and cyber warfare before invading Georgia in August as an example. "They used all these aspects before their ground troops began moving into Georgia," he said.
Hezbollah also exemplified the concept through its ability to use makeshift explosives and launch small-scale terrorist attacks, all while possessing "more missiles than most countries," he said.
Gates' message to students and faculty members here was clear: "The service culture and mentality has to keep modernizing," he said.
"The Army can't keep thinking about how it's going to fight the Fulda Gap or Desert Storm all over again. The Marines have not had a major amphibious landing since 1950. The Navy keeps wanting to fight Midway again. And the Air Force just loves to fly with pilots in the cockpit," he said.
While no one is proposing a dramatic departure from the past -- such as completely abandoning manned aircraft -- the United States does need to think about how to combine its various means, Gates said.
"I think trying to figure out how you structure a military that provides you with the maximum flexibility for the broadest range of possibilities of conflict seems to me the challenge that faces the department and the services today," he said. "Because the kind of traditional conflicts we've experienced are, as the kids would say, 'So 20th-century.'
"And it's partly a matter of beginning to think about it, and beginning to budget for it," he added.
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 13, 2009
NAVY
The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $109,098,924 advance acquisition contract to procure long lead materials in support of P-8A low rate initial production (LRIP) I aircraft, and production line slots in support of P-8A LRIP II aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., (87 percent) and Baltimore, Md., (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0022).
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $45,433,000 ceiling-priced, undefinitized contract action to provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) services in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom land based efforts. Work will be performed in Bingen, Wash. (65 percent) and St. Louis, Mo. (35 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $22,716,500 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-2. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0050).
Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded an $8,676,152 firm fixed price delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to provide intermediate "I" level support equipment used for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), including reeling machine test benches, reeling machines and reel and cable assemblies. This equipment will support a variety of maintenance and testing tasks on the ALFS system aboard the MH-60R. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., (90 percent) and Portsmouth, R.I., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $3,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-07-G-0005).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $6,928,056 Task Order 0001 Phase 1A under a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity order contract for the preliminary design of a 100-kw class Free Electron Laser (FEL) device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. The Office of Naval Research is the contracting activity (N00014-09-D-0353).
The Boeing Co.,. Directed Energy Systems, West Hills, Calif., is being awarded a $6,922,312 Task Order 0001 Phase 1A under a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery indefinite, quantity order contract for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class Free Electron Laser device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. The Office of Naval Research is the contracting activity (N00014-09-D-0354).
General Dynamics, Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,290,977 modification to previously awarded contract for Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) tasks in support of operational nuclear submarines. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by June 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 (N00024-06-C-4003).
ARMY
HRL Laboratories, Malibu, Calif., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $ 40,204,842 cost plus fixed fee contract for research in quantum information science. Work is to be performed in Malibu, Calif., with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2011. Six bids were solicited and six bids received. Defense Advance Research Project Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-06-C-0052).
L-3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems, Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $ 10,291,271 firm fixed price contract for the manufacture and production of M762A1 Electronic Team Fuze. Work is to be performed in Cincinnati, Ohio with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web and one bid received. Joint Munitions & Lethality Contracting Center, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-09-C-0050).
Science, Engineering and Technology Associates Corp,. Arlington, Va., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $6,700,00 cost plus fixed fee contract for a "Real Time Regional Gateway Zones of Protection Workstation" The zone of protection program will develop, demonstrate, and deploy a ZOP workstation that tightly integrates robust models and simulation technologies with real-time intelligence and operational date. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2010. Bids were solicited by a broad agency announcement and four bids were received. Cecom Acquisition center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-09-C-P011).
AIR FORCE
Today the Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Infoscitex Research, Development, & Commercialization, Dayton, Ohio for $12,730,000. This action will include an integrated contractor and government teaming arrangement to (a) define and accomplish specific research objectives; (b) provide scientific, technical, and program expertise to various research studies , e.g., developing test plans and protocols, conducting tests, performing data collection and analysis, writing test reports and research papers, networking databases and developing models; (c) procure subject to participate in human research papers; and (d) provided materials, equipment, and supplies to operate, modify, maintain, and develop specialized research facilities. At this time, $200,000 has been obligated. Det 1 AFRL/PKHB, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, (FA8650-09-D-6949, Task Order 0001).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Shamrock Foods Co., Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $7,660,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is in New Mexico. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally six proposals solicited with six responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the second of four one-year options. The date of performance completion is April 10, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3220).
The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $109,098,924 advance acquisition contract to procure long lead materials in support of P-8A low rate initial production (LRIP) I aircraft, and production line slots in support of P-8A LRIP II aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., (87 percent) and Baltimore, Md., (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0022).
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $45,433,000 ceiling-priced, undefinitized contract action to provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) services in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom land based efforts. Work will be performed in Bingen, Wash. (65 percent) and St. Louis, Mo. (35 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $22,716,500 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-2. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0050).
Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded an $8,676,152 firm fixed price delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to provide intermediate "I" level support equipment used for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), including reeling machine test benches, reeling machines and reel and cable assemblies. This equipment will support a variety of maintenance and testing tasks on the ALFS system aboard the MH-60R. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., (90 percent) and Portsmouth, R.I., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $3,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-07-G-0005).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $6,928,056 Task Order 0001 Phase 1A under a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity order contract for the preliminary design of a 100-kw class Free Electron Laser (FEL) device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. The Office of Naval Research is the contracting activity (N00014-09-D-0353).
The Boeing Co.,. Directed Energy Systems, West Hills, Calif., is being awarded a $6,922,312 Task Order 0001 Phase 1A under a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery indefinite, quantity order contract for the preliminary design of a 100-kw Class Free Electron Laser device which can be used to demonstrate scalability of the necessary FEL physics and engineering for an eventual MW class Free Electron Laser device. The Office of Naval Research is the contracting activity (N00014-09-D-0354).
General Dynamics, Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $6,290,977 modification to previously awarded contract for Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) tasks in support of operational nuclear submarines. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by June 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 (N00024-06-C-4003).
ARMY
HRL Laboratories, Malibu, Calif., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $ 40,204,842 cost plus fixed fee contract for research in quantum information science. Work is to be performed in Malibu, Calif., with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2011. Six bids were solicited and six bids received. Defense Advance Research Project Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-06-C-0052).
L-3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems, Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $ 10,291,271 firm fixed price contract for the manufacture and production of M762A1 Electronic Team Fuze. Work is to be performed in Cincinnati, Ohio with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web and one bid received. Joint Munitions & Lethality Contracting Center, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-09-C-0050).
Science, Engineering and Technology Associates Corp,. Arlington, Va., was awarded on Apr. 9, 2009 a $6,700,00 cost plus fixed fee contract for a "Real Time Regional Gateway Zones of Protection Workstation" The zone of protection program will develop, demonstrate, and deploy a ZOP workstation that tightly integrates robust models and simulation technologies with real-time intelligence and operational date. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 9, 2010. Bids were solicited by a broad agency announcement and four bids were received. Cecom Acquisition center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-09-C-P011).
AIR FORCE
Today the Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Infoscitex Research, Development, & Commercialization, Dayton, Ohio for $12,730,000. This action will include an integrated contractor and government teaming arrangement to (a) define and accomplish specific research objectives; (b) provide scientific, technical, and program expertise to various research studies , e.g., developing test plans and protocols, conducting tests, performing data collection and analysis, writing test reports and research papers, networking databases and developing models; (c) procure subject to participate in human research papers; and (d) provided materials, equipment, and supplies to operate, modify, maintain, and develop specialized research facilities. At this time, $200,000 has been obligated. Det 1 AFRL/PKHB, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, (FA8650-09-D-6949, Task Order 0001).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Shamrock Foods Co., Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $7,660,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. Other location of performance is in New Mexico. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally six proposals solicited with six responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the second of four one-year options. The date of performance completion is April 10, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3220).
Sonar Provides "Window to the World" for Submariners, Captain Says
By John Ohab
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - The Navy's ability to harness sonar technology has allowed submarines to navigate more safely in the dark depths of the ocean while also allowing other ships to locate and identify them, said a senior Navy submariner. "Sonar is our only window to the world," Navy Capt. Jeffrey Currer, head of the Navy's Undersea Surveillance Branch, said. He discussed the various uses of sonar during an April 8 "Armed with Science" webcast on Pentagon Web Radio.
The word "sonar" originated as an acronym for sound, navigation and ranging technology. Navy submarines most commonly use "passive sonar," which Currer described as "listening devices" that detect sound released by objects in the ocean. Passive sonar is used to identify and classify these objects within the complex acoustic underwater environment, which consists of a mixture of sound waves produced by ships, electric cables, seismic activity and marine animals.
"Those classifications are a lot like fingerprints ... in some cases, because everything makes a noise that's all its own," Currer said.
Active sonar technologies emit their own sound pulse, known as a "ping," and detect reflections of the pulse off nearby objects. Operators measure the distance of an object based on how long it takes for sound pulses to return. Ships use active sonar to determine bottom depth for safe navigation, to locate the submarines of adversaries, and to identify ocean-bottom mines.
Currer said the Navy primarily uses passive sonar, because it doesn't give away the position of the ship. Active sonar is used by vessels sparingly because it could give away their location to potential enemy submarines, he explained.
Sound movement through the ocean depends on the depth, pressure, salt content and temperature of the water, as well as impediments such as marine life and geological features. Navy operators spend several years in training to understand marine acoustics and learn how to use sonar technologies effectively.
"It takes about a year just to train a sonar man today to operate his gear," Currer said. "It takes another year beyond that to make him what we would call proficient where he can operate it effectively. And it takes another four years above to what we'd call the master."
Computer simulations and synthetic training play an important role in mastering sonar capabilities. However, Currer said, it is difficult to replicate the environment and the variability in the ocean.
"It's still incredibly important that we practice in the environment, because it keeps throwing us curveballs that you may not predict," Currer said. "Our ability to see the underwater environment is directly reflective of where we train."
Currer, a graduate of the Naval Academy and a submariner for 25 years, described a unique bond that exists between sailors and the ocean.
"We spend a lot of time and money to make sure that our effect on the ocean is minimal," he said. "We consider ourselves protectors of the world, and the world includes the environment."
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - The Navy's ability to harness sonar technology has allowed submarines to navigate more safely in the dark depths of the ocean while also allowing other ships to locate and identify them, said a senior Navy submariner. "Sonar is our only window to the world," Navy Capt. Jeffrey Currer, head of the Navy's Undersea Surveillance Branch, said. He discussed the various uses of sonar during an April 8 "Armed with Science" webcast on Pentagon Web Radio.
The word "sonar" originated as an acronym for sound, navigation and ranging technology. Navy submarines most commonly use "passive sonar," which Currer described as "listening devices" that detect sound released by objects in the ocean. Passive sonar is used to identify and classify these objects within the complex acoustic underwater environment, which consists of a mixture of sound waves produced by ships, electric cables, seismic activity and marine animals.
"Those classifications are a lot like fingerprints ... in some cases, because everything makes a noise that's all its own," Currer said.
Active sonar technologies emit their own sound pulse, known as a "ping," and detect reflections of the pulse off nearby objects. Operators measure the distance of an object based on how long it takes for sound pulses to return. Ships use active sonar to determine bottom depth for safe navigation, to locate the submarines of adversaries, and to identify ocean-bottom mines.
Currer said the Navy primarily uses passive sonar, because it doesn't give away the position of the ship. Active sonar is used by vessels sparingly because it could give away their location to potential enemy submarines, he explained.
Sound movement through the ocean depends on the depth, pressure, salt content and temperature of the water, as well as impediments such as marine life and geological features. Navy operators spend several years in training to understand marine acoustics and learn how to use sonar technologies effectively.
"It takes about a year just to train a sonar man today to operate his gear," Currer said. "It takes another year beyond that to make him what we would call proficient where he can operate it effectively. And it takes another four years above to what we'd call the master."
Computer simulations and synthetic training play an important role in mastering sonar capabilities. However, Currer said, it is difficult to replicate the environment and the variability in the ocean.
"It's still incredibly important that we practice in the environment, because it keeps throwing us curveballs that you may not predict," Currer said. "Our ability to see the underwater environment is directly reflective of where we train."
Currer, a graduate of the Naval Academy and a submariner for 25 years, described a unique bond that exists between sailors and the ocean.
"We spend a lot of time and money to make sure that our effect on the ocean is minimal," he said. "We consider ourselves protectors of the world, and the world includes the environment."
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
Face of Defense: Guardsman Hopes to Make Difference in Africa
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kati Garcia
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - For U.S. Africa Command's new deputy director of operations and logistics, the words "I can't do it" won't cut it. Not from his soldiers, not from the people he serves with, and certainly not from himself.
And this Army National Guardsman, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt "Rose" Barfield, knows what it means to be able to "do it."
Barfield was encouraged by a friend to enlist in the Army National Guard fresh out of high school at the age of 17. He served for five years as a soldier in the Kansas Guard while working toward his degree at the University of Kansas.
At 21, he found himself with a commission from the ROTC detachment at Kansas and quite possibly a whole lot more than he bargained for.
When Barfield had just 18 months of commissioned service under his belt, his platoon commander was relieved of duty. "They said to me, 'Have we got a job for you," the general recalled, "and then I was the only second lieutenant in my infantry company. That was my trial by fire."
Barfield was forced to learn on the job, but it's not a road he recommends.
"Learning on the job is not a good thing," he said. "What you don't want your fellow soldiers and leaders to do is to learn trial by fire. There are enough instances out there where they will have to do that. You want to remove as many obstacles as possible. Give them as much information as possible so they can put their best foot forward."
Barfield said he believes being a strong leader is about life's lessons. He encourages his soldiers at every level to take the information they have and pass it along.
"It's hard to make decisions – genuine, hard-hitting decisions – if you don't know what is required of the soldiers who carry out those decisions," he explained. "I was on the other end of that for five years. I know what happens when you have bad leadership. I know what happens when you have absent leadership.
"Passing that information along – especially the right information – is an obligation," he continued. "It's not a suggestion; it's as obligation. That is what I try to mentor to any and everybody -- not just my officers, but enlisted troops and [noncommissioned officers]. I try to pass on what I know."
And information is by no means a one-way street for Barfield. "At the same time, I get an opportunity to go back and relearn and reinforce my lessons, or in some cases drop the lessons I have learned," Barfield said. "Life is a constant learning process, and so is the military."
In his view, the two are linked.
"You learn more about yourself in the military than any profession out there," Barfield said. "This is both a professional and personal. At the end of the day, you should feel good and believe in what you're doing, or you should go do something else."
Barfield is a father of three with a long resume after 31 years of service. His wife, Patricia, is an Army colonel. His eldest son, Galen, is a senior airman in the Air Force Reserve, and his younger son and daughter both are in the middle of promising high school careers.
Barfield has served both as a Guardsman and on active duty, and his awards include the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal with eight oak leaf clusters. He returned from a tour in Afghanistan eight months ago, and he found one element in particular is key in joint-service operations.
"It comes down to one thing – communication," he said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it really isn't. One of the hardest things that we do as individuals – take the soldier or the military piece completely out of it – is to communicate. You need to come in with an open mind. You need to think. 'What is it I need to learn from the other services to work with them?' You're not going to learn it by books, and you're not going to learn it by osmosis. You're only going to learn it by having one-on-one conversation."
Barfield said he realizes certain terms and traditions are unique to each military service, and no one is expected to lose those when the services work together.
"You're never going to give up those things that are unique to your service," he said. "But this joint thing is here to stay, and you need to work within that. There is plenty of work for everyone. It's all about managing egos and expectations. It's all about life's lessons."
Good leadership yields good soldiers, the colonel added.
"Your enlisted soldiers and your NCOs will do anything you ask them to do, as long as they have good leadership," he said. "In my mind, those officers who were enlisted make the best officers. I constantly remind myself where I've been, and try not to lose the perspective that whatever decisions I make, someone else has to live with it."
Barfield said he wants to make a difference while serving with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
"There are maybe one or two moments in your life where you get an opportunity to make an impact that will be universal and historical," he said. "And we're here. It's hard for me to contain my excitement just thinking about it -- that I'm part of this. ... History is being written, and we are the author. From private to the general, every one of us has a piece of that."
The task force employs an "indirect approach" to counter violent extremism in the region by conducting operations to strengthen partner-nation and regional security capacity to enable long-term regional stability, prevent conflict and protect U.S. and coalition interests.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kati Garcia serves in the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - For U.S. Africa Command's new deputy director of operations and logistics, the words "I can't do it" won't cut it. Not from his soldiers, not from the people he serves with, and certainly not from himself.
And this Army National Guardsman, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt "Rose" Barfield, knows what it means to be able to "do it."
Barfield was encouraged by a friend to enlist in the Army National Guard fresh out of high school at the age of 17. He served for five years as a soldier in the Kansas Guard while working toward his degree at the University of Kansas.
At 21, he found himself with a commission from the ROTC detachment at Kansas and quite possibly a whole lot more than he bargained for.
When Barfield had just 18 months of commissioned service under his belt, his platoon commander was relieved of duty. "They said to me, 'Have we got a job for you," the general recalled, "and then I was the only second lieutenant in my infantry company. That was my trial by fire."
Barfield was forced to learn on the job, but it's not a road he recommends.
"Learning on the job is not a good thing," he said. "What you don't want your fellow soldiers and leaders to do is to learn trial by fire. There are enough instances out there where they will have to do that. You want to remove as many obstacles as possible. Give them as much information as possible so they can put their best foot forward."
Barfield said he believes being a strong leader is about life's lessons. He encourages his soldiers at every level to take the information they have and pass it along.
"It's hard to make decisions – genuine, hard-hitting decisions – if you don't know what is required of the soldiers who carry out those decisions," he explained. "I was on the other end of that for five years. I know what happens when you have bad leadership. I know what happens when you have absent leadership.
"Passing that information along – especially the right information – is an obligation," he continued. "It's not a suggestion; it's as obligation. That is what I try to mentor to any and everybody -- not just my officers, but enlisted troops and [noncommissioned officers]. I try to pass on what I know."
And information is by no means a one-way street for Barfield. "At the same time, I get an opportunity to go back and relearn and reinforce my lessons, or in some cases drop the lessons I have learned," Barfield said. "Life is a constant learning process, and so is the military."
In his view, the two are linked.
"You learn more about yourself in the military than any profession out there," Barfield said. "This is both a professional and personal. At the end of the day, you should feel good and believe in what you're doing, or you should go do something else."
Barfield is a father of three with a long resume after 31 years of service. His wife, Patricia, is an Army colonel. His eldest son, Galen, is a senior airman in the Air Force Reserve, and his younger son and daughter both are in the middle of promising high school careers.
Barfield has served both as a Guardsman and on active duty, and his awards include the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal with eight oak leaf clusters. He returned from a tour in Afghanistan eight months ago, and he found one element in particular is key in joint-service operations.
"It comes down to one thing – communication," he said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it really isn't. One of the hardest things that we do as individuals – take the soldier or the military piece completely out of it – is to communicate. You need to come in with an open mind. You need to think. 'What is it I need to learn from the other services to work with them?' You're not going to learn it by books, and you're not going to learn it by osmosis. You're only going to learn it by having one-on-one conversation."
Barfield said he realizes certain terms and traditions are unique to each military service, and no one is expected to lose those when the services work together.
"You're never going to give up those things that are unique to your service," he said. "But this joint thing is here to stay, and you need to work within that. There is plenty of work for everyone. It's all about managing egos and expectations. It's all about life's lessons."
Good leadership yields good soldiers, the colonel added.
"Your enlisted soldiers and your NCOs will do anything you ask them to do, as long as they have good leadership," he said. "In my mind, those officers who were enlisted make the best officers. I constantly remind myself where I've been, and try not to lose the perspective that whatever decisions I make, someone else has to live with it."
Barfield said he wants to make a difference while serving with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
"There are maybe one or two moments in your life where you get an opportunity to make an impact that will be universal and historical," he said. "And we're here. It's hard for me to contain my excitement just thinking about it -- that I'm part of this. ... History is being written, and we are the author. From private to the general, every one of us has a piece of that."
The task force employs an "indirect approach" to counter violent extremism in the region by conducting operations to strengthen partner-nation and regional security capacity to enable long-term regional stability, prevent conflict and protect U.S. and coalition interests.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kati Garcia serves in the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa public affairs office.)
Navy's Rescue Mission 'Textbook,' But Piracy Still Looms, Gates Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - The U.S. military's rescue of a kidnapped American ship captain yesterday was "textbook," but the issue of piracy is likely to worsen in the absence of a systemic solution, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Off the Somali coast yesterday, U.S. special operations snipers on the USS Bainbridge shot and killed three pirates who had held hostage the captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship on a lifeboat for five days. Military officials said Capt. Richard Phillips' life was in imminent danger at the time of his rescue.
"It was textbook," Gates said of the operation. "They were patient. They got the right people and the right equipment in place, and then did what they do."
Gates, speaking at the Marine Corps War College here, said two groups of military operators were involved in the rescue -- one based in the region and one based in the United States -- with each requiring separate authority from President Barack Obama. "And the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases," Gates said.
Despite the operational precision of the rescue, however, the question of how to deal with the broader issue of piracy still looms large, with 111 incidents reported last year on the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, according to the International Chamer of Commerce."Is there a way to deal with this in a systemic way that reduces the risk and brings the international community together in a productive way to deal with the problem?" Gates said. "I think we're going to end up spending a fair amount of time on this in the administration, seeing if there is a way to try and mitigate this problem of piracy."
Gates said the historical case of Southeast Asia's solution to its piracy problem does not generally apply to the current Somali-based issue. In Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries, for instance, central governments played a role in stemming piracy, he said.
"[They] acquired some capabilities -- and we helped them in some of those capabilities in terms of surveillance and patrolling -- and because each of those countries has a functioning government, the piracy problem in Southeast Asia has been dramatically reduced," he said.
"The problem is easier to deal with when the surrounding land -- as in the case of Southeast Asia and the Straits of Malacca -- is controlled by real governments that have real capabilities, which is not the case in Somalia," he explained. "So it is a serious international problem, and it's probably going to get worse."
Gates, emphasizing the limitations of a purely military approach, said some have suggested bypassing the central government of Somalia and instead establishing relationships with officials of functioning local governments there.
"There is no purely military solution to it," he said. "And as long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids."
Gates noted the four pirates involved in kidnapping the Maersk-Alabama captain were 17 to 19 years old, and he cited the dangerous combination of untrained youth and arms.
"Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons," he told the group of 30 students and faculty members at the Marine Corps War College. "Everybody in the room knows the consequences of that."
Gates underscored that the piracy issue will likely be an important agenda item in coming weeks.
"All I can tell you is I am confident we will be spending a lot of time in the situation room over the next few weeks trying to figure out what in the world to do about this problem," he said.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - The U.S. military's rescue of a kidnapped American ship captain yesterday was "textbook," but the issue of piracy is likely to worsen in the absence of a systemic solution, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Off the Somali coast yesterday, U.S. special operations snipers on the USS Bainbridge shot and killed three pirates who had held hostage the captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship on a lifeboat for five days. Military officials said Capt. Richard Phillips' life was in imminent danger at the time of his rescue.
"It was textbook," Gates said of the operation. "They were patient. They got the right people and the right equipment in place, and then did what they do."
Gates, speaking at the Marine Corps War College here, said two groups of military operators were involved in the rescue -- one based in the region and one based in the United States -- with each requiring separate authority from President Barack Obama. "And the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases," Gates said.
Despite the operational precision of the rescue, however, the question of how to deal with the broader issue of piracy still looms large, with 111 incidents reported last year on the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, according to the International Chamer of Commerce."Is there a way to deal with this in a systemic way that reduces the risk and brings the international community together in a productive way to deal with the problem?" Gates said. "I think we're going to end up spending a fair amount of time on this in the administration, seeing if there is a way to try and mitigate this problem of piracy."
Gates said the historical case of Southeast Asia's solution to its piracy problem does not generally apply to the current Somali-based issue. In Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries, for instance, central governments played a role in stemming piracy, he said.
"[They] acquired some capabilities -- and we helped them in some of those capabilities in terms of surveillance and patrolling -- and because each of those countries has a functioning government, the piracy problem in Southeast Asia has been dramatically reduced," he said.
"The problem is easier to deal with when the surrounding land -- as in the case of Southeast Asia and the Straits of Malacca -- is controlled by real governments that have real capabilities, which is not the case in Somalia," he explained. "So it is a serious international problem, and it's probably going to get worse."
Gates, emphasizing the limitations of a purely military approach, said some have suggested bypassing the central government of Somalia and instead establishing relationships with officials of functioning local governments there.
"There is no purely military solution to it," he said. "And as long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids."
Gates noted the four pirates involved in kidnapping the Maersk-Alabama captain were 17 to 19 years old, and he cited the dangerous combination of untrained youth and arms.
"Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons," he told the group of 30 students and faculty members at the Marine Corps War College. "Everybody in the room knows the consequences of that."
Gates underscored that the piracy issue will likely be an important agenda item in coming weeks.
"All I can tell you is I am confident we will be spending a lot of time in the situation room over the next few weeks trying to figure out what in the world to do about this problem," he said.
Military Doctor Cites Need for Early Intervention of Autism
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - A Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences faculty member discussed Autism Awareness Month and the importance of early, proper diagnosis and treatment of children. "Parents should feel confidence in raising questions about whether their child has autism," Dr. Janice Hanson told "Dot Mil Docs" listeners during an April 9 webcast on Pentagon Web Radio. "They are often the first ones to raise concerns and to raise them in a way that a pediatrician can sort out whether to be concerned, how concerned to be, and what to do about it next."
According to Autism Speaks, a science and advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. While there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure, current research suggests that early educational intervention for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many children with autism-spectrum disorders.
Hanson said children can be diagnosed with autism by age 3, but parents might notice changes in a child as young as 6 months. Three categories of characteristics describe a child with autism, she said.
"Before complete diagnosis of autism, a child would show some symptoms in ... [each of] three areas: communication, social interaction, and stereotypical behavior," Hanson explained. The three categories that go along with a diagnosis of autism include delayed speech or language; differences in social interaction, such as avoiding eye contact or misunderstanding social cues; and stereotypical behaviors such as playing with toys with a ritual behavior or rocking over and over again.
"Autism is a disorder of communication and social interaction," the doctor said. "There is a range of disorders actually that fall within a spectrum that we call pervasive developmental disorders. The range goes from classic autism, with a fairly significant difference in communication and social interaction, to Asperger's Syndrome, which is more mild and sometimes more difficult to diagnose.
"Also included in the spectrum is a group of children that don't exactly fit the criteria, but have many of the characteristics," she continued, "and they are called children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified."
Hanson said the number of children diagnosed is hard to pin down with current data.
"That is actually a subject of debate and research as we speak," she said. "I just read a study that summarized 43 studies in the literature from the last several decades, trying to pin down what that number might be, so what we have is a range of numbers. The greatest number would be about one child out of 150, and this would be the most broad use of the diagnostic categories, which would include children with autistic diagnoses all along that spectrum from the most severe to the most mild."
Hanson said whether the number of diagnoses is increasing is another controversial subject.
"There has been a lot of controversy for the past 10 to 15 years about whether the incidence of autism is increasing, and if so why," she said. "Some people think yes, it is definitely increasing. Others think we have improved our ability to identify these children and we've changed our criteria to include broader numbers."
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is working toward educating and training physicians and nurses to accurately diagnosis autism early.
"We have a medical school and a graduate school of nursing that educates and trains physicians and nurse practitioners to work in the military health system, and that is where I am on the faculty," Hanson said. "We do an intense, focused job of providing education for these students, not only about autism, how to diagnosis, and what to watch for, but also about the military environment and the special challenges for military families.
"We are trying very hard to send new doctors into our military health system with a strong awareness of when to refer, where to refer and how to get a child accurate diagnosis and effective interaction," she added.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2009 - A Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences faculty member discussed Autism Awareness Month and the importance of early, proper diagnosis and treatment of children. "Parents should feel confidence in raising questions about whether their child has autism," Dr. Janice Hanson told "Dot Mil Docs" listeners during an April 9 webcast on Pentagon Web Radio. "They are often the first ones to raise concerns and to raise them in a way that a pediatrician can sort out whether to be concerned, how concerned to be, and what to do about it next."
According to Autism Speaks, a science and advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. While there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure, current research suggests that early educational intervention for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many children with autism-spectrum disorders.
Hanson said children can be diagnosed with autism by age 3, but parents might notice changes in a child as young as 6 months. Three categories of characteristics describe a child with autism, she said.
"Before complete diagnosis of autism, a child would show some symptoms in ... [each of] three areas: communication, social interaction, and stereotypical behavior," Hanson explained. The three categories that go along with a diagnosis of autism include delayed speech or language; differences in social interaction, such as avoiding eye contact or misunderstanding social cues; and stereotypical behaviors such as playing with toys with a ritual behavior or rocking over and over again.
"Autism is a disorder of communication and social interaction," the doctor said. "There is a range of disorders actually that fall within a spectrum that we call pervasive developmental disorders. The range goes from classic autism, with a fairly significant difference in communication and social interaction, to Asperger's Syndrome, which is more mild and sometimes more difficult to diagnose.
"Also included in the spectrum is a group of children that don't exactly fit the criteria, but have many of the characteristics," she continued, "and they are called children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified."
Hanson said the number of children diagnosed is hard to pin down with current data.
"That is actually a subject of debate and research as we speak," she said. "I just read a study that summarized 43 studies in the literature from the last several decades, trying to pin down what that number might be, so what we have is a range of numbers. The greatest number would be about one child out of 150, and this would be the most broad use of the diagnostic categories, which would include children with autistic diagnoses all along that spectrum from the most severe to the most mild."
Hanson said whether the number of diagnoses is increasing is another controversial subject.
"There has been a lot of controversy for the past 10 to 15 years about whether the incidence of autism is increasing, and if so why," she said. "Some people think yes, it is definitely increasing. Others think we have improved our ability to identify these children and we've changed our criteria to include broader numbers."
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is working toward educating and training physicians and nurses to accurately diagnosis autism early.
"We have a medical school and a graduate school of nursing that educates and trains physicians and nurse practitioners to work in the military health system, and that is where I am on the faculty," Hanson said. "We do an intense, focused job of providing education for these students, not only about autism, how to diagnosis, and what to watch for, but also about the military environment and the special challenges for military families.
"We are trying very hard to send new doctors into our military health system with a strong awareness of when to refer, where to refer and how to get a child accurate diagnosis and effective interaction," she added.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Obama Praises U.S. Military Rescue of Maersk-Alabama Captain
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2009 - President Barack Obama praised the U.S. military's rescue of the kidnapped captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship on the waters off the coast of Somalia today. U.S. naval forces freed Capt. Richard Phillips five days after Somali pirates took him hostage.
"I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer," Obama said in a White House statement. "His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew.
"I am also very proud of the efforts of the US military and many other departments and agencies who worked tirelessly to secure Captain Phillips' safe recovery," he said. "I share the country's admiration for the bravery of captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans."
Navy Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, comended those involved in the rescue.
"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible," Gortney said in a U.S. Navy release. Gortney said Phillips' actions, and those of the Maersk-Alabama crew, were heroic.
"They fought back to regain control of their ship, and Captain Phillips selflessly put his life in the hands of these armed criminals in order to protect his crew," he said.
Following the rescue, Phillips was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge before being flown to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, where he contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and is resting comfortably, according to a U.S. Navy statement.
Three pirates were killed during the rescue operation, and U.S. military forces have one pirate in custody, the statement said.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2009 - President Barack Obama praised the U.S. military's rescue of the kidnapped captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship on the waters off the coast of Somalia today. U.S. naval forces freed Capt. Richard Phillips five days after Somali pirates took him hostage.
"I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer," Obama said in a White House statement. "His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew.
"I am also very proud of the efforts of the US military and many other departments and agencies who worked tirelessly to secure Captain Phillips' safe recovery," he said. "I share the country's admiration for the bravery of captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans."
Navy Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, comended those involved in the rescue.
"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible," Gortney said in a U.S. Navy release. Gortney said Phillips' actions, and those of the Maersk-Alabama crew, were heroic.
"They fought back to regain control of their ship, and Captain Phillips selflessly put his life in the hands of these armed criminals in order to protect his crew," he said.
Following the rescue, Phillips was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge before being flown to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, where he contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and is resting comfortably, according to a U.S. Navy statement.
Three pirates were killed during the rescue operation, and U.S. military forces have one pirate in custody, the statement said.
Hostage Captain Was in 'Imminent Danger' at Time of Rescue
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2009 - The captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia was in "imminent danger" when U.S. military snipers shot and killed his three pirate captors, a U.S. Navy commander said today. Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, provided preliminary details of the rescue mission that freed Capt. Richard Phillips today during a news conference.
Off the Somali coast, U.S. special operations snipers held positions at the rear of the USS Bainbridge, which was towing an 18-foot lifeboat that held Phillips and three pirates some 25-30 meters away.
"The snipers positioned on the fantail of the Bainbridge observed one of the pirates in the pilot house -- and two pirates with their head and shoulders exposed -- and one of the pirates had the AK47 (assault rifle) leveled at the captain's back," Gortney said.
Gortney said the White House had given military operators "very clear guidance and authority" if Phillips' life was in danger.
"The on-scene commander took it as the captain was in imminent danger and then made that decision (to shoot), and he had the authorities to make that decision, and he had seconds to make that decision," he said.
On the marksmanship of the snipers Gortney said, "We pay a lot for their training and we got a good return on our investment."
Naval forces rescued Phillips on a rigid-inflatable boat and transferred him to the USS Bainbridge before being flown to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, where he contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and is resting comfortably, ccording to a U.S. Navy statement.
Gortney said Phillips was in good health and suffered no apparent injuries, despite being "tied up inside the lifeboat" for at least part of his five days as a hostage. He noted that a fourth pirate surrendered and is being held in U.S. forces' custody.
The admiral praised the military servicemembers involved in the rescue.
"I could not be more proud to represent all the men and women in uniform who worked tirelessly to make this rescue possible," he said.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2009 - The captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia was in "imminent danger" when U.S. military snipers shot and killed his three pirate captors, a U.S. Navy commander said today. Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, provided preliminary details of the rescue mission that freed Capt. Richard Phillips today during a news conference.
Off the Somali coast, U.S. special operations snipers held positions at the rear of the USS Bainbridge, which was towing an 18-foot lifeboat that held Phillips and three pirates some 25-30 meters away.
"The snipers positioned on the fantail of the Bainbridge observed one of the pirates in the pilot house -- and two pirates with their head and shoulders exposed -- and one of the pirates had the AK47 (assault rifle) leveled at the captain's back," Gortney said.
Gortney said the White House had given military operators "very clear guidance and authority" if Phillips' life was in danger.
"The on-scene commander took it as the captain was in imminent danger and then made that decision (to shoot), and he had the authorities to make that decision, and he had seconds to make that decision," he said.
On the marksmanship of the snipers Gortney said, "We pay a lot for their training and we got a good return on our investment."
Naval forces rescued Phillips on a rigid-inflatable boat and transferred him to the USS Bainbridge before being flown to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, where he contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and is resting comfortably, ccording to a U.S. Navy statement.
Gortney said Phillips was in good health and suffered no apparent injuries, despite being "tied up inside the lifeboat" for at least part of his five days as a hostage. He noted that a fourth pirate surrendered and is being held in U.S. forces' custody.
The admiral praised the military servicemembers involved in the rescue.
"I could not be more proud to represent all the men and women in uniform who worked tirelessly to make this rescue possible," he said.
Friday, April 10, 2009
National Guard Prepares for 2009 Hurricane Season
By Army Staff Sgt. Jon SoucySpecial to American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - With the start of hurricane season only a few months away, the National Guard is busy preparing to respond if such a storm should make landfall, senior Army officials said during an Army bloggers roundtable yesterday. Those preparations include a large-scale command post exercise scheduled for April 14-15 at Fort Belvoir, Va.
"It's an exercise that will have over 150 participants from all the inter-agencies, all the other portions of the Army, to include many of the National Guard [leaders in] states that are affected by hurricanes," said Army Maj. Gen. John Basilica Jr., commander of Operational Command Post 1, Army North, which oversees domestic operations.
"We do that rehearsal of concept to try and synchronize all of our collective efforts," the general explained. "It is a complex operation, and then we learn from them and finalize our plans leading up to the hurricane season."
For the states, hurricane season is just another contingency to plan for each year.
"About five years ago, we started meeting as a region in the southeast to discuss our shortfalls for units that were activating and mobilizing to go overseas as well as units coming back," said Army Col. Bill Beiswenger, the joint operations officer for the Florida National Guard. "For those shortfalls that we couldn't meet within our respective states, we went ahead and worked out preliminary EMACs — Emergency Management Agreement Compacts — between the states that we could bring in forces rapidly."
And that planning conference has grown, Beiswenger said.
"This year, we went ahead and took it one step further," he said. "We had 27 states represented at the conference. It was a three-day long conference, and we went through all our states' worst-case scenarios, and then we discussed our shortfalls and what assets we could provide across state lines as necessary."
For those in the Florida National Guard, those response plans have been refined over the years.
"We probably get more chance than anyone to exercise hurricane operations," Beiswenger said. "Since 1992, with Hurricane Andrew, the Florida National Guard has been activated 70 times [for state missions]. So, Florida gets a lot of chance to go ahead and rehearse and work actual operations."
That means that should a hurricane make landfall and cause damage, the response is almost second-nature for those in the Florida National Guard. It also means that training for such an occurrence is almost a year-round event.
"The minute hurricane season ends, we start our training program," Beiswenger said. "And we go through a multitude of training, everything from search and rescue to training our liaison officers that we put out in the county emergency operations centers. In turn, when we get ready for hurricane season, we're able to come together."
That allows for a seamless ability to get in where help is needed, Beiswenger said, adding that experience from previous storms has taught the Guardsmen a few lessons.
"We feel that with our experience, the citizens are going to need certain things," Beiswenger said. "They're going to need food, water and ice. They're going to need search and rescue, so we go in there, and our first forces in there are going to be able to go ahead and start fulfilling that."
That also means working hand-in-hand with state and local officials.
"During Katrina, Florida provided almost 7,000 folks up to Mississippi to assist in the four southernmost counties up there," Beiswenger said. "About 700 to 900 were National Guard; the rest was made up of first responders from across the state of Florida."
Forecasters are predicting 2009 to be an "above average" year for hurricanes, and the Guard will be ready to respond to those storms, Beiswenger said.
"We're all part of one team out there, and our main mission out there is to protect the life and property of our citizens," he said. "We're prepared to step up to the plate as needed throughout the year."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Circus Salutes Military Children, Families
By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus invited more than 300 military families to their show at the Patriot Center here last night for "thrills and chills" under the big top in recognition of the Month of the Military Child. "This is so important, because the kids serve alongside their parents," circus spokesman Bob Swaney said. "The kids go through deployments and meeting new friends when their military parents are constantly moving. They deal with a lot, and they take it all in stride. Tonight is especially for them."
Ringling Bros. hosted the children of veterans and currently serving troops from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the Believe in Tomorrow's Children Foundation, Our Military Kids, the National Military Family Association and the Coast Guard Morale, Well-being and Recreation Program.
The lead Ringling elephant, endowed with her military dog tags, joined the children for photos in the center ring as the Military District of Washington Armed Forces Color Guard kicked off the night's festivities.
The National Military Family Association selected 12-year-old Camden Doerer from northern Virginia to be guest ringmaster for the performance. The sixth grader is the son of Army Col. Robert Doerer, a helicopter pilot currently assigned in Germany who has been deployed to Iraq several times. The family plans to join him in Germany in June.
"This is a great experience," Camden said. "I'm here representing the Army, my dad and other kids like me. I can't wait to see him later this summer."
Joining Camden at the circus were his mother, Tammy, younger sister, Casey, and other relatives.
"I am so happy the National Military Family Association did this for the kids," Tammy Doerer said. "They deserve it. The free tickets were just a great gesture. We are looking forward to joining my husband later this year."
After his guest ringmaster duties, Camden received a certificate in front of the crowd from ringmaster Chuck Wagner.
"We would like to salute our very special guests at this evening's performance of the Greatest Show on Earth," Wagner said. "April is The Month of the Military Child, and we extend a warm welcome to all the children of our armed forces."
Wagner urged the audience to continue showing appreciation to the nation's servicemembers and their families in their everyday lives.
"The next time you see a member of our armed forces in uniform, please look them in the eyes and tell them, 'Thank you for your service to America,'" he said.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus invited more than 300 military families to their show at the Patriot Center here last night for "thrills and chills" under the big top in recognition of the Month of the Military Child. "This is so important, because the kids serve alongside their parents," circus spokesman Bob Swaney said. "The kids go through deployments and meeting new friends when their military parents are constantly moving. They deal with a lot, and they take it all in stride. Tonight is especially for them."
Ringling Bros. hosted the children of veterans and currently serving troops from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the Believe in Tomorrow's Children Foundation, Our Military Kids, the National Military Family Association and the Coast Guard Morale, Well-being and Recreation Program.
The lead Ringling elephant, endowed with her military dog tags, joined the children for photos in the center ring as the Military District of Washington Armed Forces Color Guard kicked off the night's festivities.
The National Military Family Association selected 12-year-old Camden Doerer from northern Virginia to be guest ringmaster for the performance. The sixth grader is the son of Army Col. Robert Doerer, a helicopter pilot currently assigned in Germany who has been deployed to Iraq several times. The family plans to join him in Germany in June.
"This is a great experience," Camden said. "I'm here representing the Army, my dad and other kids like me. I can't wait to see him later this summer."
Joining Camden at the circus were his mother, Tammy, younger sister, Casey, and other relatives.
"I am so happy the National Military Family Association did this for the kids," Tammy Doerer said. "They deserve it. The free tickets were just a great gesture. We are looking forward to joining my husband later this year."
After his guest ringmaster duties, Camden received a certificate in front of the crowd from ringmaster Chuck Wagner.
"We would like to salute our very special guests at this evening's performance of the Greatest Show on Earth," Wagner said. "April is The Month of the Military Child, and we extend a warm welcome to all the children of our armed forces."
Wagner urged the audience to continue showing appreciation to the nation's servicemembers and their families in their everyday lives.
"The next time you see a member of our armed forces in uniform, please look them in the eyes and tell them, 'Thank you for your service to America,'" he said.
Active-Duty, Reserve Components Meet Recruiting Goals
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - All 10 active-duty and reserve military components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in March, with the Marine Corps adding the highest percentage of active-duty members, Defense Department officials announced today. The Army Reserve led the reserve components, and all four active departments met or exceeded their March retention goals.
"Recruiting continues to be strong in all military departments," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Data published on the Defense Department Web site shows that the Marine Corps goal was to add 1,411 new Marines, which it exceeded by 43 percent, recruiting a total of 2,017. The Army Reserve outperformed its goal of 3,445 by 38 percent, adding 4,771 soldiers.
Here is a breakdown of the other components:
-- Active-duty Army: 6,548 accessions with a goal of 6,425, for 102 percent;
-- Active-duty Navy: 2,857 accessions with a goal of 2,857, for 100 percent;
-- Active-duty Air Force: 2,748 accessions with a goal of 2,745, for 100 percent;
-- Army National Guard: 6,255 accessions with a goal of 4,974, for 126 percent;
-- Navy Reserve: 654 accessions with a goal of 654, for 100 percent;
-- Marine Corps Reserve: 579 accessions with a goal of 566, for 102 percent;
-- Air National Guard: 933 accessions with a goal of 840, for 111 percent; and
-- Air Force Reserve: 825 accessions with a goal of 825, for 100 percent.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - All 10 active-duty and reserve military components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in March, with the Marine Corps adding the highest percentage of active-duty members, Defense Department officials announced today. The Army Reserve led the reserve components, and all four active departments met or exceeded their March retention goals.
"Recruiting continues to be strong in all military departments," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Data published on the Defense Department Web site shows that the Marine Corps goal was to add 1,411 new Marines, which it exceeded by 43 percent, recruiting a total of 2,017. The Army Reserve outperformed its goal of 3,445 by 38 percent, adding 4,771 soldiers.
Here is a breakdown of the other components:
-- Active-duty Army: 6,548 accessions with a goal of 6,425, for 102 percent;
-- Active-duty Navy: 2,857 accessions with a goal of 2,857, for 100 percent;
-- Active-duty Air Force: 2,748 accessions with a goal of 2,745, for 100 percent;
-- Army National Guard: 6,255 accessions with a goal of 4,974, for 126 percent;
-- Navy Reserve: 654 accessions with a goal of 654, for 100 percent;
-- Marine Corps Reserve: 579 accessions with a goal of 566, for 102 percent;
-- Air National Guard: 933 accessions with a goal of 840, for 111 percent; and
-- Air Force Reserve: 825 accessions with a goal of 825, for 100 percent.
Pentagon Official Mum on Pirate Hostage Details
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - A senior Pentagon spokesman today declined to provide details on the ongoing situation involving a U.S. maritime captain being held hostage by pirates in a small boat adrift off the coast of Somalia. "There will be a point in time where we can be fully forthcoming with what the military role was and our thinking on it, and why we did what we did, Bryan Whitman told reporters. "That time is not right now."
The paramount concern of all agencies involved is obtaining the safe return of the hostage, Whitman said.
Armed pirates attacked the cargo ship Maersk Alabama about 300 miles off the Somali coast on April 8. The unarmed ship's 20-member American crew eventually regained control of the vessel, but the captain offered himself as a hostage to forestall violence.
The captain and his four pirate captors continue to share a small boat that's adrift in open sea. Whitman said there is "no information to suggest the ship's captain has been physically harmed."
The Navy is monitoring the situation, Whitman said, noting that at least two vessels, the destroyer USS Bainbridge and the guided-missile frigate USS Halyburton, are now in the vicinity.
"I'm not going to comment on other resources that might join in this effort, beyond the Halyburton and the Bainbridge, at this point," Whitman said.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - A senior Pentagon spokesman today declined to provide details on the ongoing situation involving a U.S. maritime captain being held hostage by pirates in a small boat adrift off the coast of Somalia. "There will be a point in time where we can be fully forthcoming with what the military role was and our thinking on it, and why we did what we did, Bryan Whitman told reporters. "That time is not right now."
The paramount concern of all agencies involved is obtaining the safe return of the hostage, Whitman said.
Armed pirates attacked the cargo ship Maersk Alabama about 300 miles off the Somali coast on April 8. The unarmed ship's 20-member American crew eventually regained control of the vessel, but the captain offered himself as a hostage to forestall violence.
The captain and his four pirate captors continue to share a small boat that's adrift in open sea. Whitman said there is "no information to suggest the ship's captain has been physically harmed."
The Navy is monitoring the situation, Whitman said, noting that at least two vessels, the destroyer USS Bainbridge and the guided-missile frigate USS Halyburton, are now in the vicinity.
"I'm not going to comment on other resources that might join in this effort, beyond the Halyburton and the Bainbridge, at this point," Whitman said.
VA Secretary Embraces 'Personal Calling' of Serving Veterans
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki is a no-nonsense leader who wants veterans to measure his performance and that of the department he leads through concrete results, not rhetoric. "Veterans have been given a lot of promises over a bunch of years, and I have assured them that they should measure us by our accomplishments, not just the promises," Shinseki told American Forces Press Service. "We have some things to deliver."
Less than two months into the job, Shinseki is focused on transforming VA into a "people-centric, results-oriented and forward-looking" department.
"We have committed to putting veterans at the focal point of all that we do here," he said. "There is only one reason we exist, and that is to ensure that our veterans who have earned benefits and services get them quickly – and that it is accessible to them, it is logical, it is fair and consistent."
For Shinseki, a 38-year soldier who retired in 2003 as Army chief of staff, the mission is extremely personal.
Many of the veterans he now serves were "the truly unbelievable heroes of World War II" who returned from Europe and the Pacific to provide leadership for the United States, including the military, he said. "We all stand on their shoulders," Shinseki said. "We do things today professionally that they taught us how to do."
But other veterans under VA's charge served alongside Shinseki or under his command -- in Vietnam and elsewhere during his military career. For others, Shinseki was the one who issued the deployment orders that sent them into harm's way.
"So this is an opportunity for me to give back to the ones I went to war with, and the men and women I sent to war," he said. "It's a way to give back, and I am honored to have that opportunity."
Shinseki's vision of giving back to America's veterans got a solid endorsement yesterday as President Barack Obama, flanked by Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, reiterated his commitment to the nation's veterans.
As Obama announced a new joint virtual lifetime electronic record that will improve care and services to transitioning veterans by smoothing the flow of medical records between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, the president recognized the debt the country owes its servicemembers and veterans.
"We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America," he said. "It's a commitment that begins in enlistment, and it must never end." But for too long, the United States has fallen short of that commitment, he added.
"Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need," he said. "Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets.
"It's time to change all that," he continued. "It's time to give our veterans a 21st-century VA."
Obama said his fiscal 2010 budget request, which represents the largest single-year increase in VA funding in three decades, will help achieve that goal. "All told, we will increase funding by $25 billion over the next five years," he said.
"This is the largest budget request ever put forward by a president," Shinseki told American Forces Press Service. "And I think veterans should take great confidence in our president's commitment to veterans" – a commitment he said Obama has maintained consistently as a member of the Senate Affairs Committee, as a presidential candidate, and now as commander in chief.
Congress, too, has strongly supported additional VA funding during the past two years, Shinseki said.
"So I am pretty optimistic about this budget," he said. "The dialogue has already begun with key members of Congress."
In an open letter to veterans after taking office, Shinseki said VA's "best days as an organization to support veterans are ahead of us."
"We will fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for 'him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and for his orphan' by redesigning and re-engineering ourselves for the future," he wrote.
"I look forward to working together with all VA employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects the change and commitment our country expects and our veterans deserve.”
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2009 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki is a no-nonsense leader who wants veterans to measure his performance and that of the department he leads through concrete results, not rhetoric. "Veterans have been given a lot of promises over a bunch of years, and I have assured them that they should measure us by our accomplishments, not just the promises," Shinseki told American Forces Press Service. "We have some things to deliver."
Less than two months into the job, Shinseki is focused on transforming VA into a "people-centric, results-oriented and forward-looking" department.
"We have committed to putting veterans at the focal point of all that we do here," he said. "There is only one reason we exist, and that is to ensure that our veterans who have earned benefits and services get them quickly – and that it is accessible to them, it is logical, it is fair and consistent."
For Shinseki, a 38-year soldier who retired in 2003 as Army chief of staff, the mission is extremely personal.
Many of the veterans he now serves were "the truly unbelievable heroes of World War II" who returned from Europe and the Pacific to provide leadership for the United States, including the military, he said. "We all stand on their shoulders," Shinseki said. "We do things today professionally that they taught us how to do."
But other veterans under VA's charge served alongside Shinseki or under his command -- in Vietnam and elsewhere during his military career. For others, Shinseki was the one who issued the deployment orders that sent them into harm's way.
"So this is an opportunity for me to give back to the ones I went to war with, and the men and women I sent to war," he said. "It's a way to give back, and I am honored to have that opportunity."
Shinseki's vision of giving back to America's veterans got a solid endorsement yesterday as President Barack Obama, flanked by Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, reiterated his commitment to the nation's veterans.
As Obama announced a new joint virtual lifetime electronic record that will improve care and services to transitioning veterans by smoothing the flow of medical records between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, the president recognized the debt the country owes its servicemembers and veterans.
"We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America," he said. "It's a commitment that begins in enlistment, and it must never end." But for too long, the United States has fallen short of that commitment, he added.
"Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need," he said. "Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets.
"It's time to change all that," he continued. "It's time to give our veterans a 21st-century VA."
Obama said his fiscal 2010 budget request, which represents the largest single-year increase in VA funding in three decades, will help achieve that goal. "All told, we will increase funding by $25 billion over the next five years," he said.
"This is the largest budget request ever put forward by a president," Shinseki told American Forces Press Service. "And I think veterans should take great confidence in our president's commitment to veterans" – a commitment he said Obama has maintained consistently as a member of the Senate Affairs Committee, as a presidential candidate, and now as commander in chief.
Congress, too, has strongly supported additional VA funding during the past two years, Shinseki said.
"So I am pretty optimistic about this budget," he said. "The dialogue has already begun with key members of Congress."
In an open letter to veterans after taking office, Shinseki said VA's "best days as an organization to support veterans are ahead of us."
"We will fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for 'him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and for his orphan' by redesigning and re-engineering ourselves for the future," he wrote.
"I look forward to working together with all VA employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects the change and commitment our country expects and our veterans deserve.”
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