Nebraska Community Lends Helping Hand to Afghan Farmers

By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - Members of the Task Force Warrior agribusiness development team visited several villages in Afghanistan's Kapisa province July 13 to assess grain bins that once occupied farmlands in Imperial, Neb. Development team members relocated and reconstructed the bins to help Afghan farmers with grain-storage issues.

"These completed grain bins are the first in Afghanistan, and serve as an excellent way for farmers to store their grain," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Eldon Kuntzelman, a team agronomist.

Kuntzelman first thought of the idea to ship grain bins to Afghanistan in June 2008, during predeployment preparations.

"It was reported to the [agribusiness team] that grain storage was an issue in Afghanistan," he said.

Kuntzelman worked last summer alongside team members and community volunteers to disassemble eight local grain bins donated by Kip Bremer, Kurt Bernhardt and Wayne Bahler, all farmers from Imperial. Another farmer, Gregg Smith, also offered some of his grain bins.

Business owner Bob Mendenhall volunteered his time, a boom truck and air tools to assist with the disassembly, loading and transporting of the bins from Imperial to Lincoln, Neb., a 300-mile trip. The bins later were transported to Camp Atterbury, Ind., then shipped to Afghanistan.

"It took about a week to take down the eight bins," Kuntzelman recalled. He thanked farmer Richard Banks for donating his time alongside team members to disassemble and load the bins.

"Once we hit the ground here in October 2008, we started assessing the area for places to put the bins up," said Kuntzelman, who assists local farmers in Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir and Bamyan provinces.

During the July 13 mission, the team assessed three completed grain bins in Kapisa province.

"Shir Padasha Village constructed the grain bin exactly as we trained them," said Kuntzelman, who walked on foot to the village due to heavy tree cover and narrow streets for travel.

At the second location, a short distance away, where a smaller bin was constructed, farmers said they were happy to have a place to store their grain. They offered team members apricots and plums to eat.


A larger bin was constructed at a third location where a well is being drilled and grape vineyard owners are dealing with a fungus problem.

In addition to the three completed grain bins in Kapisa, one grain bin has been delivered to Parwan, and plans are in the works to deliver the remaining four bins to Panjshir.

"All the foundation pads are poured at the various locations for the grain bins to be assembled, and we expect all eight bins to be completed by the end of the month," Kuntzelman said.

(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.)

MORE DUBIOUS SECRETS

Systematic Overclassification of Defense Information Poses Challenge for President Obama's Secrecy Review

For more information contact:
William Burr - 202/994-7000

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, July 17, 2009 - Pentagon classification authorities are treating classified historical documents as if they contain today's secrets, rather than decades-old information that has not been secret for years. Today the National Security Archive posted multiple versions of the same documents--on issues ranging from the 1973 October War to anti-ballistic missiles, strategic arms control, and U.S. policy toward China--that are already declassified and in the public domain. What earlier declassification reviewers released in full, sometimes years ago, Pentagon reviewers have more recently excised, sometimes massively. The overclassification highlighted by these examples poses a major problem that should be addressed by the ongoing review of national security information policy that President Obama ordered on May 27, 2009. New presumptions against classification that may be added to an executive order on national security information will not, in isolation, end overclassification. Rigorous oversight, accompanied by improved training and consequences for improper classification are essential.

The Public Interest Declassification Board is continuing to accept ideas and comments on the classification system through Sunday July 19 at its online blog:

http://blog.ostp.gov/

Among the dubious secrets in today's posting is the Air Force's recent decision to classify the fact that the Nixon administrated ordered a DEFCON [Defense Readiness Condition] 3 alert during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. An excised Air Force history, released in 2009, conceals what is well known to historians, journalists, and the interested public: in the early morning of 25 October 1973, at the height of the Arab-Israeli War, the Nixon administration put U.S. military forces on higher alert--DEFCON 3. Defense Secretary James Schlesinger and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger ordered the DEFCON to deter a feared Soviet intervention in the Middle East conflict. The Nixon White House could not keep this a secret and news of the alert soon reached the national media, with The New York Times explaining to its readers what a DEFCON meant. More recently, U.S. government agencies have declassified documents mentioning the DEFCON 3 alert. In spite of the precedents and an appeal pointing out the previous disclosures, the Air Force today will not acknowledge the fact of the DEFCON, claiming that disclosure would cause "serious damage to the national security."

The Obama administration's review of U.S. secrecy policy should take examples like these into account when it tries to develop a credible system for classifying and declassifying information about U.S. foreign relations and military policy. Declassification standards for historical information (25 years old or older) should not mirror those used to declassify current information. Neither historians, taxpayers, nor the secrecy system itself are well-served when declassification reviewers treat historical classified information in the same way as today's secrets. This doesn't mean a laissez-faire attitude; in some areas--such as nuclear weapons design data and names of confidential informants--there is a public interest in secrecy, but the objective should be high walls around the most sensitive information, and the walls should be torn down when they are not needed.

Please visit the National Security Archive Web site for more information.

http://www.nsarchive.org

Public Interest Declassification Board - http://blog.ostp.gov/

THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and individuals.

Medal of Honor Recipients Plan Big Showing for Convention

American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - At least 59 of the 96 living Medal of Honor recipients are expected to attend the upcoming annual convention of the society named for them. The host committee of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's convention, scheduled for Sept. 15 to 19 in Chicago, announced the number in a statement released on the convention Web site, http://cmoh2009chicago.org, noting the unlikelihood of assembling that many recipients of the military's highest honor at once.

Of the 42 million men and women who have served in the military since the award began during the Civil War, only 3,447 have been presented the Medal of Honor, many of them posthumously.

"Statistically, only about 1 percent of America's population will ever be in the same room with one Medal of Honor recipient," the committee wrote. "A much smaller fraction of that will ever have the opportunity to actually meet a recipient.

"Recipients will tell you that while they understand courage, they felt intense fear ... and it is the ability to overcome fear in any situation that leads one to strength and understanding ... with strength and understanding, comes courage. With courage, comes sacrifice," the committee wrote.

To each of the recipients, what they did was very logical, the committee wrote. "The human quality they have an over abundance of is courage."

Under the convention theme, "Commit to Courage," the society profiles the following recipients as examples of courage in combat:

-- Mike Thornton, a Navy Seal in Vietnam who, upon learning that his commander, Tom Norris, was presumed dead from an enemy ambush, ran into intense enemy fire to rescue Norris, then swam two and a half hours with him and another comrade on his back to safety. When Thornton was awarded the Medal of Honor, he spirited Norris out of the hospital where he was recovering to the White House ceremony so they could be together. Several years later, when Norris himself was awarded the Medal of Honor -- for a covert action known now as "The Rescue of Bat 21" - Thornton was by his side. On that day, Thornton became the first recipient in more than 100 years to have saved the life of another recipient.

-- Walter Ehlers spent much of World War II training and fighting side by side with his brother, Roland. Ehlers brought his company out of a Higgins boat 100 yards off shore and landed just before the second wave in a hail of fire on D-Day at Normandy, France. He got all his men safely across the beach and, the following day, moved miles in country. Among the hedgerows there, Ehlers distinguished himself in saving the lives of wounded comrades who came upon intense machine gun fire. He would learn several weeks later that, farther down the beach in Normandy, his brother never made it to shore on D-Day.

-- Gary Littrell, on a hill in Vietnam, began defending against a vicious enemy offensive with 247 men and came off the hill with fewer than 50. One witness statement said simply "Littrell was everywhere" exposing himself to intense fire during the hours-long battle, directing troops, providing radio support, ammunition, evacuation of wounded. In the end, Littrell was never wounded -- in his words, "not a scratch."

In its statement, the committee said it chose this year's theme as "a rallying call to the citizens of Chicago, our students and all members of our armed forces who serve our country past and present to take the initiative, respond to the challenge, and act responsibly - indeed, courageously -- when the opportunity presents itself in our daily lives."

(From a message from the host committee for the 2009 Chicago Commit to Courage Medal of Honor Convention.)

'Dream Team' of Researchers Seeks Ways to Combat Suicide in Army

By Grafton Pritchartt
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - A ground-breaking study of behavioral health in the Army may provide answers soon on what causes suicide and what programs can best prevent it. A media roundtable at the Pentagon yesterday provided an update on a five-year, $50-million study of suicide and behavioral health among military personnel, launched in October 2008 in partnership with the National Institute on Mental Health.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army Secretary Pete Geren and other top medical officials participated in the roundtable.

"We are working at all levels currently to do everything we can to reverse this trend, and we are excited about this partnership, this collaboration, with the National Institute of Mental Health, the Uniformed Services University [of the Health Sciences], and Harvard, Columbia and University of Michigan," Geren said at the roundtable.

While the Army is implementing many initiatives and programs to reduce suicide, Geren said, officials aren't yet sure which ones are the most effective.

"We hope at the end of this study, we'll be able to make a better connection between 'this worked, this didn't work,'" he said.

Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, presented what he described as his "dream team" of researchers. The project director is Dr. Robert Ursano, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

The research team also includes Dr. Ronald Kessler, professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School; Dr. Steven Heeringa, director of the Statistical Design Group at the University of Michigan; and Dr. John Mann, vice chair for research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and scientific director of the Kreitchman PET Center at Columbia University.

The idea of the study is to eventually understand pre-existing behaviors and factors that make soldiers vulnerable to suicide, in addition to forming "actionable" results, officials said.

Chiarelli described the Army's efforts to prevent suicide and promote wellness as "assess, educate, train and intervene early," and provided an update on the "Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention," published in April 2009.

Although the suicide rate among soldiers traditionally has been lower than among their civilian peers, last year the two rates became nearly the same.

No confirmed soldier suicides occurred in June, although 11 deaths are still under investigation. Geren noted that while the number of Army suicides has dropped since March, it was too early to tell which factors, if any, could be credited.

"We're not here to tell you we think we have turned the corner; next month could be another tragic month. We are putting tremendous effort into this and perhaps the intervention that we have taught has helped avoid a suicide forever, or it may have postponed it; we don't know," Geren said.

The Army required that every soldier complete interactive suicide-prevention training earlier this year, followed by suicide-prevention chain teaching that units had until July 15 to complete.

"Although suicide can impact anyone, we're finding that male soldiers in combat-arms occupational specialties, between ages 18 and 27, are more vulnerable," said Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director of the Army's Suicide Prevention Task Force, in a released statement.

Kessler described the work ahead as both an experiment and a study, because the demographics of the Army population will change over the next five years. Army officials simultaneously are implementing a range of programs to mitigate risk and improve soldier resiliency.

The researchers plan to collect data from about 500,000 soldiers over time, with about half of that number drawn from the ranks of the Army's 80,000 new recruits each year. The researchers will continue to study these soldiers through the early stages of their career in hopes of determining which individuals are more predisposed to suicide and other mental-health issues.

"Eventually, we want to see what we could have learned the first week they were in the Army that could predict how they would have responded when they got into a complicated situation," Kessler said.

Researchers will collect blood and saliva samples, hold psychological exams, and conduct interviews with families and unit leaders. They also will analyze archival data on soldiers who have committed suicide, new cases of suicide, and surveys.

One critical aspect of the study is privacy. The researchers will use on-site data collection during training studies and confidential survey techniques. The Army will not be testing recruits prior to enlistment.

"We will maximize the research utility, but protect the identity of the individual soldier and their family," Heeringa said.

Updated results of the study will be released roughly every six months, beginning in November.

"This is a matter of the highest urgency for the United States Army," Geren stressed. "We are doing everything we know to do now [to reduce the number of suicides], and as a result of this effort, in six months we'll be better, a year from now we'll be better, and five years from now we'll be better."

(Grafton Pritchartt works for Army News Service.)

Gates Addresses Nation's Challenges in Chicago

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - The nation is facing multiple, complex challenges, but none so pressing as the situation in Iran, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday following a speech at the Economic Club of Chicago here. "The president is the eighth president that I've worked for, and I do not recall a single time in my entire professional career when I felt that the country faced complex and, in many respects, as dangerous a time as we do now," Gates told club members during a question-and-answer session. "We face a multiplicity of threats."

When asked which countries' situations most worried him -- Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran or North Korea – Gates first opted for "E, all of the above."

"All of these countries are a concern, but I would say that the one that I think is the most difficult ... is the problem of Iran," he said.

The "problem of Iran" stems from its determination to seek nuclear weapons, the inability of the national community to affect Iran's determination to do it, and how to deal with it when all of the outcomes are negative, he said.

"If they achieve [a nuclear weapon], the possibility of a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East is very, very real," Gates said. "And if some action is taken to prevent them from getting one, the consequences of that are completely unpredictable and probably very bad."

Turning to issues closer to home, Gates discussed the closure of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"The president, as you well know, has signed an executive order that would close Guantanamo on Jan. 22, 2010," Gates said. "The line of states and communities that are willing to have the folks at Guantanamo come to their area seems to be a very short one, like nonexistent."

The closure of Guantanamo will be complex, he said, but necessary.

"As I said during the Bush administration, interestingly enough, Guantanamo is probably one of the best prisons in the world today because of all the things that have been done to change it and improve it," Gates said. "Nonetheless, it will, I believe, forever be tainted, and it is something that can be used against us by our adversaries. Therefore, I certainly agree with the president ... that it needs to be closed."

Gates also touched on defense officials' work to quell suicides and treat post-traumatic stress in the military.

"Every day we lose somebody in the Department of Defense is a tragic day, but we had a particularly tragic day around the middle of June," Gates said. "At that point we had lost 87 of our young men and women, killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan."

It also marked another unhappy milestone, he said. At that point this year, the military had lost 87 servicemembers to suicides.

Defense officials are working to prevent further incidents. "This is a problem that every person in the Pentagon is taking very seriously, none more so than the leadership of the Army," Gates said.

"The truth of the matter of is, I believe the suicides are a reflection of the stress on the force, and we will do everything in our power to try and have commanders and [noncommissioned officers] and various others recognize people who are in distress and seek help for them," he said.

Defense officials have taken measures to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress, he said. They have allocated resources to it and conducted educational activities throughout the military. Virtually every soldier has been exposed to training about how to recognize the symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and the military has taken measures to try to remove the stigma of reporting and of seeking help.

The department is making great progress in those areas, Gates noted.

"But my guess is, ultimately, the solution to this problem is where our soldiers have more time at home, where there is less stress, and we're not putting people through four and five rotations in incredibly stressful situations, whether it's in Iraq or Afghanistan," he said.

Gates also spoke briefly about cyber security, saying it was one of the "worlds" in which the Defense Department needs to make additional investments.

The secretary's address to members of the Economic Club of Chicago concluded the first day of a two-day trip, which started with a visit to Fort Drum, N.Y. Today, he'll speak at a recruit graduation at Naval Station Great Lakes before returning to Washington to bid farewell to Army Secretary Pete Geren, who is leaving his post after two years.

Army Uses Social Media to Share Astronaut's Story

American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - Army officials are offering the public a chance to find out what it's like to be an astronaut. The Army has set up a special Web site for the public to ask Army astronaut Col. Timothy Kopra a question. Kopra launched into space on the July 15 shuttle mission to the International Space Station, where he will remain as a flight engineer for Expedition 20 throughout the next six months.

Kopra is one of four active Army astronauts in the detachment belonging to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.

To ask Kopra a question, visit http://www.goarmy.com/space.

(From an Army news release.)

South Carolina Guard Makes Big Splash With Artificial Reef

By Army Master Sgt. Phillip Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 17, 2009 - The South Carolina National Guard recently dropped 32 armored personnel carriers and M-113 track vehicles into the Atlantic Ocean -- and it wasn't by accident. Since 1997, the Guard has deposited decommissioned vehicles to more than 39 sites along the state's coastline to create artificial reef environments for fish and other wildlife.

Reef-X is a collaborative artificial reef project with the South Carolina Department of National Resources.

"It is a wonderful partnership that has proven to be a valuable asset to the community and beneficial for wildlife along the coast," said Army Maj. Gen Stanhope S. Spears, South Carolina's adjutant general.

Along with vehicles, the state delivered several metal box containers to the Jim Caudle Artificial Reef in Horry County, S.C.

"We're very excited to be partnering once again with the Army National Guard and the Jim Caudle Memorial Reef Foundation," said Bob Martor, the department of natural resource's Marine Artificial Reef Program coordinator. "These organizations have done a great deal to assist our reef program through the years, and these joint efforts have always resulted in exceptional reef habitat."

The Jim Caudle Artificial Reef, which began in 2000, has the distinction of being the most visited reef in the state, which generates millions in revenue for the local economy through tourism and fishing, officials said.

The reef, which is named after Jim Caudle, a popular local recreational fisherman who passed away in 2000, is now estimated to be more than 260,000 cubic feet.

"[It] is the most popular fishing reef along the South Carolina coast," said John Frampton, director of the South Carolina Department of National Resources. "The materials create a thriving wildlife habitat and with this refurbishing project, the reef sites are a fishing paradise for offshore anglers."

(Army Master Sgt. Phillip Jones serves in the South Carolina National Guard.)

War on Terrorism: Iraq, Afghanistan Combat Wounded Participate in Wheelchair Games

War on Terrorism: Iraq, Afghanistan Combat Wounded Participate in Wheelchair Games

Navy and Army Name First Three Joint High Speed Vessels

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Secretary of the Army Pete Geren today announced the names of the first three Joint High Speed Vessels as Fortitude (JHSV 1), Vigilant (JHSV 2) and Spearhead (JHSV 3).

A cooperative effort between the Navy and the Army, JHSVs will be used for fast intra-theater transportation of troops, vehicles and equipment. The program highlights a Department of Defense acquisition objective of leveraging the expertise of one military branch to assist another. The Army is procuring Fortitude and Spearhead, while the Navy is procuring Vigilant, and each service will be responsible for operating and maintaining its ships following delivery.

JHSVs will be capable of transporting 700 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots, and can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2). Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations. JHSVs will have airline style seating for 312 embarked forces and fixed berthing for 104 more.

Joint military combatant commanders will have the flexibility to use JHSVs in a variety of roles to include supporting overseas contingency operations, special operations forces, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and emerging joint sea basing concepts.

Constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., the detail, design and construction contract covers 10 ships, five for the Army and five for the Navy. Long lead time material options for the first three ships have already been exercised. Construction on the first JHSV will begin following a successful Production Readiness Review (PRR), currently scheduled for fall 2009. The JHSV PRR will be a review of design maturity, availability of materials and components, and the shipbuilder's readiness to successfully start fabrication.

Interested media may contact the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342. Additional information on JHSV is available online at http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/JHSV/default.htm

Face of Defense: Army's 'Grill Sergeant' Takes on Culinary Hero

By Kimberly Fritz
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2009 - Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, also known as "The Grill Sergeant," often treats others using his culinary expertise. But recently, Turner got a treat of his own.
Turner recently returned here, where he was once an instructor at the Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence, to film a special for the Food Network -- or so he thought.

With food service training students watching and learning, Turner, who works in the Pentagon's Executive Dining Facility, began entertaining and engaging the soldiers gathered for a special day of culinary training.

Turner, who is known for singing while he cooks, shared his cooking philosophy and culinary tips, as well as his unique vocabulary. Words like "marinipulating, splaining," and ingredients dubbed "ooh, wee and wow," rolled off his tongue as he cooked. Salt, otherwise known as "ooh;" "wee," known as pepper; and "wow," representing garlic, are staples in most of Turner's original recipes. Turner asked the audience to help him by shouting "ooh, wee, wow" when he used these ingredients.

The students happily engaged as he prepared the mustard-based marinade for his special "sunshine barbecue chicken." The origin of his marinade came early in his career when a fellow soldier asked Turner to concoct a milder sauce that wouldn't aggravate his fierce heartburn.

As the culinary students watched his every move, Turner didn't miss an opportunity to educate and inspire. He told the students how they are learning the same methods during their training as any other culinary student in the world.

With his chicken on the grill, Turner began preparations for his baby red potato salad when famed Chef Bobby Flay jumped from the back of a tactical vehicle at the field services training area and challenged Turner to a competitive cook-off for an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," a show that airs on the Food Network.

Turner, astonished at the appearance of one of the world's premier grill chefs, immediately rose to the challenge set before him. Claiming to always be a professional, Turner cited some of the NCO Creed.

"No one is more professional than I," he said.

The set, originally configured for one chef, quickly was transformed into dueling work stations where Flay's team worked to catch up with Turner's progress.

As the two chefs worked over the hot coals of the charcoal grills, culinary students soaked up the delicious aromas and the cooking tips emanating from the two successful chefs.

When the cooking was completed, the dishes were served up, and each soldier sampled the dueling chefs' creations.

Army Brig. Gen. Jesse R. Cross, Quartermaster Center and School commanding general, and Frances Daniel, owner of Mrs. Marshall's Carytown Cafe, served as judges in a blind taste test to determine the winner of the cook-off.

The results are a well-guarded secret that viewers will learn when the show airs later this year.

No matter which recipe and chef won the lighthearted and entertaining battle of the barbecue, the young culinary soldiers walked away winners.

Cross said the students would remember this day for years to come.

"These guys will be cooking their cornbread and their barbecue recipes, and they'll remember they saw Bobby Flay at work," he said.

For Turner, the events of the day didn't quite hit him until he walked away from the set. He was overcome with emotion and overwhelmed at the events.

"When one of your heroes steps around the corner and you're doing what you love to do and they do what you love to do, and then to inspire 100 new soldiers that are going to be in all parts of the world, it's just overwhelming," Turner said. "They saw something today that let them know that anything is possible. Nineteen years ago I was sitting right where they were sitting and someone inspired me."

For a moment he was at a loss for words thinking about the gravity of the event.

"I love what I do," Turner said. "The greatest part of today came when we were cooking and Chef Flay came to the back where I had set my chicken and potato salad down and he ate three more pieces of chicken and dug into the potato salad.

"There is no greater compliment than for someone to genuinely like your food. And he ate it genuinely," he continued. "For me, that was the greatest compliment."

When asked what he thought of Turner's unique recipe, Flay said he loved it.

"I was eating throughout the competition. I kept thinking there was curry or something in it," Flay said. "It had natural heat from the mustard and the brown sugar for the sweet; it was a great balance."

Flay wasn't able to pinpoint the spice he tasted in the marinade until Turner told him.

"Brad told me it was ginger," Flay said. "He shared his secret underlying ingredient."

The consensus of all who gathered to watch the memorable event was that both chefs' dishes and the event were a treat.

(Kimberly Fritz works in the Fort Lee public affairs office.)

Task Group Recommends Reconstruction of Civilian Personnel System

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2009 - A Defense Business Board task group has recommended reconstruction of the National Security Personnel System. Rudy DeLeon, the chairman of the group and former deputy defense secretary, said NSPS, a pay-for-performance system, tried to do "too much, too quickly," and his group recommended the moratorium on converting general schedule jobs to NSPS continue.

About 205,000 of the 865,000 Defense Department civilians are in NSPS. The full Defense Business Board will review the task group's recommendations and will prepare a report for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

The first recommendation is to reconstruct the system. "Reconstruction is a level of effort and sophistication more than just fixes," DeLeon said. "It's going to require a significant amount of diagnosis before you come in with reconstruction."

DeLeon said an effective pay-for-performance system requires commitments in time, money and effort.

"A supportive culture requires leadership commitment, open communication, transparency and employee trust of supervisors and leaders," he said.

A pay-for-performance system needs to evolve, he said. "Trying to do something too quickly, too ambitiously, may not produce the desired result," he said.

The overall conclusions are that the pay-pool process is overly complex and lacks transparency. Also, payout formulas are confusing. The task group heard repeatedly that pay band 2 is too broad, and reassignments within the pay bands fluctuate from organization to organization.

The group also believes that NSPS has lessened the bonds of trust between first-level supervisors and employees. "Re-establishing the [Defense Department] commitment to collaborating with employees and manager associations is essential," DeLeon said.

The task group also made recommendations for the general schedule system. "Overall, the department needs to design a collaborative process for [Defense Department] managers and employees to design and implement a pay-for-performance system," he said. "Bargaining unit employees and the employees need to start from scratch in terms of any alternatives for the GS system."

The group recommended replacing the current general schedule classification system.

DeLeon said the personnel system has to be changed. "Never has the federal workforce, particularly in [the Defense Department], been as important as it is right now," he said. "After a period of using contracting out, we've come back to an understanding of how critical the federal workforce is in terms of the national security mission of the United States."

Gates Thanks 10th Mountain Division for Sacrifices

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates began his town hall meeting here today by acknowledging the sacrifices of the members of the 10th Mountain Division. "Much has been asked of this division over the last two decades, from Somalia to repeat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq," Gates said. "The 10th Mountain Division team has delivered for our country time and again. We are a safer and more secure nation as a result."

Some of the division's soldiers have paid the ultimate price, Gates noted.

"I know that several of your own have recently fallen in Afghanistan," Gates said. "My words are wholly inadequate to characterize their sacrifice or the sacrifice of so many from this division for the last 8 years of war."

The secretary also took a moment to thank the soldiers' families.

"I know how much they sacrifice in order for you to be able to serve," Gate told the troops. "They are truly the power behind the power."

As the United States fights two wars, Gates said he is mindful of the stress on Army families back home. T the quality of life for soldiers, their families, and especially wounded warriors remains his top priority, Gates said.

"I consider the well-being of each and every one of you to be my personal responsibility," he added. "For the younger ones of you, I care about you the way I would my own son and daughter. For all of you, my highest priority is to do everything possible to help you accomplish your mission, to win, and to come home safely."

He went on to laud the improvements Army leaders on Fort Drum are making in troop and family support, citing the expansion of the child development center and the Guthrie Ambulatory Health Care Clinic, the new Warrior in Transition Support Center and Clinic, and the renovation of more family housing units.

Gates noted that four brigades from the 10th Mountain Division would be returning to Iraq to serve in an advisory capacity beginning this fall.

"With the announcement of your upcoming return to theater, I know I speak for all Americans when I wish you the best on the arduous missions that await you," Gates said. "The nation is grateful for your service."

Before introducing Gates, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division Commander Army Maj. Gen Mike Oates spoke to the troops, acknowledging that frequent and lengthy deployments like the division's soldiers have faced can cause stress on the soldiers and their families. While the soldiers of Fort Drum and their families are not immune, he said, they seem to be handling things well.

"I think all of us are trying to understand what the nature of the stress is on the force, how to stay ahead of it, if you will, because it does change based on the first deployment, or the second, or the third," Oates said. "Two one-year tours are not the same as three three-month tours, or one 15-month tour."

As for the families who also have to deal with the frequent and lengthy tours, he said he recognizes that they feel like they're serving alongside their servicemember.

"I think most of our families don't regard themselves as victims and don't appreciate sometimes the victimology piece," he said. "They are very proud of the service of their soldiers overseas and they see themselves, as family members, serving their country through this sacrifice.

Sometimes, however, the focus falls too squarely on the few who are really struggling.
Oates said that on Fort Drum, most people not only live through stressful periods in their lives, but grow from them. To help his soldiers and their families achieve this growth, Oates said the post is looking very seriously at resiliency training as a way to cope with stress.

Gates concluded the town hall by fielding questions from the soldiers before presenting each of them with his challenge coin.

The stop here was the first leg of a two-day trip. Gates is scheduled to speak to the Economic Club of Chicago this evening and address recruits graduating from Naval Station Great Lakes tomorrow. The secretary will return to Washington tomorrow in time to bid farewell to Army Secretary Pete Geren, who is leaving his post after two years on the job.

Sesame Workshop Aims to Help Military Children, Keep Families Connected

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2009 - "Sesame Street" usually conjures visions of Muppets teaching young children their letters and numbers, but they also teach life lessons to help military children cope with deployments, injuries, and now, loss. The newest phase of Sesame Workshop's "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative is aimed at helping children cope with the death of a loved one.

"Sesame Workshop is committed to providing our military families with the resources they deserve," said Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop. "We hope that 'Talk, Listen, Connect,' which reaches out to all families with young children, will continue to help families discover ways they can be resilient despite experiencing difficult transitions in their lives."

"Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families With Children Cope With the Death of a Loved One" will consist of bilingual, English and Spanish, multimedia materials for young children and adults starring the Sesame Street Muppets.

Sesame Workshop will produce and distribute materials at no cost through organizations that provide services to military families and the general public, including grief centers, social services, and other programs specifically addressing the needs of children and families coping with the death of an immediate family member. The kit materials also will be available online at www.sesamestreet.org/tlc.

The workshop also unveiled the Sesame Street Family Connections Web site and announced the creation of 35 "Sesame Rooms" during a news conference today at the Military Child Education Coalition's National Conference in Philadelphia.

The Sesame Street Family Connections Web site is a child-centered, online space that will keep military families connected across the globe.

With the help of their favorite Sesame Street friends, family members can compose encouraging messages to each other, share artwork and videos, upload photos, and get answers to some questions they may have but didn't know how to ask.

"This rewarding opportunity to collaborate in launching such a creative Web site provides a vital tool in the recovery, resilience and reintegration toolbox that our military families need and deserve," said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton, the director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, who helped make today's announcement.

"Families and warriors will be able to stay connected and share in a safe and nurturing place, joined by their special Sesame Street friends," he said.

Additionally, Sesame Workshop, with the support of New York designer Jonathan Adler and several generous partners, will provide a rich and engaging set of materials to brighten up spaces it's calling "Sesame Rooms."

These rooms provide a much-needed, child-friendly place for military children to play.

Sesame Street will send a "room-in-a-box" to 35 locations across the United States, including military hospitals, libraries, child care centers and family support centers

"The Military Child Education Coalition is delighted to partner once again with Sesame Workshop on its initiatives that have been uniquely beneficial to military children and their families," said Patty Shinseki, a member of the MCEC Board of Directors, during the event.

"Elmo and his friends, Sesame's beloved characters with whom children connect so well, serve as conduits for dealing with the difficult issues in nurturing and sensitive ways," she said. "These valuable tools and resources for fostering resilience help children to thrive during the good times and challenging ones."

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and several other organizations, including Military OneSource and the USO, have provided support for the "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative

Gates Considers Temporary Increase of Soldiers, Spokesman Says

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is considering proposals to temporarily expand the Army to relieve stress on the force, a Pentagon spokesman said. Gates has discussed the possibility of a temporary expansion with Army Secretary Pete Geren, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., and others, Geoff Morrell said at a Pentagon news briefing yesterday after being asked by reporters about the proposal.

Army leaders, as well as U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are "advocating to increase the size of the Army to get them through what is still a stressful period as we draw down in Iraq and continue to plus-up in Afghanistan," he said.

Asked how Gates feels about the idea, Morrell said, "I think he obviously has a great deal of concern about the stress that the Army has been under for a number of years now. And he understands that his prescription that they reduce their dependence upon stop-loss to keep units intact when they deploy has created additional stress on the force.

"He obviously appreciates the stress that the force is under and is listening intently to the arguments that are being made by General Casey and others," he added.

Gates earlier this year announced a phase-out of the Army's "stop-loss" policy, which keeps some soldiers in uniform beyond the terms of their enlistment contracts.

Morrell stressed that Gates has made no decisions about increasing Army troop strength. "He is right now still in the consultation process," he said. "But he is clearly considering it."

Casey has argued for the expansion as a "temporary fix to a near-term problem" of about two more years of considerable stress on the force due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Morrell said.

Even temporary, a plus-up "will be very expensive," he said. "Our personnel costs, in total I think, in the 2010 budget are north of $160 billion. Our health-care costs alone are $42 billion. Every person you add has enormous costs -- legacy costs, especially. And that is clearly part of the consideration here."

Gates spoke out this week against efforts in Congress to fund more F-22 aircraft than the department has requested, and Morrell reiterated those concerns yesterday.

"It looks as though the Army believes it needs additional soldiers to do the job that we have asked them to do," he told reporters. "So, buying more F-22s would very much inhibit our ability to even temporarily grow the force."

Although any increase is meant to be temporary, Morrell said, "It is always hard to do things on a temporary basis in this building. They have a way of becoming permanent."

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 16, 2009

NAVY
Bulltrack-Watts JV*, Marysville, Calif. (N62742-09-D-1181); Engineering/Remediation Resources Group, Inc.*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-09-D-1182); Hal Hays Construction Inc.*, Riverside, Calif. (N62742-09-D-1183); HFS-PRI, JV*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-09-D-1184); RMA Land Construction, Inc.*, Anaheim, Calif. (N62742-09-D-1185); and RORE-ITSI JV, LLC*, San Diego, Calif. (N62742-09-D-1186), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price with award fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity small business multiple award construction contracts for construction projects at Department of Defense (DoD) installations worldwide. Types of projects include, but are not limited to: new construction, repair, demolition, and renovation including utilities and waterfront work, and construction of medical facilities (hospitals, medical clinics, and/or dental clinics). Work may also include energy and water conservation projects. The maximum dollar value for all six contracts combined is $400,000,000. Work will be performed at various DoD installations worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of July 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 16 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

Blackbird Technologies, Inc.,* Herndon, Va., is being awarded an $86,311,454 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for tagging, tracking, and locating equipment for various customers. The contract includes option periods which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $450,300,000. Work will be performed in Tampa, Fla., (80 percent), OCONUS (10 percent), and other CONUS (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2010. If all options are exercised, work could continue until July 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $6,300,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command E-commerce website, with an unlimited number of proposals solicited and two offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, is the contracting activity (N65236-09-D-5180).

Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a $58,639,048 firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0012 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of support for installation of independent suspension kits. Work will be performed in Kuwait, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded $21,025,465 for firm fixed priced delivery order #0009 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for the procurement of additional initial sustainment items in support of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) MaxxPro Dash vehicles. Work will be performed at the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas, and deliveries are expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $687,470 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively awarded, and the new requirements are sole source additions to the contract. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

ARMY
General Dynamics Land System Customer Service & Support, Sterling Heights, Mich. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 45,391,709 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for services for manufacturing technical assistance for Egyptian co-production Increment 10. Includes equipment technology list items (i.e. tools, gages, fixtures, machines, or facility items) for production of the M1A1 tanks at the Egyptian tank plant. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. with an estimated completion date of Dec. 21, 2012. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM Warren, MI AMSCC-TAC-AHLB, Warren, Mich. is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0488).

FLIR Systems, Inc., Wilsonville, Ore. was awarded on July 15, 2009 a $ 36,801,997 firm-fixed-price contract for the StarFIRE III sensors and, related cables and hardware, for the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment Tower System. Work is to be performed in Wilsonville, Ore. with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Space & missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala. is the contracting activity (W9113M-07-D-004).

Big-D Construction, Salt Lake City, Utah. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 26,292,847 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of F-22 Heavy Maintenance & Backshop at Hill Force Base, Utah. Work is to be performed in Hill Air Force Base, Utah with an estimated completion date of July 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacrament, Calif. is the contracting activity (W91238-09-C-0005).

James McHugh Construction Company, Chicago, Ill. was awarded on July 15, 2009 a $ 14,752,000 firm-fixed-price contract for fabricating and installing four new curved structural steel sector gate leafs and hydraulic operating machinery to replace four existing structural steel sector gate leafs and existing operating machinery within Chicago Harbor Lock. Work is to be performed in Chicago, Ill. with an estimated completion date of Apr. 15, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of engineer, Chicago, Ill. is the contracting activity (W912P6-09-C-0015).

Weeks Marine Inc, Covington, LA. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 6,169,751 firm-fixed-price for the construction Dredging, Mississippi River, New Orleans Harbor Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract No. 01-2009, Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, LA. Work is to be performed in New Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, LA. with an estimated completion date of Nov. 22, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, LA. is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0076).

Premier Power Maintenance Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 5,535,894 firm-fixed-price contract to replace generators and related medium and low voltage equipment and replace transformers and switchgear, building 23 and building 1 C-Wing, Richard L. Roudebush, VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Ind. Work is to be performed in Indianapolis, Ind. with an estimated completion date of July 14, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with four bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky. is the contracting acidity (W912QR-09-C-0052).

AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $12,100,000 contract to provide massive ordnance penetrator on B-2 platform. At this time $6,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/708th, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (FA8681-09-C-0280)

International Enterprises, Inc., Talladega, Ala., was awarded a $11,228,687a five year requirements contract for repair and support of APG-68 radar shop replaceable units. At this time no money has been obligated. 448th SCMG, Hill Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (FA8251-09-D-0006)

Booz Allen Hamilton, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $9,660,729 contract for Headquarters United States Strategic Command Capability and Resource Analysis Division survivability and vulnerability modeling, simulation and analysis. At this time $615,293 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (SP0700-03-D-1380)

Booz Allen Hamilton, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $9,661, 284 contract to provide NAVAIR ranges department with fully certified and accredited combat systems to the Department of Defense combat units. At this time $140,000 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (SP0700-98-D-4002)

Booz Allen Hamilton, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $28,985,302 contract to provide the Air Force Communications Agency with combat support of air and space forces in vitual network communications and network security. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (SP0700-03-D-4002)

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh, Wis. is being awarded a maximum $10,768,579 firm fixed price contract for snow removal vehicles. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There were originally two proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is September 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-01-D-0066-0036).

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Computer Sciences Corporation, Arlington, VA has earned "Award Term 2" under the provisions of Contract HQ0006-03-F-0016. As a result the current period of performance will be extended for an additional 12 months. The contract is for advisory and assistance services in support of the Missile Defense Agency's Sensors Directorate. Work is to be performed in Huntsville, AL. The period of performance is from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. FY 09 and FY 10 research, development, test and evaluation funding will be used to incrementally fund this effort. The Award Term value is $7,090,670.00. The aggregate value of the contract is $26,032,801.00.

Aerojet General Corporation of Rancho Cordova, California, is being awarded a modification for $5,581,965 under its cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HQ0006-08-C-0006. This modification awards Aerojet General Corporation the task to design and test prototype solid propellant divert thruster components, a composite solid propellant gas generator and case structure. This work is part of a risk reduction effort supporting the Standard Missile 3 Block IIA development program. The work will be performed in Rancho Cordova, California. The performance period is from Ju1y 1, 2009 through March 29, 2010. The amount obligated on this action is $3,900,000 using fiscal year 2009 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (HQ0006-08-C-0006).

Reporter's Notebook: USNS Comfort Spawns Countless Stories

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - I left the USNS Comfort July 13 after a little more than three days aboard the hospital ship. It was not long enough. I underestimated the time I would need to gather the stories I wanted to tell.

It is truly an amazing ship, with a crew of physicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses and a host of other staff who perform incredible work in difficult conditions.

Hundreds of health care professionals from around the world, many of them volunteers, gathered to deliver basic care that most of us in the United States take for granted.

One young mother came to a medical site complaining of stomach pains. It turned out she hadn't eaten in five days.

Truth be told, I could have followed them for their entire four months at sea and still not have done the story justice.

It's a side of the Defense Department that most rarely get to see. The $25 million budget for the trip is a fraction of what an Army tank or an Air Force bomber costs. Yet, the dividends are immeasurable. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recently called the Comfort's 2007 mission to this region "one of the most successful acts of American public diplomacy so far in this new century."

But for the hundreds waiting in line during a single day to be seen by doctors from some of the world's finest health care systems, diplomacy is the furthest thing from their minds.

They want to know if their children are healthy. They want to see. They want to eat without the pain of a toothache. They want hope for a better future.

Web Site Features Jobs for Disabled Veterans

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - With more than 3,000 job openings, the creators of a new Web portal are hoping to attract disabled veterans seeking employment. "Our current project is to spread the word that we are here," said Diana Corso, executive director of disABLEDperson Inc., a nonprofit group aiming to reduce the unemployment rate of disabled veterans.

"We launched a couple of months ago," she said. "We have jobs on the site, but not that many resumes. We are hoping to attract many more applicants. These positions are from employers across the U.S."

DisABLEDperson.Inc. hosts the nationally based online job board called Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans. The site is free for disabled veterans to post their resumes and employers to post their jobs.

"We are trying to make it as easy as possible for [disabled veterans] and employers to come together," Corso said. "All positions are paid openings, some carrying benefits."
To post a resume, job seekers must first fill out an online registration. The resume will post on http://www.JOFDAV.com for three months. After three months, job seekers are given the option to repost their resume, to modify it or to leave it inactive.

Corso encourages job seekers not just to wait for employers to find them, but to browse through job openings that companies already have posted.

Current job openings on the Web site include accounting, administration and clerical, business development, information technology, research, restaurant and food service, science, collections, public relations and security. Other than job titles, postings specify geographic location, job category, career level, salary level and job description.

"This Web site has attracted employers that are proactively seeking to hire disabled American veterans," Corso said. "My desire is to find a way to get the word out about these openings to generate more disabled job seekers to fill the slots."

North Korean Provocations Underscore Importance of U.S., South Korean Alliance

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - North Korea's recent provocations underscore the importance of the strong U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance, the top U.S. commander in South Korea said yesterday. "I can assure you that the alliance is fully prepared to respond to any situation as we continue to closely monitor activities in the region," Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces in Korea, told reporters via videoconference from New York.

"In the face of these recent provocations, the alliance stands strong and ready, and in fact is getting stronger every day," he said.

Sharp told reporters during a question-and-answer session he's confident the United States and South Korea are prepared to defend against land or sea attacks and intercept North Korean missiles fired south of the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

"The threat as far as on the high end is, of course, the fact that North Korea has so many forces located very close to the demilitarized zone to South Korea," he said. "So we have to be prepared for that type of quick attack, and I am absolutely confident that we are, and that we would be victorious if there was any attack along those lines."

Sharp urged continued international cooperation in getting North Korea to end its nuclear-weapons program.

But noting North Korea's recent short-range missile launches, he said he's "absolutely confident" U.S. and South Korean forces are prepared to intercept North Korean missiles, if necessary.

Strengthening the Republic of Korea-U.S. alliance has been one of Sharp's top priorities since taking command just over a year ago. He said it's been the central theme of his U.S. visit, which included meetings with the Council on Foreign Relations, the Korea Society and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Citing positive developments, he said, "I am convinced the next several years will see an even stronger ROK-U.S. alliance."

Sharp reported progress in two other areas he's made priorities: "to be prepared to fight and win" and to improve the quality of life for U.S. servicemembers, Defense Department civilian employees and their families in Korea.

Describing both the challenges and opportunities in Korea, Sharp contrasted North Korea's defiance of the U.N. Security Council and President Barack Obama's recent summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

"As President Obama recently reaffirmed, The Republic of Korea is one of America's closes allies. Our friendship has been forged through a history of shared sacrifice, and it is anchored in our shared democratic values," Sharp said, echoing his sentiments.

Sharp pointed to the alliance's effectiveness during the past 60 years in deterring aggression, maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula and promoting regional security and stability.

But, he noted, "The world, and the region of Northeast Asia, has changed since the ROK-U.S. alliance was forged in the Korean War. And the opportunities and challenges facing it have also changed."

In addition to South Korea's success as a leader in advanced technology and a model of democracy, Sharp said its military has evolved to become "one of the most capable and professional defense organizations in the world."

As a sign of that capability, Sharp is focused on transitioning wartime operational control of South Korean military forces from the United States to the Republic of Korea in April 2012.

"Wartime operational control transition is the next logical step in the natural evolution of the alliance," he said. "The ROK military is trained, professional and will be ready to accept this role in 2012."

After the transition is complete, the United States will remain committed to a long-term presence in Korea and the region, he said.

In support of that commitment, Sharp said he's moving forward with other transformational efforts that will normalize U.S. military tours in Korea and repositioning U.S. forces in Korea into first-class, enduring military facilities.

"The future will see a Republic of Korea-led defense structure with U.S. forces -- operating with the current troop and capability levels -- consolidated in two hubs at Pyongtaek and Daegu," he told reporters. "The majority of those forces will be in Korea on three-year accompanied tours."

Face of Defense: Identical Twins Have Soldiers Seeing Double

By Chuck Cannon
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - Don't blame the soldiers here if you see them do a double take when two of the unit's newest captains pass by. Despite appearances, the soldiers of 10th Mountain Division's 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team are not seeing double -- they've just passed identical twins Army Capt. Darrell Lyles, commander of E Company, 94th BSB, and Army Capt. Derrick Lyles, commander of F Company, 94th BSB.

The brothers pinned on their new bars during a promotion ceremony here July 1.

Army Lt. Col. Anthony Coston, battalion commander, said the only way most soldiers can tell the brothers apart is by looking at their left hands.

"One's married and the other isn't," Coston said. "If Darrell ever stops wearing his wedding band, we're in trouble."

Darrell was a platoon leader in F Company before moving to E Company as commander, while Derrick was a platoon leader in E Company before assuming command of F Company. Coston said even he gets confused at times.

"They both have a habit of calling and saying, 'This is Lieutenant Lyles sir, I've got a question,'" Coston said. "Often, it's midway through the conversation before I figure out which one I'm talking to."

Coston said he's mixed the twins up once -- that he knows of. "It is a little bit of a challenge," he said.

As for the new captains, they both said they enjoy being stationed with their sibling. "This is the best thing that could happen because I've got a great friend that I can bounce things off of and someone to hang out with," Darrell said.

Both soldiers said they were influenced in their career choice by their parents. Their father, Levi Lyles, spent four years on active duty before becoming a minister, while mother Wanda Lyles retired from the National Guard as a master sergeant.

"I remember seeing my mom in uniform," Derrick said. "They both brought a lot of discipline -- if pops said something once, you did it."

Levi Lyles said he and his wife are concerned, but proud, of the choice made by their sons.

"They went in when the war was going on," he said. "I never said anything; they followed their heart, and I just ask God to watch over them every day."

The twins said they were never tempted -- at least not too much -- to fill in for the other, whether it was for class, a date or during a meeting.

"It might have crossed our minds, but we would have never done it," Derrick said. "Although we look alike, our personalities are completely different. We would have been caught."

Darrell's wife, Lisa, said there was one occasion when the brothers attempted to pull the switcheroo on her, but she outsmarted them.

"I had just started dating Darrell and was going to his place to meet his brother," she recalled. "I knocked on the door and I heard Darrell tell his brother, 'You answer the door and tell her you're me.'"

"When I went in, they looked just alike so I didn't sit by either one of them. Then I noticed that Darrell was wearing the same pair of sweatpants I saw him in earlier in the day."

"But if it hadn't been for that, it would have been tough."

(Chuck Cannon works in the Fort Polk public affairs office.)

Gates Praises McKiernan's Leadership at Retirement Ceremony

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates commended Army Gen. David D. McKiernan's leadership at every military level during a retirement ceremony for the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan here today. McKiernan returned the favor, calling Gates "the finest secretary of defense in my lifetime."

Gates replaced McKiernan as the commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan after the general spent less than a year in Kabul. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal now holds the position.

McKiernan addressed this early in his remarks. "If you had asked me 30 days ago if I would be here at my retirement ceremony, I probably would have said no," the general said. "Make no mistake I was dismayed, disappointed, more than a little embarrassed. But, as so often in life ... I received some candid coaching that said, 'McKiernan, this is not about you. It's about paying respect to your profession and those around who know you.'"

Gates said it was an honor to be asked to participate in the ceremony marking the end of McKiernan's 37-year Army career.

"He has handled everything the Army and his commander in chief have thrown at him with supreme professionalism, intelligence and dedication to our nation and the men and women under his command," the secretary said.

The general commanded the coalition land forces and launched the attack into Iraq in March 2003. Gates praised McKiernan for having the "skill and the will to keep the march to Baghdad on track through 'Fedayeen' attacks and furious sandstorms. [It was] a march that in less than three weeks brought Saddam Hussein's brutal regime to an end."

The general's experience in Iraq served him well in Afghanistan, where he led an international military effort to secure and rebuild the country, the secretary said. McKiernan dedicated himself to recalibrating the International Security Assistance Force's mission to better protect the Afghan people, the secretary said. He also oversaw a major expansion in Afghan security forces and brought about better coordination between military and civilian efforts in the country.

McKiernan made the NATO force better at counterinsurgency by ensuring its members were better trained. He worked diligently to improve cooperation among Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO, Gates said.

McKiernan believed "the Afghan people deserve better than the last 30 years of conflict," Gates said. "While the Taliban and other terrorist groups offer only lies and fears, our continued effort promotes freedom and hope."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. hosted the retirement review on Summerall Field here and spoke highly of McKiernan's command and operational experience.

Casey praised the general for his service in the Cold War, during Desert Storm, in the Balkans, as the ground commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and finally, as the commander of the NATO in Afghanistan.

"I can't think of another officer who has contributed so much and given so much to the men and women of this Army," Casey said.

The general received the Distinguished Service Medal from Casey and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal from Gates. In addition, his wife, Carmen McKiernan, was presented the Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.

McKiernan has said that he and his wife plan on living in the Boston area and on staying involved in the support of soldiers.

Division Commander Blogs for Troops' Feedback

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - When Army Maj. Gen. Michael L. Oates poses a question to his 10th Mountain Division soldiers and their families on his personal blog, the floodgates open in a dialogue once considered unimaginable between junior troops and their commander. About twice a month, Oates goes straight to the source to get the troops' views on everything from the quality of the post's annual Mountainfest festival to a possible revision to the military's ban on homosexuality in the ranks.

A visit to the blog, posted at http://www.taskforcemountain.com/mountain-sound-off, reveals that troops are giving Oates exactly what he's looking for: direct, honest communication. It's so honest, in fact, that many responders opt to use just a first name or nickname rather than identifying themselves outright.

Oates is the first, or among the first, division commanders to embrace social media as a way to interact with his soldiers.

It's an effort he started in Iraq when he commanded Multinational Division Center, where he launched an online chat room to improve communication.

Participants logged on anonymously or used their real names and peppered Oates with questions about far-ranging issues. They complained about the Army's stop-loss policy and asked about talk they'd heard of a division headquarters move to southern Iraq, Army promotion and awards policies, and quality-of-life issues such as housing and housing allowances and cost-of-living adjustments at their home station at Fort Drum, N.Y.

Oates "took the time to answer each question carefully and connect with his troops," Army Maj. Daniel Elliott, division deputy public affairs officer said during the deployment.

"To our knowledge, this is the only division where the commanding general manages an active blog and has done an online chat with soldiers," Elliott added.

Oates has taken pains to continue that connection when he and his soldiers redeployed to Fort Drum.

Oates is "always stunned" to hear himself singled out for his innovative approach, he told American Forces Press Service. "I'm just doing what every leader in the Army does, just using a different, new venue."

"The reason I use a blog is because that's where the soldiers are," Oates said. "So you have to fish in that water." He recalled the old adage about asking a robber why he steals from banks, and the tongue-in-cheek retort: "Because that's where the money is."

Social media isn't a silver bullet, but it supports open and honest communication in ways most other venues can't, Oates said. Soldiers, their families and civilian employees feel comfortable responding to a blog, and it generates "a degree of candor you can't get face to face," he said.

"Soldiers aren't intimidated typing onto a screen," he said. "So if you want soldiers to be honest with you, you have to set the conditions for them to be honest."

Oates said he reads every entry on the blog. The most enlightening aren't necessarily what his troops tell him, he said, but what they tell each other.

"It's the cross-talk that's the most useful," he said. "People take ideas, refine them and wire brush them. And through that process, I pick up a lot of useful concepts."

Oates interjects questions and comments on his commander's blog to keep the conversation going.

In late April, shortly after redeploying from Iraq, he asked his troops directly what topics they wanted him to open up for discussion.

Two weeks later, he asked, "Now that we're back and have had time to relax and look back, what is the biggest lesson you took away from this last deployment? (Spouses, too.)"

That question elicited the fewest responses -- six rather than the typical 45 to 100. But the responders provided insights Oates might not have gotten in more traditional forums.

One complained of an unfair awards policy, others of promotions that came too quickly or too easily for those they perceived as unready or unworthy. One spouse urged Oates to ensure that "dwell time" between deployments focuses more on family time. Another expressed gratitude that her spouse was coming home safely.

But perhaps the most insightful came from a responder who identified himself only as "Army Dude."

"From the perspective of someone about to deploy again, I think a few lessons the division learned are at risk of dying on the vine or getting re-learned the hard way," he warned Oates.

The responder offered an assessment of which development projects in Iraq are worthy of funding and which aren't, of problems to be overcome in generating interagency cooperation, and the disconnect between the Army's "quick victory" mind-set and provincial reconstruction teams' long-term development strategy.

But the responder also alerted Oates to "one lesson not learned:" the need to take better care of families.

"The 'train' during our final months is going about as fast as it can possibly run,'" Army Dude wrote.

"Good commanders are able to make the call when enough is enough and pull in the reigns," he continued. "If not, [or if not supported by the higher commander], ultimately it is our families who pay the price. Then we pay when our families have had enough and/or we grow apart to where we no longer know who they are."

Oates said he wants more of this kind of direct communication from his troops, and recognizes his blog as the best way to get it.

"I hate to think of myself being referred to as 'the blogging general,'" he said. "But there's tremendous value in this forum. It's a great way for me to communicate with my soldiers."

Troops Should Apply Soon for Education Benefits, VA Official Says

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2009 - Servicemembers interested in using the new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits this fall are encouraged to contact the Veterans Affairs Department soon to determine their eligibility, the VA's director of education said. "The reason we opened the door early on May 1 [was] so that we can manage this workload effectively; we expected a significant demand," Keith Wilson told bloggers and online journalists during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable, yesterday.

"We wanted people to come in as quickly as possible because the sooner we can get that eligibility determination out of the way, the better place we are [in] to process the enrollment [certifications] when the schools start to come in with that information," he said.

On average, processing times to verify eligibility can take from a few weeks up to a few months, Wilson said. However, colleges and universities have been ready to receive the enrollment applications for some time.

"We've got students at 6,800 colleges," Wilson said. "They have been engaged with information flow from VA from the beginning."

The VA already is processing fall enrollment forms, he noted.

"The important issue, though, is getting that request into us as soon as possible. We are already at the point now where the fall enrollment is starting to hit us; our high demand period for the year is upon us," he said.

The new Post-9/11 GI Bill is just one of four major education programs the VA offers, Wilson said. People should educate themselves on the different options to find the best fit.

"This is a complex program, but it is complex because of the flexibility it has," Wilson said. "The costs of education vary widely across the country, the types of training that is offered vary widely, and individuals have to be participatory in this process.

"They have to be actively engaged to understand what their benefits do for them or what they don't do for them so that they can maximize the benefits of all of our programs."

In fact, "many individuals are eligible for multiple programs," he said.

Servicemembers' spouses and children may be eligible for benefits, as well.

"Transferability of education benefits has been one of the most requested and largest requests from the field and fleet, particularly from family support and advocacy groups," said Bob Clark, assistant director of Accession Policy for the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, who also attended the roundtable.

To be eligible to transfer benefits to family members, servicemembers must first qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, Clark said.

Servicemembers must have qualifying active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, and must be serving in the armed forces either on active duty or in the selective reserves on Aug. 1,, 2009, Clark said. "That means that it doesn't apply to members of the individual ready reserve, those who retired or separated.

"The provision was included in law to recruit and retain the current force, and requires a member [to be] of that force on or after that date the program becomes effective," he continued. "To be eligible, you must have served six years and commit to four additional years."

Clark said servicemembers can verify their family members' eligibility by checking the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

"[They] must be listed in DEERS and must be eligible for benefits," Clark said. "They must be either a spouse or a child who [is] eligible for benefits, which means children under the age of 21 or 23 as a full-time student."

When servicemembers' children use the benefit, they use it the same way as a veteran, Wilson said.

"They would go to our GI Bill Web site [and] apply online," he explained. "After service approval and application to VA, we would issue them a certificate of eligibility."

Students then take the certificate to their school, and their school's VA certifying official will report to the VA the same information they would have reported if the veteran would have been using the benefit, Wilson said.

Children can start using the benefit at 18 years old or after obtaining a high school diploma or equivalent, or until the day they turn 26, Clark said.

On the other hand, "A spouse is treated exactly like the sponsor; they can use the benefit while the sponsor is on active duty and for up to 15 years after the sponsor's last separation," he said.

Servicemembers can select the months they have available -- up to 36 months total -- to share with each family member, and select the period of time in whole months, Clark said. Their application will be sent to their service to approve before being sent to the VA database.

For information on the transferability process, servicemembers should contact their service, and for use of the transfer benefit, they should visit the VA Web site, Wilson said.

"This is a program that the VA will be administering on behalf of [the Defense Department]," Wilson said. "[The department] will be determining eligibility, so if the issue involves that of determining the eligibility, the individual will be working with [the department].

"When it comes to the point where the individual is interested in actually using the benefit, they will come to VA," he said.

Wilson and Clark both added that the new Post-9/11 GI Bill is flexible. This flexibility applies to those servicemembers who came into the military under the Montgomery GI Bill era, but think they don't qualify for benefits under the new 9/11 Post GI Bill.

"A person can use all of their Montgomery GI Bill benefits, then come in and apply for Chapter 33 and receive 12 more months of benefits under Chapter 33," Wilson said. "Because they are no longer entitled to the Montgomery GI Bill, they are not giving up that entitlement; they have used up that entitlement".

For questions on eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/ or contact the call center at 1-888-GIBill-1.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 15, 2009

NAVY
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $571,114,320 modification to definitize the previously awarded Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-135 Low Rate Initial Production Lot III advance acquisition contract (N00019-08-C-0033) to a cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee contract. The modification establishes a final price and fully funds the procurement of seven Air Force Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Propulsion Systems, one spare main engine, initial spare modules and spare parts; one Royal Netherlands Air Force CTOL propulsion system, one spare main engine, and spare parts; seven U.S. Marine Corps Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) propulsion systems; initial spare modules and spare parts; two United Kingdom Royal Navy STOVL propulsion systems, one spare main engine, initial spare modules and spare parts. This modification also provides for associated special tooling, special test equipment, production non-recurring effort, autonomic logistics planning and management, sustainment effort, program management, and financial and technical data. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (73 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (17 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($260,681,734; 46 percent); the U.S. Air Force ($160,279,954; 28 percent); and the Governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom ($150,152,632; 26 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $26,640,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-05-C-0057) for additional operations and maintenance support for the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) Program. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed in August 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $26,640,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $24,500,000 ceiling-priced indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity time and material contract for the development and delivery of safety corrective actions, reliability and maintainability improvements, and quick reaction capability improvements in support of V-22 Osprey missions for the Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa. (50 percent); Amarillo, Texas (25 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-D-0004).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded $16,941,789 for modification P00171 to a previously awarded firmed-fixed-price contract (M67854-02-C-2052) for the purchase nine combat operations centers capability set III units and 18 duct plenum adapter kits. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

HDR Architecture, Inc., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded $10,000,000 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40083-08-D-0065) to exercise Option 1 for architectural and engineering services at Naval Station Great Lakes. The work to be performed provides for partial design packages; total design packages; design-build request for proposal packages; repairs and alterations to existing facilities, collateral equipment lists; project preliminary hazard analysis; obtaining permits and regulatory approvals; surveys (topographic and boundary); soil investigations, comprehensive interior design; contractor submittal review; construction inspection, observation and consultation; operation and maintenance support information; environmental assessments; fire protection; anti-terrorism/force protection evaluation and design; designs for phased construction; and as-built drawing preparation. Some projects will require design in the metric system. Acceptance of project-related work that requires comprehensive asbestos/lead paint surveying and provide a design that will support the removal, demolition, and disposal of these and other hazardous materials in accordance with applicable laws and regulations is required. The current total estimated contract amount after exercise of this option will be $20,000,000. Work will be performed in Great Lakes, Ill., and this option is expected to be completed July 15, 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ill., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Defensive Systems Division, Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded a $6,008,825 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) to perform configuration upgrades to the V22 large aircraft infrared countermeasures, including qualification testing and acceptance test reports. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in June 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Labatt Food Service, San Antonio, Texas is being awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract for total food & beverage support for DOD and non-DOD customers in San Antonio, Texas and surrounding area. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. The original proposal was Web solicited with three responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is July 14, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3143).

BAE Systems Information and Electronics, Totowa, N.J. is being awarded a maximum $13,918,311 firm fixed price, sole source contract for spare parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is July 31, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Warner Robins (DSCR-Warren), Robins AFB, Ga. (F09603-03-D-0001-XE02).

Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems, Akron, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $9,886,017 firm fixed price, sole source contract for aircraft braking systems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is the Defense Logistics Agency. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is April 1, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR), Va. (SPM4AX-07-D-9006).

Caterpillar Inc., Mossville, Ind. is being awarded a maximum $9,178,946 fixed price with economic price adjustment, long term contract for full track loader. Other location of performance is France. Using service is Navy. There were originally three proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-01-D-0059-0328).

ARMY
BAE Systems Land & Armaments Limited Partnership, Minneapolis, Minn. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 21,007,124 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 5,325 improved vehicle emergency escape windshield kits for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Work is to be performed in Minneapolis, MN with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2010. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Center, Warren Mich. is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0524).
U.S. Ordnance, Inc., Reno, Nev. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $ 6,7500,300 firm-fixed-price contract for procuring 548 each M2 machine guns with a potential for a maximum quantity of 30,678. Work is to be performed in Reno, Nev. with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2012. Six bids solicited with six bids received. TACOM Contracting Center (Rock Island), CCTA-AR-SA, Rock Island, Ill, is the contracting activity (W52H09-09-D-0249).

The Korte Company, St. Louise, Mo. was awarded on July 13, 2009 a $ 23,680,700 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of an armed forces reserve center complex, Round Rock, Texas. Work is to be performed in Round Rock, Texas. with an estimated completion date of July 01, 2011. Forty-six bids solicited with five bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louis is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0030)

Anthony and Gordon Construction Company, Inc. Knoxville, Tenn. was awarded on July 13, 2009 a $ 14, 864,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of Armed Forces Reserve Center, Amarillo, Texas. Work is to be completed in Amarillo, Texas. with an estimated completion date of July 1, 2011. One Hundred Sixty-nine (169) bids were solicited with nine (9) bids received. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky. is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0054)

Solis Constructors, Inc. Austin Texas. was awarded a $ 14, 900,000 firm-fixed-price contract to design/build a chapel complex and religious education facility at Fort Hood, Texas. Work includes the design of construction site work, utilities and construction of the chapel complex and religious education facility. A 17,900 square foot structure with the chapel accommodating 600 personnel and education facility accommodating 575 personnel. Work is to be performed in Fort Hood, Texas. with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31,2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eleven (11) bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Omaha, Nebraska. is the contracting activity (W9128F-09-C-0021).

GoveConnection, Inc., Rockville, MD was awarded on July 13, 2009 a $ 7,810,002 firm-fixed-price contract for labor, material, and services required providing a wide range of logistics support services for the National Guard Bureau headquarters, 54 states and territories, NASA SEWP IV contract. Work is to be performed in Montgomery, Ala, Golden, Co, Starke, Fla., Atlanta, Ga., Johnston, Iowa, Indianapolis, Ind., Topeka, Kan., Pineville, L.A., Havre De Grace, Md., Augusta, Maine., Lansing, Mich., Little Falls, Minn., Helena, Mont., Raleigh, NC, Devils Lake, N.D., Lincoln, Neb., Santa Fe, N.M., Oklahoma City, Okla., Salem, Ore., Annville, Pa., Columbia, S.C., Nashville, Tenn., Austin, Texas, Draper, Utah, Tacoma, Wash., Camp Douglas, Wis., Buckhannon, W.V., and Guernsey, Wyo.. The estimated completion date if July12, 2010. Fifteen bids were solicited and five bids were received. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Va. is the contracting activity (W9133L-09-F-0088).

Missile Defense Agency
Aerojet General Corporation of Rancho Cordova, California, is being awarded a modification to exercise Option 1 for $13,718,441 under its cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HQ0006-08-C-0035. This prototype demonstration effort supports improvements to the ballistic missile defense system. Under this option, Aerojet General Corporation will fabricate two divert and attitude control systems and perform a static fire test on one in order to demonstrate the system's technical maturity for potential inclusion in an early intercept capability program. The work will be performed in Rancho Cordova, California. The performance period is from Ju1y 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011. The amount obligated on this action is $7,185,000 using fiscal year 2009 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (HQ0006-08-C-0035).

AIR FORCE
Elite Aerospace, Hollywood, Fla., was awarded a $7,000,000 contract to provide a maximum quantity of 250 secondary heat exchangers in support of the F-15 aircraft. At this time all the funds have been obligated. 848th CBSG, Tinker Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (FA8118-09-D-0034)

Booz Allen Hamilton, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $6,272,271contract to provide the Headquarters Space Command Directorate of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance space intelligence survivability/vulnerability, threat assessment evaluation, integration and insertion. At this time $193,237, has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (SP0700-03-D-1380)

Universal Understanding, Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded a $6,867,119 contract to exercise an option for continuation of SMARTnet II Network optimization and software support for the United States Air Forces Central. At this time all the funds have been obligated. 20th Contracting Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (FA4803-08-C-0016)