By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - Defense Department federal employees could receive up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a military family member injured in the line of duty if an Office of Personnel Management proposal is adopted. The proposal would allow eligible federal employees to take 26 "administrative work weeks" provided for under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a servicemember wounded in the line of duty, OPM officials explained during a telephone conference call.
The provision would extend to families of National Guard members or reservists injured while on active duty, explained Jerry Mikowicz, OPM deputy associate director for pay and leave administration.
To qualify, the federal employee must be the spouse, child, parent, or next of kin of the servicemember declared medically unfit to serve, he said.
The OPM proposal also would allow agencies to advance up to 30 days of sick leave to federal workers who care for wounded military family members.
OPM also has recommended other sick-leave regulation changes to help agencies better plan for outbreaks of pandemic influenza or other serious communicable diseases.
The proposed rule would allow for agencies to advance up to 13 days of sick leave to care for a family member who has been exposed to a serious communicable disease and who health authorities say would jeopardize others' health. Federal employees also could receive up to 30 days of advanced sick leave if they are exposed to or stricken by a communicable disease that could be further spread in the workplace, Mikowicz said.
The OPM proposals were published in yesterday's Federal Register, and the public will have 60 days to comment on them.
OPM officials will review the comments before issuing a final rule, which will proceed through the regulatory process required before it is implemented, Mikowicz said.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - More college-educated professionals will enter the next generation's professional work force as a result of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said this week at the American Legion's 91st National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Shinseki lauded the organization's efforts in advocating the new legislation, just as it fought for the original GI Bill more than 65 years ago.
"Just as you were responsible for the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944, your commitment here was instrumental, yet again, in getting this 9/11 GI Bill through the Congress," Shinseki said.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect Aug. 1, and with its expanded benefits and the option of transferring benefits to family members, it's likely to affect the country the way the original GI Bill did in 1944, he said.
Between 1944 and 1956, millions of veterans took advantage of educational benefits provided by the original bill and helped to fill the nation's work force with qualified and trained professionals. Although they no longer wore the military uniform, the veterans' contributions to the country weren't any less significant, he said.
"Returning World War II veterans leveraged the educational opportunities they had under the original GI Bill into sustained economic growth for the nation, catapulting the nation into the world's largest economy [and into a position of] leadership in the free world," he said. "Our country became richer by 450,000 trained engineers, 240,000 accountants, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 66,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and [by] millions of other college-educated veterans who went on to lead our great country in the second half of the 20th century.
"This new Post-9/11 GI Bill has the potential to impact the country in the same way, thanks to your leadership and the leadership in country," he added. "You've been our eyes and ears for identifying needs for veterans."
The education opportunities also will help VA in its struggle to end homelessness among veterans, which, Shinseki said, also will have an indirect but positive effect on a host of other issues. Veterans lead the nation in homelessness, he said, and also are ranked among the highest groups in the country for depression and substance abuse.
In 2003, more than 195,000 veterans were without homes. Shinseki pointed to a lack of education and employment opportunities, as well as mental-health and substance-abuse issues, as the main reasons for the over-representation of homeless veterans.
Today, VA estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless, and Shinseki said he's determined to get them off the streets within the next five years. His department and President Barack Obama's administration are moving in the right direction to tackle the issue, he said, but he noted it won't be easy.
"We're moving in the right direction to remove this block from all of our consciences, and are committed to ending homelessness," he said. "No one that has served the nation as we have should live without care and without hope. I know there are no absolutes in life, ... but I also know that if we don't put a big target out there, we won't get our best efforts."
Homelessness is the last stop in an unfortunate road for many veterans, the secretary said. "To do this well, we'll have to attack the entire downward spiral that ends in homelessness," he said. "We must offer education, we must offer jobs, we must treat depression and we must treat substance abuse, [and] we must offer safe housing [for homeless veterans]. We must do it all."
The Post-9/11 GI Bill may not deliver an immediate impact on the homeless issue and others that veterans may face, but education is a long-term investment that will ensure many of their futures, he said.
"This investment in America's future will go on for decades to come," he said. "I told you what happened the first time we did this: thousands of trained engineers, scientists, doctors, dentists, accountants [and] teachers. Lightning is about to strike twice. And those who've answered our nation's call are going to be benefited into being leaders for our country in the 21st century through this program."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - More college-educated professionals will enter the next generation's professional work force as a result of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said this week at the American Legion's 91st National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Shinseki lauded the organization's efforts in advocating the new legislation, just as it fought for the original GI Bill more than 65 years ago.
"Just as you were responsible for the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944, your commitment here was instrumental, yet again, in getting this 9/11 GI Bill through the Congress," Shinseki said.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect Aug. 1, and with its expanded benefits and the option of transferring benefits to family members, it's likely to affect the country the way the original GI Bill did in 1944, he said.
Between 1944 and 1956, millions of veterans took advantage of educational benefits provided by the original bill and helped to fill the nation's work force with qualified and trained professionals. Although they no longer wore the military uniform, the veterans' contributions to the country weren't any less significant, he said.
"Returning World War II veterans leveraged the educational opportunities they had under the original GI Bill into sustained economic growth for the nation, catapulting the nation into the world's largest economy [and into a position of] leadership in the free world," he said. "Our country became richer by 450,000 trained engineers, 240,000 accountants, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 66,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and [by] millions of other college-educated veterans who went on to lead our great country in the second half of the 20th century.
"This new Post-9/11 GI Bill has the potential to impact the country in the same way, thanks to your leadership and the leadership in country," he added. "You've been our eyes and ears for identifying needs for veterans."
The education opportunities also will help VA in its struggle to end homelessness among veterans, which, Shinseki said, also will have an indirect but positive effect on a host of other issues. Veterans lead the nation in homelessness, he said, and also are ranked among the highest groups in the country for depression and substance abuse.
In 2003, more than 195,000 veterans were without homes. Shinseki pointed to a lack of education and employment opportunities, as well as mental-health and substance-abuse issues, as the main reasons for the over-representation of homeless veterans.
Today, VA estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless, and Shinseki said he's determined to get them off the streets within the next five years. His department and President Barack Obama's administration are moving in the right direction to tackle the issue, he said, but he noted it won't be easy.
"We're moving in the right direction to remove this block from all of our consciences, and are committed to ending homelessness," he said. "No one that has served the nation as we have should live without care and without hope. I know there are no absolutes in life, ... but I also know that if we don't put a big target out there, we won't get our best efforts."
Homelessness is the last stop in an unfortunate road for many veterans, the secretary said. "To do this well, we'll have to attack the entire downward spiral that ends in homelessness," he said. "We must offer education, we must offer jobs, we must treat depression and we must treat substance abuse, [and] we must offer safe housing [for homeless veterans]. We must do it all."
The Post-9/11 GI Bill may not deliver an immediate impact on the homeless issue and others that veterans may face, but education is a long-term investment that will ensure many of their futures, he said.
"This investment in America's future will go on for decades to come," he said. "I told you what happened the first time we did this: thousands of trained engineers, scientists, doctors, dentists, accountants [and] teachers. Lightning is about to strike twice. And those who've answered our nation's call are going to be benefited into being leaders for our country in the 21st century through this program."
Doctors, Scientists Team Up to Improve Wound Care
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - READER'S COMMENT:
Ronny R Dunn
Retired 1st Sgt.
Army Infantry
Aug. 26, 2009
Fred, I read your article regarding the fantastic work the medical professionals are researching.
Having been wounded by multiple fragmentation wounds myself I can attest to the fact that some wounds don't heal the same as the others. Even though they were from the same IED.
Having had my wounds cleaned daily the same way as all other soldiers and new bandages stuffed in the gaping holes.
The most terrifying times for me were when the nurses came in to change my bandages.
My god what excruciating pain. I always wondered why they didn't give me some sort of sedative or pain killer an hour before the procedure. I must tell you I more frightened of the nurses than the doctor. Surely in this day and age we have some sort of local numbing procedure to help alleviate this daily ritual of pain.
Besides the tormenting site of my buddies lying dead and other bad memories, I still have dreams of the nurses and their saline bottles, and those god awful tongs they used to pull the gauze out of the deep tissue.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2009 -- Army Spc. Adonnis Anderson said he knew the pain was coming.
After a bomb blew off much of his left forearm in Iraq in 2003, nurses came to his room daily to wash out his wounds. He described the treatment as two minutes of torture. They would swab the open wound as Anderson gritted his teeth and white-knuckle gripped the hospital bed railing.
"On a [pain] scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 15. It hurt really bad," Anderson said.
But the pain was a necessary evil. After being evacuated from the battlefield, Anderson's new fight was against dangerous infections that could destroy his chances of keeping his arm.
Anderson's story is not unique. Many soldiers evacuated from today's war zones suffer complex wounds from their injuries.
Bones are broken, and skin is burned or ripped by searing shrapnel. Mud, metal and fuel are fused into the wound. Harmful bacteria and other organisms are at work in the troops' bodies before they can be carried from the battlefield.
For the first time within the Defense Department, military doctors and scientists are working hand in hand to understand and improve the treatment of these complex wounds.
As part of an overarching, interservice combat wound initiative, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are researching the makeup of complex wounds to help doctors in military hospitals better individualize and chart a course of care.
Dubbed "translational research," this partnership breaks down traditional barriers between the scientists who study the medical intricacies of the wounds and the clinicians who provide the care for the wounded. Now, each supports the work of the other, basically taking the science from "the bench" to the "bedside."
At the core of their work, scientists and doctors hope to discover why some wounds heal and others resist treatment.
Army Col. (Dr.) Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, heads the combat wound initiative program. He said that while two wounds may look similar, they don't always react to treatment the same.
"We were perplexed. Why, when you close one [wound] it heals uneventfully, and when you close the other it has a complication that impairs healing? When by all criteria that we traditionally use you would have expected it to heal," Stojadinovic said.
Since early 2008, Stojadinovic has spearheaded efforts to merge the actions of military and private hospitals to address complex wound care.
He now has a staff of Army and Navy doctors that operates out of Walter Reed's Military Advanced Training Center. They deliver all of the needed specialists to the patients to collaborate on care.
"The nature of battlefield wounds today is complex. These are difficult medical problems that really challenge our creativity, our knowledge base and bring to bear teams," Stojadinovic said. "There's no single individual that can address all the problems that result from blast injuries."
When Stojadinovic decided to add a research arm to his program, he did not have to look far. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology sits right in his back yard, situated on the same complex as Walter Reed.
About a year ago, Stojadinovic began talking with officials at the institute about research that can help doctors decide how to treat a wound and determine when it can be closed without further risk of infection. Many wounded troops are forced to endure several additional operations solely to remove infection. According to officials at the institute, the average soldier with complex wounds takes nine trips to the operating room.
Now, using troops enrolled in clinical trials at Walter Reed, doctors provide the scientists with wound fluids, blood and tissue that otherwise would be discarded. Scientists at the institute study the wound and provide feedback to the attending physicians. Scientists also study metal and other fragments that are taken from the wounds.
Depending on the study, scientists work to determine the number of bacteria in the sample, and characterize them genetically. The degree of bacterial contamination in a wound affects how it heals. Providing doctors with the number and type of bacteria allows them to avoid treatments that won't work and target treatments that will.
Officials also plan to use the data gathered in the studies to develop tools, such as a computer program, that will help doctors make faster, more tailored treatment decisions.
About 150 wounded troops are participating in clinical trials now. Their samples are stored in a repository at the institute of pathology. They are frozen and can be stored indefinitely.
This repository also can be to provide wound data for conflicts generations from now, said Dr. Mina Izadjoo, a microbiologist and the division chief of the wound biology and translational research at the institute.
Besides providing research for the clinical studies and maintaining the repository, Izadjoo's division also tests promising treatments that will advance wound care.
Already, a field deployable "dipstick" kit that can detect types of bacteria in a wound is being tested. This will allow doctors in the combat hospitals to identify which antibiotic to use first, she said.
"The bottom-line goal is [quickly] providing enough background information that leads to faster recovery of the wounded soldiers," she said.
(If you would like to comment on or have questions about this story, contact Fred Baker at fred.baker@osd.mil.)
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - READER'S COMMENT:
Ronny R Dunn
Retired 1st Sgt.
Army Infantry
Aug. 26, 2009
Fred, I read your article regarding the fantastic work the medical professionals are researching.
Having been wounded by multiple fragmentation wounds myself I can attest to the fact that some wounds don't heal the same as the others. Even though they were from the same IED.
Having had my wounds cleaned daily the same way as all other soldiers and new bandages stuffed in the gaping holes.
The most terrifying times for me were when the nurses came in to change my bandages.
My god what excruciating pain. I always wondered why they didn't give me some sort of sedative or pain killer an hour before the procedure. I must tell you I more frightened of the nurses than the doctor. Surely in this day and age we have some sort of local numbing procedure to help alleviate this daily ritual of pain.
Besides the tormenting site of my buddies lying dead and other bad memories, I still have dreams of the nurses and their saline bottles, and those god awful tongs they used to pull the gauze out of the deep tissue.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2009 -- Army Spc. Adonnis Anderson said he knew the pain was coming.
After a bomb blew off much of his left forearm in Iraq in 2003, nurses came to his room daily to wash out his wounds. He described the treatment as two minutes of torture. They would swab the open wound as Anderson gritted his teeth and white-knuckle gripped the hospital bed railing.
"On a [pain] scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 15. It hurt really bad," Anderson said.
But the pain was a necessary evil. After being evacuated from the battlefield, Anderson's new fight was against dangerous infections that could destroy his chances of keeping his arm.
Anderson's story is not unique. Many soldiers evacuated from today's war zones suffer complex wounds from their injuries.
Bones are broken, and skin is burned or ripped by searing shrapnel. Mud, metal and fuel are fused into the wound. Harmful bacteria and other organisms are at work in the troops' bodies before they can be carried from the battlefield.
For the first time within the Defense Department, military doctors and scientists are working hand in hand to understand and improve the treatment of these complex wounds.
As part of an overarching, interservice combat wound initiative, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are researching the makeup of complex wounds to help doctors in military hospitals better individualize and chart a course of care.
Dubbed "translational research," this partnership breaks down traditional barriers between the scientists who study the medical intricacies of the wounds and the clinicians who provide the care for the wounded. Now, each supports the work of the other, basically taking the science from "the bench" to the "bedside."
At the core of their work, scientists and doctors hope to discover why some wounds heal and others resist treatment.
Army Col. (Dr.) Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, heads the combat wound initiative program. He said that while two wounds may look similar, they don't always react to treatment the same.
"We were perplexed. Why, when you close one [wound] it heals uneventfully, and when you close the other it has a complication that impairs healing? When by all criteria that we traditionally use you would have expected it to heal," Stojadinovic said.
Since early 2008, Stojadinovic has spearheaded efforts to merge the actions of military and private hospitals to address complex wound care.
He now has a staff of Army and Navy doctors that operates out of Walter Reed's Military Advanced Training Center. They deliver all of the needed specialists to the patients to collaborate on care.
"The nature of battlefield wounds today is complex. These are difficult medical problems that really challenge our creativity, our knowledge base and bring to bear teams," Stojadinovic said. "There's no single individual that can address all the problems that result from blast injuries."
When Stojadinovic decided to add a research arm to his program, he did not have to look far. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology sits right in his back yard, situated on the same complex as Walter Reed.
About a year ago, Stojadinovic began talking with officials at the institute about research that can help doctors decide how to treat a wound and determine when it can be closed without further risk of infection. Many wounded troops are forced to endure several additional operations solely to remove infection. According to officials at the institute, the average soldier with complex wounds takes nine trips to the operating room.
Now, using troops enrolled in clinical trials at Walter Reed, doctors provide the scientists with wound fluids, blood and tissue that otherwise would be discarded. Scientists at the institute study the wound and provide feedback to the attending physicians. Scientists also study metal and other fragments that are taken from the wounds.
Depending on the study, scientists work to determine the number of bacteria in the sample, and characterize them genetically. The degree of bacterial contamination in a wound affects how it heals. Providing doctors with the number and type of bacteria allows them to avoid treatments that won't work and target treatments that will.
Officials also plan to use the data gathered in the studies to develop tools, such as a computer program, that will help doctors make faster, more tailored treatment decisions.
About 150 wounded troops are participating in clinical trials now. Their samples are stored in a repository at the institute of pathology. They are frozen and can be stored indefinitely.
This repository also can be to provide wound data for conflicts generations from now, said Dr. Mina Izadjoo, a microbiologist and the division chief of the wound biology and translational research at the institute.
Besides providing research for the clinical studies and maintaining the repository, Izadjoo's division also tests promising treatments that will advance wound care.
Already, a field deployable "dipstick" kit that can detect types of bacteria in a wound is being tested. This will allow doctors in the combat hospitals to identify which antibiotic to use first, she said.
"The bottom-line goal is [quickly] providing enough background information that leads to faster recovery of the wounded soldiers," she said.
(If you would like to comment on or have questions about this story, contact Fred Baker at fred.baker@osd.mil.)
Somali Pirates Fire on Navy Helicopter
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - Somali pirates aboard a hijacked ship fired at a U.S. Navy helicopter yesterday, Navy officials said. According to the Navy, the helicopter from the USS Chancellorsville was not hit, and there were no injuries. The helicopter did not return fire.
The chopper received fire while on a surveillance flight over a Taiwanese-flagged vessel that pirates had captured in April. Footage taken from the SH-60B helicopter shows at least one pirate opening fire with what appears to be "a large-caliber weapon," officials said.
Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese-flagged Win Far vessel April 6, and since have used it as a "mother ship" to conduct attacks, most notably on the U.S.-flagged Maersk-Alabama in April. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean south of Garacad, Somalia, where the Win Far is anchored.
During the flight, the aircrew members observed pirate activity, but did not confirm they were fired on until their return to Chancellorsville and review of the infrared surveillance footage. The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.
(From a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command news release.)
Aug. 27, 2009 - Somali pirates aboard a hijacked ship fired at a U.S. Navy helicopter yesterday, Navy officials said. According to the Navy, the helicopter from the USS Chancellorsville was not hit, and there were no injuries. The helicopter did not return fire.
The chopper received fire while on a surveillance flight over a Taiwanese-flagged vessel that pirates had captured in April. Footage taken from the SH-60B helicopter shows at least one pirate opening fire with what appears to be "a large-caliber weapon," officials said.
Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese-flagged Win Far vessel April 6, and since have used it as a "mother ship" to conduct attacks, most notably on the U.S.-flagged Maersk-Alabama in April. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean south of Garacad, Somalia, where the Win Far is anchored.
During the flight, the aircrew members observed pirate activity, but did not confirm they were fired on until their return to Chancellorsville and review of the infrared surveillance footage. The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.
(From a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command news release.)
Chairman Honors Wounded Soldier for Selfless Service
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted on a recent visit to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that wounded veterans recovering there all had one thing in common. "These are individuals, without arms and legs at that point, who had one common desire -- and that was to get back with their unit," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said Aug. 25 at the presentation ceremony for the 2009 International Brain Mapping and Interoperative Surgical Planning Society's Beacon of Courage and Dedication Awards in Boston. "Their only concern was, 'How do I get out of here and get back with them?'"
A desire to serve again also was expressed by one of the award recipients, retired Army Sgt. Maj. Colin Rich, who recovered from two traumatic brain injuries and returned to active duty each time.
And while he was given top-notch medical care for each injury, Mullen credits Rich's wife with completing the healing process.
"While we honor Colin tonight, we do so only because he has been incredibly supported by Nancy, who represents thousands and thousands of spouses and children and parents who've made such a difference to those who've been wounded and who offer so much for the future of our country as Colin does tonight," Mullen said. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize, introduce and be able to say for over 2 million men and women who serve, how special you are, Colin ... and now, have been and always will be."
Speaking off the cuff because his head injuries have made reading difficult, Rich thanked the chairman.
"Admiral Mullen's kind of stolen some of my thunder," he joked. "He talked about my wife and all the other countless spouses and family members out there that have borne the brunt of this war as much as any soldier has."
His said his wife, Nancy, has been his pharmacist, his neurologist, counselor and masseuse.
"She was the first thing I saw after countless seizures. She was the last thing I saw after trying to get to sleep when I was in miserable pain," Rich said. "I've told her on countless occasions, 'Nancy, have I told you I love you today and thank you for everything you've done for me?'
"Today, I want to say it publicly," he added. "Nancy, have told you I love you and thanked you for everything that you have done for me?'"
He went on to accept the award on her behalf.
Rich joined the Army Reserve on April 13, 1981, and was recruited into active duty June 28, 1985. By late 1986, as a private, he had been assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment as an infantryman. Eight years and four months later, Staff Sergeant Rich moved on to his next assignment and several schools, which led him to serve in the ranks of 1st Special Operations Detachment, also known as Delta Force, in May 1994.
Later that year, a .45-caliber bullet "bounced off the front of my head," he said. "If I'd been an inch taller, we wouldn't be talking here right now."
Fast-forward to Shken, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, 2002, and Rich was shot a second time in the head.
"OK, this is no kidding," Rich told the crowd gathered for the award presentation. "A .308 bullet hit me in the back of the head. If I was one inch taller, again, we would not be having this conversation today, and that is no exaggeration."
Rich served on active duty for another four years before retiring in 2007 with full disability. He's faced multiple challenges since the injuries, and he has a guide dog primarily to help him overcome visual impairment, but he still hasn't let the challenges he faces slow him down.
He's training for a 300-mile solo venture on the Appalachian Trail.
ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injury while reporting on hostilities in Iraq, also was presented with the Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award.
The award was part of the 6th Annual World Conference for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy, co-hosted by the society and publisher of scientific information, Elsevier.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted on a recent visit to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that wounded veterans recovering there all had one thing in common. "These are individuals, without arms and legs at that point, who had one common desire -- and that was to get back with their unit," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said Aug. 25 at the presentation ceremony for the 2009 International Brain Mapping and Interoperative Surgical Planning Society's Beacon of Courage and Dedication Awards in Boston. "Their only concern was, 'How do I get out of here and get back with them?'"
A desire to serve again also was expressed by one of the award recipients, retired Army Sgt. Maj. Colin Rich, who recovered from two traumatic brain injuries and returned to active duty each time.
And while he was given top-notch medical care for each injury, Mullen credits Rich's wife with completing the healing process.
"While we honor Colin tonight, we do so only because he has been incredibly supported by Nancy, who represents thousands and thousands of spouses and children and parents who've made such a difference to those who've been wounded and who offer so much for the future of our country as Colin does tonight," Mullen said. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize, introduce and be able to say for over 2 million men and women who serve, how special you are, Colin ... and now, have been and always will be."
Speaking off the cuff because his head injuries have made reading difficult, Rich thanked the chairman.
"Admiral Mullen's kind of stolen some of my thunder," he joked. "He talked about my wife and all the other countless spouses and family members out there that have borne the brunt of this war as much as any soldier has."
His said his wife, Nancy, has been his pharmacist, his neurologist, counselor and masseuse.
"She was the first thing I saw after countless seizures. She was the last thing I saw after trying to get to sleep when I was in miserable pain," Rich said. "I've told her on countless occasions, 'Nancy, have I told you I love you today and thank you for everything you've done for me?'
"Today, I want to say it publicly," he added. "Nancy, have told you I love you and thanked you for everything that you have done for me?'"
He went on to accept the award on her behalf.
Rich joined the Army Reserve on April 13, 1981, and was recruited into active duty June 28, 1985. By late 1986, as a private, he had been assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment as an infantryman. Eight years and four months later, Staff Sergeant Rich moved on to his next assignment and several schools, which led him to serve in the ranks of 1st Special Operations Detachment, also known as Delta Force, in May 1994.
Later that year, a .45-caliber bullet "bounced off the front of my head," he said. "If I'd been an inch taller, we wouldn't be talking here right now."
Fast-forward to Shken, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, 2002, and Rich was shot a second time in the head.
"OK, this is no kidding," Rich told the crowd gathered for the award presentation. "A .308 bullet hit me in the back of the head. If I was one inch taller, again, we would not be having this conversation today, and that is no exaggeration."
Rich served on active duty for another four years before retiring in 2007 with full disability. He's faced multiple challenges since the injuries, and he has a guide dog primarily to help him overcome visual impairment, but he still hasn't let the challenges he faces slow him down.
He's training for a 300-mile solo venture on the Appalachian Trail.
ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injury while reporting on hostilities in Iraq, also was presented with the Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award.
The award was part of the 6th Annual World Conference for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy, co-hosted by the society and publisher of scientific information, Elsevier.
MILITARY CONTRACTS August 27, 2009
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Air BP a division of BP Products North America, Inc., Warrenville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $112,125,808 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for fuel. There are multiple locations of performance. Using service is the Defense Energy Support Center. There were 69 proposals originally solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is March 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-0510).
Frank Gargiulo & Son Inc., Hillside, N.J.*, is being awarded a maximum $13,050,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for full line fresh fruit and vegetable support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and USDA schools. The original proposal was Web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the first option year period. The date of performance completion is February 26, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-P027).
Terex Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a maximum $5,624,730 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for rock crusher jaw plant. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. 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 June 30, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0044-0032).
AIR FORCE
Raytheon Company, Goleta, Calif., was award a $19,809,007 modified contract to exercise and fund the low rate initial production option of the ALR-69A upgrade development contract. At this time the entire amount has been awarded. 542 CBSG/PKS, Robins Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (F09603-01-C-0330-P00127)
NAVY
Black Construction Corp., /MACE International Joint Venture, GMF Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded a $19,180,000 firm-fixed price contract for upgrades to the existing air ops water treatment plant and air ops wastewater treatment plant, and to construct a one-story warehouse and wharf utility improvements at Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. Work will be performed in Diego Garcia, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. 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 two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Far East, Yokosuka, Japan, is the contracting activity (N40084-09-C-0018).
Ikhana/Choate -1 LLC*, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is being awarded a $13,385,855 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of two child development centers at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by June 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,095,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 41 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-3209).
Consigli Construction Co., Inc., Milford, Mass., is being awarded $9,039,438 for firm-fixed price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-08-D-2112) for construction of a consolidated emergency control center at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a three level, steel framed reinforced concrete facility with the ground level located below grade to directly support radiological emergency response as required. This facility will house the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) radiological emergency response organization and will serve as its command and control center during an emergency. This facility, as constructed, will also support PNSY response to other natural disasters (e.g., destructive weather) or manmade emergencies (e.g. terrorist attack) involving chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants. The contract also contains six unexercised options, which if exercised would increase the cumulative contract value to $12,035,066. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems, Land & Armaments L.P., U.S. Combat Systems, Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded a $7,893,637 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5117) to procure a MK 110 naval gun, including onboard repair parts and special tooling and test equipment, in support of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime National Security Cutter WMSL-753. The 57mm MK 110 gun, along with its ammunition, provides an all-purpose naval gun system that is effective against aircraft targets, missile targets, at-sea surface targets, and shore targets. This compact, lightweight gun is unmanned and fully automatic, with computerized ammunition movement within the mount and reloading from two ship-mounted hoists. Work will be performed in Karlskoga, Sweden (45 percent); Louisville, Ky., (40 percent); and Fridley, Minn. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Kollmorgen Corp., Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $7,352,252 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6227) for the production of eight Virginia Class universal modular masts (UMM) and 1 UMM interface box unit, providing an SSN 785 shipset. The UMM program provides for the development and acquisition of a non-hull penetrating mast that serves as a lifting mechanism for five sensor configurations (the photonics mast, the multi-function mast, the integrated electronic mast, the high data rate mast, and the photonics mast variant on the Virginia Class and SSGN Class submarines. Each sensor is mounted on a UMM. Work will be performed Northampton, Mass., (20 percent) and Bologna, Italy (80 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Head, Inc.*, Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a $6,783,933 firm-fixed-price construction contract to repair Runways 13L/31R and repair taxiways at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is expected to be completed by August 2010. Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 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 four (4) proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-09-C-0766).
Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Rocket Center, W.V., is being awarded a $6,314,928 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0036) to exercise an option for the procurement of 555 Mk 36 Mod 13 spare rocket motors for the AIM-9M missile carried on F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Rocket Center, W.V. (50 percent); Chatsworth, Calif.(17 percent); Chandler, Ariz.(6 percent); Newburyport, Mass.(6 percent); Cedar City, Utah (3 percent); Jeannette, Pa.,(3 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (2 percent), and various locations throughout the United States (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $6,314,928 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Air BP a division of BP Products North America, Inc., Warrenville, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $112,125,808 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for fuel. There are multiple locations of performance. Using service is the Defense Energy Support Center. There were 69 proposals originally solicited with four responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is March 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-0510).
Frank Gargiulo & Son Inc., Hillside, N.J.*, is being awarded a maximum $13,050,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for full line fresh fruit and vegetable support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and USDA schools. The original proposal was Web solicited with six responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the first option year period. The date of performance completion is February 26, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-P027).
Terex Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a maximum $5,624,730 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for rock crusher jaw plant. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. 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 June 30, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0044-0032).
AIR FORCE
Raytheon Company, Goleta, Calif., was award a $19,809,007 modified contract to exercise and fund the low rate initial production option of the ALR-69A upgrade development contract. At this time the entire amount has been awarded. 542 CBSG/PKS, Robins Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (F09603-01-C-0330-P00127)
NAVY
Black Construction Corp., /MACE International Joint Venture, GMF Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded a $19,180,000 firm-fixed price contract for upgrades to the existing air ops water treatment plant and air ops wastewater treatment plant, and to construct a one-story warehouse and wharf utility improvements at Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. Work will be performed in Diego Garcia, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. 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 two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Far East, Yokosuka, Japan, is the contracting activity (N40084-09-C-0018).
Ikhana/Choate -1 LLC*, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is being awarded a $13,385,855 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of two child development centers at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by June 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,095,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 41 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-3209).
Consigli Construction Co., Inc., Milford, Mass., is being awarded $9,039,438 for firm-fixed price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-08-D-2112) for construction of a consolidated emergency control center at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a three level, steel framed reinforced concrete facility with the ground level located below grade to directly support radiological emergency response as required. This facility will house the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) radiological emergency response organization and will serve as its command and control center during an emergency. This facility, as constructed, will also support PNSY response to other natural disasters (e.g., destructive weather) or manmade emergencies (e.g. terrorist attack) involving chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants. The contract also contains six unexercised options, which if exercised would increase the cumulative contract value to $12,035,066. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems, Land & Armaments L.P., U.S. Combat Systems, Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded a $7,893,637 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5117) to procure a MK 110 naval gun, including onboard repair parts and special tooling and test equipment, in support of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime National Security Cutter WMSL-753. The 57mm MK 110 gun, along with its ammunition, provides an all-purpose naval gun system that is effective against aircraft targets, missile targets, at-sea surface targets, and shore targets. This compact, lightweight gun is unmanned and fully automatic, with computerized ammunition movement within the mount and reloading from two ship-mounted hoists. Work will be performed in Karlskoga, Sweden (45 percent); Louisville, Ky., (40 percent); and Fridley, Minn. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Kollmorgen Corp., Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $7,352,252 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6227) for the production of eight Virginia Class universal modular masts (UMM) and 1 UMM interface box unit, providing an SSN 785 shipset. The UMM program provides for the development and acquisition of a non-hull penetrating mast that serves as a lifting mechanism for five sensor configurations (the photonics mast, the multi-function mast, the integrated electronic mast, the high data rate mast, and the photonics mast variant on the Virginia Class and SSGN Class submarines. Each sensor is mounted on a UMM. Work will be performed Northampton, Mass., (20 percent) and Bologna, Italy (80 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Head, Inc.*, Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a $6,783,933 firm-fixed-price construction contract to repair Runways 13L/31R and repair taxiways at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is expected to be completed by August 2010. Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 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 four (4) proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-09-C-0766).
Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Rocket Center, W.V., is being awarded a $6,314,928 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0036) to exercise an option for the procurement of 555 Mk 36 Mod 13 spare rocket motors for the AIM-9M missile carried on F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Rocket Center, W.V. (50 percent); Chatsworth, Calif.(17 percent); Chandler, Ariz.(6 percent); Newburyport, Mass.(6 percent); Cedar City, Utah (3 percent); Jeannette, Pa.,(3 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (2 percent), and various locations throughout the United States (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $6,314,928 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Academy Offers Soldiers Second Chance at Diploma
By Army Sgt. Robert G. Cooper IIISpecial to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - Army National Guard leaders from around the country converged on this remote training center yesterday for the dedication of the National Guard's first and only academy designed to help soldiers receive their high school diplomas. The Patriot Academy is a National Guard Bureau initiative allowing high school dropouts ages 17 through 20 a second opportunity to earn their diploma.
Currently, 47 students from 16 states are attending the academy, which is staffed by a full-time cadre of active duty National Guardsmen.
"The Patriot Academy can be described in two words: 'second chance,'" said Army Col. Perry Sarver Jr., the academy's commandant. "These soldiers are here because they have unfinished business, and they are getting a second chance to right a wrong. These young men have started down a path that will change their lives forever."
The nine-month program was launched last June under the guidance of now-retired Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, then the Army National Guard director, for high school dropouts who weren't able to finish high school for reasons other than disciplinary or legal.
Students first attend basic training prior to arriving here, and then move on to their advanced individual training after receiving their diploma.
Although the first class consists of all men, the academy will be tailored to accommodate coed students in the future.
"Our mission is, very simply, to educate and train these young men to become the best citizen-soldiers in the Army National Guard," Sarver said.
While at the academy, the student-soldiers receive a nationally accredited diploma through online courses offered through Liberty University.
While Army initiatives are designed to award GED certificates to its students, the Patriot Academy is the only program that offers a diploma.
Vaughn said the Patriot Academy is an investment in the Army's most precious asset.
"It's a work force that's not going to be available if we don't get it right," he said. "It's someone that's not going to reach their full potential if we don't get that diploma early enough. We depend on this organization right here in this state to get it right."
In addition to academics, the students are required to attend Army training and accomplish community service projects around Indiana's Jennings County.
"The academy will be strengthening the connection of each student-soldier with that community service they provide," said Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. "The culture of service has never been more important to our state and our nation. It's my hope that the graduates of this program return home with a real understanding of what it means to be a good neighbor as well as what it means to be a good soldier."
One student-soldier attending the academy, Army Pvt. Ismael Ramirez Jr., said the academy has given him a chance to serve and to accomplish something he never thought he could.
A native of Roanoke, Texas, Ramirez was unable to receive his diploma because Texas law requires high school students to pass a qualifications exam. "I had the credits I needed, but I didn't pass the final exam, so I wasn't issued a diploma," he said.
After speaking with a recruiter and learning about the academy, Ramirez said that he wanted to join just because of the diploma program.
"Just the fact that I could get a high school diploma rather than a GED sounded better to me," he said. "It just makes me feel and sound like I've completed my school. Like our sergeant major once told us, we're not going to get this chance again. If you get the opportunity to come to the Patriot Academy to have your second chance, you actually get paid to go to school and learn new things.
"When it's all said and done, you walk out of here with extra knowledge," he said. "You walk out of here stronger."
(Army Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III serves in the Indiana National Guard.)
Chairman Cites Urgent Need for Brain Injury Treatments
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - Time is of the essence when it comes to finding better treatments for traumatic brain injuries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday at the 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy. "What I worry about the most is these young men and women who are sustaining these blast injuries are typically, most of them, in their 20s," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during his keynote address, which opened the congress in Boston. "There's 30, 40, 50 years of life out there, and just in my brief discussions with some of you, this doesn't get better with time.
"We don't have a lot of time," he added. "We need to have a sense of urgency and treatment that gets to solutions as rapidly as we can."
Another difficult challenge for the military is post-traumatic stress, Mullen said, which affects more than just those who fight on the front lines. It's emerging in military families, as well.
"We're seeing it in spouses, and we're starting to see it, or some version of it, in children," Mullen said. "Our system is very focused on military members, and so getting family assistance at [the Veterans Affairs Department], for instance, or family help at the VA, is not part of the law at this point."
In an effort to solve these tough challenges, Mullen advocated the integration of work being done in different fields as a "clear and compelling requirement" to achieving the urgent solution the military seeks.
There's much to learn, he said, citing the list of papers and subjects in the research area. As a Defense Department leader, Mullen said, he wants to be an asset and an advocate and to try to figure out, even inside the military, how to connect what he calls the "line leadership" with the medical side.
"I will tell you that these wars have done many things, and one of the things that they've done is accelerated the integration between medicine and medical leadership and line leadership, which was, in its own way, greatly stovepiped before these wars started," Mullen said. "It's just because of the way we built the system over time, and those things have to change."
That design could be a downfall for the military, he said. The military's future is embedded in its people, and part of the reason people stay in the military is because they know they'll be cared for, he said. If that promise isn't delivered every day, servicemembers and their families will go elsewhere.
"Time really does matter right now, because as you can just read the headlines today, we have young men and women who are sustaining these kinds of injuries every single day," he said.
The 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy is co-hosted by the International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society and Elsevier, publisher of scientific information.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 27, 2009 - Time is of the essence when it comes to finding better treatments for traumatic brain injuries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday at the 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy. "What I worry about the most is these young men and women who are sustaining these blast injuries are typically, most of them, in their 20s," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during his keynote address, which opened the congress in Boston. "There's 30, 40, 50 years of life out there, and just in my brief discussions with some of you, this doesn't get better with time.
"We don't have a lot of time," he added. "We need to have a sense of urgency and treatment that gets to solutions as rapidly as we can."
Another difficult challenge for the military is post-traumatic stress, Mullen said, which affects more than just those who fight on the front lines. It's emerging in military families, as well.
"We're seeing it in spouses, and we're starting to see it, or some version of it, in children," Mullen said. "Our system is very focused on military members, and so getting family assistance at [the Veterans Affairs Department], for instance, or family help at the VA, is not part of the law at this point."
In an effort to solve these tough challenges, Mullen advocated the integration of work being done in different fields as a "clear and compelling requirement" to achieving the urgent solution the military seeks.
There's much to learn, he said, citing the list of papers and subjects in the research area. As a Defense Department leader, Mullen said, he wants to be an asset and an advocate and to try to figure out, even inside the military, how to connect what he calls the "line leadership" with the medical side.
"I will tell you that these wars have done many things, and one of the things that they've done is accelerated the integration between medicine and medical leadership and line leadership, which was, in its own way, greatly stovepiped before these wars started," Mullen said. "It's just because of the way we built the system over time, and those things have to change."
That design could be a downfall for the military, he said. The military's future is embedded in its people, and part of the reason people stay in the military is because they know they'll be cared for, he said. If that promise isn't delivered every day, servicemembers and their families will go elsewhere.
"Time really does matter right now, because as you can just read the headlines today, we have young men and women who are sustaining these kinds of injuries every single day," he said.
The 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy is co-hosted by the International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society and Elsevier, publisher of scientific information.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Defense Department Web Site Eases Information Delivery
By Judith Snyderman
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - The new Defense Department Web site is designed to make military news and information more accessible, and also invites greater participation from the public, the department's top public affairs official said yesterday. "[Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates] wanted to hear back from people more. He felt that he couldn't really engage with people outside of the senior leadership that he talks to here in the building," Price Floyd, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable.
Prominent on the Web site –- at http://www.Defense.gov -- is a new "We Want to Hear from You" feature that invites users to ask questions and vote on policy issues they want explained. Floyd said submissions will be tallied every few weeks, and that Gates and other senior leaders will reply to questions that garner the most interest.
Floyd said the redesign places greater emphasis on social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, citing anecdotal evidence of the benefits.
"Some of these stories about the men and women being able to do homework with their kids back here in the States in real time because of these social networking sites and the software that is out there, I just think those stories are amazing," Floyd said.
A new defense policy is under review to make access to social networking sites from "dot.mil" accounts more uniform across the services. Floyd noted that the policy will balance both the benefits and legitimate security concerns related to social networking.
"In the past, when you'd send a letter home to your mother or family member, that was the one person who got it, and they might tell a couple of friends what was in there," he said. "But the nature of the new technology is that you put an update on your Facebook or Twitter account and thousands of people know about it right away, and they can forward it to thousands of people. So, operational security is possibly even more important than it was before."
Other redesigned "Defense.gov" features provide quicker access to pages and services -- such as the Pentagon Channel and Defense Department news -- that are most sought by Web site visitors. A subscription area for RSS feeds and widgets allows visitors to pull news stories and updates to their own sites automatically.
While the new site replaces http://www.DefenseLink.mil as the department's main Internet entry portal, the target audience remains unchanged, Floyd said. "No. 1 is our internal audience of about 3 million, both active-duty military and civilian folks," he said. "Another one is the U.S. public, and the third is those overseas."
Floyd said that the number of people getting their news from social networking sources is growing; however, "we don't just want to do this to do it; we want to do it because it has impact and so that we have a real engagement with people back and forth."
Floyd invited bloggers and the public to send him a "tweet." Visit http://www.Defense.gov and click on Twitter in the left-hand column.
(Judith Snyderman works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - The new Defense Department Web site is designed to make military news and information more accessible, and also invites greater participation from the public, the department's top public affairs official said yesterday. "[Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates] wanted to hear back from people more. He felt that he couldn't really engage with people outside of the senior leadership that he talks to here in the building," Price Floyd, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable.
Prominent on the Web site –- at http://www.Defense.gov -- is a new "We Want to Hear from You" feature that invites users to ask questions and vote on policy issues they want explained. Floyd said submissions will be tallied every few weeks, and that Gates and other senior leaders will reply to questions that garner the most interest.
Floyd said the redesign places greater emphasis on social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, citing anecdotal evidence of the benefits.
"Some of these stories about the men and women being able to do homework with their kids back here in the States in real time because of these social networking sites and the software that is out there, I just think those stories are amazing," Floyd said.
A new defense policy is under review to make access to social networking sites from "dot.mil" accounts more uniform across the services. Floyd noted that the policy will balance both the benefits and legitimate security concerns related to social networking.
"In the past, when you'd send a letter home to your mother or family member, that was the one person who got it, and they might tell a couple of friends what was in there," he said. "But the nature of the new technology is that you put an update on your Facebook or Twitter account and thousands of people know about it right away, and they can forward it to thousands of people. So, operational security is possibly even more important than it was before."
Other redesigned "Defense.gov" features provide quicker access to pages and services -- such as the Pentagon Channel and Defense Department news -- that are most sought by Web site visitors. A subscription area for RSS feeds and widgets allows visitors to pull news stories and updates to their own sites automatically.
While the new site replaces http://www.DefenseLink.mil as the department's main Internet entry portal, the target audience remains unchanged, Floyd said. "No. 1 is our internal audience of about 3 million, both active-duty military and civilian folks," he said. "Another one is the U.S. public, and the third is those overseas."
Floyd said that the number of people getting their news from social networking sources is growing; however, "we don't just want to do this to do it; we want to do it because it has impact and so that we have a real engagement with people back and forth."
Floyd invited bloggers and the public to send him a "tweet." Visit http://www.Defense.gov and click on Twitter in the left-hand column.
(Judith Snyderman works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Company Goes Extra Mile for Military Employees
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By Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - Waking up for work rarely ranks high on people's "favorites" lists, but John Sookikian said he is perfectly happy to be in the minority. Sookikian, a first sergeant in the Army Reserve, works for Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc., one of 15 recipients of the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The award recognizes public and private employers for going above and beyond what's required by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve manages the award program.
"The company is just fantastic," Sookikian said. "I love getting up in the morning and coming to work, because I know I work with [great] people."
In the seven years he's worked for Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Sookikian has been deployed for an accumulated total of about four years. And each time, he said, the response has been the same.
"They didn't even blink an eye," he said. "In 2003, I deployed and actually only had 15 minutes to notify my manager. He [had] no issues, just 'Go do what you've got to do.'"
Within six months of returning from that deployment, Sookikian deployed again. He was to be gone a year, but Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, then a lieutenant general in charge of training Iraqi security forces, needed him to stay longer.
"General Petraeus asked if I could stay another six months, which I did," he said. "When I finished with that six months, I was ready to come home, and they asked me to do another mission [and] extended me for another six months."
Upon his return, he requested a transfer from Consolidated Electrical's branch in Columbia, S.C., to the one in Charleston to be closer to his two sons.
It was a mere six months before Uncle Sam requested his services again.
"I got deployed again for another 18 months, and again, they didn't blink an eye," Sookikian said.
In fact, his co-workers helped to collect 20 boxes of toys and clothing to support a program he had set up to benefit the children of Iraq, where he had served during each deployment.
Consolidated Electrical Distributors, with nearly 1,000 branches worldwide, took care of Sookikian's fellow soldiers as well.
"They made sure that my soldiers had goodies and coffee," he said. "Every two weeks, they would send 10 pounds of coffee.
"It was actually pretty cool, because the manager here in Charleston was just doing it on his own," Sookikian added. "Then the district manager found out that he was doing it, and he made him start expensing it so that the company would pay for the coffee and the goodies."
And despite his protests that he didn't deserve them, Sookikian received profit-sharing checks while he was deployed.
Management also maintained contact with the citizen-soldier's family during the deployments. "Even the president of the company, who's never met me ... always [asks], 'So, how's John doing?'"
All of this is on top of benefits that are more common these days, but no less important. For instance, the company provides full pay and benefits while the employee is deployed.
"It makes it really, really, really easy to be loyal to them," Sookikian said.
He was in Wisconsin on military-related business when he got the call from his supervisor, Mike Goss, telling him the company had been selected for the award.
Sookikian was thrilled, as was Goss, though the latter admittedly was a bit shocked.
"I was aware our company had made the 'short list' of the final 30 companies in June," Goss said. "When I got the call, ... I was quite surprised. The notification that we were selected made me feel quite proud and honored to receive such a prestigious award."
Iraqi Forces Detain Five Terrorism Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - Acting on warrants issued by Iraqi courts, Iraqi forces arrested five terrorism suspects in recent days, killing another who attacked them while they were serving one of the warrants. Iraqi special operations forces arrested a suspected terrorist wanted on a Ramadi Criminal Court warrant, plus two others who attacked them while they were serving the warrant, in the city of Khaladiyah in Iraq's Anbar province Aug. 24. Another of the attackers was killed.
The targeted suspect -- an Iraqi police officer -- is suspected of killing a senior Iraqi police officer, taking part in the recruiting of terrorists and providing a suicide vest for an attack against Iraqi civilians, officials said. During his arrest, the Iraqi special operations unit came under fire from multiple directions and responded with appropriate force, killing one attacker and wounding another. An Iraqi soldier also was wounded.
In Baghdad on Aug. 23, Iraqi special operations forces, along with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on a warrant issued by the Central Investigative Court of Karkh. The suspect was wanted for kidnapping, murder and attacking Iraqi security forces.
In Iraq's Ninevah province Aug. 22, Iraqi commandos, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on a warrant issued by the Central Investigative Court of Kharakh for suspicion of attacks on Iraqi security forces and facilitating terrorist movement throughout the province.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Aug. 26, 2009 - Acting on warrants issued by Iraqi courts, Iraqi forces arrested five terrorism suspects in recent days, killing another who attacked them while they were serving one of the warrants. Iraqi special operations forces arrested a suspected terrorist wanted on a Ramadi Criminal Court warrant, plus two others who attacked them while they were serving the warrant, in the city of Khaladiyah in Iraq's Anbar province Aug. 24. Another of the attackers was killed.
The targeted suspect -- an Iraqi police officer -- is suspected of killing a senior Iraqi police officer, taking part in the recruiting of terrorists and providing a suicide vest for an attack against Iraqi civilians, officials said. During his arrest, the Iraqi special operations unit came under fire from multiple directions and responded with appropriate force, killing one attacker and wounding another. An Iraqi soldier also was wounded.
In Baghdad on Aug. 23, Iraqi special operations forces, along with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on a warrant issued by the Central Investigative Court of Karkh. The suspect was wanted for kidnapping, murder and attacking Iraqi security forces.
In Iraq's Ninevah province Aug. 22, Iraqi commandos, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on a warrant issued by the Central Investigative Court of Kharakh for suspicion of attacks on Iraqi security forces and facilitating terrorist movement throughout the province.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Leaders Mark Kennedy's Passing With Fond Memories
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - The national security advisor today expressed admiration for Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who succumbed to brain cancer yesterday. Retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, who rose through the ranks to become the Marine commandant and supreme allied commander for Europe, came to know Kennedy years earlier while working as a Senate liaison officer in the early 1980s -- a relationship that greatly contributed to the general's "Washington education," he said.
"I had the opportunity to get to know Sen. Edward Kennedy, who was then a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee," Jones said in a statement. "Senator Kennedy and his staff were among some of the best supporters the Marine Corps ever had on Capitol Hill.
"Despite his many responsibilities, he always made time for me on issues of importance to Marines and their families," he added.
The general's praise is part of a greater outpouring that came when news broke of 77-year-old Kennedy's death. To honor the so-called "Lion of Senate," President Barack Obama today ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and at other public buildings.
Regarding Kennedy's relationship with the military, Jones remembered him as a champion of legislation such as the Goldwater-Nichols act, which vastly reorganized the armed forces as a joint structure, and of military pay reforms, which ushered in the most comprehensive reforms of the military and defense establishment since the end of World War II.
Kennedy deserves to be honored for his genuine care and compassion for American men and women in uniform, which are reflected in the senator's tireless work and voting record on behalf of the military, Jones said.
"While he never shied from challenging our senior military leadership during hundreds of committee hearings, he could always be counted on to be fair and open-minded in letting witnesses like me make our case to the committee and to the American people," he said.
In a presidential proclamation today, Obama characterized Kennedy not only as one of the greatest senators of modern times, but also one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve the nation.
"Over the past half-century, nearly every major piece of legislation that has advanced the civil rights, health, and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts," Obama said in a White House statement. "With his passing, an important chapter in our American story has come to an end."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - The national security advisor today expressed admiration for Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who succumbed to brain cancer yesterday. Retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, who rose through the ranks to become the Marine commandant and supreme allied commander for Europe, came to know Kennedy years earlier while working as a Senate liaison officer in the early 1980s -- a relationship that greatly contributed to the general's "Washington education," he said.
"I had the opportunity to get to know Sen. Edward Kennedy, who was then a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee," Jones said in a statement. "Senator Kennedy and his staff were among some of the best supporters the Marine Corps ever had on Capitol Hill.
"Despite his many responsibilities, he always made time for me on issues of importance to Marines and their families," he added.
The general's praise is part of a greater outpouring that came when news broke of 77-year-old Kennedy's death. To honor the so-called "Lion of Senate," President Barack Obama today ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and at other public buildings.
Regarding Kennedy's relationship with the military, Jones remembered him as a champion of legislation such as the Goldwater-Nichols act, which vastly reorganized the armed forces as a joint structure, and of military pay reforms, which ushered in the most comprehensive reforms of the military and defense establishment since the end of World War II.
Kennedy deserves to be honored for his genuine care and compassion for American men and women in uniform, which are reflected in the senator's tireless work and voting record on behalf of the military, Jones said.
"While he never shied from challenging our senior military leadership during hundreds of committee hearings, he could always be counted on to be fair and open-minded in letting witnesses like me make our case to the committee and to the American people," he said.
In a presidential proclamation today, Obama characterized Kennedy not only as one of the greatest senators of modern times, but also one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve the nation.
"Over the past half-century, nearly every major piece of legislation that has advanced the civil rights, health, and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts," Obama said in a White House statement. "With his passing, an important chapter in our American story has come to an end."
Kennedy to Be Buried at Arlington National Cemetery
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near his brothers, Defense Department officials said here today. Kennedy, who died yesterday after a long battle with brain cancer, is eligible for in-ground interment, officials said. "He served in the Army, and he was an elected official of the U.S. government," an official said, speaking on background. "No [eligibility] waiver was needed."
Kennedy served in the Army from 1951 to 1953. He will be buried near the grave of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. That site is just up the hill from the grave of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The Kennedy family had contacted Arlington National Cemetery officials about arrangements for the 77-year-old senator, officials said.
Arlington National Cemetery is located across the Potomac River from Washington. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknowns and the burial spot for more than 300,000 people. It was established in 1864 on land once owned by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Servicemembers representing all of America's wars rest at Arlington. Those from pre-Civil War conflicts were reinterred there in 1900. The cemetery also is the resting place for fallen servicemembers from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 26, 2009 - Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near his brothers, Defense Department officials said here today. Kennedy, who died yesterday after a long battle with brain cancer, is eligible for in-ground interment, officials said. "He served in the Army, and he was an elected official of the U.S. government," an official said, speaking on background. "No [eligibility] waiver was needed."
Kennedy served in the Army from 1951 to 1953. He will be buried near the grave of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. That site is just up the hill from the grave of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The Kennedy family had contacted Arlington National Cemetery officials about arrangements for the 77-year-old senator, officials said.
Arlington National Cemetery is located across the Potomac River from Washington. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknowns and the burial spot for more than 300,000 people. It was established in 1864 on land once owned by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Servicemembers representing all of America's wars rest at Arlington. Those from pre-Civil War conflicts were reinterred there in 1900. The cemetery also is the resting place for fallen servicemembers from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
MILITARY CONTRACTS August 26, 2009
AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Palmdale, Calif., was awarded a $3.44 billion modified (ceiling increase) contract to increase the ceiling and support the B-2 weapon system, a major program assigned to the program executive office. 702 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the contracting activity (F33657-99-D-0028).
ATK Launch Systems, Inc., Corinne, Utah was awarded a $49,000,000 modified contract for the purchase of the MJU-62/B infrared flare countermeasure. At this time, $25,915,968.99 has been obligated. 784 CBSG/PK. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-09-D-0002).
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $10,250,000 modified contract for one-year of Contractor Logistics Support for the Italian purchase of MQ-9 Reaper aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales program. At this time $5,022,500 has been obligated. 703 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8620-05-G-3028 0058030).
Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Warner Robins, Ga., was awarded a $9,838,299.80 contract for the contractor to perform necessary maintenance on-site and at the heavy maintenance facility in the region; provides for technical assistance and support to the Iraqi Air Force; assists the IqAF in achieving and maintain a 65 precent mission capable rate; maintains the support system; and the contractor will mentor Iraqi technicians toward self-sufficiency (Foreign Military Sales). At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 330 ACSG/GFKA, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8530-08-D-0008-0006).
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $9,618,978 contract to provide Air Force lethal capability analysis and development. At this time $511, 975 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700P03-D-1380, D.O. 0318).
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $2,429,828,879 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for accomplishment of the Refueling Complex overhaul of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). This effort shall provide for the accomplishment of the overhaul, alterations, repair, maintenance, and refueling. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to completed by February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-2107).
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Md., is being awarded a $180,995,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of Walter Reed National Naval Medical Center, support facilities for the Warrior Transition Unit at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda. The work includes the construction of a new Warrior Transition Unit Bachelor Enlisted Quarters/dining/admin facility, physical fitness center, administration facility, parking garage and restoration of National Naval Medical Center Building 17 façade. This contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $196,995,000. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Md., and is expected to be completed by August 2011. 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 13 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N40080-09-C-0018).
The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $25,000,000 not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-3146) to update Annex B of the P-8A system specification to include additional requirement identifiers associated with the Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS)/P-8A interface requirement specification (IRS) in support of the AAS Program. The IRS refines requirements for the integration of the AAS maritime and littoral intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance radar, and the associated special mission cabin equipment on the P-8A aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and is expected to be completed in February 2010. 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.
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded an $18,990,518 delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for the procurement of 38 APG-73 radar expand 4/5 upgrade kits for Marine Corps F/A-18D aircraft. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss., (45 percent); El Segundo, Calif., (35 percent); Andover, Mass., (15 percent); and Dallas, Texas, (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $2,109,799 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Marotta Controls, Inc.*, Montville, N.J., is being awarded a $7,658,936 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0021) for the production of up to 464 pure air generating systems for integration into the LAU-7 missile rail launchers, including associated technical and administrative data. Work will be performed in Montville, N.J., and is expected to be completed in February 2011. 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.
Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Pomona, Calif., is being awarded a $5,708,293 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the furnishing of central atmosphere monitoring systems (CAMS) IIA units, hardware kits, associated engineering services and technical data. The CAMS IIA will serve as the analyzer utilized on the Los Angeles Class (SSN-688) to monitor the breathable atmosphere. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $8,631,856. Work will be performed in Pomona, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Ship System Engineering Station, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N65540-09-C-0018).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $13,952,224 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for adverse terrain forklifts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. 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 Mar. 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0036).
Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Rockford, Mich., is being awarded a maximum $9,329,901 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for safety boots. Other location of performance is Cedar Springs, MI. Using service is Navy. 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 third option year period. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPO100-06-D-0352).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Palmdale, Calif., was awarded a $3.44 billion modified (ceiling increase) contract to increase the ceiling and support the B-2 weapon system, a major program assigned to the program executive office. 702 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the contracting activity (F33657-99-D-0028).
ATK Launch Systems, Inc., Corinne, Utah was awarded a $49,000,000 modified contract for the purchase of the MJU-62/B infrared flare countermeasure. At this time, $25,915,968.99 has been obligated. 784 CBSG/PK. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-09-D-0002).
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $10,250,000 modified contract for one-year of Contractor Logistics Support for the Italian purchase of MQ-9 Reaper aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales program. At this time $5,022,500 has been obligated. 703 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8620-05-G-3028 0058030).
Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Warner Robins, Ga., was awarded a $9,838,299.80 contract for the contractor to perform necessary maintenance on-site and at the heavy maintenance facility in the region; provides for technical assistance and support to the Iraqi Air Force; assists the IqAF in achieving and maintain a 65 precent mission capable rate; maintains the support system; and the contractor will mentor Iraqi technicians toward self-sufficiency (Foreign Military Sales). At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 330 ACSG/GFKA, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8530-08-D-0008-0006).
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $9,618,978 contract to provide Air Force lethal capability analysis and development. At this time $511, 975 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700P03-D-1380, D.O. 0318).
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $2,429,828,879 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for accomplishment of the Refueling Complex overhaul of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). This effort shall provide for the accomplishment of the overhaul, alterations, repair, maintenance, and refueling. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to completed by February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-2107).
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Md., is being awarded a $180,995,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of Walter Reed National Naval Medical Center, support facilities for the Warrior Transition Unit at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda. The work includes the construction of a new Warrior Transition Unit Bachelor Enlisted Quarters/dining/admin facility, physical fitness center, administration facility, parking garage and restoration of National Naval Medical Center Building 17 façade. This contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $196,995,000. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Md., and is expected to be completed by August 2011. 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 13 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N40080-09-C-0018).
The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $25,000,000 not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-3146) to update Annex B of the P-8A system specification to include additional requirement identifiers associated with the Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS)/P-8A interface requirement specification (IRS) in support of the AAS Program. The IRS refines requirements for the integration of the AAS maritime and littoral intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance radar, and the associated special mission cabin equipment on the P-8A aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and is expected to be completed in February 2010. 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.
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded an $18,990,518 delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for the procurement of 38 APG-73 radar expand 4/5 upgrade kits for Marine Corps F/A-18D aircraft. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss., (45 percent); El Segundo, Calif., (35 percent); Andover, Mass., (15 percent); and Dallas, Texas, (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $2,109,799 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Marotta Controls, Inc.*, Montville, N.J., is being awarded a $7,658,936 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0021) for the production of up to 464 pure air generating systems for integration into the LAU-7 missile rail launchers, including associated technical and administrative data. Work will be performed in Montville, N.J., and is expected to be completed in February 2011. 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.
Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Pomona, Calif., is being awarded a $5,708,293 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the furnishing of central atmosphere monitoring systems (CAMS) IIA units, hardware kits, associated engineering services and technical data. The CAMS IIA will serve as the analyzer utilized on the Los Angeles Class (SSN-688) to monitor the breathable atmosphere. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $8,631,856. Work will be performed in Pomona, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Ship System Engineering Station, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N65540-09-C-0018).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $13,952,224 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for adverse terrain forklifts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. 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 Mar. 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0036).
Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Rockford, Mich., is being awarded a maximum $9,329,901 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for safety boots. Other location of performance is Cedar Springs, MI. Using service is Navy. 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 third option year period. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPO100-06-D-0352).
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Vice Chairman Addresses Defense Program Reviews
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Monique Randolph
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed relevance, adaptability and affordability as top concerns for programs ranging from nuclear weapons to satellites during the Space and Missile Defense Conference here Aug. 19. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright emphasized the importance of striking a balance between "the exquisite and good enough," as reviews of several defense programs -- prompted by the new administration -- are under way in Washington.
The Quadrennial Defense Review, Nuclear Posture Review, Ballistic Missile Defense Review and Space Posture Review give defense and government officials a chance to relook at these programs and make sure they are "doing the right things," the general said.
The QDR outlines the national defense strategy for force structure, acquisitions and long-term budget planning. The unique advantage of this QDR is that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stayed on after the administration changed, an unusual but fortunate decision, Cartwright noted. With the United States engaged in two wars and the challenges facing the U.S. and global economies, the secretary's decision cut out much of the acrimony typically associated with QDR discussions.
During his speech, Cartwright posed several questions arising from the review.
"Are the tools that we're procuring relevant to the reality of the wars that we're in and to anybody's best estimate of the wars that we're likely to go to?" he asked. "Is that strategy adaptable? Because if we've learned anything over the last eight years of this conflict, it's that the enemy has a vote in where we're going to go and where this fight's going to go.
"And the third is -- although sometimes it doesn't seem like it when we talk about trillions of dollars -- affordability is a huge issue," he said.
Cartwright also touched on nuclear posture and ballistic missile defense, stating that the current "one-size-fits-all" approach to nuclear deterrence is in question. These strategies have worked for the past 50 years, he said, but the question is whether they will work for the next 50. With emerging threats in North Korea and Iran, and non-nation state actors suxch as al-Qaida and the Taliban, the United States has to ensure nations under its extended deterrence "umbrella" feel secure enough that they don't proliferate nuclear weapons of their own.
The United States must look at its relationships with nations in a different way, encourage neighboring countries to band together to form a regional, extended deterrence construct that is not weapons-of-mass-destruction centric, and convince those nations that there are credible alternatives to nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles for their safety and security, he said.
"These are the kinds of thoughts that we're trying to understand as we start to look at the synergies between the Ballistic Missile Defense Review and the Nuclear Posture Review," Cartwright explained. "How do these things fit together? And it's not one size fits all."
The general tied his three themes to the Space Posture Review as well, underscoring the importance of developing space capabilities similar to current missile defense capabilities, before the United States loses its competitive edge in space.
"Right now, the enemy is imposing cost on us. We react with exquisite, very expensive, long-time-to-discover systems. We've got to turn that around. We've got to be in front of it," Cartwright said. "We've gone the right direction in missile defense. We have proliferated; we have so many choices, the adversaries just plain don't know where to go.
"We've got to do the same with the capabilities we have in space, integrating them across domains, so it doesn't matter what [the enemy does] to my air, ground or my space," he continued. "There's always another answer, and we can adapt faster than you can change."
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Monique Randolph serves in the Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed relevance, adaptability and affordability as top concerns for programs ranging from nuclear weapons to satellites during the Space and Missile Defense Conference here Aug. 19. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright emphasized the importance of striking a balance between "the exquisite and good enough," as reviews of several defense programs -- prompted by the new administration -- are under way in Washington.
The Quadrennial Defense Review, Nuclear Posture Review, Ballistic Missile Defense Review and Space Posture Review give defense and government officials a chance to relook at these programs and make sure they are "doing the right things," the general said.
The QDR outlines the national defense strategy for force structure, acquisitions and long-term budget planning. The unique advantage of this QDR is that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stayed on after the administration changed, an unusual but fortunate decision, Cartwright noted. With the United States engaged in two wars and the challenges facing the U.S. and global economies, the secretary's decision cut out much of the acrimony typically associated with QDR discussions.
During his speech, Cartwright posed several questions arising from the review.
"Are the tools that we're procuring relevant to the reality of the wars that we're in and to anybody's best estimate of the wars that we're likely to go to?" he asked. "Is that strategy adaptable? Because if we've learned anything over the last eight years of this conflict, it's that the enemy has a vote in where we're going to go and where this fight's going to go.
"And the third is -- although sometimes it doesn't seem like it when we talk about trillions of dollars -- affordability is a huge issue," he said.
Cartwright also touched on nuclear posture and ballistic missile defense, stating that the current "one-size-fits-all" approach to nuclear deterrence is in question. These strategies have worked for the past 50 years, he said, but the question is whether they will work for the next 50. With emerging threats in North Korea and Iran, and non-nation state actors suxch as al-Qaida and the Taliban, the United States has to ensure nations under its extended deterrence "umbrella" feel secure enough that they don't proliferate nuclear weapons of their own.
The United States must look at its relationships with nations in a different way, encourage neighboring countries to band together to form a regional, extended deterrence construct that is not weapons-of-mass-destruction centric, and convince those nations that there are credible alternatives to nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles for their safety and security, he said.
"These are the kinds of thoughts that we're trying to understand as we start to look at the synergies between the Ballistic Missile Defense Review and the Nuclear Posture Review," Cartwright explained. "How do these things fit together? And it's not one size fits all."
The general tied his three themes to the Space Posture Review as well, underscoring the importance of developing space capabilities similar to current missile defense capabilities, before the United States loses its competitive edge in space.
"Right now, the enemy is imposing cost on us. We react with exquisite, very expensive, long-time-to-discover systems. We've got to turn that around. We've got to be in front of it," Cartwright said. "We've gone the right direction in missile defense. We have proliferated; we have so many choices, the adversaries just plain don't know where to go.
"We've got to do the same with the capabilities we have in space, integrating them across domains, so it doesn't matter what [the enemy does] to my air, ground or my space," he continued. "There's always another answer, and we can adapt faster than you can change."
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Monique Randolph serves in the Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office.)
Defense Business Board Issues Final NSPS Report
The Defense Business Board delivered its final report last Wednesday on the National Security Personnel System to Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III and Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry, completing an independent review of NSPS, a Department of Defense civilian personnel management system under which more than 200,000 DoD employees currently operate.
"I would like to thank the Defense Business Board task group for their broad and detailed review of the National Security Personnel System" said Lynn. "I look forward to reviewing their report as part of the department's comprehensive review of this important issue. I commend the task group for taking on such a complex and important issue. As we work towards a final decision this fall, I plan to meet with the director of the Office of Personnel Management, senior leaders in the department, and outside stakeholders to discuss the findings and recommendations in the report."
"I also thank the task group for their hard work on the review" said Berry. "I expect this review will provide a thoughtful foundation for our deliberations on the next steps for NSPS."
Lynn also stated that employees currently covered by NSPS will continue to follow existing NSPS regulations, policies, and procedures, and that the moratorium on further conversions of organizations to NSPS will remain in effect.
DoD and the Office of Personnel Management jointly announced the review of NSPS on March 16. A task group of the Defense Business Board was subsequently created in May and, met with union leaders and DoD stakeholders, and conducted two public hearings in June. During the three month period of their review, the task group received more than 900 comments from the public. The task group presented their findings to the full Defense Business Board for deliberation and approval in a public session on July 16, 2009.
The final report is available on the "Reports" page of Defense Business Board Web site at: http://www.defenselink.mil/dbb/2009.html
"I would like to thank the Defense Business Board task group for their broad and detailed review of the National Security Personnel System" said Lynn. "I look forward to reviewing their report as part of the department's comprehensive review of this important issue. I commend the task group for taking on such a complex and important issue. As we work towards a final decision this fall, I plan to meet with the director of the Office of Personnel Management, senior leaders in the department, and outside stakeholders to discuss the findings and recommendations in the report."
"I also thank the task group for their hard work on the review" said Berry. "I expect this review will provide a thoughtful foundation for our deliberations on the next steps for NSPS."
Lynn also stated that employees currently covered by NSPS will continue to follow existing NSPS regulations, policies, and procedures, and that the moratorium on further conversions of organizations to NSPS will remain in effect.
DoD and the Office of Personnel Management jointly announced the review of NSPS on March 16. A task group of the Defense Business Board was subsequently created in May and, met with union leaders and DoD stakeholders, and conducted two public hearings in June. During the three month period of their review, the task group received more than 900 comments from the public. The task group presented their findings to the full Defense Business Board for deliberation and approval in a public session on July 16, 2009.
The final report is available on the "Reports" page of Defense Business Board Web site at: http://www.defenselink.mil/dbb/2009.html
Blog Offers Support to Military Families
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - The Defense Department has launched a blog called "Family Matters" that is dedicated to providing resources and support to military families. The blog – which can be found at http://afps.dodlive.mil – features tips from experts, and military-related topics that run the gamut from deployments and separations to education benefits and child care.
"Our goal is to touch on topics that are important and relevant to military families," said Elaine Wilson, the blog's author and an editor for American Forces Press Service. "Military families confront unique challenges and issues, and we're hoping people can turn to this blog for information and support."
Wilson served for nearly eight years in the active-duty Air Force and three years in the Air Force Reserve before becoming a defense civilian, experience she brings to the blog.
"I remember those early morning PT runs, the late-night calls and the constant juggling of mission and family," she said. "It was tough. I was married to a military member and, one day, became a divorced single parent of two. Balancing that with military life, particularly overseas, presented some tough challenges."
Wilson said she will share many of her stories in hopes of starting a dialog with others who are dealing with the same types of issues. This two-way communication will be vital to the blog's success, she said.
"We read every comment, and respond when appropriate to the person writing in," she said.
Many comments are forwarded to defense experts for response, she said. "A great aspect of this blog is that many readers will have the opportunity to have their comments and ideas viewed by defense officials."
Wilson noted that a recent comment was elevated to the desk of the Army secretary. "A military spouse made some great suggestions and comments, and we felt they could make an impact, so we forwarded them to higher-level officials," she said. "Anyone can make a difference, and it can start with something as simple as a blog comment."
A heartfelt comment can make more of an impact among the blog's readers than the blog entries themselves, Wilson said.
"We had a reader make a comment about suicides among family members," she said. "That sparked other comments on the same topic that offered everything from support to helping resources. I then dedicated a blog to helping resources. It had a positive snowball effect."
The blog has received numerous comments since its launch in early August, including some positive feedback. "Thanks for the new blog, looks great and useful," a comment says. And another: "This is another great resource by [the Defense Department]."
Perhaps most importantly, Wilson said, the blog is aimed at letting people know they're not alone in their everyday struggles.
"Whether dealing with the after-effects of a deployment or the challenges of home life, we're hoping this blog will help create a common bond among military family members," Wilson said. "And also convey the ongoing caring and concern defense officials have for our military families."
Aug. 25, 2009 - The Defense Department has launched a blog called "Family Matters" that is dedicated to providing resources and support to military families. The blog – which can be found at http://afps.dodlive.mil – features tips from experts, and military-related topics that run the gamut from deployments and separations to education benefits and child care.
"Our goal is to touch on topics that are important and relevant to military families," said Elaine Wilson, the blog's author and an editor for American Forces Press Service. "Military families confront unique challenges and issues, and we're hoping people can turn to this blog for information and support."
Wilson served for nearly eight years in the active-duty Air Force and three years in the Air Force Reserve before becoming a defense civilian, experience she brings to the blog.
"I remember those early morning PT runs, the late-night calls and the constant juggling of mission and family," she said. "It was tough. I was married to a military member and, one day, became a divorced single parent of two. Balancing that with military life, particularly overseas, presented some tough challenges."
Wilson said she will share many of her stories in hopes of starting a dialog with others who are dealing with the same types of issues. This two-way communication will be vital to the blog's success, she said.
"We read every comment, and respond when appropriate to the person writing in," she said.
Many comments are forwarded to defense experts for response, she said. "A great aspect of this blog is that many readers will have the opportunity to have their comments and ideas viewed by defense officials."
Wilson noted that a recent comment was elevated to the desk of the Army secretary. "A military spouse made some great suggestions and comments, and we felt they could make an impact, so we forwarded them to higher-level officials," she said. "Anyone can make a difference, and it can start with something as simple as a blog comment."
A heartfelt comment can make more of an impact among the blog's readers than the blog entries themselves, Wilson said.
"We had a reader make a comment about suicides among family members," she said. "That sparked other comments on the same topic that offered everything from support to helping resources. I then dedicated a blog to helping resources. It had a positive snowball effect."
The blog has received numerous comments since its launch in early August, including some positive feedback. "Thanks for the new blog, looks great and useful," a comment says. And another: "This is another great resource by [the Defense Department]."
Perhaps most importantly, Wilson said, the blog is aimed at letting people know they're not alone in their everyday struggles.
"Whether dealing with the after-effects of a deployment or the challenges of home life, we're hoping this blog will help create a common bond among military family members," Wilson said. "And also convey the ongoing caring and concern defense officials have for our military families."
MILITARY CONTRACTS August 25, 2009
AIR FORCE
Aerospace Testing Alliance, Tullahoma, Tenn., was awarded a $199,313,211 modified contract for the operation, maintenance, information management, and support of Arnold Engineering Development Center for FY2010. At this time no funds have been obligated. AEDC contracting office, Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., is the contracting activity. (F40600-03-C-0001)
Azimuth Corporation, Dayton, Ohio was awarded a $49,998,000 contract to conduct hardening and survivability research of sensors against directed energy threat. At this time, $80,000 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 1, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8650-09-D-5434)
Intelligent Software Solutions, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co. was awarded a $8,000,000 contract to leverage the current Joint Forces Command and Control Space Integrated Prototype System to provide a comprehensive suite of services that provide Joint Space Operations Center operators more accurate space situational awareness and support timely decision-making in a net-centric environment. At this time $1,502,106 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 8, Kirtland AFB, NM is the contracting activity. (FA9453-09-D-0355)
NAVY
Aeroflex Wichita, Inc., Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a maximum $40,486,010 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for ground radio maintenance automatic test Systems. A delivery order with a value of $16,344,870 will be issued concurrently with the contract award. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kan., and is expected to be completed in September 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $16,344,870 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded as a result of a full and open competitive solicitation, with three offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-09-D-3002).
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $30,146,172 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical services and supplies for the rapid design, development, customization, manufacturing, fabrication, integration, test and evaluation, installation, certification, maintenance and upgrade, logistics and life cycle support of new and/or existing communication-electronic platform, equipment, systems and subsystems in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Requirements Division. The estimated level of effort for this contract is 346,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in California, Md. (90 percent) and St. Inigoes, Md. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0102).
Core Tech International Corporation, Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded a $13,892,789 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a wastewater collection system upgrade at NAVBASE Guam. The work to be performed is for the design and construction to replace and rehabilitate sewer lift stations and sewer pipelines in the collection system of the Apra Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant (AHWWTP). Antiquated sewage lift stations shall be replaced with new facilities that facilitate operations and maintenance activities. Upgrade facilities to provide increased capacity and system reliability. Pump station controls and emergency generators shall be placed in structures hardened for typhoons. Add supervisory control and data acquisition system that feeds back to the base system at the AHWWTP to all stations. Work will be performed in Agana, Guam, and is expected to be completed by September 2011. 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 six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, is the contracting activity (N62742-09-C-1306).
Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $7,259,305 cost plus incentive fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008) for the continued development of technical data products necessary for the integration of the Comprehensive Automated Maintenance Environment Optimized (CAMEO) System into the V-22 Osprey. The CAMEO will provide an adaptable joint service technical capability that supports continuous integration of technical data and automation of operational, maintenance and logistical processes to improve aircraft readiness and reduce sustainment costs for the war fighter community. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (50 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (40 percent); and New River, N.C. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2010. 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.
Solpac Construction Inc., dba Soltek Pacific Construction Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $5,759,720 for firm-fixed-price task order #0011 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8615) which provides for the construction of an indoor fitness facility and demolition of existing buildings 53302 and 53569, in the Horno (53) Area at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Aerospace Testing Alliance, Tullahoma, Tenn., was awarded a $199,313,211 modified contract for the operation, maintenance, information management, and support of Arnold Engineering Development Center for FY2010. At this time no funds have been obligated. AEDC contracting office, Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., is the contracting activity. (F40600-03-C-0001)
Azimuth Corporation, Dayton, Ohio was awarded a $49,998,000 contract to conduct hardening and survivability research of sensors against directed energy threat. At this time, $80,000 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 1, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8650-09-D-5434)
Intelligent Software Solutions, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co. was awarded a $8,000,000 contract to leverage the current Joint Forces Command and Control Space Integrated Prototype System to provide a comprehensive suite of services that provide Joint Space Operations Center operators more accurate space situational awareness and support timely decision-making in a net-centric environment. At this time $1,502,106 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 8, Kirtland AFB, NM is the contracting activity. (FA9453-09-D-0355)
NAVY
Aeroflex Wichita, Inc., Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a maximum $40,486,010 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for ground radio maintenance automatic test Systems. A delivery order with a value of $16,344,870 will be issued concurrently with the contract award. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kan., and is expected to be completed in September 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $16,344,870 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded as a result of a full and open competitive solicitation, with three offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-09-D-3002).
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $30,146,172 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical services and supplies for the rapid design, development, customization, manufacturing, fabrication, integration, test and evaluation, installation, certification, maintenance and upgrade, logistics and life cycle support of new and/or existing communication-electronic platform, equipment, systems and subsystems in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Requirements Division. The estimated level of effort for this contract is 346,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in California, Md. (90 percent) and St. Inigoes, Md. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0102).
Core Tech International Corporation, Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded a $13,892,789 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a wastewater collection system upgrade at NAVBASE Guam. The work to be performed is for the design and construction to replace and rehabilitate sewer lift stations and sewer pipelines in the collection system of the Apra Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant (AHWWTP). Antiquated sewage lift stations shall be replaced with new facilities that facilitate operations and maintenance activities. Upgrade facilities to provide increased capacity and system reliability. Pump station controls and emergency generators shall be placed in structures hardened for typhoons. Add supervisory control and data acquisition system that feeds back to the base system at the AHWWTP to all stations. Work will be performed in Agana, Guam, and is expected to be completed by September 2011. 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 six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, is the contracting activity (N62742-09-C-1306).
Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $7,259,305 cost plus incentive fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008) for the continued development of technical data products necessary for the integration of the Comprehensive Automated Maintenance Environment Optimized (CAMEO) System into the V-22 Osprey. The CAMEO will provide an adaptable joint service technical capability that supports continuous integration of technical data and automation of operational, maintenance and logistical processes to improve aircraft readiness and reduce sustainment costs for the war fighter community. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (50 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (40 percent); and New River, N.C. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2010. 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.
Solpac Construction Inc., dba Soltek Pacific Construction Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $5,759,720 for firm-fixed-price task order #0011 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8615) which provides for the construction of an indoor fitness facility and demolition of existing buildings 53302 and 53569, in the Horno (53) Area at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Doctors, Scientists Team Up to Improve Wound Care
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - Army Spc. Adonnis Anderson said he knew the pain was coming. After a bomb blew off much of his left forearm in Iraq in 2003, nurses came to his room daily to wash out his wounds. He described the treatment as two minutes of torture. They would swab the open wound as Anderson gritted his teeth and white-knuckle gripped the hospital bed railing.
"On a [pain] scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 15. It hurt really bad," Anderson said.
But the pain was a necessary evil. After being evacuated from the battlefield, Anderson's new fight was against dangerous infections that could destroy his chances of keeping his arm.
Anderson's story is not unique. Many soldiers evacuated from today's war zones suffer complex wounds from their injuries.
Bones are broken, and skin is burned or ripped by searing shrapnel. Mud, metal and fuel are fused into the wound. Harmful bacteria and other organisms are at work in the troops' bodies before they can be carried from the battlefield.
For the first time within the Defense Department, military doctors and scientists are working hand in hand to understand and improve the treatment of these complex wounds.
As part of an overarching, interservice combat wound initiative, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are researching the makeup of complex wounds to help doctors in military hospitals better individualize and chart a course of care.
Dubbed "translational research," this partnership breaks down traditional barriers between the scientists who study the medical intricacies of the wounds and the clinicians who provide the care for the wounded. Now, each supports the work of the other, basically taking the science from "the bench" to the "bedside."
At the core of their work, scientists and doctors hope to discover why some wounds heal and others resist treatment.
Army Col. (Dr.) Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, heads the combat wound initiative program. He said that while two wounds may look similar, they don't always react to treatment the same.
"We were perplexed. Why, when you close one [wound] it heals uneventfully, and when you close the other it has a complication that impairs healing? When by all criteria that we traditionally use you would have expected it to heal," Stojadinovic said.
Since early 2008, Stojadinovic has spearheaded efforts to merge the actions of military and private hospitals to address complex wound care.
He now has a staff of Army and Navy doctors that operates out of Walter Reed's Military Advanced Training Center. They deliver all of the needed specialists to the patients to collaborate on care.
"The nature of battlefield wounds today is complex. These are difficult medical problems that really challenge our creativity, our knowledge base and bring to bear teams," Stojadinovic said. "There's no single individual that can address all the problems that result from blast injuries."
When Stojadinovic decided to add a research arm to his program, he did not have to look far. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology sits right in his back yard, situated on the same complex as Walter Reed.
About a year ago, Stojadinovic began talking with officials at the institute about research that can help doctors decide how to treat a wound and determine when it can be closed without further risk of infection. Many wounded troops are forced to endure several additional operations solely to remove infection. According to officials at the institute, the average soldier with complex wounds takes nine trips to the operating room.
Now, using troops enrolled in clinical trials at Walter Reed, doctors provide the scientists with wound fluids, blood and tissue that otherwise would be discarded. Scientists at the institute study the wound and provide feedback to the attending physicians. Scientists also study metal and other fragments that are taken from the wounds.
Depending on the study, scientists work to determine the number of bacteria in the sample, and characterize them genetically. The degree of bacterial contamination in a wound affects how it heals. Providing doctors with the number and type of bacteria allows them to avoid treatments that won't work and target treatments that will.
Officials also plan to use the data gathered in the studies to develop tools, such as a computer program, that will help doctors make faster, more tailored treatment decisions.
About 150 wounded troops are participating in clinical trials now. Their samples are stored in a repository at the institute of pathology. They are frozen and can be stored indefinitely.
This repository also can be to provide wound data for conflicts generations from now, said Dr. Mina Izadjoo, a microbiologist and the division chief of the wound biology and translational research at the institute.
Besides providing research for the clinical studies and maintaining the repository, Izadjoo's division also tests promising treatments that will advance wound care.
Already, a field deployable "dipstick" kit that can detect types of bacteria in a wound is being tested. This will allow doctors in the combat hospitals to identify which antibiotic to use first, she said.
"The bottom-line goal is [quickly] providing enough background information that leads to faster recovery of the wounded soldiers," she said.
(If you would like to comment on or have questions about this story, contact Fred Baker at fred.baker@osd.mil.)
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - Army Spc. Adonnis Anderson said he knew the pain was coming. After a bomb blew off much of his left forearm in Iraq in 2003, nurses came to his room daily to wash out his wounds. He described the treatment as two minutes of torture. They would swab the open wound as Anderson gritted his teeth and white-knuckle gripped the hospital bed railing.
"On a [pain] scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 15. It hurt really bad," Anderson said.
But the pain was a necessary evil. After being evacuated from the battlefield, Anderson's new fight was against dangerous infections that could destroy his chances of keeping his arm.
Anderson's story is not unique. Many soldiers evacuated from today's war zones suffer complex wounds from their injuries.
Bones are broken, and skin is burned or ripped by searing shrapnel. Mud, metal and fuel are fused into the wound. Harmful bacteria and other organisms are at work in the troops' bodies before they can be carried from the battlefield.
For the first time within the Defense Department, military doctors and scientists are working hand in hand to understand and improve the treatment of these complex wounds.
As part of an overarching, interservice combat wound initiative, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are researching the makeup of complex wounds to help doctors in military hospitals better individualize and chart a course of care.
Dubbed "translational research," this partnership breaks down traditional barriers between the scientists who study the medical intricacies of the wounds and the clinicians who provide the care for the wounded. Now, each supports the work of the other, basically taking the science from "the bench" to the "bedside."
At the core of their work, scientists and doctors hope to discover why some wounds heal and others resist treatment.
Army Col. (Dr.) Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, heads the combat wound initiative program. He said that while two wounds may look similar, they don't always react to treatment the same.
"We were perplexed. Why, when you close one [wound] it heals uneventfully, and when you close the other it has a complication that impairs healing? When by all criteria that we traditionally use you would have expected it to heal," Stojadinovic said.
Since early 2008, Stojadinovic has spearheaded efforts to merge the actions of military and private hospitals to address complex wound care.
He now has a staff of Army and Navy doctors that operates out of Walter Reed's Military Advanced Training Center. They deliver all of the needed specialists to the patients to collaborate on care.
"The nature of battlefield wounds today is complex. These are difficult medical problems that really challenge our creativity, our knowledge base and bring to bear teams," Stojadinovic said. "There's no single individual that can address all the problems that result from blast injuries."
When Stojadinovic decided to add a research arm to his program, he did not have to look far. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology sits right in his back yard, situated on the same complex as Walter Reed.
About a year ago, Stojadinovic began talking with officials at the institute about research that can help doctors decide how to treat a wound and determine when it can be closed without further risk of infection. Many wounded troops are forced to endure several additional operations solely to remove infection. According to officials at the institute, the average soldier with complex wounds takes nine trips to the operating room.
Now, using troops enrolled in clinical trials at Walter Reed, doctors provide the scientists with wound fluids, blood and tissue that otherwise would be discarded. Scientists at the institute study the wound and provide feedback to the attending physicians. Scientists also study metal and other fragments that are taken from the wounds.
Depending on the study, scientists work to determine the number of bacteria in the sample, and characterize them genetically. The degree of bacterial contamination in a wound affects how it heals. Providing doctors with the number and type of bacteria allows them to avoid treatments that won't work and target treatments that will.
Officials also plan to use the data gathered in the studies to develop tools, such as a computer program, that will help doctors make faster, more tailored treatment decisions.
About 150 wounded troops are participating in clinical trials now. Their samples are stored in a repository at the institute of pathology. They are frozen and can be stored indefinitely.
This repository also can be to provide wound data for conflicts generations from now, said Dr. Mina Izadjoo, a microbiologist and the division chief of the wound biology and translational research at the institute.
Besides providing research for the clinical studies and maintaining the repository, Izadjoo's division also tests promising treatments that will advance wound care.
Already, a field deployable "dipstick" kit that can detect types of bacteria in a wound is being tested. This will allow doctors in the combat hospitals to identify which antibiotic to use first, she said.
"The bottom-line goal is [quickly] providing enough background information that leads to faster recovery of the wounded soldiers," she said.
(If you would like to comment on or have questions about this story, contact Fred Baker at fred.baker@osd.mil.)
Business Board Calls for Changes to Personnel System
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - In its final report, a Defense Business Board task group has recommended a "reconstruction" of the National Security Personnel System. Former Deputy Defense Secretary Rudy DeLeon chaired the group. Defense Department officials will use the board's recommendations as they ponder the system's future.
"We'll take the findings of the business board under advisement and study and work toward a decision on NSPS in the fall," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
The system, in place since 2003, must be rebuilt, the report says. "A 'fix' could not address the depth of the systemic problems discovered," according to the report. "The Task Group does not recommend an abolishment of the NSPS because the performance management system that has been created is achieving alignment of employee goals with organizational goals."
Any reconstruction needs to include input from the work force in making the needed changes, the report says.
The task group called on the department to re-establish a "commitment to partnership and collaborating with employees through their unions." It also called on the department to invest in its civilian career work force.
The task group recommended that the Defense Department halt any more transitions from legacy personnel systems to NSPS.
Specifically, the Defense Department must address pay pools and their lack of transparency. The department also must examine pay bands, especially Pay Band 2, which has a large portion of the defense work force. The group said that pay band lacks "clear linkage to career progression."
NSPS is eroding trust between supervisors and employees, the report says. The task group calls on the department to create a "collaborative process for [Defense Department] managers and employees currently in the General Schedule system to design and implement a performance management system that ties individual employee performance goals to organizational goals." Part of this is to explore the replacement of the current General Schedule classification system.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 25, 2009 - In its final report, a Defense Business Board task group has recommended a "reconstruction" of the National Security Personnel System. Former Deputy Defense Secretary Rudy DeLeon chaired the group. Defense Department officials will use the board's recommendations as they ponder the system's future.
"We'll take the findings of the business board under advisement and study and work toward a decision on NSPS in the fall," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
The system, in place since 2003, must be rebuilt, the report says. "A 'fix' could not address the depth of the systemic problems discovered," according to the report. "The Task Group does not recommend an abolishment of the NSPS because the performance management system that has been created is achieving alignment of employee goals with organizational goals."
Any reconstruction needs to include input from the work force in making the needed changes, the report says.
The task group called on the department to re-establish a "commitment to partnership and collaborating with employees through their unions." It also called on the department to invest in its civilian career work force.
The task group recommended that the Defense Department halt any more transitions from legacy personnel systems to NSPS.
Specifically, the Defense Department must address pay pools and their lack of transparency. The department also must examine pay bands, especially Pay Band 2, which has a large portion of the defense work force. The group said that pay band lacks "clear linkage to career progression."
NSPS is eroding trust between supervisors and employees, the report says. The task group calls on the department to create a "collaborative process for [Defense Department] managers and employees currently in the General Schedule system to design and implement a performance management system that ties individual employee performance goals to organizational goals." Part of this is to explore the replacement of the current General Schedule classification system.
Monday, August 24, 2009
MILITARY CONTRACTS August 24, 2009
NAVY
Moffatt & Nichol, Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $100,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineer (A/E) contract for design support services for various waterfront/marine projects covered by the Defense Policy Review Initiative and other projects in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for project engineering documentation, DD 1391s, Design-Build Request for Proposal (RFP) contract documents or Design Bid Build RFP contract documents, technical reports, studies, construction cost estimates, and construction consultation and geotechnical investigations as required for design, analysis and studies. Additionally, the A/E may provide other support services to include post-construction award services, construction surveillance and inspection services, operational and maintenance support information services, and other miscellaneous post-construction award services. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, and work is expected to be completed August 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 four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-09-D-0002).
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $8,098,360 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0010 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of field service representative support for the U.S. Marine Corps in support of the MRAP Cougar vehicles. Work will be performed at Operation Enduring Freedom locations. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $6,526,019 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0004) to exercise an option for the VH-3D Executive Helicopter special progressive aircraft rework. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed in April 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,526,019 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $6,459,897 firm-fixed-price order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) for the procurement and installation of four winglets for two C-40(A) aircrafts. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kan., (50 percent) and Seattle, Wash., (50 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2011. 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.
Canadian Commercial Corp., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada (GDLS-C) London, Ontario, is being awarded a $6,403,087 firm-fixed-priced modification to delivery order #0004 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for procurement of battle damage repair parts to support repair of RG31 MRAP vehicles damaged by improvised explosive devices and similar threats. Work will be performed in London, Ontario, Canada, and is expected to be completed May 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.
Correction: Contract awarded Aug. 21, 2009, to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., Fairfax, Va., for $22,217,150 should have stated the following places of performance as Fairfax, Va., (40 percent); Bellevue, Neb., (20 percent); Waterford, Conn., (9 percent); Manassas, Va., (7 percent); Redlands, Calif., (7 percent), and various other U.S. locations (17 percent).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.,-Marietta, Marietta, Ga., was awarded a $30,202,726 modified contract to purchase the quick engine change assemblies for C/KC/BC/HC/MC-130J aircraft and FMS Norway and India aircraft. At this time $31,972,726 has been obligated. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $7,113,772 contract to provide peculiar spares equipments for forward operating location of the Global Hawk systems program. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 303rd AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-G-3005, D.O. 0011).
ARMY
DTC Engineers & Constructions, LLC, Hamden, Conn., was awarded on Aug. 21, 2009, an $18,966,995 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of the Armed Forces Reserve Center. Work is to be performed in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with an estimated completion date of June 3, 2011. Bids were posted on the World Wide Web with eight (eight) bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0067).
Dean Kurtz Construction Co., Rapid City, S.D., was awarded on Aug. 21, 2009 a $10,434,000 firm-fixed-price contract for access gates/perimeter fence. Work is to be performed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha district, Omaha, N.E., is the contracting activity (W9128F-09-C-0034).
Commonwealth Construction Co., Wilmington, Del.. was awarded on August 21, 2009 a $ 5,098,200 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of C-17 aircrew life support facility. Work is to be performed in Dover Air Force Base, Del., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 21, 2010. Ninety-eight (98) bids were solicited with eleven bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-09-C-0036).
The Boeing Co., St Louise, Mo., was awarded on Aug. 20, 2009, an $8,433,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to change order for the continuation and enhancement of the ground tactical network for the Future Combat Systems. The modification will allow the contractor to execute tasks in relation to developing prime item descriptions, enhancing the common controller, comply with the NATO Standardization Agreement for the Unmanned Aerial System, initiate network management software for added systems, and enhance the transport layer to meet requirement shortfalls from a government complimentary program. Work is to be performed in Saint Louis, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2014. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-C-0724).
BOH Bros Construction Co., LLC, New Orleans, L.A., was awarded on Aug. 20, 2009 a $7,952,381 firm-fixed-price contract for Jefferson Lakefront, Duncan Pump stations breakwater and bridge. Work is to performed in Duncan Pump Stations Jefferson Parrish, L.A., with an estimated completion date of May 4, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, L.A., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-1206).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Davis Aircraft Products, Bohemia, N.Y.*, is being awarded a maximum $6,606,437 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0251).
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co., Mesa, Ariz., is being awarded a maximum $6,556,888 firm fixed price, sole source contract for tail rotor fork assembly parts. Other location of performance is Mesa, Arizona. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Apr. 15, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Huntsville, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., (SPM4A1-09-G-0004-ZB03).
Voto Manufacturers Sales Co., Steubenville, Ohio*, is being awarded a maximum $6,386,873 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. Other location of performance is Lexington, Tenn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is August 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0258).
Caterpillar Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $5,983,632 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for dump trucks. Other location of performance is Decatur, Illinois. Using service is Navy. There were originally four proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is May 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0059-0346).
Peerless Chain Co., Portsmouth, R.I.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,606,201 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. Other location of performance is Winona, Minn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is August 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0250).
Moffatt & Nichol, Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $100,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineer (A/E) contract for design support services for various waterfront/marine projects covered by the Defense Policy Review Initiative and other projects in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for project engineering documentation, DD 1391s, Design-Build Request for Proposal (RFP) contract documents or Design Bid Build RFP contract documents, technical reports, studies, construction cost estimates, and construction consultation and geotechnical investigations as required for design, analysis and studies. Additionally, the A/E may provide other support services to include post-construction award services, construction surveillance and inspection services, operational and maintenance support information services, and other miscellaneous post-construction award services. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, and work is expected to be completed August 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 four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-09-D-0002).
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $8,098,360 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0010 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of field service representative support for the U.S. Marine Corps in support of the MRAP Cougar vehicles. Work will be performed at Operation Enduring Freedom locations. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $6,526,019 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-07-D-0004) to exercise an option for the VH-3D Executive Helicopter special progressive aircraft rework. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed in April 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,526,019 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Kent, Wash., is being awarded a $6,459,897 firm-fixed-price order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) for the procurement and installation of four winglets for two C-40(A) aircrafts. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kan., (50 percent) and Seattle, Wash., (50 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2011. 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.
Canadian Commercial Corp., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada (GDLS-C) London, Ontario, is being awarded a $6,403,087 firm-fixed-priced modification to delivery order #0004 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for procurement of battle damage repair parts to support repair of RG31 MRAP vehicles damaged by improvised explosive devices and similar threats. Work will be performed in London, Ontario, Canada, and is expected to be completed May 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.
Correction: Contract awarded Aug. 21, 2009, to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., Fairfax, Va., for $22,217,150 should have stated the following places of performance as Fairfax, Va., (40 percent); Bellevue, Neb., (20 percent); Waterford, Conn., (9 percent); Manassas, Va., (7 percent); Redlands, Calif., (7 percent), and various other U.S. locations (17 percent).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.,-Marietta, Marietta, Ga., was awarded a $30,202,726 modified contract to purchase the quick engine change assemblies for C/KC/BC/HC/MC-130J aircraft and FMS Norway and India aircraft. At this time $31,972,726 has been obligated. Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8625-06-C-6456).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $7,113,772 contract to provide peculiar spares equipments for forward operating location of the Global Hawk systems program. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. 303rd AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-G-3005, D.O. 0011).
ARMY
DTC Engineers & Constructions, LLC, Hamden, Conn., was awarded on Aug. 21, 2009, an $18,966,995 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of the Armed Forces Reserve Center. Work is to be performed in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with an estimated completion date of June 3, 2011. Bids were posted on the World Wide Web with eight (eight) bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0067).
Dean Kurtz Construction Co., Rapid City, S.D., was awarded on Aug. 21, 2009 a $10,434,000 firm-fixed-price contract for access gates/perimeter fence. Work is to be performed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha district, Omaha, N.E., is the contracting activity (W9128F-09-C-0034).
Commonwealth Construction Co., Wilmington, Del.. was awarded on August 21, 2009 a $ 5,098,200 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of C-17 aircrew life support facility. Work is to be performed in Dover Air Force Base, Del., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 21, 2010. Ninety-eight (98) bids were solicited with eleven bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-09-C-0036).
The Boeing Co., St Louise, Mo., was awarded on Aug. 20, 2009, an $8,433,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to change order for the continuation and enhancement of the ground tactical network for the Future Combat Systems. The modification will allow the contractor to execute tasks in relation to developing prime item descriptions, enhancing the common controller, comply with the NATO Standardization Agreement for the Unmanned Aerial System, initiate network management software for added systems, and enhance the transport layer to meet requirement shortfalls from a government complimentary program. Work is to be performed in Saint Louis, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2014. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-C-0724).
BOH Bros Construction Co., LLC, New Orleans, L.A., was awarded on Aug. 20, 2009 a $7,952,381 firm-fixed-price contract for Jefferson Lakefront, Duncan Pump stations breakwater and bridge. Work is to performed in Duncan Pump Stations Jefferson Parrish, L.A., with an estimated completion date of May 4, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, L.A., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-1206).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Davis Aircraft Products, Bohemia, N.Y.*, is being awarded a maximum $6,606,437 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0251).
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co., Mesa, Ariz., is being awarded a maximum $6,556,888 firm fixed price, sole source contract for tail rotor fork assembly parts. Other location of performance is Mesa, Arizona. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Apr. 15, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Huntsville, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., (SPM4A1-09-G-0004-ZB03).
Voto Manufacturers Sales Co., Steubenville, Ohio*, is being awarded a maximum $6,386,873 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. Other location of performance is Lexington, Tenn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is August 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0258).
Caterpillar Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $5,983,632 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for dump trucks. Other location of performance is Decatur, Illinois. Using service is Navy. There were originally four proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is May 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0059-0346).
Peerless Chain Co., Portsmouth, R.I.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,606,201 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for cargo tie down chain assemblies. Other location of performance is Winona, Minn. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is August 23, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM4A7-09-D-0250).
Requirements, Cost Control Drive Acquisition Reform
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 24, 2009 - As Defense Department officials overhaul the Pentagon's acquisition system, they're asking warfighters to define exactly what they need, then holding industry to more fixed-price contracts to develop those capabilities, a senior defense official told American Forces Press Service. Shay Assad, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and technology, cited two problems that have long plagued the defense acquisition system. Expectations were set so high -- and contracts written accordingly -- that systems took longer than expected to develop. Meanwhile, costs escalated, with the Defense Department left to pick up the bulk of the additional charges.
Both practices are coming to a halt as the Pentagon changes the way it does business. The goal, Assad said, is to be more responsive to warfighters' needs and better stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Warfighter requirements always will trump in the acquisition effort, Assad said. "We want our warfighters to have the overwhelming technological superiority. We want them to have every advantage they can possible have," he said. "We do not want this to be a fair fight."
But too often in the Pentagon's drive to provide that superior capability, "we push the technical envelope too far," he acknowledged.
"We are expecting too much, instead of being realistic about what we can achieve in the near term and getting that to the field," he said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told Congress earlier this year the Pentagon too often makes the perfect the enemy of the good. Gates said the department needs to be more willing to settle for the "75-percent solution" that gets capability into warfighters' hands faster, than always waiting for a near-perfect system.
Therefore, officials are looking to the experts -- the warfighters themselves -- to define exactly what they need.
"Bringing warfighters into the decision-making process that drives acquisition is "a big change," Assad said. "We're very focused on working with the warfighters, and there's a significant amount of interchange," he added.
The dialog promotes a better understanding of what capabilities are available now and can be delivered in the short-term, and which requirements have no present-day solutions and will take longer to meet, Assad said.
Warfighters get to identify, for example, when the 75-percent solution that's deliverable within two years will work until the 100-percent solution will be ready in about seven years.
"Our warfighters sometimes get frustrated because of the length of time it takes to design, develop and field a system," Assad said. "And when we look back on it, the reason that happens is because we did not do as good a job as we should have up front, defining what we need, or making sure that the technologies exist to meet that requirement. So this is a big step forward in being more responsive to warfighters' needs."
Meanwhile, the department is keeping no-bid contracts to a minimum to increase competition. And in awarding contracts, it's helping to prevent cost overruns through better up-front cost estimates and more fixed-price development programs.
Assad conceded that fixed-price contracts aren't suitable for every program, and that it is nearly impossible to estimate precisely how much every development program will cost. But getting a better handle of costs at the beginning of the development process will reduce expensive surprises later in the process, he explained.
"So when we say something is going to cost $50 million, we will be comfortable that it is going to be in that range somewhere -- not $300 million," he said.
Fixed-price contracts, with payouts tied to performance, will make contractors closer partners in ensuring programs proceed on schedule and on budget, Assad said.
President Barack Obama emphasized the importance of these and other acquisition reforms under way during an address last week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.
"Every dollar wasted in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to care for our troops or protect America or prepare for the future," the president said. "We cannot build the 21st-century military we need and maintain the fiscal responsibility that America demands unless we fundamentally reform the way our Defense Department does business. It's a simple fact."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 24, 2009 - As Defense Department officials overhaul the Pentagon's acquisition system, they're asking warfighters to define exactly what they need, then holding industry to more fixed-price contracts to develop those capabilities, a senior defense official told American Forces Press Service. Shay Assad, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and technology, cited two problems that have long plagued the defense acquisition system. Expectations were set so high -- and contracts written accordingly -- that systems took longer than expected to develop. Meanwhile, costs escalated, with the Defense Department left to pick up the bulk of the additional charges.
Both practices are coming to a halt as the Pentagon changes the way it does business. The goal, Assad said, is to be more responsive to warfighters' needs and better stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Warfighter requirements always will trump in the acquisition effort, Assad said. "We want our warfighters to have the overwhelming technological superiority. We want them to have every advantage they can possible have," he said. "We do not want this to be a fair fight."
But too often in the Pentagon's drive to provide that superior capability, "we push the technical envelope too far," he acknowledged.
"We are expecting too much, instead of being realistic about what we can achieve in the near term and getting that to the field," he said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told Congress earlier this year the Pentagon too often makes the perfect the enemy of the good. Gates said the department needs to be more willing to settle for the "75-percent solution" that gets capability into warfighters' hands faster, than always waiting for a near-perfect system.
Therefore, officials are looking to the experts -- the warfighters themselves -- to define exactly what they need.
"Bringing warfighters into the decision-making process that drives acquisition is "a big change," Assad said. "We're very focused on working with the warfighters, and there's a significant amount of interchange," he added.
The dialog promotes a better understanding of what capabilities are available now and can be delivered in the short-term, and which requirements have no present-day solutions and will take longer to meet, Assad said.
Warfighters get to identify, for example, when the 75-percent solution that's deliverable within two years will work until the 100-percent solution will be ready in about seven years.
"Our warfighters sometimes get frustrated because of the length of time it takes to design, develop and field a system," Assad said. "And when we look back on it, the reason that happens is because we did not do as good a job as we should have up front, defining what we need, or making sure that the technologies exist to meet that requirement. So this is a big step forward in being more responsive to warfighters' needs."
Meanwhile, the department is keeping no-bid contracts to a minimum to increase competition. And in awarding contracts, it's helping to prevent cost overruns through better up-front cost estimates and more fixed-price development programs.
Assad conceded that fixed-price contracts aren't suitable for every program, and that it is nearly impossible to estimate precisely how much every development program will cost. But getting a better handle of costs at the beginning of the development process will reduce expensive surprises later in the process, he explained.
"So when we say something is going to cost $50 million, we will be comfortable that it is going to be in that range somewhere -- not $300 million," he said.
Fixed-price contracts, with payouts tied to performance, will make contractors closer partners in ensuring programs proceed on schedule and on budget, Assad said.
President Barack Obama emphasized the importance of these and other acquisition reforms under way during an address last week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.
"Every dollar wasted in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to care for our troops or protect America or prepare for the future," the president said. "We cannot build the 21st-century military we need and maintain the fiscal responsibility that America demands unless we fundamentally reform the way our Defense Department does business. It's a simple fact."
Police Department Earns Award for Troop Support
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 24, 2009 - The Santa Ana, Calif., police department will receive the Defense Department's top employer-support award for providing exceptional financial and emotional support to its employees who deploy as National Guard or Reserve members. The police department provides its deployed members with differential pay and continued family health benefits, among other accommodations that go beyond what the law requires.
For example, military liaisons stay in touch with deployed employees to let them know what's happening back at the department and to see if they need anything, Cmdr. Bill Nimmo said.
The department recognizes its employees' military service through newsletters, photographs and prominent display cases throughout the station. In addition, policies are in place to guide supervisors and servicemember employees during the reintegration process when citizen-soldiers return to their police jobs.
Nimmo said the relationship between the department and the military often starts well before a reservist or National Guard member is even on the payroll.
"It starts off in our recruiting process," he said, explaining that department officials specifically look to hire military members. "We go to different bases and places where military people are going to be to recruit military people, because we like to have them for law enforcement," he said.
Servicemembers often make ideal candidates for employment in law enforcement, he explained, because their military background instills a sense of discipline and the ability to work with others on a team, he said.
"In the military, you work as a team, and in the police department we work as a team," he said. "We can't get anything accomplished without each other." Many police officers who have military experience also come to the job with vital training as supervisors or managers, he added.
Of course, the parallels between the natures of the two jobs don't end there.
"A lot of [police officers with military experience] are used to coming under stressful situations," he said. "So if you can perform in that environment, it also helps out here, because a lot of times our jobs -- especially out in the field -- can be stressful."
But department officials also understand the military portion of the phrase "citizen-soldier," and willingly accommodate employees with dual duties.
"Once they do get in the system, we want them to feel like they're able to fulfill their Reserve or National Guard obligation, but at the same time to know that their job here is still safe," he said.
The Santa Ana Police Department will receive the Freedom Award along with 14 other employers in a ceremony here next month. The Freedom Award, instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, recognizes exceptional support from the employer community.
"We were very proud to receive it," Nimmo said. "We were happy that the efforts that we put forward were recognized by someone, and [that] they thought what we did was valuable and good."
In supporting the department's servicemember employees, Nimmo added, officials strive to remove one worry from what can sometimes be a lengthy list.
"We try to take the worry away from them about their job here – they have a job when they get back, and they'll be eligible for promotion or opportunities," he said. "We just try to keep this as one less worry for them."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 24, 2009 - The Santa Ana, Calif., police department will receive the Defense Department's top employer-support award for providing exceptional financial and emotional support to its employees who deploy as National Guard or Reserve members. The police department provides its deployed members with differential pay and continued family health benefits, among other accommodations that go beyond what the law requires.
For example, military liaisons stay in touch with deployed employees to let them know what's happening back at the department and to see if they need anything, Cmdr. Bill Nimmo said.
The department recognizes its employees' military service through newsletters, photographs and prominent display cases throughout the station. In addition, policies are in place to guide supervisors and servicemember employees during the reintegration process when citizen-soldiers return to their police jobs.
Nimmo said the relationship between the department and the military often starts well before a reservist or National Guard member is even on the payroll.
"It starts off in our recruiting process," he said, explaining that department officials specifically look to hire military members. "We go to different bases and places where military people are going to be to recruit military people, because we like to have them for law enforcement," he said.
Servicemembers often make ideal candidates for employment in law enforcement, he explained, because their military background instills a sense of discipline and the ability to work with others on a team, he said.
"In the military, you work as a team, and in the police department we work as a team," he said. "We can't get anything accomplished without each other." Many police officers who have military experience also come to the job with vital training as supervisors or managers, he added.
Of course, the parallels between the natures of the two jobs don't end there.
"A lot of [police officers with military experience] are used to coming under stressful situations," he said. "So if you can perform in that environment, it also helps out here, because a lot of times our jobs -- especially out in the field -- can be stressful."
But department officials also understand the military portion of the phrase "citizen-soldier," and willingly accommodate employees with dual duties.
"Once they do get in the system, we want them to feel like they're able to fulfill their Reserve or National Guard obligation, but at the same time to know that their job here is still safe," he said.
The Santa Ana Police Department will receive the Freedom Award along with 14 other employers in a ceremony here next month. The Freedom Award, instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, recognizes exceptional support from the employer community.
"We were very proud to receive it," Nimmo said. "We were happy that the efforts that we put forward were recognized by someone, and [that] they thought what we did was valuable and good."
In supporting the department's servicemember employees, Nimmo added, officials strive to remove one worry from what can sometimes be a lengthy list.
"We try to take the worry away from them about their job here – they have a job when they get back, and they'll be eligible for promotion or opportunities," he said. "We just try to keep this as one less worry for them."
VA Simplifies Compensation Rules for Post-traumatic Stress
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 24, 2009 - The Veterans Affairs Department is taking steps to help veterans seeking compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today. "The hidden wounds of war are being addressed vigorously and comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its transformation to the 21st century," Shinseki said.
VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register to make it easier for a veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by reducing the evidence needed if the stressor claimed is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted over the next 60 days, and a final regulation will be published after consideration of all comments received, VA officials said.
Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.
Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a noncombat veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile military activity. This rule would simplify the development that is required for these cases, officials explained.
PTSD is a recognized anxiety disorder that can follow seeing or experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to which a person responds with intense fear, helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon in war. Feelings of fear, confusion or anger often subside, officials noted, but if the feelings don't go away or get worse, a veteran may have PTSD.
VA is bolstering its mental health capacity to serve combat veterans, adding thousands of new professionals in the last four years. The department also has established a toll-free suicide prevention helpline -- 1-800-273-TALK -- and has a Web site available for online chat in the evenings at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/.
(From a Department of Veterans Affairs news release.)
Aug. 24, 2009 - The Veterans Affairs Department is taking steps to help veterans seeking compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today. "The hidden wounds of war are being addressed vigorously and comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its transformation to the 21st century," Shinseki said.
VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register to make it easier for a veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by reducing the evidence needed if the stressor claimed is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted over the next 60 days, and a final regulation will be published after consideration of all comments received, VA officials said.
Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.
Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a noncombat veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile military activity. This rule would simplify the development that is required for these cases, officials explained.
PTSD is a recognized anxiety disorder that can follow seeing or experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to which a person responds with intense fear, helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon in war. Feelings of fear, confusion or anger often subside, officials noted, but if the feelings don't go away or get worse, a veteran may have PTSD.
VA is bolstering its mental health capacity to serve combat veterans, adding thousands of new professionals in the last four years. The department also has established a toll-free suicide prevention helpline -- 1-800-273-TALK -- and has a Web site available for online chat in the evenings at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/.
(From a Department of Veterans Affairs news release.)
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