By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be the Defense Department's chief financial officer said his first priority, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, will be to review the department's fiscal 2009 supplemental budget request and the fiscal 2010 budget request. Robert Hale, who served as the Air Force comptroller in the Clinton administration, said his top priority will be to help the department obtain the necessary resources to meet the country's national security objectives. Hale was among four nominees to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.
"At a time when we have tens of thousands of Americans serving overseas and in harm's way, we all need to work together to be sure they have the resources that they need," Hale said.
Part of finding those resources will be ensuring the department does not waste taxpayer money. His job has the authority and responsibility for overseeing defense financial management and financial operations.
"We need to make continued improvements in how we pay our people and how we pay our vendors," he said. "We need to improve financial systems and improve the way we account for funds in the department."
Hale said this is crucial to continued progress toward auditable financial statements.
"The department also needs better financial information in order to spend the dollars that are appropriated to it efficiently and effectively," he said. "I think wise spending of defense dollars is always important, but it's especially important right now as the nation weathers this really serious economic crisis."
Hale, who served in the Navy on active duty and in reserves, said personnel is another priority.
"The department must have a capable and well-trained work force in order to accomplish defense financial management," he said. "We can have the best systems in the world. We can have the best accounting practices. If we don't have the people out there that are well-trained and in adequate numbers, it's not going to work."
If confirmed, he said, he plans to support the military departments and the agencies as they recruit, train and retain the right defense financial management work force.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
President Praises Troops, Cites Accomplishments in Farewell Speech
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - President George W. Bush singled out military members for their selfless service and cited his administration's accomplishments over the past eight years during his farewell address to the nation. America owes a debt of gratitude to all its citizens who volunteer to defend the nation in this time of danger, Bush said tonight from the White House.
"I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families," he said. "And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your commander in chief."
Bush delivered the country's best wishes to his successor President-elect Barack Obama and his family, calling the inauguration of the first African-American president a chance for the world to see the vitality of American democracy.
"This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation," the president said.
Bush remarked on the central event of his presidency -- the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed 3,000 Americans.
"I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock," he said. "I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93.
"I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost," he said. "And I still carry his badge."
For most Americans, life was able to return to normal, but his never did, the president said. "Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation," he said. "And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe."
Bush spoke of the accomplishments that grew out of 9/11 including the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, the transformation of the military and improved cooperation among intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
"Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances and break up their plots," he said. "And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them."
Soon after the 9/11 attacks, coalition forces went into Afghanistan to eliminate the safe havens from which al-Qaida terrorists planned, trained for and financed the attacks.
"Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al-Qaida and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school," Bush said.
U.S. forces also participated in providing freedom to millions of Iraqis who lived under a brutal dictatorship. The country was once a sworn enemy of America, but is now "an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States," the president said.
Bush admitted that there is legitimate debate about many of his decisions. "But there can be little debate about the results," he said.
"America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil," he continued. "This is a tribute to those who toil day and night to keep us safe -- law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States armed forces."
The president said the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan are part of a larger ideological conflict between two radically differing visions of the future.
"Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience and marks unbelievers for murder," he said. "The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God and that liberty and justice light the path to peace."
Advancing the belief in freedom and justice is the only way for America to defend itself, Bush said. "When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror," he said. "When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism."
He may have done some things differently, Bush said. "Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind," he said. "I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
The president said terrorism remains the greatest threat to the United States.
"Our enemies are patient and determined to strike again," he said. "America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard."
America must continue to engage with the nations of the world and reject isolationism and protectionism, he said. Retreating would only invite danger.
"In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad," he said. "If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led."
America must maintain its moral clarity in the future. "I have often spoken to you about good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable," he said. "But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right.
"This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace," the president said.
Even in tough times, Bush remains optimistic because he has faith in Americans.
He spoke of Marine Staff Sgt. Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines, and of Dr. Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California.
"His son Nathan, a Marine, gave his life in Iraq," Bush said. "When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son."
Krissoff was 60 years old - 18 years above the age limit -- but his petition for a waiver was granted. "For the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine," the president said. Now a lieutenant commander, he soon will deploy to Iraq where he will help save America's wounded warriors and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.
"In citizens like these, we see the best of our country -- resilient and hopeful, caring and strong," the president said. "These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there is more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - President George W. Bush singled out military members for their selfless service and cited his administration's accomplishments over the past eight years during his farewell address to the nation. America owes a debt of gratitude to all its citizens who volunteer to defend the nation in this time of danger, Bush said tonight from the White House.
"I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families," he said. "And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your commander in chief."
Bush delivered the country's best wishes to his successor President-elect Barack Obama and his family, calling the inauguration of the first African-American president a chance for the world to see the vitality of American democracy.
"This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation," the president said.
Bush remarked on the central event of his presidency -- the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed 3,000 Americans.
"I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock," he said. "I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93.
"I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost," he said. "And I still carry his badge."
For most Americans, life was able to return to normal, but his never did, the president said. "Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation," he said. "And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe."
Bush spoke of the accomplishments that grew out of 9/11 including the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, the transformation of the military and improved cooperation among intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
"Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances and break up their plots," he said. "And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them."
Soon after the 9/11 attacks, coalition forces went into Afghanistan to eliminate the safe havens from which al-Qaida terrorists planned, trained for and financed the attacks.
"Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al-Qaida and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school," Bush said.
U.S. forces also participated in providing freedom to millions of Iraqis who lived under a brutal dictatorship. The country was once a sworn enemy of America, but is now "an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States," the president said.
Bush admitted that there is legitimate debate about many of his decisions. "But there can be little debate about the results," he said.
"America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil," he continued. "This is a tribute to those who toil day and night to keep us safe -- law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States armed forces."
The president said the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan are part of a larger ideological conflict between two radically differing visions of the future.
"Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience and marks unbelievers for murder," he said. "The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God and that liberty and justice light the path to peace."
Advancing the belief in freedom and justice is the only way for America to defend itself, Bush said. "When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror," he said. "When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism."
He may have done some things differently, Bush said. "Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind," he said. "I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
The president said terrorism remains the greatest threat to the United States.
"Our enemies are patient and determined to strike again," he said. "America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard."
America must continue to engage with the nations of the world and reject isolationism and protectionism, he said. Retreating would only invite danger.
"In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad," he said. "If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led."
America must maintain its moral clarity in the future. "I have often spoken to you about good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable," he said. "But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right.
"This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace," the president said.
Even in tough times, Bush remains optimistic because he has faith in Americans.
He spoke of Marine Staff Sgt. Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines, and of Dr. Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California.
"His son Nathan, a Marine, gave his life in Iraq," Bush said. "When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son."
Krissoff was 60 years old - 18 years above the age limit -- but his petition for a waiver was granted. "For the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine," the president said. Now a lieutenant commander, he soon will deploy to Iraq where he will help save America's wounded warriors and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.
"In citizens like these, we see the best of our country -- resilient and hopeful, caring and strong," the president said. "These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there is more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail."
New Central Command Unit Makes It Tough to be a Pirate
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - A new patrol in the U.S. Central Command is working to make it unprofitable to be a pirate, the commander of U.S. Navy Central Command and 5th Fleet said today. Acts of piracy have "spiked" off the coast of Somalia with merchant vessels and crews being held for millions in ransom by pirates using AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ladders to take "low and slow" ships traversing one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
The pirates come from a clan based on the northern coast of Somalia, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said, and they are in it for the money.
"The problem of piracy started ashore," the admiral said during a Pentagon news conference. "It's because there is no rule of law. There isn't a government. There isn't economic stability. There isn't a court system that will hold these criminals responsible for their actions."
Without a penalty for the Somalis, these clansmen -- who are normally fishermen -- took to piracy.
"As commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, I directed the establishment of the Maritime Security Patrol Area," Gortney said.
Coalition ships and aircraft patrol the area, but it is a complex operation, and task forces already in place had an existing counterterrorism mission. As a solution, Gortney established Combined Task Force 151 to conduct counter-piracy operations. Nations that are members of the task force "will bring their collective capabilities to bear to deter, to disrupt and eventually to bring to justice these maritime criminals," he said.
The coalition group works with all concerned nations to deter the pirates and it has had some success. "I think, it's really a fascinating story to watch unfold as, at this point, 14 nations have sent their navies to work against this destabilizing activity," he said.
This includes Russia and China, which are primarily escorting their own national flag vessels. "That allows us to go focus elsewhere with the rest of the ships that are down there," Gortney said.
The efforts against piracy focused on three areas: bringing in more international forces, working with the shipping industry to put in place defenses to prevent pirates from successfully getting onboard their vessel, and finding a way to deal with the pirates legally.
"When we capture a pirate, where do we take him? Where do we hold him? What court system tries him and holds him?" Gortney asked.
"When the activity spiked in the middle of August, we knew ... our current process wasn't working, and we had to take a new look at it," the admiral said.
And it is working. In the last six weeks there have been only four successful piracy attacks, the admiral said.
"Dis-incentivizing piracy" is what Gortney calls the missing piece. "The State Department is close on finalizing an agreement with one of the nations out there," he said. "And once we get that authority, then we're going to change my orders."
The orders to the coalition now are to disrupt and deter, but not capture, pirates. "But once we get the authorities, my orders will change to disrupt, deter and capture, and try and hold them accountable for their actions," he said.
"We have to make it unpleasant to be a pirate, and that's where, when we can capture them and try them and hold them accountable for their actions," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - A new patrol in the U.S. Central Command is working to make it unprofitable to be a pirate, the commander of U.S. Navy Central Command and 5th Fleet said today. Acts of piracy have "spiked" off the coast of Somalia with merchant vessels and crews being held for millions in ransom by pirates using AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ladders to take "low and slow" ships traversing one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
The pirates come from a clan based on the northern coast of Somalia, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said, and they are in it for the money.
"The problem of piracy started ashore," the admiral said during a Pentagon news conference. "It's because there is no rule of law. There isn't a government. There isn't economic stability. There isn't a court system that will hold these criminals responsible for their actions."
Without a penalty for the Somalis, these clansmen -- who are normally fishermen -- took to piracy.
"As commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, I directed the establishment of the Maritime Security Patrol Area," Gortney said.
Coalition ships and aircraft patrol the area, but it is a complex operation, and task forces already in place had an existing counterterrorism mission. As a solution, Gortney established Combined Task Force 151 to conduct counter-piracy operations. Nations that are members of the task force "will bring their collective capabilities to bear to deter, to disrupt and eventually to bring to justice these maritime criminals," he said.
The coalition group works with all concerned nations to deter the pirates and it has had some success. "I think, it's really a fascinating story to watch unfold as, at this point, 14 nations have sent their navies to work against this destabilizing activity," he said.
This includes Russia and China, which are primarily escorting their own national flag vessels. "That allows us to go focus elsewhere with the rest of the ships that are down there," Gortney said.
The efforts against piracy focused on three areas: bringing in more international forces, working with the shipping industry to put in place defenses to prevent pirates from successfully getting onboard their vessel, and finding a way to deal with the pirates legally.
"When we capture a pirate, where do we take him? Where do we hold him? What court system tries him and holds him?" Gortney asked.
"When the activity spiked in the middle of August, we knew ... our current process wasn't working, and we had to take a new look at it," the admiral said.
And it is working. In the last six weeks there have been only four successful piracy attacks, the admiral said.
"Dis-incentivizing piracy" is what Gortney calls the missing piece. "The State Department is close on finalizing an agreement with one of the nations out there," he said. "And once we get that authority, then we're going to change my orders."
The orders to the coalition now are to disrupt and deter, but not capture, pirates. "But once we get the authorities, my orders will change to disrupt, deter and capture, and try and hold them accountable for their actions," he said.
"We have to make it unpleasant to be a pirate, and that's where, when we can capture them and try them and hold them accountable for their actions," he said.
Future Officers to Render First Salutes to Obama in Inaugural Parade
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Cadets and midshipmen from the service academies will converge in Annapolis, Md., tomorrow to make final preparations before marching in the inaugural parade to pay tribute to the commander in chief they will serve as future officers. The U.S. Naval Academy will host cadets from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., in the days leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration.
On Inauguration Day, they'll lead the military formations marching down the 1.5-mile parade route stretching from the Capitol building to the White House, pausing to render a salute to President Barack Obama as they pass the reviewing stand.
Cadet 1st Class Tim Black, who will lead the Air Force Academy's Cadet Squadron 4 down Pennsylvania Avenue, said he's overwhelmed at the chance to salute the new commander in chief.
"There he will be, looking at his future troops, and I am going to be working for him for as long as he is in office," Black said. "I can't even begin to express how much of an honor it is to be able to actually salute the guy who will be overall in charge of us."
"It's absolutely amazing to know that we'll be there, getting a chance to see very highest echelon of command face to face," agreed Midshipman 1st Class Whitney Reese, a fourth-year Naval Academy student to graduate in May. "Everyone is excited about this. It is a real opportunity."
Reese will be following a family tradition when she marches in Obama's inaugural parade. Her father, a member of the academy's Class of 1982, marched in President Ronald Reagan's inaugural parade in 1981. "He said it was really cold, and that he sat on the bus for hours," she said. "But he also said how great it was and how he will never forget it."
Members of the company-size academy marching elements said they're excited about the opportunity to be a part of history in the making.
Cadet 1st Class Johann Fladeboe, commander of the West Point Honor Guard, has led his fellow cadets in myriad high-visibility events. "But this by far the biggest thing we have ever done, and being a part of it is huge," he said.
West Point, the oldest of the military academies, will be the first military marching unit to march the parade route. Fladeboe will carry the West Point guidon, marching directly behind Sally White, the corps of cadets' deputy commander.
Cadet 1st Class Tamara Abraham of West Point's class of 2009 said she's bursting with pride at the prospect of leading the parade -- both as an African-American and as a future Army officer.
"This is a historical event, and the whole nation and the world will be watching this," she said. "West Point has done a lot for me, so it's great to have the opportunity to represent West Point in this historical event."
At the Air Force Academy, many members of Cadet Squadron 4 learned last year, when they were named the cadet wing's outstanding squadron, that they would be the academy's representatives at the inauguration.
"I am absolutely honored and thrilled to be able to represent the Air Force Academy and the United States as a whole in this," Black said. The magnitude of the honor, he said, probably won't sink in until after the inauguration.
Cadet 2nd Class Danny Puhek, a third-year student at the Air Force Academy, called the chance in the inaugural parade "the opportunity of a lifetime."
"It's something I think we will cherish for a lifetime," he said. "Down the road, we will tell our kids and grandkids that story."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Cadets and midshipmen from the service academies will converge in Annapolis, Md., tomorrow to make final preparations before marching in the inaugural parade to pay tribute to the commander in chief they will serve as future officers. The U.S. Naval Academy will host cadets from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., in the days leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration.
On Inauguration Day, they'll lead the military formations marching down the 1.5-mile parade route stretching from the Capitol building to the White House, pausing to render a salute to President Barack Obama as they pass the reviewing stand.
Cadet 1st Class Tim Black, who will lead the Air Force Academy's Cadet Squadron 4 down Pennsylvania Avenue, said he's overwhelmed at the chance to salute the new commander in chief.
"There he will be, looking at his future troops, and I am going to be working for him for as long as he is in office," Black said. "I can't even begin to express how much of an honor it is to be able to actually salute the guy who will be overall in charge of us."
"It's absolutely amazing to know that we'll be there, getting a chance to see very highest echelon of command face to face," agreed Midshipman 1st Class Whitney Reese, a fourth-year Naval Academy student to graduate in May. "Everyone is excited about this. It is a real opportunity."
Reese will be following a family tradition when she marches in Obama's inaugural parade. Her father, a member of the academy's Class of 1982, marched in President Ronald Reagan's inaugural parade in 1981. "He said it was really cold, and that he sat on the bus for hours," she said. "But he also said how great it was and how he will never forget it."
Members of the company-size academy marching elements said they're excited about the opportunity to be a part of history in the making.
Cadet 1st Class Johann Fladeboe, commander of the West Point Honor Guard, has led his fellow cadets in myriad high-visibility events. "But this by far the biggest thing we have ever done, and being a part of it is huge," he said.
West Point, the oldest of the military academies, will be the first military marching unit to march the parade route. Fladeboe will carry the West Point guidon, marching directly behind Sally White, the corps of cadets' deputy commander.
Cadet 1st Class Tamara Abraham of West Point's class of 2009 said she's bursting with pride at the prospect of leading the parade -- both as an African-American and as a future Army officer.
"This is a historical event, and the whole nation and the world will be watching this," she said. "West Point has done a lot for me, so it's great to have the opportunity to represent West Point in this historical event."
At the Air Force Academy, many members of Cadet Squadron 4 learned last year, when they were named the cadet wing's outstanding squadron, that they would be the academy's representatives at the inauguration.
"I am absolutely honored and thrilled to be able to represent the Air Force Academy and the United States as a whole in this," Black said. The magnitude of the honor, he said, probably won't sink in until after the inauguration.
Cadet 2nd Class Danny Puhek, a third-year student at the Air Force Academy, called the chance in the inaugural parade "the opportunity of a lifetime."
"It's something I think we will cherish for a lifetime," he said. "Down the road, we will tell our kids and grandkids that story."
Naval Observatory Soon Will Track Time to 100 Trillionths of Second
By John Ohab
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - The ultra-precise timing technology that enables NAVSTAR Global Positioning Systems and high-speed Internet communication soon may resolve the measure of time to 100 trillionths of a second, according to the world's authority in time-keeping and celestial observation. "To know when an event occurred, you need a clock. We are that clock," said Geoff Chester, public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, the majority contributor to the international determination of time. He explained the development of this new timing technology during yesterday's premier of the Defense Department's "Armed with Science" radio program on BlogTalkRadio.com.
For centuries, clocks have measured seconds through regular, rhythmic oscillations of a pendulum, a swinging weight susceptible to influence by factors such as gravity, temperature, and air viscosity. In the 1950s, scientists began investigating the oscillations of particular atoms as a more precise way to define the second.
"Atomic time is independent of what Earth does," Chester said. "Atomic clocks define time scales in terms of a certain number of oscillations of a certain type of atom that take place in the course of one second. The master clock at the Naval Observatory is an ensemble of dozens of these devices, and we take a weighted average of all of them to determine our base-reference time scale."
Standard atomic clocks measure microwave signals emitted from atoms as they change energy levels. Since 1967, the one-second time interval has been defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of radiation corresponding to the transition between two energy levels of the cesium-133 atom.
"We guarantee that no two seconds that come out of here over the course of a year will differ by more than one billionth of a second," Chester said. "Our clock is so precise that it will not gain or lose one second on the order of 3 million years."
To meet the demands of technology and the needs of society, researchers at the U.S. Naval Observatory continue to develop more precise time-keeping systems. By 2010, they hope to release an operational version of their newest clock, known as a "fountain clock," which uses laser beams to induce oscillations of the rubidium atom. This rubidium fountain clock will provide a measure of time accurate to 100 trillionths of a second, about 10 to 100 times more precise than the current master clock.
"Rubidium atoms are smaller and easier to manipulate," Chester explained. "They allow us to keep a much better timescale than what we keep today."
The U.S. Naval Observatory, one of about 50 scientific laboratories concerned with time-keeping, maintains one-third of the operational atomic clocks currently deployed around the world.
In addition to its role in defining and maintaining universal time, the Naval Observatory also acts as a reference point for navigation and communications technologies that affect people's everyday lives. For instance, its ultra-precise time-keeping systems enable computer networks to rapidly and accurately transmit information, and the constellation of satellites used in GPS relies on the master clock to calculate locations on the Earth's surface.
"People ask what time is about," Chester said. "Timing is everything."
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - The ultra-precise timing technology that enables NAVSTAR Global Positioning Systems and high-speed Internet communication soon may resolve the measure of time to 100 trillionths of a second, according to the world's authority in time-keeping and celestial observation. "To know when an event occurred, you need a clock. We are that clock," said Geoff Chester, public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, the majority contributor to the international determination of time. He explained the development of this new timing technology during yesterday's premier of the Defense Department's "Armed with Science" radio program on BlogTalkRadio.com.
For centuries, clocks have measured seconds through regular, rhythmic oscillations of a pendulum, a swinging weight susceptible to influence by factors such as gravity, temperature, and air viscosity. In the 1950s, scientists began investigating the oscillations of particular atoms as a more precise way to define the second.
"Atomic time is independent of what Earth does," Chester said. "Atomic clocks define time scales in terms of a certain number of oscillations of a certain type of atom that take place in the course of one second. The master clock at the Naval Observatory is an ensemble of dozens of these devices, and we take a weighted average of all of them to determine our base-reference time scale."
Standard atomic clocks measure microwave signals emitted from atoms as they change energy levels. Since 1967, the one-second time interval has been defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of radiation corresponding to the transition between two energy levels of the cesium-133 atom.
"We guarantee that no two seconds that come out of here over the course of a year will differ by more than one billionth of a second," Chester said. "Our clock is so precise that it will not gain or lose one second on the order of 3 million years."
To meet the demands of technology and the needs of society, researchers at the U.S. Naval Observatory continue to develop more precise time-keeping systems. By 2010, they hope to release an operational version of their newest clock, known as a "fountain clock," which uses laser beams to induce oscillations of the rubidium atom. This rubidium fountain clock will provide a measure of time accurate to 100 trillionths of a second, about 10 to 100 times more precise than the current master clock.
"Rubidium atoms are smaller and easier to manipulate," Chester explained. "They allow us to keep a much better timescale than what we keep today."
The U.S. Naval Observatory, one of about 50 scientific laboratories concerned with time-keeping, maintains one-third of the operational atomic clocks currently deployed around the world.
In addition to its role in defining and maintaining universal time, the Naval Observatory also acts as a reference point for navigation and communications technologies that affect people's everyday lives. For instance, its ultra-precise time-keeping systems enable computer networks to rapidly and accurately transmit information, and the constellation of satellites used in GPS relies on the master clock to calculate locations on the Earth's surface.
"People ask what time is about," Chester said. "Timing is everything."
(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS January 15, 2009
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $373,511,932 cost plus fixed fee contract for the construction preparation efforts for the second aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class (CVN 79). Efforts under contract will include engineering, detail design, test and evaluation, logistics support and the procurement of long lead time material. Special performance incentives are also included under the contract. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. 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, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-2116).
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Santa Clara, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Corp., San Diego, Calif., are each being awarded indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contracts for the research and development of Information Fusion (IF), the blending together of source information to produce situational awareness, threat assessment, and resource management as it relates to the IF Center established by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. Efforts to be performed under these contracts will include research and development, integration and testing, continual advancement and operation of the IF Center; training for newly developed software, hardware and other IF products, and independent verification and validation of sensors and systems relating to critical infrastructure protection and force protection. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems' ceiling is $95,279,035 and Lockheed Martin Corp's ceiling is $103,835,801. Both companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Clara, Calif., (70 percent) and China Lake, Calif., (30 percent). Lockheed Martin Corp. will perform work under its contract in San Diego, Calif., (70 percent) and China Lake, Calif., (30 percent). These contracts are expected to be completed in Jan. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited under a multiple award electronic request for proposals and two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-09-D-0005, N68936-09-D-0006, respectively).
BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., York, Pa., is being awarded an estimated at $89,000,000 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for Mine Roller Systems. Pressure activated explosive devices in the form of standard mines and Improvised Explosive Devices pose a significant threat to forces utilizing light and medium wheeled vehicles. These Mine Roller Systems are mounted to wheeled vehicles in order to initiate mines and Victim Operated Improvised Explosive devices before the vehicle passes over the explosive device. Delivery Order #0001 is being issued concurrently in the amount of $11,945,544. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Jan. 2014. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-09-D-5050).
WTAK-1 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $49,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1019) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt Matej Kocak. WTAK-1 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Kocak, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Co., as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1984. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 civilian mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, Ala. Kocak is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009 and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Braintree V Maritime Corp., North Quincy, Mass., is being awarded $48,585,495 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1036) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt. William R. Button. Braintree V, which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term charter for Button, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Company as shipowner and Fifth Household Finance as Beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1986. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by American Overseas Marine Corporation of North Quincy, Mass. Button is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning Ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
WTAK-3 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $45,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm, fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1023) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Maj. Stephen W. Pless. WTAK-3 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Pless, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1985. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., of Mobile, Ala. WTAK-3 is an affiliate of Waterman Steamship Corp. Pless is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
R. N. Rouse, Cary, N.C., is being awarded a $14,350,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a Wounded Warrior Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Camp Lejeune. The facility will be multi story with ambulatory physical recovery areas. The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $15,650,000. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is expected to be completed by January 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 12 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-3200).
Marine Hydraulics International, Inc., Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Jan, 5, 2009, a $10,460,246 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-4415) for the USS Elrod (FFG-55) FY09 Selected Restricted Availability. The contractor will perform work items to repair, replace, preserve, install, and clean. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by May 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6,996,027 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
SBG, Inc.*, Charleston, S.C., is being awarded $6,418,502 for firm fixed price task order #0017 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-07-D-1774) for the repair and renovations to Building 11 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. This work will include the addition of four entry elements; the addition of upfit of the interior construction for Open Office 216; upfit of the interior construction for Main Frame 208, Open Office 209, Office 210 and Office 211. Work will be performed in Parris Island, S.C., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. Resident Officer In Charge of Construction, Beaufort, S.C., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $5,843.218 modification to previously awarded cost plus fixed fee contract (M67854-02-C-2052) to incorporate engineering changes that will extend the Family of Systems solution set for the Combat Operations Centers (COC) Program. The COC is an integrated, mobile, command and control center consisting of shelter, power, cabling, processing systems, and trailers. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by July 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.
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wis., was awarded on Jan. 12, 2009 $5,793,158 for a firm fixed price contract option item under the previously awarded "rotable pool" spares provision of the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) production contract (N00025-03-C-0002) for the acquisition of one warping tugboat. The work to be performed provides for the boat building of a single warping tug, which is for maneuvering other INLS modules into place during amphibious landings. Rotable pool spares may be ordered in addition to full rate production quantities of INLS watercraft. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $398,711,010. Work will be performed at the co., shipyard in Marinette, Wis. Delivery of this boat will be in Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Headquarters, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract to Boeing Company of Seal Beach, Calif., for $65,131,789. This contact will provide Launch Operations Support to include all aspects of the Launch preparation up to and including launch operations. At this time, $13,545,979 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-96-C-0025 P00607)
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract to Boeing Co., of Seal Beach Calif., for $48,993,979. This contract will provide On-Orbit Operations Support for recurring on-orbit operations that commences with operations declaration for the space vehicle and concludes with the end-of-life disposal. At this time $13, 037,663 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-96-C-0025-P00606)
The Air Force is exercising an option with the CSC Applied Technologies LLC of Fort Worth, Texas for $29,186,679. The contract provides for Base Operation Support at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. At this time $29,186,679 has been obligated. 81CONS Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity (FA3002-08-C-0001-A0002)
The Air Force is modifying a contract with Boeing Service Co., of Richardson Texas for $27,746,196. This contract extends the contract for broadband data service to the Department of Defense and State Department operated aircraft equipped with the Connection by Boeing System. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. HQ AMC SCB, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois is the contracting activity (FA4452-03-C-0006-P00021)
The Air Force is exercising an option contract with Raytheon Company, Tucson Arizona. This action is exercising the option for the production of 46 R7 HARM Targeting System pods and initial spares. At this time $38,709,061 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003-P00001).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Raytheon Co., of Tucson Ariz. This contract provides for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade Program. At this time $4,533,762 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
World Fuel Services, Inc., Miami, Fla. is being awarded a minimum $35,364,920 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance include various locations in Honduras. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 4 proposals solicited with 3 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-1251).
Shamrock Foods, Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $6,304,673 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally eight proposals solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the second of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Jan. 16, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3219).
ARMY
Mississippi Limestone, Friars Point, Miss., was awarded on Jan. 13, 2009, a $6,601,175 firm fixed price contract for work consisting of casting 70,000 squares of articulated concrete mattress and an option to fill, place and remove sandbags at St. Francisville Casting Yard, St. Francisville, La. Work will be performed at St. Francisville, La., with an estimated completion date of Nov 30, 2009. Bids were solicited on the Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hurricane Protection Office, New Orleans, La., (W912P8-09-C-0018).
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $373,511,932 cost plus fixed fee contract for the construction preparation efforts for the second aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class (CVN 79). Efforts under contract will include engineering, detail design, test and evaluation, logistics support and the procurement of long lead time material. Special performance incentives are also included under the contract. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. 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, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-2116).
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Santa Clara, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Corp., San Diego, Calif., are each being awarded indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contracts for the research and development of Information Fusion (IF), the blending together of source information to produce situational awareness, threat assessment, and resource management as it relates to the IF Center established by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. Efforts to be performed under these contracts will include research and development, integration and testing, continual advancement and operation of the IF Center; training for newly developed software, hardware and other IF products, and independent verification and validation of sensors and systems relating to critical infrastructure protection and force protection. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems' ceiling is $95,279,035 and Lockheed Martin Corp's ceiling is $103,835,801. Both companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems will perform work under its contract in Santa Clara, Calif., (70 percent) and China Lake, Calif., (30 percent). Lockheed Martin Corp. will perform work under its contract in San Diego, Calif., (70 percent) and China Lake, Calif., (30 percent). These contracts are expected to be completed in Jan. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were solicited under a multiple award electronic request for proposals and two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-09-D-0005, N68936-09-D-0006, respectively).
BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., York, Pa., is being awarded an estimated at $89,000,000 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for Mine Roller Systems. Pressure activated explosive devices in the form of standard mines and Improvised Explosive Devices pose a significant threat to forces utilizing light and medium wheeled vehicles. These Mine Roller Systems are mounted to wheeled vehicles in order to initiate mines and Victim Operated Improvised Explosive devices before the vehicle passes over the explosive device. Delivery Order #0001 is being issued concurrently in the amount of $11,945,544. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and work is expected to be completed by Jan. 2014. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-09-D-5050).
WTAK-1 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $49,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1019) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt Matej Kocak. WTAK-1 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Kocak, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Co., as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1984. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 civilian mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, Ala. Kocak is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009 and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Braintree V Maritime Corp., North Quincy, Mass., is being awarded $48,585,495 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1036) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt. William R. Button. Braintree V, which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term charter for Button, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Company as shipowner and Fifth Household Finance as Beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1986. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by American Overseas Marine Corporation of North Quincy, Mass. Button is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning Ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
WTAK-3 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $45,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm, fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1023) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Maj. Stephen W. Pless. WTAK-3 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Pless, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1985. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., of Mobile, Ala. WTAK-3 is an affiliate of Waterman Steamship Corp. Pless is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
R. N. Rouse, Cary, N.C., is being awarded a $14,350,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a Wounded Warrior Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Camp Lejeune. The facility will be multi story with ambulatory physical recovery areas. The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $15,650,000. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is expected to be completed by January 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 12 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-3200).
Marine Hydraulics International, Inc., Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Jan, 5, 2009, a $10,460,246 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-4415) for the USS Elrod (FFG-55) FY09 Selected Restricted Availability. The contractor will perform work items to repair, replace, preserve, install, and clean. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by May 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6,996,027 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
SBG, Inc.*, Charleston, S.C., is being awarded $6,418,502 for firm fixed price task order #0017 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-07-D-1774) for the repair and renovations to Building 11 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. This work will include the addition of four entry elements; the addition of upfit of the interior construction for Open Office 216; upfit of the interior construction for Main Frame 208, Open Office 209, Office 210 and Office 211. Work will be performed in Parris Island, S.C., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. Resident Officer In Charge of Construction, Beaufort, S.C., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $5,843.218 modification to previously awarded cost plus fixed fee contract (M67854-02-C-2052) to incorporate engineering changes that will extend the Family of Systems solution set for the Combat Operations Centers (COC) Program. The COC is an integrated, mobile, command and control center consisting of shelter, power, cabling, processing systems, and trailers. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by July 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.
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wis., was awarded on Jan. 12, 2009 $5,793,158 for a firm fixed price contract option item under the previously awarded "rotable pool" spares provision of the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) production contract (N00025-03-C-0002) for the acquisition of one warping tugboat. The work to be performed provides for the boat building of a single warping tug, which is for maneuvering other INLS modules into place during amphibious landings. Rotable pool spares may be ordered in addition to full rate production quantities of INLS watercraft. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $398,711,010. Work will be performed at the co., shipyard in Marinette, Wis. Delivery of this boat will be in Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Headquarters, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract to Boeing Company of Seal Beach, Calif., for $65,131,789. This contact will provide Launch Operations Support to include all aspects of the Launch preparation up to and including launch operations. At this time, $13,545,979 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-96-C-0025 P00607)
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract to Boeing Co., of Seal Beach Calif., for $48,993,979. This contract will provide On-Orbit Operations Support for recurring on-orbit operations that commences with operations declaration for the space vehicle and concludes with the end-of-life disposal. At this time $13, 037,663 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-96-C-0025-P00606)
The Air Force is exercising an option with the CSC Applied Technologies LLC of Fort Worth, Texas for $29,186,679. The contract provides for Base Operation Support at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. At this time $29,186,679 has been obligated. 81CONS Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity (FA3002-08-C-0001-A0002)
The Air Force is modifying a contract with Boeing Service Co., of Richardson Texas for $27,746,196. This contract extends the contract for broadband data service to the Department of Defense and State Department operated aircraft equipped with the Connection by Boeing System. At this time the entire amount has been obligated. HQ AMC SCB, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois is the contracting activity (FA4452-03-C-0006-P00021)
The Air Force is exercising an option contract with Raytheon Company, Tucson Arizona. This action is exercising the option for the production of 46 R7 HARM Targeting System pods and initial spares. At this time $38,709,061 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003-P00001).
The Air Force is awarding a contract to Raytheon Co., of Tucson Ariz. This contract provides for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade Program. At this time $4,533,762 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0004).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
World Fuel Services, Inc., Miami, Fla. is being awarded a minimum $35,364,920 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance include various locations in Honduras. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 4 proposals solicited with 3 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-1251).
Shamrock Foods, Commerce City, Colo., is being awarded a maximum $6,304,673 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity contract for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally eight proposals solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the second of four one-year option periods. The date of performance completion is Jan. 16, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3219).
ARMY
Mississippi Limestone, Friars Point, Miss., was awarded on Jan. 13, 2009, a $6,601,175 firm fixed price contract for work consisting of casting 70,000 squares of articulated concrete mattress and an option to fill, place and remove sandbags at St. Francisville Casting Yard, St. Francisville, La. Work will be performed at St. Francisville, La., with an estimated completion date of Nov 30, 2009. Bids were solicited on the Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hurricane Protection Office, New Orleans, La., (W912P8-09-C-0018).
Obama Aims to Shape Military for 21st Century
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to assume the role of commander in chief, one of the stated items on his list of priorities is to shape the U.S. military for the 21st century. Obama, who's slated to be inaugurated Jan. 20, has not served in military uniform, but his climb to the U.S. presidency culminates a public service career that began in 1997 as a member of the Illinois State Senate, where he served three terms, followed by a successful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2004.
As a junior U.S. senator, Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law School and the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, was a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee. He fought to help veterans get the disability pay they were promised while working to prepare the Veterans Affairs Department for the thousands of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the president-elect's Web site, www.change.gov.
Obama's early exposure to military culture came from the maternal grandparents who helped to raise him during his adolescent years in Honolulu. His grandfather, Stanley Armour Dunham, enlisted in the Army during World War II and served under Gen. George S. Patton while his wife, Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham, worked on a bomber assembly line.
The president-elect has said that America's greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the U.S. armed forces.
"When we do send our men and women into harm's way, we must also clearly define the mission, prescribe concrete political and military objectives, seek out the advice of our military commanders, evaluate the intelligence, plan accordingly, and ensure that our troops have the resources, support, and equipment they need to protect themselves and fulfill their mission," he told the Chicago Foreign Affairs Council in April 2007.
One of the stated goals of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden is to "invest in a 21st century military." To this end, the incoming administration has laid out the following focal points on its Web site:
-- Rebuild the Military for 21st Century Tasks: Obama and Biden plan to build up special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply; to invest in foreign language training, cultural awareness, and human intelligence and other needed counterinsurgency and stabilization skill sets; and to create a more robust capacity to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces so allies are better prepared to confront mutual threats.
-- Expand to Meet Military Needs on the Ground: Obama and Biden support plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps by 27,000 Marines to help units retrain and re-equip properly between deployments and decrease the strain on military families.
-- Leadership from the Top: Obama and Biden plan to inspire a new generation of Americans to serve their country, whether it be in local communities in such roles as teachers or first responders, or serving in the military to keep the nation free and safe.
-- Lighten the Burdens on Troops and Their Families: The administration plans to create a Military Families Advisory Board to provide a conduit for military families' concerns to be brought to the attention of senior policymakers and the public. They've promised end the "stop-loss" policy that allows servicemembers to be retained beyond the term of their enlistment and to establish predictability in deployments so that active duty and reserve servicemembers know what they can and must expect.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to assume the role of commander in chief, one of the stated items on his list of priorities is to shape the U.S. military for the 21st century. Obama, who's slated to be inaugurated Jan. 20, has not served in military uniform, but his climb to the U.S. presidency culminates a public service career that began in 1997 as a member of the Illinois State Senate, where he served three terms, followed by a successful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2004.
As a junior U.S. senator, Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law School and the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, was a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee. He fought to help veterans get the disability pay they were promised while working to prepare the Veterans Affairs Department for the thousands of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the president-elect's Web site, www.change.gov.
Obama's early exposure to military culture came from the maternal grandparents who helped to raise him during his adolescent years in Honolulu. His grandfather, Stanley Armour Dunham, enlisted in the Army during World War II and served under Gen. George S. Patton while his wife, Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham, worked on a bomber assembly line.
The president-elect has said that America's greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the U.S. armed forces.
"When we do send our men and women into harm's way, we must also clearly define the mission, prescribe concrete political and military objectives, seek out the advice of our military commanders, evaluate the intelligence, plan accordingly, and ensure that our troops have the resources, support, and equipment they need to protect themselves and fulfill their mission," he told the Chicago Foreign Affairs Council in April 2007.
One of the stated goals of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden is to "invest in a 21st century military." To this end, the incoming administration has laid out the following focal points on its Web site:
-- Rebuild the Military for 21st Century Tasks: Obama and Biden plan to build up special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply; to invest in foreign language training, cultural awareness, and human intelligence and other needed counterinsurgency and stabilization skill sets; and to create a more robust capacity to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces so allies are better prepared to confront mutual threats.
-- Expand to Meet Military Needs on the Ground: Obama and Biden support plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps by 27,000 Marines to help units retrain and re-equip properly between deployments and decrease the strain on military families.
-- Leadership from the Top: Obama and Biden plan to inspire a new generation of Americans to serve their country, whether it be in local communities in such roles as teachers or first responders, or serving in the military to keep the nation free and safe.
-- Lighten the Burdens on Troops and Their Families: The administration plans to create a Military Families Advisory Board to provide a conduit for military families' concerns to be brought to the attention of senior policymakers and the public. They've promised end the "stop-loss" policy that allows servicemembers to be retained beyond the term of their enlistment and to establish predictability in deployments so that active duty and reserve servicemembers know what they can and must expect.
Volunteers Gear Up for 'Day of Service for Military'
By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Operation Gratitude, a troop-support group, is joining forces with Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and thousands of volunteers from across the country on Jan. 19's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday to assemble care kits for servicemembers deployed overseas. The effort, called "A Day of Service for Our Military," allows for people to show their support and express their appreciation to those in the military, organizers said.
"We are thrilled to partner in this event, as this is a great way to introduce more Americans to the great work of Operation Gratitude and provide an avenue for them to express their appreciation to our military," Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude's founder, said.
"A Day of Service for Our Military" is part of a larger initiative called "Renew America Together," a nationwide effort that encourages Americans to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country through volunteering, not just on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but throughout the year.
Thousands of events are expected to take place across the country, organizers said.
Blashek said she expects about 15,000 volunteers will gather in a heated tent at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in the nation's capital to assemble 75,000 care kits for servicemembers. Care kit items, donated by Target, include candy, shaving supplies, lotion, shampoo, CDs, DVDs, socks and books.
Writing letters of thanks to servicemembers also will be encouraged, Blashek said.
Organizers urge potential volunteers to sign up at http://www.usaservice.org/page/s/operationservice for a one-hour shift between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to assemble care kits.
"This is a wonderful event to be a part of," Blashek said. "[It's] day of service for our servicemembers, who continue to serve this country with honor."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Operation Gratitude, a troop-support group, is joining forces with Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and thousands of volunteers from across the country on Jan. 19's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday to assemble care kits for servicemembers deployed overseas. The effort, called "A Day of Service for Our Military," allows for people to show their support and express their appreciation to those in the military, organizers said.
"We are thrilled to partner in this event, as this is a great way to introduce more Americans to the great work of Operation Gratitude and provide an avenue for them to express their appreciation to our military," Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude's founder, said.
"A Day of Service for Our Military" is part of a larger initiative called "Renew America Together," a nationwide effort that encourages Americans to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country through volunteering, not just on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but throughout the year.
Thousands of events are expected to take place across the country, organizers said.
Blashek said she expects about 15,000 volunteers will gather in a heated tent at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in the nation's capital to assemble 75,000 care kits for servicemembers. Care kit items, donated by Target, include candy, shaving supplies, lotion, shampoo, CDs, DVDs, socks and books.
Writing letters of thanks to servicemembers also will be encouraged, Blashek said.
Organizers urge potential volunteers to sign up at http://www.usaservice.org/page/s/operationservice for a one-hour shift between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to assemble care kits.
"This is a wonderful event to be a part of," Blashek said. "[It's] day of service for our servicemembers, who continue to serve this country with honor."
Face of Defense: Soldier Juggles Versatility at Work, Home
By Army Sgt. Kajanuary Morgan
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Soldiers are expected to adapt to any environment, and a Mississippi National Guard soldier here is living up to that expectation as she works outside her normal specialty. Army Spc. Susan Fautner is one of many soldiers who have adapted to a job and life outside of their experience. She joined the Guard in April 2004 as a supply specialist.
"Her ability to multitask, add humor and dependability has relieved me of a lot of extra duty hours," Army Staff Sgt. Rico McNair, supply sergeant for 890th Engineer Battalion Forward Support Company, said. "She has been a great asset for my section."
Fautner originally was part of the battalion's A Company supply section, but personnel shortages necessitated assigning her temporarily to the "Barrier Yard," normally an all-male assignment, to help supervise Iraqi civilians while they inventory and inspect concrete barriers prior to delivery.
At first, Fautner admitted, she was worried about being the only woman in the yard. But she said her faith in God and co-workers give her confidence that her new assignment would work out well.
Fautner said she learned to become flexible early in her deployment. As a single parent, she said, she was full of concerns when she learned she was deploying. She worried about matters such as who would preserve her children's routines and who will keep up her apartment.
"Child rearing is not an easy task while being deployed, especially with two teenage daughters, but support I received from family and friends made it bearable," she said. "The Internet capabilities have made this deployment [easier], because I can see my children instead of just hearing their voices over the phone."
Fautner watched a milestone in her elder daughter's life by watching her graduate from high school via video conference, and she helped her enroll into her first community college semester over the phone.
"Moments that I've spent my entire life waiting to see happen, and having to miss them really instilled a sense of pride in the sacrifices that I've made for my country," Fautner said.
Time she has spent mentoring younger soldiers has helped ease the pain of being away from her teenage daughters, Fautner said. The conversations she has with them, she noted, often are the same ones she has with her daughters.
"Not only do you have to be a soldier, but when you are a single parent, the responsibilities double," she said. "We do what we have to do. I'm not the only single mother out here, so my hat is off to all single mothers that are deployed."
In Mississippi, Faunter is a food-service worker at Biloxi Regional Medical Center. She said she's looking forward to enrolling at Perkinston Community College and purchasing her first home when she returns home.
"Hopefully, my oldest daughter and I will not have any of the same classes," she said with a laugh.
(Army Sgt. Kajanuary Morgan serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 890th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Soldiers are expected to adapt to any environment, and a Mississippi National Guard soldier here is living up to that expectation as she works outside her normal specialty. Army Spc. Susan Fautner is one of many soldiers who have adapted to a job and life outside of their experience. She joined the Guard in April 2004 as a supply specialist.
"Her ability to multitask, add humor and dependability has relieved me of a lot of extra duty hours," Army Staff Sgt. Rico McNair, supply sergeant for 890th Engineer Battalion Forward Support Company, said. "She has been a great asset for my section."
Fautner originally was part of the battalion's A Company supply section, but personnel shortages necessitated assigning her temporarily to the "Barrier Yard," normally an all-male assignment, to help supervise Iraqi civilians while they inventory and inspect concrete barriers prior to delivery.
At first, Fautner admitted, she was worried about being the only woman in the yard. But she said her faith in God and co-workers give her confidence that her new assignment would work out well.
Fautner said she learned to become flexible early in her deployment. As a single parent, she said, she was full of concerns when she learned she was deploying. She worried about matters such as who would preserve her children's routines and who will keep up her apartment.
"Child rearing is not an easy task while being deployed, especially with two teenage daughters, but support I received from family and friends made it bearable," she said. "The Internet capabilities have made this deployment [easier], because I can see my children instead of just hearing their voices over the phone."
Fautner watched a milestone in her elder daughter's life by watching her graduate from high school via video conference, and she helped her enroll into her first community college semester over the phone.
"Moments that I've spent my entire life waiting to see happen, and having to miss them really instilled a sense of pride in the sacrifices that I've made for my country," Fautner said.
Time she has spent mentoring younger soldiers has helped ease the pain of being away from her teenage daughters, Fautner said. The conversations she has with them, she noted, often are the same ones she has with her daughters.
"Not only do you have to be a soldier, but when you are a single parent, the responsibilities double," she said. "We do what we have to do. I'm not the only single mother out here, so my hat is off to all single mothers that are deployed."
In Mississippi, Faunter is a food-service worker at Biloxi Regional Medical Center. She said she's looking forward to enrolling at Perkinston Community College and purchasing her first home when she returns home.
"Hopefully, my oldest daughter and I will not have any of the same classes," she said with a laugh.
(Army Sgt. Kajanuary Morgan serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 890th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade.)
Early Champions Would be Proud of Equal Rights Progress, Gates Says
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - As Pentagon employees celebrated what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 80th birthday today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told of an early participant in the struggle for equal rights, a young African-American sailor. Benjamin Drummond was born a free man in New York in 1843, and at the age of 18 he enlisted in the Navy. While serving aboard the USS Morning Light in the Gulf of Mexico, he was shot three times and was taken prisoner. After a miraculous escape and return to Union lines, he re-enlisted in 1864.
"When his war wounds failed to heal properly, he became the first patient of any color at the Old Naval Hospital on Capitol Hill," Gates said. "Drummond was discharged in 1868, and years later received a disability pension of $4 a month, just over a dollar per gunshot wound."
It also was less than half the amount normally allotted for whites, Gates said. Drummond fought for an increase, and he eventually received a lump-sum payment of $210 just before his death. His wife then began her fight for what was then called a widow's pension.
"The Drummonds' struggle for what they were due presaged, both literally and figuratively, the promissory note to which Dr. King referred from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial nearly a century later," Gates said. "There, in his words, he came to cash the check of freedom and equality that for too long had been returned marked 'insufficient funds.'
"In five days, [President-elect Barack Obama] will place his hand on the same Bible that President Lincoln used in his inauguration in March 1861," he said. "As all of our citizens watch the historic events of the next week, we should remember Benjamin Drummond and countless others ... who faithfully defended this nation long before their duty and devotion had been earned or acknowledged."
Next week's inauguration would have been affirming for those who never had the chance, or even imagined it possible, to carry out the orders of a commander in chief of African descent, Gates said.
"I believe [they] will be looking down on the front steps of the Capitol with a measure of pride and satisfaction for themselves and for our country," he said.
The ceremony included a keynote address by Russell L. Adams, Howard University professor emeritus of African-American studies, and musical selections by Afro Blue, Howard University's premier vocal jazz ensemble. Four John Tyler Elementary School students, winners of the annual art and essay contest associated with the celebration, were honored as well. The theme was "Dr. King's vision of unity in the community."
The nation will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - As Pentagon employees celebrated what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 80th birthday today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told of an early participant in the struggle for equal rights, a young African-American sailor. Benjamin Drummond was born a free man in New York in 1843, and at the age of 18 he enlisted in the Navy. While serving aboard the USS Morning Light in the Gulf of Mexico, he was shot three times and was taken prisoner. After a miraculous escape and return to Union lines, he re-enlisted in 1864.
"When his war wounds failed to heal properly, he became the first patient of any color at the Old Naval Hospital on Capitol Hill," Gates said. "Drummond was discharged in 1868, and years later received a disability pension of $4 a month, just over a dollar per gunshot wound."
It also was less than half the amount normally allotted for whites, Gates said. Drummond fought for an increase, and he eventually received a lump-sum payment of $210 just before his death. His wife then began her fight for what was then called a widow's pension.
"The Drummonds' struggle for what they were due presaged, both literally and figuratively, the promissory note to which Dr. King referred from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial nearly a century later," Gates said. "There, in his words, he came to cash the check of freedom and equality that for too long had been returned marked 'insufficient funds.'
"In five days, [President-elect Barack Obama] will place his hand on the same Bible that President Lincoln used in his inauguration in March 1861," he said. "As all of our citizens watch the historic events of the next week, we should remember Benjamin Drummond and countless others ... who faithfully defended this nation long before their duty and devotion had been earned or acknowledged."
Next week's inauguration would have been affirming for those who never had the chance, or even imagined it possible, to carry out the orders of a commander in chief of African descent, Gates said.
"I believe [they] will be looking down on the front steps of the Capitol with a measure of pride and satisfaction for themselves and for our country," he said.
The ceremony included a keynote address by Russell L. Adams, Howard University professor emeritus of African-American studies, and musical selections by Afro Blue, Howard University's premier vocal jazz ensemble. Four John Tyler Elementary School students, winners of the annual art and essay contest associated with the celebration, were honored as well. The theme was "Dr. King's vision of unity in the community."
The nation will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19.
Defense Department Opens Psychological Health Center
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Defense Department officials today announced the opening of a new outreach center that will provide servicemembers, veterans and their families a new resource for psychological health problems and traumatic brain injuries. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is operating the 24-hour center, which will be open 365 days a year and is staffed by behavioral health consultants and nurses, including some former military psychologists.
"We're providing 24/7 support to assist callers with questions regarding psychological health and traumatic brain injury," said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton, director of the Centers of Excellence. "Getting the best possible information and tools, hassle-free, will empower and strengthen warriors and their families to successfully manage what can be confusing and disturbing circumstances."
The center promotes resilience, recovery, and reintegration of servicemembers facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues while working to advance research, education, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions, Sutton said.
Its staff is equipped to handle not only routine requests for information, but also questions about symptoms a caller may be experiencing. Its staff also can help a caller find appropriate health care resources within the Defense Department or with other federal agencies, she added.
"What we want to make sure is ... that we provide the accurate information to allow folks to understand what's really true," Sutton said. "If we need to research a question, we'll do the legwork and quickly reconnect with the caller."
The outreach center will always be there for members, leaders, and health care providers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, the reserve components and veterans, Sutton said. Family members of servicemembers and veterans can call or e-mail the outreach center staff with questions pertaining to psychological health or traumatic brain injury. The center can be reached by calling 866-966-1020 toll-free, or by sending an e-mail to resources@dcoeoutreach.org.
"This outreach center will be a way where, even at 2 in the morning [and] whether you're on the home front or downrange, ... you'll have someone at the other end of that line who cares," Sutton said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2009 - Defense Department officials today announced the opening of a new outreach center that will provide servicemembers, veterans and their families a new resource for psychological health problems and traumatic brain injuries. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is operating the 24-hour center, which will be open 365 days a year and is staffed by behavioral health consultants and nurses, including some former military psychologists.
"We're providing 24/7 support to assist callers with questions regarding psychological health and traumatic brain injury," said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton, director of the Centers of Excellence. "Getting the best possible information and tools, hassle-free, will empower and strengthen warriors and their families to successfully manage what can be confusing and disturbing circumstances."
The center promotes resilience, recovery, and reintegration of servicemembers facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues while working to advance research, education, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions, Sutton said.
Its staff is equipped to handle not only routine requests for information, but also questions about symptoms a caller may be experiencing. Its staff also can help a caller find appropriate health care resources within the Defense Department or with other federal agencies, she added.
"What we want to make sure is ... that we provide the accurate information to allow folks to understand what's really true," Sutton said. "If we need to research a question, we'll do the legwork and quickly reconnect with the caller."
The outreach center will always be there for members, leaders, and health care providers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, the reserve components and veterans, Sutton said. Family members of servicemembers and veterans can call or e-mail the outreach center staff with questions pertaining to psychological health or traumatic brain injury. The center can be reached by calling 866-966-1020 toll-free, or by sending an e-mail to resources@dcoeoutreach.org.
"This outreach center will be a way where, even at 2 in the morning [and] whether you're on the home front or downrange, ... you'll have someone at the other end of that line who cares," Sutton said.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Defense Department Launches Science-related Online Radio Show
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Defense Department officials today launched "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military," an online radio show. Armed with Science is a bi-monthly audio webcast, hosted on BlogTalkRadio.com that discusses cutting-edge scientific research and development sponsored by various defense offices, and applications of science and technology to military operations.
Geoff Chester, public affairs officer for the U.S. Naval Observatory, helped to launch the program by discussing the nature of atomic time keeping, the observatory's master clock system, and why a precise time reference is critical to military operations.
"In our business, timing is literally everything," Chester said. "An error of three nanoseconds in timing translates to a position error of one meter for a precision-guided weapon." A nanosecond is three billionths of a second.
Precise timing also is crucial for the transmission of securely encrypted data over large-scale networks at high rates of speed, Chester said. The U.S. Naval Observatory is the exclusive provider of these time-scale references to the Defense Department, he added.
Located at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ArmedwithScience, the audio webcast will feature interviews with scientists, administrators, and operators to discuss the importance of science and advanced technology to the modern military.
"The Armed with Science audio webcast is intended to promote science literacy throughout the Department of Defense," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brook DeWalt, DoD's director of new media, said. "This is a great use of social media to expand the realm of knowledge in scientific areas of concentration."
The next audio webcast is scheduled for Jan. 28. Mike Jeffries, Fleet Survey Team technical director and chief hydrographer, will discuss hydrography and the techniques and tools of ocean-bottom mapping, the use of expeditionary Fleet Survey Teams, and how the data they collect are used to build precise nautical navigation charts.
The full transcript and audio webcast from today's show will be available for downloading at http://www.defenselink.mil/Blogger/Index.aspx.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Defense Department officials today launched "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military," an online radio show. Armed with Science is a bi-monthly audio webcast, hosted on BlogTalkRadio.com that discusses cutting-edge scientific research and development sponsored by various defense offices, and applications of science and technology to military operations.
Geoff Chester, public affairs officer for the U.S. Naval Observatory, helped to launch the program by discussing the nature of atomic time keeping, the observatory's master clock system, and why a precise time reference is critical to military operations.
"In our business, timing is literally everything," Chester said. "An error of three nanoseconds in timing translates to a position error of one meter for a precision-guided weapon." A nanosecond is three billionths of a second.
Precise timing also is crucial for the transmission of securely encrypted data over large-scale networks at high rates of speed, Chester said. The U.S. Naval Observatory is the exclusive provider of these time-scale references to the Defense Department, he added.
Located at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ArmedwithScience, the audio webcast will feature interviews with scientists, administrators, and operators to discuss the importance of science and advanced technology to the modern military.
"The Armed with Science audio webcast is intended to promote science literacy throughout the Department of Defense," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brook DeWalt, DoD's director of new media, said. "This is a great use of social media to expand the realm of knowledge in scientific areas of concentration."
The next audio webcast is scheduled for Jan. 28. Mike Jeffries, Fleet Survey Team technical director and chief hydrographer, will discuss hydrography and the techniques and tools of ocean-bottom mapping, the use of expeditionary Fleet Survey Teams, and how the data they collect are used to build precise nautical navigation charts.
The full transcript and audio webcast from today's show will be available for downloading at http://www.defenselink.mil/Blogger/Index.aspx.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Education Activity Names Delegates to Senate Youth Program
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Two students who attend Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe will attend the 47th U.S. Senate Youth Program's "Washington Week" in March. Michael Boone of Kaiserslautern High School in Germany and Luke Morange of David Glasgow Farragut High School in Rota, Spain, will join 102 other students from around the United States in the nation's capital March 7 for what some program alumni have called a "life-changing" experience, Rayne Guilford, Senate Youth Program director, said.
While all delegates rank academically in the top 1 percent of students their state, they also had to meet one very important criterion, Guilford said.
"They are selected, first of all, on the basis that they have already shown a demonstrated commitment to public service," she said. "You have to be serving in either an elected or appointed capacity with constituencies of some nature."
Boone is the student government president at Kaiserslautern High School. He's also a member of National Honor Society, plays varsity tennis and basketball, and is interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering.
Morgan is student council president at David Glasgow Farragut High School. In addition to being a member of National Honor Society and the football team, he has participated in Missouri Boys State, an American Legion-sponsored program that exposes students to government. He plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and serve as a Marine Corps officer.
Guilford said "Washington Week" exposes the delegates to the highest-level elected officials in the country, including Senate leadership and most U.S. senators. And since President John F. Kennedy met with the program's first delegates in 1962, she added, every president has followed suit.
The visit also will include meetings with a Supreme Court justice and Cabinet secretaries or agency directors who will talk with the students about different paths in public service, Guilford said. The sessions usually include question-and-answer sessions, she noted.
The delegates even have a chance to chat up their state's U.S. senators during a reception in the middle of the week.
"Many of [the senators] spend a good amount of time getting to know them and congratulating them and encouraging them," Guilford said. "Some students are hired from this to be interns in Senate offices."
The students also will visit the Pentagon before laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. Chaperoned by their military mentors who serve as guides and role models, the students also will get to take in some of the historical sites around the city.
The students are encouraged to use the $5,000 scholarship they receive as part of the program to continue studies in government, history and public affairs as part of their undergraduate studies.
More than 4,700 high school juniors or seniors have spent a week each spring in Washington learning the ins and outs of the American political process since the program began. The William Randolph Hearst Foundation makes it possible with a budget of just under $2 million.
"The original resolution stipulates 'no government funds shall be utilized,'" Guilford explained.
Elizabeth Anja Hartmann of Lakenheath High School in England and Michael V. Santivesci of Kubaski High School in Japan have been chosen as alternate delegates from DoDEA.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Two students who attend Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe will attend the 47th U.S. Senate Youth Program's "Washington Week" in March. Michael Boone of Kaiserslautern High School in Germany and Luke Morange of David Glasgow Farragut High School in Rota, Spain, will join 102 other students from around the United States in the nation's capital March 7 for what some program alumni have called a "life-changing" experience, Rayne Guilford, Senate Youth Program director, said.
While all delegates rank academically in the top 1 percent of students their state, they also had to meet one very important criterion, Guilford said.
"They are selected, first of all, on the basis that they have already shown a demonstrated commitment to public service," she said. "You have to be serving in either an elected or appointed capacity with constituencies of some nature."
Boone is the student government president at Kaiserslautern High School. He's also a member of National Honor Society, plays varsity tennis and basketball, and is interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering.
Morgan is student council president at David Glasgow Farragut High School. In addition to being a member of National Honor Society and the football team, he has participated in Missouri Boys State, an American Legion-sponsored program that exposes students to government. He plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and serve as a Marine Corps officer.
Guilford said "Washington Week" exposes the delegates to the highest-level elected officials in the country, including Senate leadership and most U.S. senators. And since President John F. Kennedy met with the program's first delegates in 1962, she added, every president has followed suit.
The visit also will include meetings with a Supreme Court justice and Cabinet secretaries or agency directors who will talk with the students about different paths in public service, Guilford said. The sessions usually include question-and-answer sessions, she noted.
The delegates even have a chance to chat up their state's U.S. senators during a reception in the middle of the week.
"Many of [the senators] spend a good amount of time getting to know them and congratulating them and encouraging them," Guilford said. "Some students are hired from this to be interns in Senate offices."
The students also will visit the Pentagon before laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. Chaperoned by their military mentors who serve as guides and role models, the students also will get to take in some of the historical sites around the city.
The students are encouraged to use the $5,000 scholarship they receive as part of the program to continue studies in government, history and public affairs as part of their undergraduate studies.
More than 4,700 high school juniors or seniors have spent a week each spring in Washington learning the ins and outs of the American political process since the program began. The William Randolph Hearst Foundation makes it possible with a budget of just under $2 million.
"The original resolution stipulates 'no government funds shall be utilized,'" Guilford explained.
Elizabeth Anja Hartmann of Lakenheath High School in England and Michael V. Santivesci of Kubaski High School in Japan have been chosen as alternate delegates from DoDEA.
Navy Announces Decision on Mayport Homebasing
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment, B.J. Penn, today signed a record of decision for the Mayport Homeporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Navy's decision is to implement the preferred alternative, which is to homeport a single nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN) at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Mayport, Fla., and to complete associated infrastructure modifications. These include dredging, infrastructure and wharf improvements, and construction of CVN nuclear propulsion plant maintenance facilities.
Homeporting a CVN at NAVSTA Mayport reduces risks to fleet resources in the event of natural disaster, manmade calamity, or attack by foreign nations or terrorists. This includes risk to aircraft carriers, industrial support facilities, and the people that operate and maintain these crucial assets.
Mayport allows us to obtain the advantages of fleet dispersal and survivability without impacting operational availability. On the West Coast we experience some reduced operational availability associated with homeport dispersal. We lose operational availability during the additional transit time required to reach operational and training areas from the Pacific Northwest. By establishing a second CVN homeport on the East Coast, we can gain the dispersal advantage without the increased transit time. The proximity to training areas and transit time to operating areas is about equal from Norfolk and Mayport.
The EIS examined potential environmental consequences of constructing and operating facilities and infrastructure associated with homeporting additional surface ships at NAVSTA Mayport. It assessed 13 alternatives, including a "no action" alternative. The EIS evaluated resources in the Mayport area that may be affected by the proposed action, such as air and water quality, biological resources (such as marine mammals and threatened and endangered species), land use, cultural resources, and socioeconomics. The EIS also accounted for cumulative impacts from other activities in the Mayport area.
The Navy worked closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout the consultation process and completed consultations prior to the final decision.
Homeporting a CVN at NAVSTA Mayport reduces risks to fleet resources in the event of natural disaster, manmade calamity, or attack by foreign nations or terrorists. This includes risk to aircraft carriers, industrial support facilities, and the people that operate and maintain these crucial assets.
Mayport allows us to obtain the advantages of fleet dispersal and survivability without impacting operational availability. On the West Coast we experience some reduced operational availability associated with homeport dispersal. We lose operational availability during the additional transit time required to reach operational and training areas from the Pacific Northwest. By establishing a second CVN homeport on the East Coast, we can gain the dispersal advantage without the increased transit time. The proximity to training areas and transit time to operating areas is about equal from Norfolk and Mayport.
The EIS examined potential environmental consequences of constructing and operating facilities and infrastructure associated with homeporting additional surface ships at NAVSTA Mayport. It assessed 13 alternatives, including a "no action" alternative. The EIS evaluated resources in the Mayport area that may be affected by the proposed action, such as air and water quality, biological resources (such as marine mammals and threatened and endangered species), land use, cultural resources, and socioeconomics. The EIS also accounted for cumulative impacts from other activities in the Mayport area.
The Navy worked closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout the consultation process and completed consultations prior to the final decision.
Air Force Begins Airlift of Peacekeeping Equipment to Darfur
By Eric Elliot
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The Air Force has begun airlifting Rwandan peacekeeping equipment and supplies from here to Sudan's Darfur region as part of a United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission. The first mission was completed today by the "Spirit of The Golden Gate," a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet deployed to Africa from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Another Travis-based C-17 flew a second mission.
Each aircraft carried about 30 tons of cargo. In all, the Air Force will transport more than 150 tons of equipment and supplies, including nine oversized vehicles, water purification systems, water trailers, tents and spare parts.
"This equipment is essential to the successful completion of our mission in Darfur," Maj. Jill Rutaramara, spokesman for the Rwandan Defense Forces, said. "It will assist us in whatever we do there and improve the quality of life for our soldiers deployed to Darfur."
Rwanda has four battalions of peacekeepers in Darfur, totaling 2,566 personnel, with a goal of increasing the peacekeeping force to 3,200, Ruteramara said. The Rwandan peacekeepers are assigned to the hybrid United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID.
President George W. Bush announced the decision to airlift the equipment Jan. 5 as part of the U.S. government's ongoing support for international peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.
Since 2003, conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan has displaced an estimated 2.5 million people and led to an estimated 300,000 deaths, according to United Nations statistics. Since 2004, the United States has spent more than $15 million to airlift 11,400 peacekeepers and their equipment to and from Darfur and has provided more than $100 million to train and equip those forces, according to a White House fact sheet. Much of this support is coordinated through the State Department.
"I have provided a waiver to the State Department so they can begin to move 240 containers worth of heavy equipment into Darfur, and that the Defense Department will be flying Rwandan equipment into Darfur to help facilitate the peacekeeping missions there," Bush said. The State Department is transporting the 240 containers under a separate contract.
The military portion of the airlift is the first major mission planned by Air Forces Africa, U.S. Africa Command's air component. Air Forces Africa also is U.S. Air Forces in Europe's 17th Air Force, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
"This was a complicated project that ultimately took several months of interagency and interdepartmental coordination and planning," Maj. Greg Lococo, chief of operational planning for Air Forces Africa, said.
Air Forces Africa's 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron was responsible for working with the Rwandan Defense Forces to prepare the vehicles and equipment for the deployment, conducting airfield operations focusing on cargo movement as well as ironing out the logistical details associated with the mission. The squadron includes specialists from the 615th Contingency Response Wing based at Travis, and U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
"We've been impressed by the professionalism of the Rwandans," said Air Force Maj. Sang Kim, 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander. "The work done here is essential to enable the [Rwandan Defense Forces] to execute their mission in Darfur."
The airlift was provided by aircraft and crews from the active-duty 60th Air Mobility Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing from Travis.
"From planning through execution, this was a great experience for our unit," said Air Force Col. Lida Dahnke, commander of the 404th Air Expeditionary Group at Air Forces Africa and parent unit to the 722nd. "Once our planners had assembled all of the pieces to the puzzle, we still had to work through the processes of putting them all in place to execute the mission."
More than three months of extensive planning and preparation made the mission "fairly seamless for us," said Air Force Maj. Sean Pierce of the 301st Airlift Squadron, aircraft commander for one of the two C-17 transport planes.
The mission also represents the first large-scale peacekeeper support mission for U.S. Africa Command since it was formally activated Oct. 1. Previous support missions in support of peacekeeping in Darfur were conducted under the direction of U.S. European Command, which had responsibility for Africa prior to Africom's activation.
"The U.S. military has been working with African nations for years," said Vince Crawley, an Africom spokesman. "The command wants to add value to what the U.S. military has been doing -- that is helping African partners develop their security capabilities in order to promote security and stability throughout the continent."
(Eric Elliot works in the U.S. Africa Command public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The Air Force has begun airlifting Rwandan peacekeeping equipment and supplies from here to Sudan's Darfur region as part of a United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission. The first mission was completed today by the "Spirit of The Golden Gate," a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet deployed to Africa from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Another Travis-based C-17 flew a second mission.
Each aircraft carried about 30 tons of cargo. In all, the Air Force will transport more than 150 tons of equipment and supplies, including nine oversized vehicles, water purification systems, water trailers, tents and spare parts.
"This equipment is essential to the successful completion of our mission in Darfur," Maj. Jill Rutaramara, spokesman for the Rwandan Defense Forces, said. "It will assist us in whatever we do there and improve the quality of life for our soldiers deployed to Darfur."
Rwanda has four battalions of peacekeepers in Darfur, totaling 2,566 personnel, with a goal of increasing the peacekeeping force to 3,200, Ruteramara said. The Rwandan peacekeepers are assigned to the hybrid United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID.
President George W. Bush announced the decision to airlift the equipment Jan. 5 as part of the U.S. government's ongoing support for international peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.
Since 2003, conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan has displaced an estimated 2.5 million people and led to an estimated 300,000 deaths, according to United Nations statistics. Since 2004, the United States has spent more than $15 million to airlift 11,400 peacekeepers and their equipment to and from Darfur and has provided more than $100 million to train and equip those forces, according to a White House fact sheet. Much of this support is coordinated through the State Department.
"I have provided a waiver to the State Department so they can begin to move 240 containers worth of heavy equipment into Darfur, and that the Defense Department will be flying Rwandan equipment into Darfur to help facilitate the peacekeeping missions there," Bush said. The State Department is transporting the 240 containers under a separate contract.
The military portion of the airlift is the first major mission planned by Air Forces Africa, U.S. Africa Command's air component. Air Forces Africa also is U.S. Air Forces in Europe's 17th Air Force, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
"This was a complicated project that ultimately took several months of interagency and interdepartmental coordination and planning," Maj. Greg Lococo, chief of operational planning for Air Forces Africa, said.
Air Forces Africa's 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron was responsible for working with the Rwandan Defense Forces to prepare the vehicles and equipment for the deployment, conducting airfield operations focusing on cargo movement as well as ironing out the logistical details associated with the mission. The squadron includes specialists from the 615th Contingency Response Wing based at Travis, and U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
"We've been impressed by the professionalism of the Rwandans," said Air Force Maj. Sang Kim, 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander. "The work done here is essential to enable the [Rwandan Defense Forces] to execute their mission in Darfur."
The airlift was provided by aircraft and crews from the active-duty 60th Air Mobility Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing from Travis.
"From planning through execution, this was a great experience for our unit," said Air Force Col. Lida Dahnke, commander of the 404th Air Expeditionary Group at Air Forces Africa and parent unit to the 722nd. "Once our planners had assembled all of the pieces to the puzzle, we still had to work through the processes of putting them all in place to execute the mission."
More than three months of extensive planning and preparation made the mission "fairly seamless for us," said Air Force Maj. Sean Pierce of the 301st Airlift Squadron, aircraft commander for one of the two C-17 transport planes.
The mission also represents the first large-scale peacekeeper support mission for U.S. Africa Command since it was formally activated Oct. 1. Previous support missions in support of peacekeeping in Darfur were conducted under the direction of U.S. European Command, which had responsibility for Africa prior to Africom's activation.
"The U.S. military has been working with African nations for years," said Vince Crawley, an Africom spokesman. "The command wants to add value to what the U.S. military has been doing -- that is helping African partners develop their security capabilities in order to promote security and stability throughout the continent."
(Eric Elliot works in the U.S. Africa Command public affairs office.)
Shinseki Promises Transformation If Confirmed to Head VA
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs promised senators today that if he is confirmed he will transform the department into a 21st-century organization. Retired Army Gen. Erik K. Shinseki told the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs he is fully committed to fulfilling Obama's vision to transform the department.
VA is the second-largest Cabinet agency, and has a budget of around $95 billion to serve the nation's 25 million veterans. The department has a wide range of clients, from recently wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an aging population of vets from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. VA oversees medical care, home loans, the GI Bill of Rights, employment and other benefits for veterans.
"Transformation is always challenging for any organization, and I use the term transformation rather than incremental change," Shinseki told the committee. Transformation is particularly challenging for organizations that have complex missions and are steeped in tradition, he explained, and he promised the department will look at fundamental and comprehensive processes as it girds for these new challenges. He noted he served as Army chief of staff as the service began a similar transformation.
"Positive leadership, dedication and teamwork on the part of all in the organization allowed all of us to redefine the challenges we first perceived to be opportunities," he said.
Shinseki vowed to put in place a precise strategy for VA reflecting Obama's vision. He acknowledged he has much to learn about the department, and said he looks forward to "gaining the valuable input and insights from its dedicated employees, the veterans and the organizations that serve those veterans."
The department must have three attributes, Shinseki said. It must be people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.
"Veterans are the centerpiece of our organization," he said. "We will design, implement and sustain programs that serve them. Through their service in uniform, veterans have sacrificed greatly, investing of themselves in the security, the safety and the well-being of our nation.
"They are clients that we represent," he continued, "and whose well-being is our sole reason for existence."
The department's charge is to address veterans' changing needs over time and across a full range of support that the U.S. government has committed to providing them.
The VA work force must be leaders and standards-setters in their fields, Shinseki said. In some areas, he said, this already is true, while other areas need work.
"From delivering cutting-edge medical treatment to answering the most basic inquiry, we will grow and retain a skilled and client-oriented work force," he said.
The measure of VA's success is the timeliness, quality and consistency of services and support provided to veterans. "We will set and meet objectives in each of those areas," Shinseki said.
He also promised the department will be a good steward of the taxpayers' money.
"We will challenge ourselves to do things smarter and more effectively," he said. "We will aggressively leverage the world's best practices, its knowledge base and emerging technologies in such areas as health care, information management and service delivery."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs promised senators today that if he is confirmed he will transform the department into a 21st-century organization. Retired Army Gen. Erik K. Shinseki told the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs he is fully committed to fulfilling Obama's vision to transform the department.
VA is the second-largest Cabinet agency, and has a budget of around $95 billion to serve the nation's 25 million veterans. The department has a wide range of clients, from recently wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an aging population of vets from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. VA oversees medical care, home loans, the GI Bill of Rights, employment and other benefits for veterans.
"Transformation is always challenging for any organization, and I use the term transformation rather than incremental change," Shinseki told the committee. Transformation is particularly challenging for organizations that have complex missions and are steeped in tradition, he explained, and he promised the department will look at fundamental and comprehensive processes as it girds for these new challenges. He noted he served as Army chief of staff as the service began a similar transformation.
"Positive leadership, dedication and teamwork on the part of all in the organization allowed all of us to redefine the challenges we first perceived to be opportunities," he said.
Shinseki vowed to put in place a precise strategy for VA reflecting Obama's vision. He acknowledged he has much to learn about the department, and said he looks forward to "gaining the valuable input and insights from its dedicated employees, the veterans and the organizations that serve those veterans."
The department must have three attributes, Shinseki said. It must be people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.
"Veterans are the centerpiece of our organization," he said. "We will design, implement and sustain programs that serve them. Through their service in uniform, veterans have sacrificed greatly, investing of themselves in the security, the safety and the well-being of our nation.
"They are clients that we represent," he continued, "and whose well-being is our sole reason for existence."
The department's charge is to address veterans' changing needs over time and across a full range of support that the U.S. government has committed to providing them.
The VA work force must be leaders and standards-setters in their fields, Shinseki said. In some areas, he said, this already is true, while other areas need work.
"From delivering cutting-edge medical treatment to answering the most basic inquiry, we will grow and retain a skilled and client-oriented work force," he said.
The measure of VA's success is the timeliness, quality and consistency of services and support provided to veterans. "We will set and meet objectives in each of those areas," Shinseki said.
He also promised the department will be a good steward of the taxpayers' money.
"We will challenge ourselves to do things smarter and more effectively," he said. "We will aggressively leverage the world's best practices, its knowledge base and emerging technologies in such areas as health care, information management and service delivery."
MILITARY CONTRACTS January 14, 2009
ARMY
Atherton Construction, Inc., Las Vegas, Nev., was awarded on Jan 9, 2009, a $76,949,440 firm fixed price construction contract to replace family housing (Phase 8-9) Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Aug 5, 2012. Bids were solicited on the Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-09-C-4008).
Atherton Construction, Inc., Las Vegas, Nev., was awarded on Jan. 9, 2009, a $15,181,932 firm fixed price construction contract for whole house remodel, Wayne Manor at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Oct 4, 2010. Bids were solicited on the Web with one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-09-C-4000).
NAVY
General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $34,892,258 cost plus incentive fee contract for the preparation and accomplishment of the FY09 dry-docking and selected restricted availability of USS Providence (SSN 719) at the contractor's facility, Groton, Conn. The contractor will perform advance planning, design documentation, engineering, procurement, ship-checks, fabrication and preliminary shipyard work and/or any other work necessary to prepare for and accomplish the necessary alterations and repairs, maintenance, testing and routine work. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $39,780,633. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $34,892,258 will 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-4404).
Oak Point Associates, Biddeford, Maine, is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity architect engineering contract for civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical services in support of projects within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Northeast area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Northeast AOR including but not limited to Maine, (90 percent), N.H., (5 percent), and Vt., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2013. 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 seventeen proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-D-7026).
P & S Construction*, Lowell, Mass., is being awarded a $6,312,000 firm fixed price construction contract to renovate the interior of Luce Hall. Work willinclude mechanical, architectural, plumbing and the removal of asbestos, lead and hazardous material. The work will be performed in Newport, R.I., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three bids received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-7029).
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a $5,935,232 firm, fixed, priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0005 under contract M67854-07-D-5031 for the purchase of CDRL A043 PHST – Preservation and Packaging, CDRL A044 PHST – Validation Report, CDRL A045 PHST – Special Packaging Instruction, and 15 additional Field Service Representatives (FSR) – OCONUS to support the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I Cougar vehicles in OEF. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and in the OEF area of responsibility, and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 1, 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.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas for $49,750,000. This contact is for the Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research and Evaluation program. At this time, $584,168 has been obligated. AFRL/PKDA, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8650-09-D-7906).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Wauwatosa, Wis. is being awarded a maximum $43,200,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for parts, training and accessories for patient monitoring systems and subsystems. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 17 proposals solicited with nine responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is January 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM2D1-09-D-8300).
Atherton Construction, Inc., Las Vegas, Nev., was awarded on Jan 9, 2009, a $76,949,440 firm fixed price construction contract to replace family housing (Phase 8-9) Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Aug 5, 2012. Bids were solicited on the Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-09-C-4008).
Atherton Construction, Inc., Las Vegas, Nev., was awarded on Jan. 9, 2009, a $15,181,932 firm fixed price construction contract for whole house remodel, Wayne Manor at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Oct 4, 2010. Bids were solicited on the Web with one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-09-C-4000).
NAVY
General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $34,892,258 cost plus incentive fee contract for the preparation and accomplishment of the FY09 dry-docking and selected restricted availability of USS Providence (SSN 719) at the contractor's facility, Groton, Conn. The contractor will perform advance planning, design documentation, engineering, procurement, ship-checks, fabrication and preliminary shipyard work and/or any other work necessary to prepare for and accomplish the necessary alterations and repairs, maintenance, testing and routine work. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $39,780,633. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $34,892,258 will 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-4404).
Oak Point Associates, Biddeford, Maine, is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity architect engineering contract for civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical services in support of projects within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Northeast area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Northeast AOR including but not limited to Maine, (90 percent), N.H., (5 percent), and Vt., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2013. 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 seventeen proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-D-7026).
P & S Construction*, Lowell, Mass., is being awarded a $6,312,000 firm fixed price construction contract to renovate the interior of Luce Hall. Work willinclude mechanical, architectural, plumbing and the removal of asbestos, lead and hazardous material. The work will be performed in Newport, R.I., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three bids received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-09-C-7029).
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a $5,935,232 firm, fixed, priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0005 under contract M67854-07-D-5031 for the purchase of CDRL A043 PHST – Preservation and Packaging, CDRL A044 PHST – Validation Report, CDRL A045 PHST – Special Packaging Instruction, and 15 additional Field Service Representatives (FSR) – OCONUS to support the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I Cougar vehicles in OEF. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and in the OEF area of responsibility, and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 1, 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.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas for $49,750,000. This contact is for the Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research and Evaluation program. At this time, $584,168 has been obligated. AFRL/PKDA, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8650-09-D-7906).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Wauwatosa, Wis. is being awarded a maximum $43,200,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for parts, training and accessories for patient monitoring systems and subsystems. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 17 proposals solicited with nine responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is January 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM2D1-09-D-8300).
Task Force Prepares for Horn of Africa Mission
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Leaders preparing to deploy to Djibouti next month are getting a sense of the challenges they will face as the next headquarters staff at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa during a realistic training exercise at U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center here. A week-long mission rehearsal exercise kicked off Jan. 10, culminating training that began in May to prepare to Navy Rear Adm. Anthony M. Kurta and his core staff for the mission they will assume next month.
The computer-assisted command post exercise is the fourth for Joint Forces Command since the mission began in 2002 to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in East Africa and Yemen, explained Army Col. Michael Rose, chief of the center's operations group.
But in other ways, it's a first, with members of U.S. Africa Command -- which became fully operational in October -- participating in the training, both in Suffolk and at Africom's Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters. The Horn of Africa mission previously had been U.S. Central Command's responsibility.
Directly in synch with Africom's mission statement, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa focuses on operations that blend defense, diplomacy and development. The goal, Rose said, is to build capacity within African nations so they can keep extremism from taking hold.
"What we are doing is trying to prevent conflict and promote regional stability," he said.
To prepare deploying joint task forces for challenges ahead, Joint Forces Command begins a broad training program months before the deployment that continues after they arrive in the theater.
The mission rehearsal exercise, conducted just a month before deployment, brings the pre-deployment training to a crescendo in an exercise Kurta called "very reflective of the environment we will see on the ground in Djibouti."
As the exercise reached its fourth day, Kurta and his staff were dealing with everything from the day-to-day nuts and bolts of making the joint task force work to higher-level planning operations at the strategic and operational level.
Rose's team kept the staff on their toes by hitting them with every notional "what if" in the book – often simultaneously. Tanzania was hit by a cyclone and asked for an assessment team to evaluate the situation. Extremists threatened to attack a water-drilling team operating in Kenya. U.S. citizens and third-country nationals in Eritrea were under threat due to a border dispute, requiring Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to support a noncombatant evacuation.
"What we are doing is presenting a whole bunch of problems for the Horn of Africa staff to have to deal with, to come up with courses of action, brief them to the commander, and then the commander makes a decision about what course of action to purse," Rose said.
Army Brig. Gen. Sanford E. Holman has seen the mission rehearsal exercise from both sides of the fence. Before becoming vice commander of the Joint Warfighting Center, he went through its training before becoming deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in 2007. Holman offered his firsthand assessment of the value of the training to deploying task forces.
"This gives them the opportunity to go through their standard operating procedures, their tactics, techniques and procedures and get them ready," he said. "And by the time they finish this exercise, they are ready to deploy."
Kurta called the training Joint Forces Command provides -- particularly its use of best practices and lessons learned in training scenarios -- a key to the task force's success. "We are certainly ready to take on that mission," he said.
His staff shared his sentiments. Navy Capt. Mark Davis, head planner on the new combined joint task force staff, welcomed the exercise as an opportunity to prepare for his first mission outside the submarine force.
"It's remarkable how real it is here, and how realistic the scenarios are that we are being exposed to," he said. "This gives me the confidence to say that on Day One, I can hit the ground running."
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Leo McCray volunteered for his second deployment to Djibouti, but said the exercise is giving him new insights, too. "This gives the staff an opportunity to build relationships that will be important when we arrive in the theater," he said.
With 21 years of service under his belt, including service on four ships, McCray said he's hard-pressed to come up with a more fulfilling mission than what awaits the combined joint task force staff in Djibouti.
"The beauty of it is, this is not combative. This is humanitarian, and we are there to help," he said. "The great thing about this mission is that you get to see the fruits of what you have done. That makes it all really heartfelt."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - Leaders preparing to deploy to Djibouti next month are getting a sense of the challenges they will face as the next headquarters staff at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa during a realistic training exercise at U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center here. A week-long mission rehearsal exercise kicked off Jan. 10, culminating training that began in May to prepare to Navy Rear Adm. Anthony M. Kurta and his core staff for the mission they will assume next month.
The computer-assisted command post exercise is the fourth for Joint Forces Command since the mission began in 2002 to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in East Africa and Yemen, explained Army Col. Michael Rose, chief of the center's operations group.
But in other ways, it's a first, with members of U.S. Africa Command -- which became fully operational in October -- participating in the training, both in Suffolk and at Africom's Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters. The Horn of Africa mission previously had been U.S. Central Command's responsibility.
Directly in synch with Africom's mission statement, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa focuses on operations that blend defense, diplomacy and development. The goal, Rose said, is to build capacity within African nations so they can keep extremism from taking hold.
"What we are doing is trying to prevent conflict and promote regional stability," he said.
To prepare deploying joint task forces for challenges ahead, Joint Forces Command begins a broad training program months before the deployment that continues after they arrive in the theater.
The mission rehearsal exercise, conducted just a month before deployment, brings the pre-deployment training to a crescendo in an exercise Kurta called "very reflective of the environment we will see on the ground in Djibouti."
As the exercise reached its fourth day, Kurta and his staff were dealing with everything from the day-to-day nuts and bolts of making the joint task force work to higher-level planning operations at the strategic and operational level.
Rose's team kept the staff on their toes by hitting them with every notional "what if" in the book – often simultaneously. Tanzania was hit by a cyclone and asked for an assessment team to evaluate the situation. Extremists threatened to attack a water-drilling team operating in Kenya. U.S. citizens and third-country nationals in Eritrea were under threat due to a border dispute, requiring Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to support a noncombatant evacuation.
"What we are doing is presenting a whole bunch of problems for the Horn of Africa staff to have to deal with, to come up with courses of action, brief them to the commander, and then the commander makes a decision about what course of action to purse," Rose said.
Army Brig. Gen. Sanford E. Holman has seen the mission rehearsal exercise from both sides of the fence. Before becoming vice commander of the Joint Warfighting Center, he went through its training before becoming deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in 2007. Holman offered his firsthand assessment of the value of the training to deploying task forces.
"This gives them the opportunity to go through their standard operating procedures, their tactics, techniques and procedures and get them ready," he said. "And by the time they finish this exercise, they are ready to deploy."
Kurta called the training Joint Forces Command provides -- particularly its use of best practices and lessons learned in training scenarios -- a key to the task force's success. "We are certainly ready to take on that mission," he said.
His staff shared his sentiments. Navy Capt. Mark Davis, head planner on the new combined joint task force staff, welcomed the exercise as an opportunity to prepare for his first mission outside the submarine force.
"It's remarkable how real it is here, and how realistic the scenarios are that we are being exposed to," he said. "This gives me the confidence to say that on Day One, I can hit the ground running."
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Leo McCray volunteered for his second deployment to Djibouti, but said the exercise is giving him new insights, too. "This gives the staff an opportunity to build relationships that will be important when we arrive in the theater," he said.
With 21 years of service under his belt, including service on four ships, McCray said he's hard-pressed to come up with a more fulfilling mission than what awaits the combined joint task force staff in Djibouti.
"The beauty of it is, this is not combative. This is humanitarian, and we are there to help," he said. "The great thing about this mission is that you get to see the fruits of what you have done. That makes it all really heartfelt."
National Guard Prepares for More Inaugural History
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The 372-year-old National Guard has provided inaugural support for every American president since George Washington. This year won't be any different. Much like the militiamen who crossed their states' borders to escort the first president to his swearing-in ceremony in Manhattan in 1789, today's Guard members have traveled to the District of Columbia from their home communities.
Participating states include Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa and New York, in addition to the District of Columbia's National Guard. The Guard members will help to provide a safe and ceremonial inauguration for President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20.
It's a service that the militia has provided to every American president, Guard historians here said.
"The military presence at the first inauguration was the militia," said Renee Hylton, National Guard Bureau historian. "The militia was a very important local institution.
Militia members had fought under Washington in the Revolutionary War, so it was natural they would want to help to install him as first president under the new Constitution. Though no parade was planned, the militia was the only military part of the procession of dignitaries who accompanied Washington on the streets of New York City.
Months of hard work and planning, driven by tradition and today's security environment, have joined the Guard with civil authorities, active military components, the Secret Service and others to help bring Americans' vote for Obama to fruition.
A record number of more than 7,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen are involved in missions to support the district's civil authorities for inauguration-related parades and ceremonies. Another nearly 3,000 are in direct support to Virginia and Maryland as they assist with traffic and other activities in the area. It's a vast increase from the number of militia that escorted Washington.
"For the first inaugurations, nobody was really sure what was the appropriate level of pomp and circumstance," Hylton said. "Tradition built up slowly over the years. The first parades were much smaller, but had proportionately more bands and music. ... It was a big spectacle for the public. There was no television; a parade was a big deal."
For at least one state, providing civil and ceremonial support to grand-scale celebrations is "just another day," Army Lt. Col. Rich Goldenberg, a New York Guard spokesman, said.
Goldenberg explained that New York Guard members often are involved in large-scale celebrations that draw millions of people to the city.
"We have been marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade for more than 150 years," he said. "It's nice to be a part of our city's celebration and history. And another role is our state's New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square, where the Guard provides support to civil authorities, including Army military police and Air Force security forces."
But the presidential inauguration is historically unique, Goldenberg said, because the Guard is involved in both the ceremonies and support to civil authorities.
"I cannot think of another significant event where the Guard was both a key component of the celebration and of its security," he said.
Guard members will march in the official inaugural parade, a tradition begun by members of the Virginia militia when Virginian James Monroe was inaugurated in 1817. The Guard's musical units, bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons will add to the ceremonies.
The recently reactivated Massachusetts Army Guard 54th Volunteer Regiment, a ceremonial unit representing the first black Civil War regiment, will march in honor of the nation's first black president. The 54th Massachusetts, which suffered heavy casualties assaulting Confederate Fort Wagner on the South Carolina coast, was portrayed in the movie "Glory."
Still larger numbers of Guard members will provide mission support to civil authorities, including communication, transportation and security. Guardsmen also will stand by with crowd-control units as well as quick-reaction forces and chemical, biological and radiological response experts. Still others will provide logistical support.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The 372-year-old National Guard has provided inaugural support for every American president since George Washington. This year won't be any different. Much like the militiamen who crossed their states' borders to escort the first president to his swearing-in ceremony in Manhattan in 1789, today's Guard members have traveled to the District of Columbia from their home communities.
Participating states include Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa and New York, in addition to the District of Columbia's National Guard. The Guard members will help to provide a safe and ceremonial inauguration for President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20.
It's a service that the militia has provided to every American president, Guard historians here said.
"The military presence at the first inauguration was the militia," said Renee Hylton, National Guard Bureau historian. "The militia was a very important local institution.
Militia members had fought under Washington in the Revolutionary War, so it was natural they would want to help to install him as first president under the new Constitution. Though no parade was planned, the militia was the only military part of the procession of dignitaries who accompanied Washington on the streets of New York City.
Months of hard work and planning, driven by tradition and today's security environment, have joined the Guard with civil authorities, active military components, the Secret Service and others to help bring Americans' vote for Obama to fruition.
A record number of more than 7,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen are involved in missions to support the district's civil authorities for inauguration-related parades and ceremonies. Another nearly 3,000 are in direct support to Virginia and Maryland as they assist with traffic and other activities in the area. It's a vast increase from the number of militia that escorted Washington.
"For the first inaugurations, nobody was really sure what was the appropriate level of pomp and circumstance," Hylton said. "Tradition built up slowly over the years. The first parades were much smaller, but had proportionately more bands and music. ... It was a big spectacle for the public. There was no television; a parade was a big deal."
For at least one state, providing civil and ceremonial support to grand-scale celebrations is "just another day," Army Lt. Col. Rich Goldenberg, a New York Guard spokesman, said.
Goldenberg explained that New York Guard members often are involved in large-scale celebrations that draw millions of people to the city.
"We have been marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade for more than 150 years," he said. "It's nice to be a part of our city's celebration and history. And another role is our state's New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square, where the Guard provides support to civil authorities, including Army military police and Air Force security forces."
But the presidential inauguration is historically unique, Goldenberg said, because the Guard is involved in both the ceremonies and support to civil authorities.
"I cannot think of another significant event where the Guard was both a key component of the celebration and of its security," he said.
Guard members will march in the official inaugural parade, a tradition begun by members of the Virginia militia when Virginian James Monroe was inaugurated in 1817. The Guard's musical units, bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons will add to the ceremonies.
The recently reactivated Massachusetts Army Guard 54th Volunteer Regiment, a ceremonial unit representing the first black Civil War regiment, will march in honor of the nation's first black president. The 54th Massachusetts, which suffered heavy casualties assaulting Confederate Fort Wagner on the South Carolina coast, was portrayed in the movie "Glory."
Still larger numbers of Guard members will provide mission support to civil authorities, including communication, transportation and security. Guardsmen also will stand by with crowd-control units as well as quick-reaction forces and chemical, biological and radiological response experts. Still others will provide logistical support.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
General Underscores Commitment to Fielding Unmanned Aerial Systems
By Megan Orton
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The Air Force is "all in" with regard to unmanned aerial systems, and the service's leaders understand Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' direction to field the systems in the combat theater as fully and quickly as possible, the commander of 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern said Jan. 12. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman R. Seip participated in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers.
"Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," the general said. "So I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of UAS and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders."
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
Additionally, he said, teams at the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., are developing countermeasures for potential enemy use of unmanned aerial systems.
"When, in the future, we encounter a near-peer or asymmetric threat, or a terrorist organization that has the UAS capability, we're going to certainly need to be working toward active techniques so that we can counter those capabilities," he said.
These techniques will be essential for the Air Force to dominate airspace when needed and allow for freedom of maneuver for ground forces, the general explained.
Seip also updated the group on maintenance issues surrounding A-10 Thunderbolt II close-air-support fighter jets following a technical order issued in October requiring immediate inspection and repair of wing cracks in a portion of the A-10 fleet.
Though 40 percent of thin-skinned A-10s are grounded, he said, 12th Air Force still is able to provide warfighters with the close-air support they need in the combat theater. Repairs should be completed by June, he said.
Seip noted 12th Air Force's busy pace in supporting the war on terror and continuing its ongoing mission as the air component for U.S. Southern Command.
"It is an exciting time in both 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern," he said, "as the Air Force continues to fight the long war on terrorism as well as support its 'soft-power' commitment in South [America], Central America and the Caribbean."
With headquarters at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Air Combat Command's 12th Air Force controls conventional fighter and bomber forces based in the western United States.
(Megan Orton works at Air Force public affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2009 - The Air Force is "all in" with regard to unmanned aerial systems, and the service's leaders understand Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' direction to field the systems in the combat theater as fully and quickly as possible, the commander of 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern said Jan. 12. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman R. Seip participated in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers.
"Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," the general said. "So I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of UAS and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders."
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
Additionally, he said, teams at the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., are developing countermeasures for potential enemy use of unmanned aerial systems.
"When, in the future, we encounter a near-peer or asymmetric threat, or a terrorist organization that has the UAS capability, we're going to certainly need to be working toward active techniques so that we can counter those capabilities," he said.
These techniques will be essential for the Air Force to dominate airspace when needed and allow for freedom of maneuver for ground forces, the general explained.
Seip also updated the group on maintenance issues surrounding A-10 Thunderbolt II close-air-support fighter jets following a technical order issued in October requiring immediate inspection and repair of wing cracks in a portion of the A-10 fleet.
Though 40 percent of thin-skinned A-10s are grounded, he said, 12th Air Force still is able to provide warfighters with the close-air support they need in the combat theater. Repairs should be completed by June, he said.
Seip noted 12th Air Force's busy pace in supporting the war on terror and continuing its ongoing mission as the air component for U.S. Southern Command.
"It is an exciting time in both 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern," he said, "as the Air Force continues to fight the long war on terrorism as well as support its 'soft-power' commitment in South [America], Central America and the Caribbean."
With headquarters at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Air Combat Command's 12th Air Force controls conventional fighter and bomber forces based in the western United States.
(Megan Orton works at Air Force public affairs.)
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