America Supports You: Soldier Finds Ties to Past Support in Story

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2008 - In 1967, Robert Hutchinson was a young soldier serving in the jungles of Vietnam. He was concerned that the men in his unit weren't getting enough mail from home. Sgt. Joe Artavia's letter home to his sister, Linda Patterson, asking her to find a city to adopt his unit made a huge difference to Hutchinson and his comrades, Hutchinson said.

"The adoption of our company by the city of San Mateo (Calif.) and your personal dedication to our unit is a matter of great pride to me as well as to many of my brothers-in-arms," Hutchinson wrote in a recent letter to Patterson.

Though Artavia was killed March 24, 1968, he did learn that his request had been fulfilled.

After a March 17 American Forces Press Service story highlighted both the city and Patterson's 40-plus years of troop support, others are following Hutchinson's lead and are contacting Patterson.

Though she is hearing from veterans, she's also hearing from current servicemembers regarding her organization, "America Supporting Americans," which works to have communities across the country adopt military units.

"We are hearing (of) a lot of units registering with (America Supporting Americans). Even Navy Seabees have contacted us," Patterson said. "Hopefully some cities will start trickling in soon."

Patterson also said she's excited about other opportunities to share the history of San Mateo's relationship with Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

Currently, a display at the San Mateo Public Library conveys the story. "There is talk about circulating a moving wall of this history across the country hopefully to inspire others to join (America Supporting Americans') Adopt a Unit program," she said.
In addition, Patterson said she hopes to take a small contingent of representatives from her organization to visit adopted units in Iraq. The trip would be similar to the then-unprecedented trip she made to Vietnam nearly four decades ago.

America Supporting Americans is also a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Face of Defense: Air Force Recruit Drops 128 Pounds to Enlist

By Kendahl Johnson
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2008 - When Will Sims entered basic training yesterday as one of the Air Force's newest recruits, it culminated an effort to overcome an obstacle that might keep others with less determination and resolve out of the military. When Sims first met with Air Force Tech. Sgt. Damon Andrews, a recruiter attached to the 367th Recruiting Group here, he weighed 128 pounds more than the Air Force's maximum allowable weight for a man of his height. Eight months later, he swore to serve the country as a member of the U.S. Air Force.

"I was told if you dream it, it will happen. Well, I dreamed it, and it happened," Sims said. "It was hard, but I did it."

The first thing Sims did was cut his calories to around 1,000 per day. Next, he started exercising at least 20 minutes per day. He gradually increased the duration of his exercises and cut even more calories from his diet.

"I was doing anything to get my heart rate up, but mainly I was running," he said. "I'd do sit-ups and push-ups to keep my strength up, but the majority of my exercise was running."

Sims found motivation in various places. First, there was Airman 1st Class James Robinson, a friend who had joined the Air Force months earlier. The two had been in the ROTC program together at Warner Robins High School.

"I knew I was overweight, but James encouraged me to talk to a recruiter anyway," Sims said. "He told me if I really wanted it, I could do it."

So he visited Andrews, who put him on him on a scale. Although Sims weighed in at 303 pounds, Andrews saw a highly motivated individual and recognized his potential to the Air Force. He began bringing Sims to the recruiting office regularly for encouragement and to measure his progress.

"Being overweight is not a showstopper," Andrews said. "If the Air Force is something you are considering and you are willing to put forth the effort, you can serve. Will has shown that."

Sims also got encouragement at home from his mother, June Sims, a small-arms program manager in 575th Combat Sustainment Squadron here. But, she said, it was his love for the Air Force that was his true motivation.

"He has always loved the Air Force, so he just decided he was going to get the weight off and join. For someone to lose that amount of weight in that amount of time is truly remarkable," she said. "We were really amazed by his efforts and his dedication and perseverance. We are really proud of him."

Sims went from 44-inch pants and XXXL shirts to 32-inch pants and medium shirts. He said he has been enjoying the change.

"Everybody who sees me says, 'Is that really Will?' And the girls sort of give me a little look now, which is nice," he said.

Sims will begin his career in aviation resource management, but has aspirations of getting his bachelor's degree and becoming an officer. He said he is excited for the opportunity and knows his achievements prove that anything is possible.

"Stuff isn't given to you; you have to work for it," he said. "But if you have a goal and you want to achieve something in life, then go for it. Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible."

(Kendahl Johnson works in the 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office.)

NAVY

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Taunton, Mass., is being awarded a ceiling $375,000,000 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Tactical Data Network Data Distribution System – Modular (TDN DDS-M). Delivery of the production quantities of TDN DDS-M is expected to begin in Sep. 2008. Work will be performed in Taunton, Mass., and work is expected to be completed Mar. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $692,327 will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively awarded under a full and open, best value competition, with four offers provided. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-7036.

Bell Boeing Tiltrotor Team, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded $26,681,500 for three ceiling-priced delivery orders (#0255 - $14,286,500, #0256 - $5,305,000, and #0257 - $7,090,000) under a previously awarded contract (N00383-03-G-001B) for spare components of the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Hurst, Texas, and work is expected to be completed Jun. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

DCK Pacific, LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a $24,588,717 firm-fixed-price contract for phase 1 of potable water system recapitalization at Naval Base Guam. The work to be performed provides for replacement of existing water lines with larger sized lines, including miscellaneous water mains and line connections, provide new emergency generator and new concrete building for the Navy Lake Pump Station, installation of zone water meters for various areas, replacement of vertical pumps with 500 horsepower horizontal pumps with variable frequency drives for the Navy Lake Pump Station, construct an air conditioned addition to the existing pump station building for the new pumps, replace gate valves with butterfly valves at the reservoirs, replace the altitude valves at the reservoirs and installation of pressure reducing valves for water lines feeding the Sasa Valley, X-Ray Wharf and Polaris Point. Work will be performed in Guam, and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 23 proposals solicited and six offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-08-C-1307).

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $17,292,804 cost contract for applied research and advanced technology demonstration of an advanced Multi-Mode Sensor Suite to support vertical take-off and landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting missions in the littoral combat environment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in Sep. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under a Broad Agency Announcement; five offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-08-C-0034).

Virtexco Corporation, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded $14,109,989 for firm-fixed-price task order #0004 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4010) for construction of Military Operations Urban Terrain (MOUT) enhancements at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. The work to be performed provides for construction of an urban combat training area of approximately 75 buildings and training structures. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

U.S. Regains Missile Parts; Gates Orders Investigation

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2008 - The U.S. military has regained control of four non-nuclear nose cone assemblies for a Minuteman missile mistakenly sent to Taiwan in 2006, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne said during a news conference here today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates learned of the situation on March 21 and immediately ordered that the United States regain "positive control" of the systems, Wynne said. He also notified the president of the situation.

It was the second incident with a strategic weapon in the past year. In August, an Air Force B-52 flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., carrying atomic weapons. The crew did not realize they were carrying nuclear weapons until they landed.

Today, Gates signed a memorandum directing Adm. Kirkland Donald, director of Navy Nuclear Propulsion, to conduct a comprehensive investigation "to determine the facts into how this error occurred and who is accountable throughout the chain of command," said Christopher R. "Ryan" Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.

The admiral will work with the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service. The intelligence community also will help with the investigation.

Henry said the secretary feels very strongly about this error.

"In an organization as large as DoD ... there will be mistakes, but they cannot be tolerated in the arena of strategic systems -- whether nuclear or only associated equipment," he said during the news conference.

DoD has notified the appropriate congressional committees and the Peoples' Republic of China, he said.

The nose cone assemblies and associated electrical parts are proximity fuses for the missiles. While not technically "triggers," a nuclear warhead atop a Minuteman would not detonate without the signal from these devices.

Preliminary information indicates that a shipment took place in response to a foreign military sales order from Taiwan for helicopter batteries, Wynne said. The Defense Logistics Agency depot at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, mistakenly shipped the fuses -- a classified system -- rather than the batteries.

The Taiwanese receiving the shipment placed it in storage upon receipt, Wynne said. "The investigation will determine the integrity of the shipping containers and their contents during the (foreign military sales) process."

The department has initiated a complete physical inventory of all of these devices, Henry said.

"The secretary is further directing the secretaries of the Air Force and Navy to conduct a comprehensive review of all the policies, procedures as well as a physical site inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated materiel and equipment across their respective programs," he said.

The original helicopter battery order was consistent with the U.S. "One-China" policy, the three joint U.S.-China communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act.

"Our policy on Taiwan arms sales has not changed," Henry said. "This specific incident was an error in process only and is not indicative of our policies, which remain unchanged."

Henry said it's unclear whether the erroneous shipment violated the Missile Technology Control Regime -- an informal, voluntary association of countries seeking to stop proliferation of weapons of mass destruction -- or other treaties.

Face of Defense: Woman Soldier Receives Silver Star

By Spc. Micah E. Clare, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 24, 2008 - Heroes are made, not born. And a hero like Army Spc. Monica Brown, 19, is no different. Brown, recognized for her gallant actions during combat in Afghanistan in 2007, is the second woman soldier since World War II to be awarded a Silver Star. She received the medal from Vice President Richard B. Cheney during a ceremony here March 20.

It was dusk on April 25, 2007, when Brown, a medic from the 82nd Airborne Division's 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was on a routine security patrol along the rolling, rocky plains of the isolated Jani Khail district in Afghanistan's Paktika province when insurgents attacked her convoy.

"We'd been out on the mission for a couple of days," said Brown, who at the time was attached to the brigade's 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment's Troop C. "We had just turned into a wadi (empty river bed) when our gunner yelled at us that the vehicle behind us had hit an (improvised explosive device)."

The soldiers looked out of their windows in time to see one of the struck vehicle's tires flying through the field next to them. Brown had just opened her door to see what was going on when the attack began.

"I only saw the smoke from the vehicle when suddenly we started taking small-arms fire from all around us," she said. "Our gunner starting firing back, and my platoon sergeant yelled, 'Doc! Let's go.'"

Brown and her platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Jose Santos, exited their vehicle, and while under fire, ran the few hundred meters to the site of the downed Humvee.

"Everyone was already out of the burning vehicle," she said. "But even before I got there, I could tell that two of them were injured very seriously."

In fact, all five of the passengers who had stumbled out were burned and cut. Two soldiers, Spcs. Stanson Smith and Larry Spray, suffered life-threatening injuries.

With help from two less-injured vehicle crewmen, Sgt. Zachary Tellier and Spc. Jack Bodani, Brown moved the immobile soldiers to a relatively safe distance from the burning Humvee.

"There was pretty heavy incoming fire at this point," she said.

"Rounds were literally missing her by inches," said Bodani, who provided suppressive fire as Brown aided the casualties while injured. "We needed to get away from there."

Attempting to provide proper medical care under the heavy fire became impossible, especially when the attackers stepped up efforts to kill the soldiers.

"Another vehicle had just maneuvered to our position to shield us from the rounds now exploding in the fire from the Humvee behind us," Brown said. "Somewhere in the mix, we started taking mortar rounds. It became a huge commotion, but all I could let myself think about were my patients."

With the other vehicles spread out in a crescent formation, Brown and her casualties were stuck with nowhere to go. Suddenly, Santos arrived with one of the unit's vehicles and backed it up to their position, and Brown began loading the wounded soldiers inside.

"We took off to a more secure location several hundred meters away, where we were able to call in the (medical evacuation mission)," Brown said.

She then directed other combat-life-saver-qualified soldiers to help by holding intravenous bags and assisting her in preparing the casualties for evacuation.

After what seemed like an eternity, Brown said, the attackers finally began retreating, and she was able to perform more thorough aid procedures before the helicopter finally arrived to transport the casualties to safety.

Two hours after the initial attack, everything was over.

In the darkness, Brown recalled standing in a field, knee-deep in grass, her only source of light coming from her red head-light, trying to piece together the events that had just taken place.

"Looking back, it was just a blur of noise and movement," the Lake Jackson, Texas, native said. "What just happened? Did I do everything right? It was a hard thing to think about."

Before joining the Army at the age of 17, the bright-eyed young woman said she never pictured herself being in a situation like this. Originally wanting to be an X-ray technician, she changed her mind when she realized that by becoming a medic, she'd be in the best place to help people.

"At first, I didn't think I could do it," she said. "I was actually afraid of blood. When I saw my first airway-opening operation, I threw up."

She quickly adjusted to her job and received additional training both before and during her deployment to Afghanistan.

"I realized that everything I had done during the attack was just rote memory," she said. "Kudos to my chain of command for that. I know with training, like I was given, any medic would have done the same in my position."

"To say she handled herself well would be an understatement," said Bodani, who quickly recovered from his injuries and immediately returned to work. "It was amazing to see her keep completely calm and take care of our guys with all that going on around her. Of all the medics we've had with us throughout the year, she was the one I trusted the most."

Earning trust with a combat unit is not something easily earned, said Army Capt. Todd Book, Troop C's commander at the time of the attack, but it was something Brown had taken upon herself to prove long before the Jani Khail ambush.

"Our regular medic was on leave at the time," Book said. "We had other medics to choose from, but Brown had shown us that she was more technically proficient than any of her peers."

Having people call her "Doc" means a lot to Brown because of the trust it engenders.

"When people I've treated come back to me later and tell me the difference I was able to make in their life is the best part of this job," she said.

During her rest and recuperation leave in May, Brown visited Spray in the hospital and met his mother.

"I almost cried," Brown said. "Spray's mother was so thankful, and she hugged me. That was the moment that made me feel the best about what I did."

Even though she felt proud when she was informed that she was going to receive a Silver Star, she considers her actions to be the result of effort put into her by everyone she's worked for.

"While I'm not scared to get my hands dirty, I have to say that I never fully became a medic until I came over here and did it first-hand," she said. "I just reacted when the time came."

Due to her quick and selfless actions, both Smith and Spray survived their injuries.

(Army Spc. Micah E. Clare serves with the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

Missing WWII Airman is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is 2nd Lt. Arthur F. Eastman, U.S. Army Air Forces, of East Orange, N.J. He will be buried in September in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Eastman's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

On Aug. 18, 1944, Eastman departed the airdrome at Finschhafen, New Guinea, on a test flight of his F-5E-2 aircraft, but never returned. Subsequent searches failed to locate Eastman or his aircraft.

In 2003, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) found documents in the Australian National Archives about an earlier site visit believed to be associated with an F-5E crash. According to the archives, an Australian official had visited the crash site in 1950 in Morobe province near Koilil Village, but there was no subsequent recovery.

In 2004, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated the crash site in the mountains of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The team found aircraft wreckage and recommended the site be excavated.

In February-March 2007, a JPAC team excavated the crash site and recovered human remains, pilot-related items and other personal effects, including Eastman's military identification tag.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169

Australia to Alhambra

Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.

March 23, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added police officers from Alhambra (California), San Francisco (California) and Australia.

David Savage is a former member of the Australian Federal Police, having served for 19 years in a range of areas including General Policing, Criminal Investigations, Close Personal Protection, and as a member of the police Special Operations Team. He has also served as a Civilian Police Officer on United Nations missions in Mozambique, East Timor twice and as a Truce/Peace Monitor in Bougainville. He currently works for the United Nations. David Savage is the author of Dancing with the Devil: A Personal Account of Policing the East Timor Vote for Independence. According to the book description, “Dancing with the Devil is a UN police officer memoir of the independence ballot in East Timor. With compassion and humor, David Savage tells the simple truth about the horrific events he witnessed, and the triumph of a quiet, resilient people.”

Chief of Police William Palmini’s thirty-four year law enforcement career was spent mostly with the Albany Police Department (California). Chief William Palmini is currently the chief of police for the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Department of Safety and Security. He holds a masters degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Chief William Palmini is a past recipient of the J. Stannard Baker Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the author of Murder on the Rails.

Publisher’s Weekly wrote about Murder on the Rails, “Retired California police detective Palmini's account of the career murderer Robert Silveria Jr., dubbed the Boxcar Serial Killer, is long on splatter and short on insight. Palmini himself is like a figure from a David Lynch movie—a veteran cop who received a government grant to "do Elvis impersonations to promote traffic safety among California teens and their families" through a group called Elvis and the Lawmen. After a Vietnam vet is brutally slaughtered in a transient camp near Albany, Calif., Palmini's investigation leads him to the vicious underworld community of the Freight Train Riders of America, a little-known national criminal association.”

Alvin Vaughan was a member of the U.S. Navy during WWII. Surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor we went on to served on the USS. New Orleans, the USS Lexington and the USS Enterprise. Alvin Vaughan joined the Alhambra Police Department (California) in the late 1940s and served 18 years until medically retired. Alvin Vaughan is the author of Tales from Alvin’s Place, Sharon’s Loves and Elcor. According to the book description of Sharon’s Loves, “Sharon a California girl has a life filled with difficulty through three marriages. She exhibits strength of character beyond her years and is an example and role model for her two sisters.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 887 police officers (representing 387 police departments) and their 1853 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

England Presents 'Check It' Awards to Agencies

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

March 24, 2008 - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today presented seven top "Check It" campaign awards to agencies from across the department for their process-improvement and quality-assurance efforts. In a ceremony here, England presented four Honorable Mention awards for the most improved processes in the first round of the second phase of the campaign. He also presented awards to three fiscal 2007 Statement of Assurance Scorecard Winners.

The deputy secretary launched the campaign in 2006 to raise awareness of internal controls. This second phase started in October.

"It's important to the department. It's important to the warfighter, and therefore it's important to the nation," England said at the ceremony. "I thank you."

Defense Department Comptroller Tina W. Jonas was on hand for the event. In her role, Jonas said, she is always concerned about using government dollars wisely. There are two parts to the program, she said -- improving internal controls, but also delivering products and services to the warfighter in a way that is effective and efficient.

"Our bottom line is not shareholders. Our bottom line is really the warfighter," Jonas said.

Those receiving the Honorable Mentions were:

-- Financial management improvement program, accounts receivable tracking and reporting, Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The office's improvements cleared $80 million in old accounts payable and $90 million in old undelivered orders. They reduced delinquent accounts receivable by $2.6 billion, according to award documents.

-- Executive management system, Office of the Defense Research and Engineering, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The office's improvements automated financial performance data, resulting in a 97 percent reduction in cycle time, according to award documents.

-- Disbursing and cash management, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. The office improved disbursing and cash management, resulting in no losses or overages and 100 percent accountability for nearly $10 million, according to award documents.

-- The amphibious assault vehicle depot production line, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif. The program improved the amphibious vehicle production line, reducing cycle time by 25 percent and decreased overtime by 50 percent, while improving quality checks, according to award documents.

Marine Capt. Mike Nolan, who served as the amphibious vehicle program director at the Barstow logistics base, said the process improvements started at the lowest level.

"We built from the bottom up the cultural change to ensure they can make the process better and produce the vehicles of better quality and less cost," he said after the ceremony. "That saves the Marine Corps money, and the warfighters get a better product."

Nolan said the Barstow team focused on the assembly line process because that was taking the longest and costing the most. The group developed process-improvement teams and looked at every step of the process. Overall improvement delivered $6 million in savings, and more inspections inherent in the new processes yielded a better product, he said.

In the same category, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq was awarded first place honors in a ceremony in Iraq last week. Since June, the command reviewed some 950 contracts and freed up $831 million in funds, according to a news release. There were no other placings for the award.

The three scorecard winners are the Joint Staff, the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. As required by the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act, the statement of assurance addresses the management controls of the department and makes required disclosures.

Richard Page, acting director of the Defense Commissary Agency, said accountability starts in the back rooms of the 259 commissaries and 10 distribution centers around the world when receiving, pricing and accounting for all products correctly.

"We do check it, and we do check it twice," he said.

This is the second straight year the agency has received the award.

"It's a top-down and bottom-up approach to how we do business," Page said. "When you start looking at ... who we serve and who we support, it is critical that we are doing everything as well as it can be done."

MILITARY CONTRACTS March 24, 2008

AIR FORCE

Affordable Engineering Services, LLC of Totowa, N.J.; Defense Support Services, LLC of Mount Laurel, N.J.; J.K. Hill and Associates, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va.; L-3 Communication Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss.; MI Support Services, LP of Denton, Texas; and MacAulay-Brown, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, are being awarded a contract for $98,000,000. This action will provide multiple awards. The Depot Onsite Contract Augmentee Team program provides depot onsite contract augmentee teams to perform maintenance and related tasks at Ogden Air Logistics Center Utah and Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Tucson Arizona. At this time $30,000 has been obligated. HAFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8224-08-D-0003-0001, FA8224-08-D-0005-0001, FA8224-08-D-0006-0001, FA8224-08-D-0009-0001, FA8224-08-D-0003-0010, FA8224-08-D-0011-0001).

NAVY

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded $15,825,522 for delivery order #5005 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-06-G-011F) for procurement of initial and wholesale spares requirements for various weapons replacement assemblies used in the development and deployment of the airborne low frequency sonar system for the MH-60R helicopter. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., and work 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 Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded $8,113,705 for delivery order #5004 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-06-G-011F) for procurement of initial and wholesale spares requirements for various weapons replacement assemblies used in the development and deployment of the airborne low frequency sonar system for the MH-60R helicopter. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., and work 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 Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

ITT Industries, Inc. Clifton, N.J., is being awarded a $7,851,563 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop and demonstrate a prototype decoy payload with an electronic countermeasure capability. This system shall be capable of recognizing friendly emitters and limiting the response for those emitters. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the value of the contract to $21,083,937. Work will be performed in Clifton, N.J., and work is expected to be completed November 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $3,685,335 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under Broad Agency Announcement # 57-07-08. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00173-08-C-2025).

Compass Systems, Inc., Lexington Park, Md., is being awarded an $8,959,518 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for specific engineering and technical expertise in the design, development, manufacture and repair of Navy special projects avionics, electro-optic sensors and field equipment. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Md., and is expected to be completed in March 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-C-0147).

KTU+A, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for preparation of Navy and Marine Corps military construction projects planning documentation in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to California (87 percent); Arizona (5 percent), Nevada (5 percent), Colorado (1 percent), New Mexico (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed March 2009 (March 2013 with exercised options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website,with seven offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8623).

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $6,774,379 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-01-C-0077) to exercise an option for technical and engineering support services for the development, procurement, integration, testing, installation and certification of shipboard communication systems; the development and integration of like systems at shore sites associated with the deployment of, or fleet support to, surface combatants; and the development, testing and integration of mobile and airborne communication systems designed to interface with the command, control, communication, computers and intelligence architecture of surface combatants. The estimated level of effort for this option is 195,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in California, Md. (80 percent); St. Inigoes, Md. (10 percent); Bath, Maine (5 percent); and Pascagoula, Miss. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $6,355,030 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-05-C-0050) to exercise an option for the FY 2008 production of 137 each RT-1556B AN/ARC-210 Receiver-Transmitter Radios and 81 each C-11898A Radio Control Sets for the U.S. Air Force Unmanned Air Vehicle Predator aircraft. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in May 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

America Supports You: Manhattan 'Jewel' Offers Troops Respite

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, March 24, 2008 - What began in 1919 as simple lodging for servicemembers returning from World War I has since become a "jewel in the heart of Manhattan," with an expanding mission that includes supporting deployed troops.
"The main effort of the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard & Airmen's Club is to provide reasonably priced accommodations to servicemen and women, as well as any members of the (New York Police Department and New York Fire Department) in order to express our gratitude for all of their efforts," said Connie Morinello, one of the organization's committee members.

In addition, the organization founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, Gen. John J. Pershing and Cornelia Barnes Rodgers, who served with American forces in France as an ambulance driver, now offers veterans a variety of services.

"We also work with wounded warriors at events such as the NYC marathon and the Veterans Day parade," Morinello said. "(We) organize fundraisers, social gatherings and send out care packages and correspondence to troops deployed overseas and at bases nationwide."

The club recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Morinello said the club hopes this affiliation will increase its visibility among those who wish to support its efforts as well as those eligible to use the facility.

"We hope to be able to reach out to an increasing number of individuals and organizations around the country, making them aware of what we do and how we support our heroes," she said.

New York State Police Officers

Editor's Note: One of the author is former servicemember

March 20, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officers from three different New York State law enforcement agencies.

Peter S. Griffin enlisted in the U.S. Army on 13 March 1964 and was honorably discharged on 10 March 1967. After discharge Peter Griffin attended the Police Academy at Syracuse, New York and served as a Police Officer for the Oswego Police Department (New York) for over ten years. Peter Griffin is the author of When You Hear The Bugle Call: Battling PTSD and the Unraveling of the American Conscience.

According to the book description of When You Hear The Bugle Call: Battling PTSD and the Unraveling of the American Conscience, it “is a compelling, poignant and straightforward presentation of sickness and healing, righteousness opposing wrong doing, and the eventual triumph of the human spirit despite overwhelming obstacles and barriers. This very personal account of war and its aftermath was written to benefit combat veterans agonized by severe and chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), composed by one who is living the nightmare, one of their own, a fellow warrior. In the broader scope, this account is meant to help them, and their friends and loved ones to better understand this overwhelming psychological, involuntary, and innate response to continual, life threatening situations.”

Inspector Norman Denny, New York State Police (ret.), is the author of Manual for Police of New York State. According to the book description, “The most complete, accurate and timely information available for law enforcement in New York State. A compilation of a broad range of information sources vital to success.”

William Tolhurst began his law enforcement career in 1962 and quickly became a leader in the field of training and dog handling. He served as president of the North American Search Dog Network, and previously served three terms as the president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. Throughout his long career as a special deputy with the Niagara County Sheriff's Department, William Tolhurst has met every challenge. His expertise has been used throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Every trail backed by his bloodhound testimony has resulted in conviction.

William Tolhurst is the author of Manhunters!: Hounds of the Big T and The Police Textbook for Dog Handlers.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 879 police officers (representing 385 police departments) and their 1843 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Leadership

A recent reader review of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style:

“Raymond Foster has demonstrated his knowledge of leadership very thoroughly in this book. Coming from the LAPD, he draws upon his experience as a mid-level manager by using humor and anecdotes so aspiring supervisors and managers can develop their individual skills. I am a retired police captin from Newark, NJ and wish I had the book during the promotional testing process. Now, I am using the book in my consulting practice--very relevant, very practical and an easy read!”

About the book
Using poker as analogy for leadership, Captain Andrew Harvey, CPD (ret.), Ed.D. and Lieutenant Raymond Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA found the right mix of practical experience and academic credentials to write a definitive book for leaders. Working together, Harvey and Foster have written Leadership: Texas Hold em Style. Most often leaders find they are given a set of resources people, equipment, funds, experience and a mission. As Foster noted, "You're dealt a certain hand. How you play that hand as a leader determines your success."

More than a book: A fun and entertaining journey through leadership that includes an interactive website to supplement knowledge gained from the book.
Proven and Tested: Not an academic approach to leadership, but rather a road-tested guide that has been developed through 50-years of author experience.
High Impact: Through the use of perspective, reflection, and knowledge, provides information that turns leadership potential into leadership practice.
Ease of Application: Theory is reinforced with real-life experience, which results in accessible and practical tools leaders can put to use immediately.
High Road Approach: Personal character and ethical beliefs are woven into each leadership approach, so leaders do the right thing for the right reasons.
Uses Game of Poker: Rather than a dry approach that is all fact and no flavor, the game of poker is used as a lens through which to view leadership concepts.

More Information
www.pokerleadership.com

MILITARY CONTRACTS March 21, 2008

NAVY

Absher Construction Company, Puyallup, Wash., is being awarded a $40,980,000 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N44255-08-C-6002) for design and construction of a bachelor enlisted quarters and parking garage at Naval Base Kitsap. The work to be performed provides for all labor, materials, and equipment for the design and construction of market style apartments and a parking structure. Related work includes utility infrastructure design and replacement of existing utilities. This modification provides incremental funds for fiscal year 2008, bringing the cumulative value of the contract to $70,900,000. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Wash., and is expected to be completed by November 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity.

McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded $24,135,158 for firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order #7037 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract (N00383-06-D-004H) for procurement of newly manufactured spares in support of the F/A-18 C/D Flight Surfaces System. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and work is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $15,484,128 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for United Kingdom technical services in support of the TRIDENT Strategic Weapon System. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif. (74.47 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (17,37 percent); St. Mary's, Ga. (1.35 percent); Silverdale, Wash. (.73 percent); Jenkintown, Pa. (.34 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (.05 percent); Broomfield, Col. (.03 percent) ; Herndon, Va. (.02 percent); other U.S. locations to be determined (.32 percent); locations to be determined in the United Kingdom and Italy (5.32 percent), and work is expected to be completed March 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-08-C-0019).

Why We Serve: Student Leaves Campus for Boot Camp

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 21, 2008 - After completing four semesters at the University of Alabama, 19-year-old Daniel K. Winnie felt his life lacked discipline and direction. "I was sitting around enjoying college life, which was good, but I wasn't doing much of anything else," he recalled. At that point, about halfway through his college career, Winnie made a bold decision.

"I thought the military maybe would get me out of the rut that I was in," he said, "and give me some other opportunities that I certainly didn't have doing what I was doing."

Winnie, a native of Everett, Wash., enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1993, turning 20 years old during basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

Now a chief warrant officer and 15-year veteran of the Corps, Winnie is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public. As a participant in the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" outreach program, Gregg shares his tale of service at community and business events, veterans' organizations and other gatherings.

Winnie's first deployment to Iraq in 2003 truly opened his eyes, he said. For some, the raging battle between coalition forces and insurgents brought out the worst, he recalled, but for others it brought out the best.

Winnie, a communication electronics platoon commander, remembers being with his unit near Nasiriyah, Iraq, in what he described as a "free fire" zone -- a designated area in which weapons may be fired with minimal restrictions.

"There was a goat herder who had gotten lost, and lost his entire herd, and was headed into (the free fire zone). Of course, he didn't really know what was going on," he said.

Compounding the herder's trouble was the fact that his donkey, which he used to corral his flock, had wandered onto the deadly tract of land. Then, one of Winnie's fellow Marines intervened in a display of compassion for the Iraqi man.

"A guy that was working for me went out there in the open, got this guy, and personally walked him over to get his donkey," Winnie recalled with some laughter. "The grown man got back on and rode this donkey -- which wasn't a whole lot bigger than a German shepherd -- and got his sheep back."

Instead of ignoring the herder, Winnie's fellow Marine was willing to help him recover his "scraggly, scrawny donkey" and sheep, the chief warrant officer said. "That was wonderful," said Winnie, noting that the herder's two young sons and daughter observed as the Marine helped their father regain his cherished possessions.

On his second deployment, Winnie witnessed a larger-scale transformation occur during his nine months in Iraq's Anbar province.

Upon his unit's arrival in the war-torn province in January, insurgents regularly engaged the Marines with indirect fire, he recalled. But by mid-April, a strange phenomenon occurred: the firing stopped.

Winnie attributed the security improvement to several factors stemming the new strategy implemented by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force in Iraq. In addition, he said, U.S. operators began to solidify their relationships with Iraqi government officials and local tribal sheiks, as Iraqis themselves tired of the radical insurgency.

The subsequent progress was later dubbed the "Anbar Awakening," a societal purging of extremism by Anbaris that ushered in a level of stability unprecedented since U.S. operations in Iraq began.

"It was like a light switch had been turned on," Winnie said of the sudden security improvements in the province. "2007 will go down as the turning point in this entire story, and I was there for it."

Winnie said despite receiving some tough questions during Why We Serve events, he enjoys getting the chance to address an audience that is unaccustomed to hearing an unfiltered story from a U.S. servicemember.

"Every experience I've had has been wonderful," he said. "The people that are hearing it are hungry for (firsthand) information."

Face of Defense: Pilot Overcomes Injury to Succeed

By Spc. Emily J. Wilsoncroft, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 21, 2008 - When Army Chief Warrant Officer Fred White sits down at the controls of a Black Hawk helicopter, he looks just like any other pilot in his battalion. He wears the same flight suit, the same helmet and the same air of confidence – the only difference is that at the end of the day, his wrist might be a bit sore. White suffered injuries that led to the loss of the first two fingers on his right hand in a 2003 roadside bomb attack in Iraq.

Now an aviator and communications officer with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, White was not always a pilot. He enlisted in the Army in 2001 as a cavalry scout.

"I always wanted to be in the Army," he said. "Cav scout seemed like a cool job. I knew I didn't want to be infantry, but I did want to be in combat arms."

During the second year of his enlistment, White's unit became attached to 3rd Infantry Division for the initial push up to Baghdad from Kuwait in the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"There was a lot of fear and uncertainty when we originally crossed the berm," he said, "but after that, it became more of a daily routine."

The routine included route clearance, convoy security, vehicle security, observation post setup and maintenance – "pretty much anything that needed to be done in Sadr City," as White put it.

On Sept. 5, 2003, the routine was disrupted.

"We were pulling security for the engineers that day," White recalled. "We were on our way to the site, going down Highway 5."

As the convoy passed under an overpass, it was hit by a remotely detonated 120 mm mortar round.

"It blew up my truck," he said. "I was the gunner, and the blast threw me against the back of the turret. ... My driver took shrapnel in the side of his neck; the (vehicle commander) lost his left thumb and his right eye."

White -- who was hit by shrapnel in his hands, legs, face and buttocks -- lost his fingers as a result of the attack.

For many soldiers, that would have been the end of the road as far as a military career was concerned. But White, who fully recovered from his injuries after less than a year, decided he wanted to be a pilot.

White said that although the doctor had cleared him medically, the ROTC medic said he wasn't fit for the Army. "So I (turned in) my warrant officer packet and was picked up for flight school."

Although there were some who tried to tell White he wouldn't make it through flight training, he said, his injury didn't hold him back at all.

"Flying is more of a mental thing," he said. "You have to be physically coordinated, but a lot of it's in your mind. You have to think three-dimensionally to maintain control."

One of the controls in the helicopter resembles a joystick, he explained, on the front of which is a radio control that functions through a trigger-type mechanism.

"I just sewed up the first two fingers on my glove and changed my hand position," White said, demonstrating how he wraps his wrist around the control. "I was set on proving the people who doubted me wrong, and I adapted so I could succeed."

White's battalion commander, Army Lt. Col. Alex Covert, was quick to note the young warrant officer's success.

"Fred is an above-average UH-60L Black Hawk pilot," Covert said. "He has flown over 150 hours in combat under the harshest conditions flawlessly."

Aside from White's skill as a pilot, Covert also lauded his perseverance and devotion to his military career.

"I cannot describe in words what it takes for a young soldier, ... wounded in combat, to not only continue to serve his country, but to take the initiative, become a warrant officer, an outstanding Army aviator and serve as a (battalion communications officer) in combat," he said. "His selfless service is clearly an example for others to follow."

White plans to stay in 2-3rd Aviation Regiment, based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., for at least the near future.

"All the experiences I've had in the Army have led me to where I am right now," he said. "I have no regrets, no resentments. I know I'm lucky to still be here, and I appreciate that."

(Army Spc. Emily J. Wilsoncroft serves with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office.)

Retiring Commander Says Progress Occurring in Unstable CENTCOM Region

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 20, 2008 - The "economic lifeblood of the developed world" flows through U.S. Central Command, a region beset by "vast instability," the CENTCOM commander said here last night. Navy Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon said the command's efforts, which include operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, aim to provide stability and security, restore hope in the region and allow future generations the chance to live peaceably.

"There are a lot of challenges, but we're succeeding, and we're going to succeed because we have (the) best people in the world working with us," he said. "And we have the great power and spirit of the American people, and many others in this world are behind us."

In one of his last public appearances in military uniform, Fallon spoke at the Navy League's Sea, Air, Space Expo on the fifth anniversary of U.S. operations in Iraq.

The commander's remarks came a week after he submitted his resignation amid news reports suggesting he had fundamental disagreements with the White House on key elements of U.S. foreign policy in the Central Command region.

"Although I don't believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command area of responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America's interests there," Fallon said in a statement released by Central Command March 11.

Revisiting the issue last night -- which he dubbed "the elephant in the room" -- Fallon dismissed as "pure bunk" the speculation over a reported disconnect between his own views and those of the Bush administration.

"The sad part is that this kind of inside-the-beltway drama is really obscuring what's really important to me, and that is the effort of our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and these other troubled places in the Middle East and Southwest Asia," he told the 1,250-member audience.

The commander's civilian boss, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, accepted Fallon's resignation "with reluctance and regret."

"I believe it was the right thing to do, even though I do not believe there are, in fact, significant differences between his views and administration policy," Gates told reporters March 11 during a Pentagon news conference.

Fallon's deputy, Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, will take over as acting commander of Central Command on March 31 until a permanent replacement is nominated and confirmed.

Some of the misperceptions about Fallon's relationship with the Bush administration involved perceived differences over U.S. policies regarding Iran. The admiral briefly discussed the majority-Shiite country last night, saying that Iran poses a challenge to the United States and exhibits behavior that is "not good."

"They are a real problem, killing and maiming our troops in Iraq; they're meddling in Afghanistan," he said. "They don't really present a very nice face to their neighbors."

On regional security issues, Fallon described Iraq as his main focus over the past year and expressed guarded optimism over dramatic improvements to the country's security.

"It seems as I look back on the year that's gone by very quickly, and recognize the changes that have occurred, it's remarkable, to say the least," he added, while acknowledging that "tough pieces of turf" still exist in northern Iraq.

The commander portrayed some Iraqi provinces as transforming so rapidly that those who haven't been there for months, or even weeks, are "behind the times." He attributed the stability in part to coalition forces' increased cooperation with Iraqis at the local level, adjustments in detainee rehabilitation, improved services and economic progress.

"It hasn't happened with some magic wand," he said. "It's because of the hard work by our people in setting the conditions that enable the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police to step up, and (allow) people to begin to go about living the kind of lives they want."

Unlike resource-rich Iraq, Fallon said, progress in Afghanistan is hampered by problems stemming from the country's isolation and poverty. "Most (Afghans) are illiterate," he said. "Jobs are pretty scarce, and there's a pretty long history (there) of butting heads with everybody."

Fallon expressed optimism that the country is "turning around" under the direction of strong leadership, and with assistance from the military-civilian hybrid groups known as provincial reconstruction teams, which are helping to revitalize the country's basic services and infrastructure.

"The things they need in Afghanistan are roads, electric power, water management, a little bit of agricultural development, and they'll be rolling like big wheels," he said.

Fallon said efforts in the Horn of Africa, Central Asia and across Central Command are succeeding due to support from American citizens and U.S. allies.

"It seems to me that we in this country have a responsibility, because we are blessed above all others, to share what we have and to do what we can to make things better and to give people opportunities," he said. "That's what our people do for us every day."

America Supports You: Operation Homefront Village Welcomes First Families

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

March 20, 2008 - Wounded warriors in need in San Antonio now have a place to call home as they transition from military to civilian life. The new facility is Operation Homefront's first of four planned transitional housing facilities across the United States.

Jody Brothers from the PGA Tour and representatives from local Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores were on hand to cut the ribbons on the apartments the Wal-Mart Foundation sponsored.

"Thanks to these and other sponsors, wounded warriors and their families can live at Operation Homefront Village rent-free so they can rebuild their financial foundation as they rebuild their health," said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's vice president of operations.

Medal of Honor recipients Jack Jacobs and Mike Thornton, for whom the two buildings are named, also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

All of the 20 two- and three-bedroom units in the complex are spoken for, and a waiting list has been established.

Designed for wounded warriors recuperating at nearby military medical facilities and their families, the units are fully furnished, including computer and Internet access courtesy of CDW-G, which offers technology products and services, and Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor.

The facility also includes a central recreation and community center housing a food pantry, baby furniture, extra beds and a video library. Additionally, the center hosts various Operation Homefront programs. Some of those programs include Wounded Warrior Wives support group, presentations and meetings with career counselors, college education specialists, and other experts whom Operation Homefront has partnered with to help recovering servicemembers move on with their lives.

Most active duty wounded warriors receiving treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center are housed in the barracks, base housing or the Fisher House. However, in its daily collaboration with the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program and other Army case workers, Operation Homefront quickly realized that there is almost no temporary housing in America for wounded warriors who have retired or separated from the military.

"Many of these families have nowhere to live and no money until they receive their disability benefits from (Veterans Affairs)," Palmer said. "Thanks to some unique programs being tested jointly by the Army and the VA, we believe we are seeing the waiting period for VA benefits decrease. In the meantime, however, many wounded warriors need a place to live right now. Operation Homefront is here to help."

Planned Operation Homefront Villages will accommodate needs at Walter Reed Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Md., Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.

Operation Homefront is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

(From an Operation Homefront news release.)

Combat Pay Counts Toward Economic Stimulus Payment Eligibility

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 20, 2008 - Military personnel serving in combat zones are eligible for an economic stimulus payment, an Internal Revenue Service spokesman said today during an "America Supports You Live" interview on BlogTalkRadio. While combat pay generally is nontaxable, servicemembers are permitted to count this pay on their 2007 or 2008 income tax returns if it helps their eligibility, Clay Sanford explained.

"A military person who would not normally file a 2007 tax return because the 2007 income is not taxable, can file a 1040A with the IRS and receive the stimulus payment," he said. Servicemembers should report their nontaxable combat pay on Line 40b of the Form 1040A to show at least $3,000 in qualifying income, he added.

Starting in May, as part of the economic stimulus plan, the IRS will issue payments of up to $600 -- $1,200 for married couples -- plus a $300 payment for each qualifying child younger than 17. The payments are based on 2007 income tax returns. The payments for individuals begin to phase out starting at $75,000 in adjusted gross income for single taxpayers, and at $150,000 for married couples.

People must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income to get a payment. Qualifying income is defined as any combination of earned income (such as wages or taxable income from self-employment), nontaxable combat pay and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement.

Sanford encouraged qualifying servicemembers to submit early. While military servicemembers who are serving in a combat zone are granted an extension of 180 days after leaving combat, spouses or others with a power of attorneys can prepare and file a 2007 income tax return on their behalf so that the stimulus payment is received this year. The return must be filed by Oct. 15.

Sanford offered additional tax advice to servicemembers during the interview, especially those who are just starting out and filing taxes for the first time.

"Keep receipts and copies of your tax returns," he cautioned. It's a good idea to keep receipts for six years and the tax returns indefinitely, he advised.

"You are responsible for your own tax return, regardless of whether you do it yourself or rely on a tax preparer," he said.

For help, Sanford listed a number of helpful documents that can provide clarification. By going to the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov and typing in "Publication 3," he explained, servicemembers will find a great resource for active duty people and reservists. He also recommended Publication 17 for learning more about general filing of individual income tax, and Publication 525, aimed at veterans and those with pensions. He also noted that many military members qualify for free electronic tax filing.

"Additionally, on most military installations, the legal office is there to provide you with information," he said, and he also noted that the military is one of the IRS's leading partners in its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, in which provides on-site help to taxpayers, courtesy of volunteers in their organizations.

In today's digital age, irs.gov is a great resource for young servicemembers, Sanford went on to say. Sanford encouraged servicemembers to visit the site for detailed educational guides on filing, helpful tips and tools, and to learn more about the special deductions that may not be intuitive for military members.

Those without easy access to the Internet can call 1-800-TAX-1040 toll free for information and answers to any specific questions, he said.

(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media branch at American Forces Information Service.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS March 20, 2008

NAVY

General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $324,937,789 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-2101) for long lead time material associated with the FY 09 Va., Class Submarine (SSN 784) and the FY 11 Va., Class Submarine (SSN 787). This contract provides long lead time material for steam and electric plant components; the main propulsion unit and ship service turbine generator set; components that are critical to maintaining the submarine component industrial base; and miscellaneous Hull, Mechanical and Electrical system components to support ship construction of SSN 784 and SSN 787. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn.,/Quonset Point, R.I., (7 percent); Newport News, Va., (7 percent); Sunnyvale and South El Monte, Calif., (50 percent); Coatesville, York and Cheswick, Penn. (5 percent); Linden, Philipsburg, and Florence, N.J. (5 percent); and at various sites throughout the United States (26 percent), and is expected to be completed by Mar. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems, Melbourne, Fla., is being awarded a $13,500,258 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-02-C-6324) for a cost growth and new requirements related to development of the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS). RAMICS is a non-towed airborne mine neutralization system that is deployed from the MH-60S helicopter and provides a rapid response clearance capability against floating and near-surface moored sea mines that have been detected, classified and localized by the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) or other mine hunting systems. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Fla., and work is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.

The Engineering Partners, Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for electrical engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed includes electrical engineering studies and reports; site investigations reports; preparation of Requests for Proposals for design-build projects; preparation of fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects; cost estimates, evaluations and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to Calif., (87 percent); Ariz., (5 percent), Nev., (5 percent), Colo., (1 percent), N.M. (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent), and work is expected to be competed Mar. 2009 (Mar. 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as an eight (a) set-aside, with eight offers solicited via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website,with nine proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8622).

RBF Consulting, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base year and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity architect/engineering contract for Civil Engineering Services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed includes engineering studies and site investigations to support new development on raw land, or re-development of existing developed sites; preparation of Requests for Proposals for design-build projects; preparation of fully designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects; other civil engineering studies, reports, cost estimates, and evaluations; and construction support services including surveying, geotechnical, and environmental engineering services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to Calif., (87 percent); Ariz., (5 percent), Nev., (5 percent), Colo. (1 percent), N.M. (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent). The term of this contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of Mar. 2009 (Mar. 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 22 proposals solicited via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website,with 14 offers received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest is the contracting activity. The Contract number is N62473-08-D-8601.

AIR FORCE

Harris Corp., of Rochester, N.Y., is being awarded a contract for $10,204,063. This action will provide the deployment of the total system of interim single channel handheld (SCHH) radios that are an integral part of the Air Force Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) acquisition requires the acquisition of ancillary items. At this time $10,204,063 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (GS35-F-0163N; FA8726-08-F-0002).

DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY

Tyson Fresh Meats, Incorporated, 800 Stevens Port Drive, Dakota Dunes, SD 57049, is being awarded an indefinite delivery, requirements type contract on Mar. 20, 2008, to provide as needed, case ready, primal and sub-primal pork products for resale to the commissary stores located in the DeCA East and West Regions, including AK., and Hawaii. The estimated award amount is $308,640,542.70. The contract is for a two year base period with performance starting May 4, 2008 through May 3, 2010. Three one-year option periods are available. If all option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed May 3, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Sixty-five firms were solicited and five offers were received. The contracting activity is the Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division, Produce Support Branch, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, Va. 23801-1800. (HDEC02-08-D-0005)

Lakeside Foods Inc. 7 East 13th Street Ste 322 Anniston, AL 36201-1083 is being awarded an indefinite delivery, requirements type contract on Mar. 19, 2008, to provide fresh shell protected eggs for resale at multiple delivery locations throughout DeCA's East Region commissaries to include the following states: S.C., Ga., and Fla. The estimated award amount is $9,347,826.12. Contractor will deliver fresh shell protected eggs to the store locations as needed. The contract is for a two year base period beginning Apr. 6, 2008, through Apr. 3, 2010. Three one-year option periods are available. If all three option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed Apr. 6, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Forty-five firms were solicited and six offers were received. The contracting activity is the Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division, Resale Commodities Branch, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, Va. 23801-1800. (HDEC02-08-D-0003)

Hillandale Farms East Inc. P.O. Box 217 Codorus, Pa., 17311-0217 is being awarded an indefinite delivery, requirements type contract on Mar. 19, 2008, to provide fresh shell protected eggs for resale at multiple delivery locations throughout DeCA's East Region commissaries to include the following states: Va., Maine, N.Y., Vt., N.H., Mass., Conn., N.J., Pa., and Md. The estimated award amount is $16,153,893.04. Contractor will deliver fresh shell protected eggs to the store locations as needed. The contract is for a two year base period beginning Apr. 6, 2008 through Apr. 3, 2010. Three one-year option periods are available. If all three option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed Apr. 6, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Forty-five firms were solicited and six offers were received. The contracting activity is the Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division, Resale Commodities Branch, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, Va. 23801-1800. (HDEC02-08-D-0002)