By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy is preparing to leave the third country it has visited in the South Pacific during a four-month humanitarian deployment supporting Pacific Partnership 2008. Mercy arrived in Timor-Leste on July 12 for a two-week humanitarian visit, but this isn't the first time the crew has visited the country.
"This is the third time we have been here. ... The first time was in 2005 following a tsunami, and the USNS Mercy was back in 2006, and now this time," Navy Capt. James Rice, commander of the Military treatment facility aboard Mercy, said July 17 on the "Dot Mil Docs" program on BlogTalkRadio.com.
"We look forward to coming back in the years to come on a regular basis. One of the most important aspects of the Pacific Partnership is the long-term commitment to work with each of the nations and to make sure that the friendships and the relationships we build are long-lasting ones,." Rice said.
In 2006, Mercy participated in a four-month humanitarian and civil assistance deployment that brought medical treatment to the people in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and East Timor. Prior to that, in 2005, Mercy deployed in response to the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia.
"Pacific Partnership is really why doctors and nurses went into medicine in the first place," Rice said. "In particular, all of us enjoy taking care of patients and working with each other on a very human level. It is just something that gets to the core of why we went in our professions in the first place."
Since the beginning of Pacific Partnership, the Mercy medical staff has seen more than 41,000 patients and provided dental services to nearly 9,000 patients. They have performed more than 600 surgeries and provided veterinarian medicine care to more than 4,000 animals. In addition to the medical care provided, Mercy's biomedical repair technicians have fixed medical equipment in the hospitals they've visited.
"We have repaired many of their equipment items in their hospitals that will allow them to continue to provide health care services long after we're gone," Rice said.
Though they sometimes have to work at a technological disadvantage, Rice said, the host nations' medical knowledge often is very sophisticated.
"Sometimes they don't have the technology that we have, but most often they know what they want us to do for them, and they ask for very specific training or very specific diagnostic treatment and modalities," he said.
Various nongovernment organizations from the United States and from the host nations also are participating in Pacific Partnership 2008.
"We have NGOs from the United States -- in particular, Operation Smile, Project Hope, and [the University of California at San Diego] pre-dental society -- and we are working with host-nation NGOs -- in particular, Timor Red Cross, Australian Aid International ... and many others," Rice said.
"The idea is that the host nation NGOs are on the ground all the time, and we would like to interact with them so that they will be able to continue various projects for patient care that we happen to take care of while we are here for two weeks,." Rice said.
Prior to arriving in Timor-Leste, Mercy visited the Philippines and Vietnam. The ship is about halfway through a four-month humanitarian mission that soon will take the crew to Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Partner nations participating in Pacific Partnership 2008 include Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Portugal.
"Medicine is really a universal common denominator," Rice said. "It is an incredible experience to have in the operating room an American or Australian as the surgeon, perhaps an anesthesiologist from India."
He added that while the medical professionals initially have to figure out how to best communicate, they do use translators.
"In the operating room a lot of times, it's visual anyway, the language barrier has not been a big problem," Rice said. "But it really has been a tremendous experience for all of us, and it has helped us to bond very closely together and make long lasting friendships that all of us are cherishing."
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Face of Defense: Former Stunt Man Makes Leap to Ministry
By Army Spc. Justin Snyder
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Army Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Light gives a weekly sermon and is available for counseling whenever a soldier might need it. But he is not your ordinary chaplain. "When I was in college, money was kind of hard to come by, so I became a stunt guy to pay for college," said Light, who serves with the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
In the late 1980s, Hollywood was experiencing a writers' strike. Feeling the pinch from a lack of work there, some of the companies in show business took their shows on the road.
"A guy who was a stuntman moved into town and would put on a Wild West show while trying to obtain the contracts for movies when they came through," said Light, a native of Kingspen, Tenn., and a graduate of East Tennessee State University. "We happened to go to the same church, and he took me under his wing, teaching me the ropes."
Light began working at the Wild West show, which led to performing a few stunts for television shows such as "Unsolved Mysteries" and "Rescue 911." The work on those shows paid most of his way through college.
Following college graduation in 1993, Light quit the stunt man life and began what he said he believed to be his true calling, ministry. He started working with college students in a counselor-like role at the University of Michigan, then at the University of California State in Fullerton.
After the university's program diminished due to a lack of funding, Light found himself without a job. He struggled to find employment for a few years, eventually distributing a resume with the hope someone would contact him for work. He finally got a call, but from an unexpected place: the Army.
"I got a call from a retired Army chaplain asking if I'd be interested in being a chaplain in the military. I told him, 'No,' because I wanted to work with college-age kids from 18 to 25 years old." Light said.
"He kind of laughed at me after that statement, because soldiers of that age make up a lot of the Army. After that, the light bulb came on, and I knew this was what God was calling me to do."
Over the next 15 months, he lost 50 pounds to meet the Army's weight standards and headed off to basic chaplains training. After graduation, he was assigned to the 1-187th Infantry Regiment, where he received word that he would be deploying to Iraq.
"Getting deployed was never a problem for me," Light said. "All of the active-duty people in my class were getting deployed, so I knew it was a matter of time. What good would I be if I could not deploy with the soldiers I am here for?"
Light said he constantly is learning and trying to improve himself as a better chaplain during his first deployment. Recently, he had an experience that served as a confidence booster.
"I was sitting outside reading when the company commander came walking by and told me I was a good chaplain," he recalled. "For someone outside of the Chaplain Corps to randomly come up to me and notice what I was doing, that really proved to me that being here was the right thing and that I was doing a good job."
While he isn't outside the wire all the time, Light said, he knows his job is equally as important. He must be there not only for the soldiers who are deployed, but also for their families back at home.
"Never in our nation's history have families had to give up so much," he said. "While I'm not out there on the front line fighting, it's my job to be there for [soldiers] when they come back. If I can help prepare these soldiers to go back to their families, I'm doing my part."
(Army Spc. Justin Snyder serves in the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Army Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Light gives a weekly sermon and is available for counseling whenever a soldier might need it. But he is not your ordinary chaplain. "When I was in college, money was kind of hard to come by, so I became a stunt guy to pay for college," said Light, who serves with the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
In the late 1980s, Hollywood was experiencing a writers' strike. Feeling the pinch from a lack of work there, some of the companies in show business took their shows on the road.
"A guy who was a stuntman moved into town and would put on a Wild West show while trying to obtain the contracts for movies when they came through," said Light, a native of Kingspen, Tenn., and a graduate of East Tennessee State University. "We happened to go to the same church, and he took me under his wing, teaching me the ropes."
Light began working at the Wild West show, which led to performing a few stunts for television shows such as "Unsolved Mysteries" and "Rescue 911." The work on those shows paid most of his way through college.
Following college graduation in 1993, Light quit the stunt man life and began what he said he believed to be his true calling, ministry. He started working with college students in a counselor-like role at the University of Michigan, then at the University of California State in Fullerton.
After the university's program diminished due to a lack of funding, Light found himself without a job. He struggled to find employment for a few years, eventually distributing a resume with the hope someone would contact him for work. He finally got a call, but from an unexpected place: the Army.
"I got a call from a retired Army chaplain asking if I'd be interested in being a chaplain in the military. I told him, 'No,' because I wanted to work with college-age kids from 18 to 25 years old." Light said.
"He kind of laughed at me after that statement, because soldiers of that age make up a lot of the Army. After that, the light bulb came on, and I knew this was what God was calling me to do."
Over the next 15 months, he lost 50 pounds to meet the Army's weight standards and headed off to basic chaplains training. After graduation, he was assigned to the 1-187th Infantry Regiment, where he received word that he would be deploying to Iraq.
"Getting deployed was never a problem for me," Light said. "All of the active-duty people in my class were getting deployed, so I knew it was a matter of time. What good would I be if I could not deploy with the soldiers I am here for?"
Light said he constantly is learning and trying to improve himself as a better chaplain during his first deployment. Recently, he had an experience that served as a confidence booster.
"I was sitting outside reading when the company commander came walking by and told me I was a good chaplain," he recalled. "For someone outside of the Chaplain Corps to randomly come up to me and notice what I was doing, that really proved to me that being here was the right thing and that I was doing a good job."
While he isn't outside the wire all the time, Light said, he knows his job is equally as important. He must be there not only for the soldiers who are deployed, but also for their families back at home.
"Never in our nation's history have families had to give up so much," he said. "While I'm not out there on the front line fighting, it's my job to be there for [soldiers] when they come back. If I can help prepare these soldiers to go back to their families, I'm doing my part."
(Army Spc. Justin Snyder serves in the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public Affairs Office.)
America Supports You: Troops Get Support From Pennsylvania Team
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - For deployed troops, hearing about support from back home can do wonders for morale, but getting a big box full of goodies and necessities is even better. "The 'American Troop Support Team' has been formed to provide tangible support to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, particularly those currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan," Joseph Natale, the team's founder, said. "They deserve to know that we, at the grassroots level, are here for them."
The packages, full of donated snacks, personal hygiene items, reading material and the occasional special request, all are packed in Natale's Pennsylvania basement. In addition to the goodies, each box includes letters expressing support for the troops.
The American Troop Support Team's goal is to send as many boxes as it can, and this will be its only project until the need for care packages isn't so great, Natale said. The group does hold fundraisers throughout the year to pay for supplies and shipping costs.
"When the need for our boxes diminishes, we will be establishing an annual scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled [servicemembers]," he said.
A new supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, American Troop Support Team hopes the affiliation will offer national exposure and, consequently, more troops to whom the members can send their packages of support, Natale said.
America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - For deployed troops, hearing about support from back home can do wonders for morale, but getting a big box full of goodies and necessities is even better. "The 'American Troop Support Team' has been formed to provide tangible support to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, particularly those currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan," Joseph Natale, the team's founder, said. "They deserve to know that we, at the grassroots level, are here for them."
The packages, full of donated snacks, personal hygiene items, reading material and the occasional special request, all are packed in Natale's Pennsylvania basement. In addition to the goodies, each box includes letters expressing support for the troops.
The American Troop Support Team's goal is to send as many boxes as it can, and this will be its only project until the need for care packages isn't so great, Natale said. The group does hold fundraisers throughout the year to pay for supplies and shipping costs.
"When the need for our boxes diminishes, we will be establishing an annual scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled [servicemembers]," he said.
A new supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, American Troop Support Team hopes the affiliation will offer national exposure and, consequently, more troops to whom the members can send their packages of support, Natale said.
America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Defense Department to Deliver More, Improved Child Care
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Last week's ribbon-cutting at the largest military child care center underscores the Defense Department's commitment to providing more and better child-care for military families, a senior defense official said. A July 15 ribbon-cutting at Fort Myer, Va., marked the official opening of a new 50,831-square-foot facility that serves children from birth to age 12. The space can serve up to 438 children, with an atrium, activity rooms, computer labs, multipurpose room, kitchen, laundry and space for outdoor activity, post officials reported.
The new center represents another step toward the Defense Department's goal of opening 20 new child-care centers this fiscal year, Barbara Thompson, director of the Office of Family Policy's children and youth directorate, told American Forces Press Service. By Sept. 30, this will provide 5,025 additional child-care spaces, she said.
President Bush called on Congress during his State of the Union address Jan. 28 to provide more quality-of-life support for military families, including expanded access to child care.
The result is an accelerated military construction program that squeezes six years of planned child-care-facility projects into fiscal 2008 and 2009, Thompson said. During fiscal 2008 alone, the department has committed $210 million to build 20 new centers.
The new facilities bring more capacity to the world's largest employer-sponsored child-care system that already serves about 200,000 military children every day at 300 military installations in the United States and overseas, Thompson said.
These centers offer full-day, part-day and hourly child care, as well as part-day preschools and before- and after-school programs for school-age children. Many operate with extended hours to accommodate long military duty days.
But recognizing that 70 percent of military families live off base, defense officials also are seeking additional child-care spaces closer to their homes where it's more convenient.
"We are looking at growing the number of spaces both on and off the installations, ... and trying to see how we can partner with the civilian community to provide high-quality, accessible child-care space," Thompson said.
As the military services strive to provide more child care, they recognize that quality is just as important as access, Thompson said. "It is the quality of the arrangement that is critical for children to thrive – and for families to thrive knowing that their children are well cared for," she said.
military child-care facilities regularly score high marks in the quality of care they provide, Thompson said. Ninety-seven percent of all military development centers are accredited by a national accrediting body, compared to about 8 to 10 percent of civilian facilities.
"So we have a very high track record of being the model for the nation," Thompson said. "Not only are we the largest employer-sponsored program in the nation, but also the highest quality."
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Last week's ribbon-cutting at the largest military child care center underscores the Defense Department's commitment to providing more and better child-care for military families, a senior defense official said. A July 15 ribbon-cutting at Fort Myer, Va., marked the official opening of a new 50,831-square-foot facility that serves children from birth to age 12. The space can serve up to 438 children, with an atrium, activity rooms, computer labs, multipurpose room, kitchen, laundry and space for outdoor activity, post officials reported.
The new center represents another step toward the Defense Department's goal of opening 20 new child-care centers this fiscal year, Barbara Thompson, director of the Office of Family Policy's children and youth directorate, told American Forces Press Service. By Sept. 30, this will provide 5,025 additional child-care spaces, she said.
President Bush called on Congress during his State of the Union address Jan. 28 to provide more quality-of-life support for military families, including expanded access to child care.
The result is an accelerated military construction program that squeezes six years of planned child-care-facility projects into fiscal 2008 and 2009, Thompson said. During fiscal 2008 alone, the department has committed $210 million to build 20 new centers.
The new facilities bring more capacity to the world's largest employer-sponsored child-care system that already serves about 200,000 military children every day at 300 military installations in the United States and overseas, Thompson said.
These centers offer full-day, part-day and hourly child care, as well as part-day preschools and before- and after-school programs for school-age children. Many operate with extended hours to accommodate long military duty days.
But recognizing that 70 percent of military families live off base, defense officials also are seeking additional child-care spaces closer to their homes where it's more convenient.
"We are looking at growing the number of spaces both on and off the installations, ... and trying to see how we can partner with the civilian community to provide high-quality, accessible child-care space," Thompson said.
As the military services strive to provide more child care, they recognize that quality is just as important as access, Thompson said. "It is the quality of the arrangement that is critical for children to thrive – and for families to thrive knowing that their children are well cared for," she said.
military child-care facilities regularly score high marks in the quality of care they provide, Thompson said. Ninety-seven percent of all military development centers are accredited by a national accrediting body, compared to about 8 to 10 percent of civilian facilities.
"So we have a very high track record of being the model for the nation," Thompson said. "Not only are we the largest employer-sponsored program in the nation, but also the highest quality."
Chairman Links Family Readiness to Military Readiness
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Military commanders agree that troops need good training and good equipment before they deploy. But equally important to preparing servicemembers for war is readying their families, the nation's top military officer said today.
"Family readiness is really about Military readiness," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a group of about 1,500 family support volunteers gathered here for a National Guard volunteer workshop.
"[Family support is] tied to having a healthy, dedicated, focused, capable military that can accomplish the mission it needs," the chairman said.
This was Mullen's first visit with an exclusively National Guard family audience, although he has talked with National Guard troops and families as part of his regular town hall meetings around the world. The volunteers represented every state and territory in the United States, and packed a downtown hotel's banquet hall. The back of each chair was marked with a state's name, and ever so militarily, they were lined up alphabetically, row after row. Many groups in the crowd wore color-coordinated shirts, scattering swaths of red, green blue and other colors throughout the crowd.
Mullen noted the transformation of the Military's reserve components from a strategic reserve to an operational force that has taken place since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
"What the Guard and the reserves have done since 9/11 ... has made what we are able to do with fighting these two wars possible," Mullen told the crowd. "It would not be possible -- we would not be making the progress we are making in both of these wars -- without the incredible performance of the Guard and Reserve."
But, Mullen conceded, policy makers inside the Capitol Beltway haven't always given enough attention to programs for families of the National Guard spread out across the nation. While spouses of active-duty troops typically live on or near Military installations, reservists often are spread out in rural areas, many times hundreds of miles from the nearest military installation, and sometimes even from the armories where they report for duty.
In fact, Mullen told the audience, his single biggest worry is "the disconnect between the policies that we have and what is actually going on on the ground. We don't get enough feedback."
Mullen said in an interview after the visit with the group that the audience understood what he was talking about. The admiral said he could see heads nodding affirmation in the audience as he addressed the issue.
"One of the biggest challenges that we have is to -- no kidding -- find out what's actually happening in execution [of policies]," Mullen said.
Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said the Guard was not fully ready to take care of its families in the wake of the heavy demand for reserve forces after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Programs were in place to take care of families while the units were activated, he said, but the support systems were not properly resourced as the Guard transitioned from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve. Missing were the programs that would help prepare families as the units were readying for war, and take care of them after the units came home from deployment, he explained.
"When we first started this war, we were not prepared for the full life-cycle support of the citizen-soldier and -airman," Blum said in an interview after his opening remarks.
But now, Blum said, the programs and policies are in place to take care of families in all phases of deployment: before, during and after. He said the Army especially has made supporting families one of its top priorities.
Both Mullen and Blum said this conference and others like it are key to breaking down the dissonance between policy makers and those they affect, and continuing to improve policies. These workshops bring representation from each state together to propel their issues to the forefront of the leaders and policy makers. Family programs are now better because of them, Blum said.
Mullen said in the pace of today's war and deployments, the Military can ill afford lag time between identifying a needed change and creating policy to make the change.
"Too many of us in Washington think [when] we've essentially created a policy that things are OK," Mullen said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. You've got to have good policies, but how do you know it's working?" Workshops like this one provide the type of "grassroots" feedback vital for healthy policy change, he added.
"There is so much information in this ballroom," the chairman said. "If I could tap into that information and feed it into the programs and policy changes instantly, I would be a very happy guy, and I know I could make some really positive changes."
The admiral said he wants family members to continue to put pressure on Military leadership so that discussions continue on key family issues.
"Believe me, we want to get this right," Mullen said.
Feedback on developing family programs is critical as the military continues to rely heavily on its reserve forces for combat deployments, Mullen said.
"There is going to continue to be a battle rhythm which requires us to continue to deploy [the National Guard and reserves]," Mullen said. "We cannot move forward without the Guard and the Reserve, and we have high expectations to be able to do that in the future."
The admiral implored those in attendance to deliver honest, unfiltered feedback throughout the workshop that could make programs better.
"There is no one that knows how to take care of families better than families," he said. "Those in the field around the nation are able to take care of families around the nation better than those in Washington. Bring forth those things that aren't working. Bring forth those things that don't make sense. Bring forth those things where we need to have policy adjustments, resource adjustments, better focus."
Mullen also said that he wants to use the Guard and reserves to help connect America with its Military. Blum noted that the only active-duty Army installation in California is the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The only interaction Californians have with the Army is with the National Guard, he said.
Mullen said he worries that what the American people understand about the military is what is in the headlines of the mainstream media, and not the depth, dedication, needs of those who serve. The Guard and reserves, he said, are the hometown connection of the Military with Americans.
"This is something we have to continue to do better to make sure the military needs of our country are met and that the people of America understand what the United States military is all about," he said. "There is no better group in the country than the Guard and reserve to do exactly that."
Blum agreed.
"If you really want to reach into every ZIP code and sample -- Are we caring for our veterans? Are we caring for our current servicemembers? Are we caring for our families? -- this is the group that will serve as the litmus test for that," Blum said.
And while both Mullen and Blum said that Military family programs are now better than they have ever been, both also said that there is still work to be done.
"If we could create family programs for the Guard and reserve that are commensurate with their sacrifice and their commitment in these two wars ... it would be a home run," Mullen said. "We're not there. But we need to be. They deserve it. It's critical, and we've got to do that, and that's what this is all about."
Blum said supporting the family is critical to maintaining an all-volunteer force. The National Guard never has drafted anyone into its force, he said.
"If we lose the ability to generate the volunteer force and keep it whole, we've really lost the ability to defend this nation the way our government intends and the people of America intend it," Blum said.
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2008 - Military commanders agree that troops need good training and good equipment before they deploy. But equally important to preparing servicemembers for war is readying their families, the nation's top military officer said today.
"Family readiness is really about Military readiness," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a group of about 1,500 family support volunteers gathered here for a National Guard volunteer workshop.
"[Family support is] tied to having a healthy, dedicated, focused, capable military that can accomplish the mission it needs," the chairman said.
This was Mullen's first visit with an exclusively National Guard family audience, although he has talked with National Guard troops and families as part of his regular town hall meetings around the world. The volunteers represented every state and territory in the United States, and packed a downtown hotel's banquet hall. The back of each chair was marked with a state's name, and ever so militarily, they were lined up alphabetically, row after row. Many groups in the crowd wore color-coordinated shirts, scattering swaths of red, green blue and other colors throughout the crowd.
Mullen noted the transformation of the Military's reserve components from a strategic reserve to an operational force that has taken place since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
"What the Guard and the reserves have done since 9/11 ... has made what we are able to do with fighting these two wars possible," Mullen told the crowd. "It would not be possible -- we would not be making the progress we are making in both of these wars -- without the incredible performance of the Guard and Reserve."
But, Mullen conceded, policy makers inside the Capitol Beltway haven't always given enough attention to programs for families of the National Guard spread out across the nation. While spouses of active-duty troops typically live on or near Military installations, reservists often are spread out in rural areas, many times hundreds of miles from the nearest military installation, and sometimes even from the armories where they report for duty.
In fact, Mullen told the audience, his single biggest worry is "the disconnect between the policies that we have and what is actually going on on the ground. We don't get enough feedback."
Mullen said in an interview after the visit with the group that the audience understood what he was talking about. The admiral said he could see heads nodding affirmation in the audience as he addressed the issue.
"One of the biggest challenges that we have is to -- no kidding -- find out what's actually happening in execution [of policies]," Mullen said.
Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said the Guard was not fully ready to take care of its families in the wake of the heavy demand for reserve forces after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Programs were in place to take care of families while the units were activated, he said, but the support systems were not properly resourced as the Guard transitioned from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve. Missing were the programs that would help prepare families as the units were readying for war, and take care of them after the units came home from deployment, he explained.
"When we first started this war, we were not prepared for the full life-cycle support of the citizen-soldier and -airman," Blum said in an interview after his opening remarks.
But now, Blum said, the programs and policies are in place to take care of families in all phases of deployment: before, during and after. He said the Army especially has made supporting families one of its top priorities.
Both Mullen and Blum said this conference and others like it are key to breaking down the dissonance between policy makers and those they affect, and continuing to improve policies. These workshops bring representation from each state together to propel their issues to the forefront of the leaders and policy makers. Family programs are now better because of them, Blum said.
Mullen said in the pace of today's war and deployments, the Military can ill afford lag time between identifying a needed change and creating policy to make the change.
"Too many of us in Washington think [when] we've essentially created a policy that things are OK," Mullen said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. You've got to have good policies, but how do you know it's working?" Workshops like this one provide the type of "grassroots" feedback vital for healthy policy change, he added.
"There is so much information in this ballroom," the chairman said. "If I could tap into that information and feed it into the programs and policy changes instantly, I would be a very happy guy, and I know I could make some really positive changes."
The admiral said he wants family members to continue to put pressure on Military leadership so that discussions continue on key family issues.
"Believe me, we want to get this right," Mullen said.
Feedback on developing family programs is critical as the military continues to rely heavily on its reserve forces for combat deployments, Mullen said.
"There is going to continue to be a battle rhythm which requires us to continue to deploy [the National Guard and reserves]," Mullen said. "We cannot move forward without the Guard and the Reserve, and we have high expectations to be able to do that in the future."
The admiral implored those in attendance to deliver honest, unfiltered feedback throughout the workshop that could make programs better.
"There is no one that knows how to take care of families better than families," he said. "Those in the field around the nation are able to take care of families around the nation better than those in Washington. Bring forth those things that aren't working. Bring forth those things that don't make sense. Bring forth those things where we need to have policy adjustments, resource adjustments, better focus."
Mullen also said that he wants to use the Guard and reserves to help connect America with its Military. Blum noted that the only active-duty Army installation in California is the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The only interaction Californians have with the Army is with the National Guard, he said.
Mullen said he worries that what the American people understand about the military is what is in the headlines of the mainstream media, and not the depth, dedication, needs of those who serve. The Guard and reserves, he said, are the hometown connection of the Military with Americans.
"This is something we have to continue to do better to make sure the military needs of our country are met and that the people of America understand what the United States military is all about," he said. "There is no better group in the country than the Guard and reserve to do exactly that."
Blum agreed.
"If you really want to reach into every ZIP code and sample -- Are we caring for our veterans? Are we caring for our current servicemembers? Are we caring for our families? -- this is the group that will serve as the litmus test for that," Blum said.
And while both Mullen and Blum said that Military family programs are now better than they have ever been, both also said that there is still work to be done.
"If we could create family programs for the Guard and reserve that are commensurate with their sacrifice and their commitment in these two wars ... it would be a home run," Mullen said. "We're not there. But we need to be. They deserve it. It's critical, and we've got to do that, and that's what this is all about."
Blum said supporting the family is critical to maintaining an all-volunteer force. The National Guard never has drafted anyone into its force, he said.
"If we lose the ability to generate the volunteer force and keep it whole, we've really lost the ability to defend this nation the way our government intends and the people of America intend it," Blum said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS July 21, 2008
Army
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $110,591,666 firm-fixed price contract for the incorporation of the requirement to convert the production configuration of 26 UH-60 M aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 20, 2005, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0003).
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, Calif., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,914,778 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the development of a prototype to address data fusion within a geospatial environment. Work will be performed in Redlands, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Dec. 6, 2007. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Reston, Va., is the contracting activity (HM1582-08-C-0001).
Dultra Dredging Co., San Rafael, Calif., was awarded on Jul. 17, 2008, a $7,486,000 firm-fixed price contract for navigation improvements and construction of a rock breakwater, along with dredging, artificial reefs, and a boat launch ramp. Work will be performed in Unalaska, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 6, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0017).
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,028,791 firm-fixed price contract for long lead items for improved thermal sight systems, replaceable units and spares. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 7, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-02-C-M001).
WRS Infrastructure and Environment, Inc., Tampa, Fla., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a water resource area and irrigation reservoir levees, canals, pumping stations, control structures, siphon, access roadways, and associated work. Work will be performed in Highlands and Okeechobee Counties, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Sixty-five bids were solicited on Apr. 2, 2008, and 19 bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (W912EP-08-C-0013).
NAVY
Clark/Balfour Beatty, A Joint Venture, Bethesda, Md., is being awarded a $85,170,526 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N40080-08-C-0007) to add funding for design/build of a medical center addition/alteration for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This action is in accordance with DFARS 252.232-7007, Limitation of Government's Obligation (May 2006) which established an incremental funding schedule for this contract. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Md., and work is expected to be completed Jul. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Network Centric Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla., is being awarded a $29,437,812 firm-fixed-price contract for Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) System Production. The contract provides for production of CEC systems and ancillary support for the Navy, Marines and Army. CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force Anti-Air Warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information and making the data available to all participating CEC units. CEC also improves battle force effectiveness by improving overall situational awareness and by enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $135,945,903. Work will be performed in Largo, Fla., (47 percent), St. Petersburg, Fla., (20 percent), Dallas, Texas, (18 percent), and McKinney, Texas, (15 percent); and work is expected to be completed by Mar. of 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, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-5203).
Missile Defense Agency Contract Award
Orbital Sciences Corp., of Chandler, Ariz., is being awarded a $15,000,000 (not-to-exceed) firm fixed price, sole source contract to manufacture one (1) medium range target missile with an option for one (1) additional medium range target missile. This is a foreign military sales contract for Japan. The principal place of performance is Chandler, Ariz. Work on the basic contract and option is expected to be complete by Jan. 2010. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. FMS funds will be used. The undefinitized contract action will be funded with a limitation of Government liability of $7.5M.
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
ViaSat Inc. - Carlsbad, California 92009-1699 was awarded a modification to firm fixed-price contract HC1047-07-C-0013, in the amount of $9,318,382.00 for Integrated Waveform (IW) Phase II effort on July 21, 2008. The period of performance is July 21, 2008 through November 20, 2010 and includes a base period of 16 months and an option period of 12 months. Performance will be at ViaSat's facility in Carlsbad, California. The solicitation was issued as an "only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements" justification and approval process pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. ViaSat Inc. - Carlsbad, California is a large business. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Office - National Capital Region (DITCO-NCR) is the contracting activity. Contracting point of contact is Kevin Williams (703) 681-0922. (HC1047-07-C-0013)
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $110,591,666 firm-fixed price contract for the incorporation of the requirement to convert the production configuration of 26 UH-60 M aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 20, 2005, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0003).
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, Calif., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,914,778 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the development of a prototype to address data fusion within a geospatial environment. Work will be performed in Redlands, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Dec. 6, 2007. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Reston, Va., is the contracting activity (HM1582-08-C-0001).
Dultra Dredging Co., San Rafael, Calif., was awarded on Jul. 17, 2008, a $7,486,000 firm-fixed price contract for navigation improvements and construction of a rock breakwater, along with dredging, artificial reefs, and a boat launch ramp. Work will be performed in Unalaska, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 6, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0017).
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,028,791 firm-fixed price contract for long lead items for improved thermal sight systems, replaceable units and spares. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 7, 2008. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-02-C-M001).
WRS Infrastructure and Environment, Inc., Tampa, Fla., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a water resource area and irrigation reservoir levees, canals, pumping stations, control structures, siphon, access roadways, and associated work. Work will be performed in Highlands and Okeechobee Counties, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Sixty-five bids were solicited on Apr. 2, 2008, and 19 bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (W912EP-08-C-0013).
NAVY
Clark/Balfour Beatty, A Joint Venture, Bethesda, Md., is being awarded a $85,170,526 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N40080-08-C-0007) to add funding for design/build of a medical center addition/alteration for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This action is in accordance with DFARS 252.232-7007, Limitation of Government's Obligation (May 2006) which established an incremental funding schedule for this contract. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Md., and work is expected to be completed Jul. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Network Centric Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla., is being awarded a $29,437,812 firm-fixed-price contract for Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) System Production. The contract provides for production of CEC systems and ancillary support for the Navy, Marines and Army. CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force Anti-Air Warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information and making the data available to all participating CEC units. CEC also improves battle force effectiveness by improving overall situational awareness and by enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $135,945,903. Work will be performed in Largo, Fla., (47 percent), St. Petersburg, Fla., (20 percent), Dallas, Texas, (18 percent), and McKinney, Texas, (15 percent); and work is expected to be completed by Mar. of 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, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-5203).
Missile Defense Agency Contract Award
Orbital Sciences Corp., of Chandler, Ariz., is being awarded a $15,000,000 (not-to-exceed) firm fixed price, sole source contract to manufacture one (1) medium range target missile with an option for one (1) additional medium range target missile. This is a foreign military sales contract for Japan. The principal place of performance is Chandler, Ariz. Work on the basic contract and option is expected to be complete by Jan. 2010. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. FMS funds will be used. The undefinitized contract action will be funded with a limitation of Government liability of $7.5M.
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
ViaSat Inc. - Carlsbad, California 92009-1699 was awarded a modification to firm fixed-price contract HC1047-07-C-0013, in the amount of $9,318,382.00 for Integrated Waveform (IW) Phase II effort on July 21, 2008. The period of performance is July 21, 2008 through November 20, 2010 and includes a base period of 16 months and an option period of 12 months. Performance will be at ViaSat's facility in Carlsbad, California. The solicitation was issued as an "only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements" justification and approval process pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. ViaSat Inc. - Carlsbad, California is a large business. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Office - National Capital Region (DITCO-NCR) is the contracting activity. Contracting point of contact is Kevin Williams (703) 681-0922. (HC1047-07-C-0013)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Guard Unit Fights Fires One Day, Conducts Rescue at Sea the Next
By Air Force Capt. Alyson Teeter
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Air National Guardsmen from 129th Rescue Wing launched a search-and rescue-mission from here the afternoon of July 16 to save a fisherman experiencing a medical emergency aboard a Canadian fishing boat off the coast of California. Responding to a call from the Coast Guard District 11 Alameda, an MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker met the 85-foot Ocean Marauder fishing boat about 500 miles from Eureka, Calif.
During this initial phase of the rescue operation, four specially trained pararescuemen parachuted from the MC-130P to provide emergency medical treatment to stabilize the patient. The four pararescuemen remained with the patient overnight, while the MC-130P returned to Moffett.
At 10 a.m. yesterday, the 129th launched the second phase of the rescue operation. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two MC-130P tankers departed here to pick up the patient and pararescuemen from the Ocean Marauder. After locating the fishing boat, the HH-60Gs hovered over the vessel to allow the pararescuemen and patient to be hoisted safely into the helicopters.
The two HH-60G helicopters and crews were recalled yesterday from firefighting operations in Chico and Ukiah. The 129th maintainers worked diligently to convert the aircraft from firefighting to rescue-ready.
While also being on search-and-rescue alert, helicopter crews performed water-bucket suppression operations in Northern California, dropping more than 150,000 gallons of water since July 3. The 129th Rescue Wing is the only rescue unit in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires.
"The 129th is the 'go-to' unit due to its specialized capabilities in a wide range of environments, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, combat, and civilian search and rescue," said Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group deputy commander. "Seamlessly transitioning from firefighting duty yesterday to the search-and-rescue mission today demonstrates our keen ability to adapt, respond and save lives."
The rescue helicopter landed at the Regional Medical Center of San Jose's heliport at about 5:20 p.m. yesterday. The 129th personnel then transferred the patient to awaiting hospital staff.
This rescue brings the total number of people saved by 129th Rescue Wing to 560.
The unit's primary mission is to train and be prepared to perform its federal mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world. In addition, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state missions.
"The crews of the 129th Rescue Wing have done an outstanding job," said Rear Adm. Craig Bone, commander of 11th Coast Guard District in Alameda.
"When our rescue coordination center asked them to fly this mission, the response was immediate and, as usual, effective. Amid an already busy operational tempo supporting wildfire fighting and other operations the 129th mounted a complex rescue operation extending hundreds of miles offshore."
(Air Force Capt. Alyson Teeter serves with the California National Guard.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Air National Guardsmen from 129th Rescue Wing launched a search-and rescue-mission from here the afternoon of July 16 to save a fisherman experiencing a medical emergency aboard a Canadian fishing boat off the coast of California. Responding to a call from the Coast Guard District 11 Alameda, an MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker met the 85-foot Ocean Marauder fishing boat about 500 miles from Eureka, Calif.
During this initial phase of the rescue operation, four specially trained pararescuemen parachuted from the MC-130P to provide emergency medical treatment to stabilize the patient. The four pararescuemen remained with the patient overnight, while the MC-130P returned to Moffett.
At 10 a.m. yesterday, the 129th launched the second phase of the rescue operation. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two MC-130P tankers departed here to pick up the patient and pararescuemen from the Ocean Marauder. After locating the fishing boat, the HH-60Gs hovered over the vessel to allow the pararescuemen and patient to be hoisted safely into the helicopters.
The two HH-60G helicopters and crews were recalled yesterday from firefighting operations in Chico and Ukiah. The 129th maintainers worked diligently to convert the aircraft from firefighting to rescue-ready.
While also being on search-and-rescue alert, helicopter crews performed water-bucket suppression operations in Northern California, dropping more than 150,000 gallons of water since July 3. The 129th Rescue Wing is the only rescue unit in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires.
"The 129th is the 'go-to' unit due to its specialized capabilities in a wide range of environments, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, combat, and civilian search and rescue," said Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group deputy commander. "Seamlessly transitioning from firefighting duty yesterday to the search-and-rescue mission today demonstrates our keen ability to adapt, respond and save lives."
The rescue helicopter landed at the Regional Medical Center of San Jose's heliport at about 5:20 p.m. yesterday. The 129th personnel then transferred the patient to awaiting hospital staff.
This rescue brings the total number of people saved by 129th Rescue Wing to 560.
The unit's primary mission is to train and be prepared to perform its federal mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world. In addition, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state missions.
"The crews of the 129th Rescue Wing have done an outstanding job," said Rear Adm. Craig Bone, commander of 11th Coast Guard District in Alameda.
"When our rescue coordination center asked them to fly this mission, the response was immediate and, as usual, effective. Amid an already busy operational tempo supporting wildfire fighting and other operations the 129th mounted a complex rescue operation extending hundreds of miles offshore."
(Air Force Capt. Alyson Teeter serves with the California National Guard.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS July 18, 2008
Navy
The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Calif., is being awarded a $153,511,595 cost-plus-fixed fee completion contract for High Integrity GPS (Global Positioning System) Technology Concept demonstration. The GPS is a local GPS enhancement that leverages the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite, constellation which offers significantly improved performance over stand alone GPS today. The program will investigate technologies and design solutions for objective performance of short time to first fix under dynamic user equipment conditions. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, Calif. (34.3 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (17.3 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (1.5 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (12.6 percent); Cedar Raids, IA (12.3 percent); Bethesda, Md. (15.3 percent); Washington, D.C. (5.4 percent); Ithaca, N.Y. (.5 percent); Chicago, Ill. (.3 percent) Burlingame, Calif. (.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed January 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $27,778,538 will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under Naval Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement 68-07-01. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N000173-08-C-2074).
Suntiva, LLC,* Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $51,918,053 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0521).
Davis-Paige Management Systems, LLC,* Springfield, Va., is being awarded a $49,691,858 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0520).
Stratecon LLC,* Washington, D.C., is being awarded a $45,559,951 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0500).
American Bridge Co., Tampa, Fla., is being awarded a $19,328,600 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to wharf delta bulkhead at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. The work demolishes portions of the existing steel sheet pile bulkhead, tie-back wale system, concrete pile cap, asphalt/concrete pavement and removes the pneumatic fender system and mooring hardware. Project constructs a new bulkhead with new concrete pile encapsulation and cathodic protection system, backfills behind the new bulkhead, provides new asphalt and concrete wharf pavement and reinstalls the pneumatic fender system and mooring hardware. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by February 2011. 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 nine offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-C-1258; Project number RM001-06).
AOC Support Services LLC*, Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $8,902,895 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. The contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the not-to-exceed total contract value to $105,986,469. Work will be performed in El Centro, Calif., and work is expected to be completed September 2009 (September 2018 with options exercised). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a set-aside for small business concerns via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Public Works, El Centro, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-2307).
Aero Thermo Technology Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a $5,898,712 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical, analytical, and program research and development services to support the TRIDENT I and TRIDENT II Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) program and the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) guidance system requirement. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total contract value to $32,500,000. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala. (59 percent); Nashville, Tenn. (20 percent); Honolulu, Hawaii (18 percent); Colorado Springs, Colo. (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed December 2008 (December 2012 with options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-08-C-0030).
Army
General Construction Co., Poulsbo, Wash., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $45,356,900 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of a bay spill-wall at the Dailies Dam. Work will be performed in Dallesport, Wash., and is expected to be completed by March 20, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on April 30, 2008, and four bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Ore., is the contracting activity (W9127N-08-C-0016).
Jacobs-Tetra Tech EC was awarded on July 17, 2008, a $16,438,169 cost-reimbursable contract for mobilization, demobilization, dredging, treatment and transportation and disposal at Pierce Mill Cove. Work will be performed in New Bedford, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 26, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 29, 2002, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Mass., is the contracting activity (DACW33-03-D-0006).
Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., was awarded on July 17, 2008, a $7,608,465 firm-fixed price contract for production of the M1028 canister cartridge. Work will be performed primarily in Jonesborough, Tenn., as well as other locations across the United States. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 21, 2008, and two bids were received. The Joint Munitions and Lethality LCMC, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-C-0473).
CNI Administration Service, LLC, Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $7,470,448 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of the Arnold Data Center expansion. Work will be performed in Arnold, Mo., and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on April 14, 2008, and bids were received on April 14, 2008. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Arnold, Mo., is the contracting activity (HM1575-07-C-0001).
Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $6,802,000 firm-fixed price construction contract for the maintenance dredging of Manteo Bay Oregon Inlet Bridge vicinity. Work will be performed in Dare County, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fourteen bids were solicited on June 3, 2008, and three bids were received. Savannah Regional Contracting Center, Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, N.C., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-C-0037).
I.L. Fleming, Midway, Ga., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $6,728,000 firm-fixed price contract for a 30,000 square-foot permanent centralized intermediate repair facility for maintenance of jet engines as required in Base Realignment and Closure directed bed-down of 48 assigned A-10 fighter aircraft. Work will be performed at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One hundred bids were solicited on April 8, 2008, and six bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-C-0038).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Constellation New Energy Gas Division, Louisville, Ky., is being awarded a maximum $18,655,843.34 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply natural gas delivery. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are federal civilian agencies in the central regions of the United States. There were originally 166 proposals solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is September 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-7518).
Colorado Jet Center Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.* is being awarded a maximum $7,690,249.69 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in Colorado. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, federal civilian agencies and National Guard. There were originally 3 proposals solicited with 3 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is September 30, 2012. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0019).
Air Force
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract with Northrop Grumman System Corp., of San Diego, Calif., for $5,619,379. This action will provide communication systems upgrades for the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System. At this time $5,331,503.57 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-01-C-4600, P00260).
The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Calif., is being awarded a $153,511,595 cost-plus-fixed fee completion contract for High Integrity GPS (Global Positioning System) Technology Concept demonstration. The GPS is a local GPS enhancement that leverages the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite, constellation which offers significantly improved performance over stand alone GPS today. The program will investigate technologies and design solutions for objective performance of short time to first fix under dynamic user equipment conditions. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, Calif. (34.3 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (17.3 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (1.5 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (12.6 percent); Cedar Raids, IA (12.3 percent); Bethesda, Md. (15.3 percent); Washington, D.C. (5.4 percent); Ithaca, N.Y. (.5 percent); Chicago, Ill. (.3 percent) Burlingame, Calif. (.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed January 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $27,778,538 will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under Naval Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement 68-07-01. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N000173-08-C-2074).
Suntiva, LLC,* Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $51,918,053 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0521).
Davis-Paige Management Systems, LLC,* Springfield, Va., is being awarded a $49,691,858 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0520).
Stratecon LLC,* Washington, D.C., is being awarded a $45,559,951 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to provide pre-award acquisition planning, document preparation, contract administration, contract close-out, procurement tracking and policy and analysis support. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and work is expected to be completed in July 2012. This contract was competitively procured under 8(a), with 17 offers received. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-0500).
American Bridge Co., Tampa, Fla., is being awarded a $19,328,600 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to wharf delta bulkhead at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. The work demolishes portions of the existing steel sheet pile bulkhead, tie-back wale system, concrete pile cap, asphalt/concrete pavement and removes the pneumatic fender system and mooring hardware. Project constructs a new bulkhead with new concrete pile encapsulation and cathodic protection system, backfills behind the new bulkhead, provides new asphalt and concrete wharf pavement and reinstalls the pneumatic fender system and mooring hardware. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by February 2011. 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 nine offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-C-1258; Project number RM001-06).
AOC Support Services LLC*, Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $8,902,895 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. The contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the not-to-exceed total contract value to $105,986,469. Work will be performed in El Centro, Calif., and work is expected to be completed September 2009 (September 2018 with options exercised). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a set-aside for small business concerns via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Public Works, El Centro, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-2307).
Aero Thermo Technology Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a $5,898,712 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical, analytical, and program research and development services to support the TRIDENT I and TRIDENT II Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) program and the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) guidance system requirement. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total contract value to $32,500,000. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala. (59 percent); Nashville, Tenn. (20 percent); Honolulu, Hawaii (18 percent); Colorado Springs, Colo. (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed December 2008 (December 2012 with options). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-08-C-0030).
Army
General Construction Co., Poulsbo, Wash., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $45,356,900 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of a bay spill-wall at the Dailies Dam. Work will be performed in Dallesport, Wash., and is expected to be completed by March 20, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on April 30, 2008, and four bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Ore., is the contracting activity (W9127N-08-C-0016).
Jacobs-Tetra Tech EC was awarded on July 17, 2008, a $16,438,169 cost-reimbursable contract for mobilization, demobilization, dredging, treatment and transportation and disposal at Pierce Mill Cove. Work will be performed in New Bedford, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 26, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 29, 2002, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Mass., is the contracting activity (DACW33-03-D-0006).
Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., was awarded on July 17, 2008, a $7,608,465 firm-fixed price contract for production of the M1028 canister cartridge. Work will be performed primarily in Jonesborough, Tenn., as well as other locations across the United States. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 21, 2008, and two bids were received. The Joint Munitions and Lethality LCMC, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-C-0473).
CNI Administration Service, LLC, Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $7,470,448 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of the Arnold Data Center expansion. Work will be performed in Arnold, Mo., and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on April 14, 2008, and bids were received on April 14, 2008. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Arnold, Mo., is the contracting activity (HM1575-07-C-0001).
Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $6,802,000 firm-fixed price construction contract for the maintenance dredging of Manteo Bay Oregon Inlet Bridge vicinity. Work will be performed in Dare County, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fourteen bids were solicited on June 3, 2008, and three bids were received. Savannah Regional Contracting Center, Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, N.C., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-C-0037).
I.L. Fleming, Midway, Ga., was awarded on July 16, 2008, a $6,728,000 firm-fixed price contract for a 30,000 square-foot permanent centralized intermediate repair facility for maintenance of jet engines as required in Base Realignment and Closure directed bed-down of 48 assigned A-10 fighter aircraft. Work will be performed at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One hundred bids were solicited on April 8, 2008, and six bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-C-0038).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Constellation New Energy Gas Division, Louisville, Ky., is being awarded a maximum $18,655,843.34 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply natural gas delivery. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are federal civilian agencies in the central regions of the United States. There were originally 166 proposals solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is September 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-7518).
Colorado Jet Center Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.* is being awarded a maximum $7,690,249.69 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in Colorado. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, federal civilian agencies and National Guard. There were originally 3 proposals solicited with 3 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is September 30, 2012. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0019).
Air Force
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract with Northrop Grumman System Corp., of San Diego, Calif., for $5,619,379. This action will provide communication systems upgrades for the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System. At this time $5,331,503.57 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (F33657-01-C-4600, P00260).
National Guard Unveils New Lakota Helicopters at Fort Indiantown Gap
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Officials at the National Guard's Eastern Aviation Training Site here yesterday unveiled the new UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter, for which they will become the military's sole trainers. This central Pennsylvania post will be the only Army training site for the military's newest light utility helicopter, which entered service in 2006 for homeland security and other non-combat missions, said Army Spc. Matt Jones, a full-time National Guard employee at the site.
Ultimately, the Lakota will replace UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to be transferred for operational missions, as well as the last of the Vietnam-vintage UH-1 Huey helicopters that remain in the military arsenal, Jones said.
The Lakota is the military version of the Eurocopter EC-145 commercial aircraft, designed to fly light general support operations such as civil search and rescue, personnel recovery, evacuation, counter-drug and limited civil command and control operations for the Department of Homeland Security. It carries up to 11 people.
Pilots who fly the twin-turbine aircraft reported it's a powerful aircraft that handles well in all weather conditions, including storms that most aviators avoid. The Lakota also burns significantly less fuel than the Black Hawk or other similar aircraft, Jones said.
But unlike the Black Hawk, the Lakota is not designed to operate in combat environments and is considered non-deployable, Jones said.
Army Gen. Richard A. Cody, Army vice chief of staff, accepted the Army's first Lakota helicopter during a December 2006 ceremony in Columbus, Miss. Cody said the Lakota "is not only serving as a catalyst for change across the Army, it is also accelerating the speed of Army aviation modernization and integration with other services and government agencies."
The Army National Guard is slated to receive most of the 322 Lakota aircraft to enter the inventory.
The Fort Indiantown Gap training site received its first Lakota aircraft last month and its second about two weeks ago. Army Col. Timothy Hilty, who commands the site, said two more Lakotas are due by the year's end, with another four arriving by 2012.
Instructors from the Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Indiantown Gap are already leading the first training course. A high-tech simulator at the training site and a cockpit trainer with a wrap-around screen provide realistic training conditions, Jones said.
Pennsylvania's Adjutant General, Army Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, said the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site has a history of providing excellent training and promised those trained here will receive "the best training possible."
The aircraft will also be available to respond to emergencies, as needed, she said.
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Officials at the National Guard's Eastern Aviation Training Site here yesterday unveiled the new UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter, for which they will become the military's sole trainers. This central Pennsylvania post will be the only Army training site for the military's newest light utility helicopter, which entered service in 2006 for homeland security and other non-combat missions, said Army Spc. Matt Jones, a full-time National Guard employee at the site.
Ultimately, the Lakota will replace UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to be transferred for operational missions, as well as the last of the Vietnam-vintage UH-1 Huey helicopters that remain in the military arsenal, Jones said.
The Lakota is the military version of the Eurocopter EC-145 commercial aircraft, designed to fly light general support operations such as civil search and rescue, personnel recovery, evacuation, counter-drug and limited civil command and control operations for the Department of Homeland Security. It carries up to 11 people.
Pilots who fly the twin-turbine aircraft reported it's a powerful aircraft that handles well in all weather conditions, including storms that most aviators avoid. The Lakota also burns significantly less fuel than the Black Hawk or other similar aircraft, Jones said.
But unlike the Black Hawk, the Lakota is not designed to operate in combat environments and is considered non-deployable, Jones said.
Army Gen. Richard A. Cody, Army vice chief of staff, accepted the Army's first Lakota helicopter during a December 2006 ceremony in Columbus, Miss. Cody said the Lakota "is not only serving as a catalyst for change across the Army, it is also accelerating the speed of Army aviation modernization and integration with other services and government agencies."
The Army National Guard is slated to receive most of the 322 Lakota aircraft to enter the inventory.
The Fort Indiantown Gap training site received its first Lakota aircraft last month and its second about two weeks ago. Army Col. Timothy Hilty, who commands the site, said two more Lakotas are due by the year's end, with another four arriving by 2012.
Instructors from the Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Indiantown Gap are already leading the first training course. A high-tech simulator at the training site and a cockpit trainer with a wrap-around screen provide realistic training conditions, Jones said.
Pennsylvania's Adjutant General, Army Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, said the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site has a history of providing excellent training and promised those trained here will receive "the best training possible."
The aircraft will also be available to respond to emergencies, as needed, she said.
America Supports You: Group Makes Job Hunt Easier for Disabled Vets
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - The hunt for a fulfilling job can be frustrating, but disabled veterans have a new online tool available to help them tackle that task. Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans is a nationally based online recruitment application geared specifically to assist disabled veterans find employment.
"Our goal here is simple, to connect disabled American veterans with employers who are proactive in hiring them," said Nicholas Corso, project director of disABLEDperson Inc., Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans' parent organization. "This is a free service to the DAV community."
Employers listing job openings on the site will pay a nominal fee to help maintain the site, he added.
The organization's site offers resume writing tips as well as pointers on how to give a good interview. Those wishing to search the job listings, however, must register with the site.
Disabled veterans also can take advantage of "recruitABILITY," an application DisABLEDperson Inc., offers to the wider disabled community. "Many state and federal agencies, along with 1,200 employers nationally, have been and are using recruitABILITY as a recruitment tool to find skilled workers with disabilities," Corso said.
The organization also holds job fairs for disabled students who are finishing college and getting ready to transition into the workforce. For those interested in taking classes, disABLEDperson Inc., holds two scholarship competitions annually.
DisABLEDperson Inc. is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We at disABLEDperson Inc., believe that our [affiliation] with America Supports You will give us great exposure to a targeted group of individuals, disabled American veterans, who may not have heard of our efforts," Corso said. "It simply adds to our credibility as we move forward with our different initiatives."
The organization will participate in the National Combined Federal Campaign beginning in September, he added.
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - The hunt for a fulfilling job can be frustrating, but disabled veterans have a new online tool available to help them tackle that task. Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans is a nationally based online recruitment application geared specifically to assist disabled veterans find employment.
"Our goal here is simple, to connect disabled American veterans with employers who are proactive in hiring them," said Nicholas Corso, project director of disABLEDperson Inc., Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans' parent organization. "This is a free service to the DAV community."
Employers listing job openings on the site will pay a nominal fee to help maintain the site, he added.
The organization's site offers resume writing tips as well as pointers on how to give a good interview. Those wishing to search the job listings, however, must register with the site.
Disabled veterans also can take advantage of "recruitABILITY," an application DisABLEDperson Inc., offers to the wider disabled community. "Many state and federal agencies, along with 1,200 employers nationally, have been and are using recruitABILITY as a recruitment tool to find skilled workers with disabilities," Corso said.
The organization also holds job fairs for disabled students who are finishing college and getting ready to transition into the workforce. For those interested in taking classes, disABLEDperson Inc., holds two scholarship competitions annually.
DisABLEDperson Inc. is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We at disABLEDperson Inc., believe that our [affiliation] with America Supports You will give us great exposure to a targeted group of individuals, disabled American veterans, who may not have heard of our efforts," Corso said. "It simply adds to our credibility as we move forward with our different initiatives."
The organization will participate in the National Combined Federal Campaign beginning in September, he added.
Face of Defense: Commo Specialist 'Lives Dream' on Iraq Deployment
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Army Sgt. Jason Ruckman had a desire to be part of something that would make a difference. Six years ago, he joined the Army to whet his appetite for adventure, and he has never looked back. "Since I was in middle school, I've always wanted to wear a uniform; I thought they were cool-looking," the Orlando, Fla., native said.
It helped to have a family military history that dated back to World War I, in which his great-grandfather fought. Ruckman's grandfather served in World War Two, and his father in Vietnam. "They always seemed kind of proud about it, so I wanted to do something right for my family," he said. "This was the best thing I could think of."
A 2002 graduate of William R. Boone High School in Orlando, Ruckman joined the Army later that year. He graduated advanced individual training in 2003 as a signal support systems specialist.
Now, "I've got the uniform covered; it's fun to put on. I wanted to do 'hooah,' high-speed stuff," he said. "(The recruiter) told me my (job) would put me alongside some sort of a commander, running around with a radio doing high-speed stuff. ... That never happened."
Well, it happened; just a little later than he expected.
Ruckman served as his battalion commander's radio-telephone operator during his first deployment to Iraq in 2005. His recruiter's promise came to fruition as he traveled with his commander around the battlefield. He said he felt more at home out there than working communications issues on the base.
"I like going out on missions and being in the thick of things. I felt more like I was serving a purpose if I were outside the wire," said the 26-year-old, who is now assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
He said he doesn't look down upon those whose jobs don't require them to leave the operating base. "Every (job) in the Army is vital in some way, shape or form, [but] I feel like I have more of a purpose outside the wire than inside the wire.
"I don't feel like my full potential will be utilized by staying on the [base]," he added.
Staying put is not something Ruckman has to worry about these days. As a brigade commander's driver, he travels the roads of Iraq on an almost-daily basis. He doesn't take that lightly.
With two Purple Hearts under his belt, Ruckman knows well the potential dangers of duty in a combat zone. He reluctantly recounted the circumstances surrounding his injuries.
The first, in December 2003, was a result of a suicide car bomber in Tal Afar. The would-be assassin attempted to breach the entry control point of the battalion's compound with 1,000 pounds of explosives in his vehicle. No one was killed, but 67 were injured.
"It was a real mess," Ruckman remembered, shaking his head as though willing the memory to go away. He walked away with wounds to the face and hands from shards of flying glass.
His second Purple Heart came after an improvised explosive device detonated at a city council building north of Beiji in October 2005. This time he had shrapnel wounds and a broken hand.
Ruckman said the fact that things could have been much worse doesn't escape him. "I'm thankful (things) turned out the way they did," he said. "It's kind of tough to talk about the Purple Hearts because I look at some guys ... whose physical appearance and capabilities have been impaired for the rest of their lives, and I just got a few scars on me.
"So I don't like to make a big deal about it because there are those who got Purple Hearts ... whose lives were changed and affected by it a lot more than mine."
He said his close calls have given him a definite respect for the dangers soldiers face. He said he's not afraid to face those dangers head-on in the course of performing his duty, but some fear is healthy.
"If you're not fearful in some way, ... I think there's something wrong," he said matter-of-factly. "I think a little dose of fear or nervousness is normal. I go out knowing that I have to [go out], and I can see the bigger picture."
The "bigger picture" as far as Ruckman is concerned is making sure elements of the command group get where they need to go safely and without incident. This deployment has been relatively uneventful for the adventure seeker, and that's okay with him.
Uncertain as to whether he'll go for a fourth deployment to Iraq or look for a job as an instructor, Ruckman said he's leaving his options open right now. "I'm not sure what's next; there are so many possibilities out there," he said. "I really enjoy teaching younger soldiers how to tap into their full capabilities, to watch them rise up and become leaders."
With a family bursting at its seams with pride, Ruckman said he has a wonderful support system on which he can depend. "My dad ... is really proud of what I do; my sister loves it, she is both proud and petrified," he said with a laugh. "She shows me off ... when I go home. I'm like one of her heroes because of what I do."
His mom is somewhat torn, too, because of the dangers he faces in Iraq. But he said his mom is beside herself with pride. "She always calls me an honorable man," he said.
His older brother is a heavy-wheel mechanic in the Army Reserves, so the tradition continues.
Ruckman initially joined the Army for four years, but he has re-enlisted for five additional years. He said he's having fun now -- "living the dream," as so many soldiers like to say.
"For a commo guy to be able to go on numerous cordon and knocks, air-assault missions, and patrols is just my dream come true," he said, looking like a kid at Christmas. "I like being able to do a lot of what the infantry guys do."
Not yet willing to commit to being a "lifer" in the Army, Ruckman admitted he can't think of himself in another profession. "I'm almost afraid of getting out because I wouldn't know what to do," he said with a shrug. "It probably will end up being my career."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy is assigned to the public Affairs Office of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Army Sgt. Jason Ruckman had a desire to be part of something that would make a difference. Six years ago, he joined the Army to whet his appetite for adventure, and he has never looked back. "Since I was in middle school, I've always wanted to wear a uniform; I thought they were cool-looking," the Orlando, Fla., native said.
It helped to have a family military history that dated back to World War I, in which his great-grandfather fought. Ruckman's grandfather served in World War Two, and his father in Vietnam. "They always seemed kind of proud about it, so I wanted to do something right for my family," he said. "This was the best thing I could think of."
A 2002 graduate of William R. Boone High School in Orlando, Ruckman joined the Army later that year. He graduated advanced individual training in 2003 as a signal support systems specialist.
Now, "I've got the uniform covered; it's fun to put on. I wanted to do 'hooah,' high-speed stuff," he said. "(The recruiter) told me my (job) would put me alongside some sort of a commander, running around with a radio doing high-speed stuff. ... That never happened."
Well, it happened; just a little later than he expected.
Ruckman served as his battalion commander's radio-telephone operator during his first deployment to Iraq in 2005. His recruiter's promise came to fruition as he traveled with his commander around the battlefield. He said he felt more at home out there than working communications issues on the base.
"I like going out on missions and being in the thick of things. I felt more like I was serving a purpose if I were outside the wire," said the 26-year-old, who is now assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
He said he doesn't look down upon those whose jobs don't require them to leave the operating base. "Every (job) in the Army is vital in some way, shape or form, [but] I feel like I have more of a purpose outside the wire than inside the wire.
"I don't feel like my full potential will be utilized by staying on the [base]," he added.
Staying put is not something Ruckman has to worry about these days. As a brigade commander's driver, he travels the roads of Iraq on an almost-daily basis. He doesn't take that lightly.
With two Purple Hearts under his belt, Ruckman knows well the potential dangers of duty in a combat zone. He reluctantly recounted the circumstances surrounding his injuries.
The first, in December 2003, was a result of a suicide car bomber in Tal Afar. The would-be assassin attempted to breach the entry control point of the battalion's compound with 1,000 pounds of explosives in his vehicle. No one was killed, but 67 were injured.
"It was a real mess," Ruckman remembered, shaking his head as though willing the memory to go away. He walked away with wounds to the face and hands from shards of flying glass.
His second Purple Heart came after an improvised explosive device detonated at a city council building north of Beiji in October 2005. This time he had shrapnel wounds and a broken hand.
Ruckman said the fact that things could have been much worse doesn't escape him. "I'm thankful (things) turned out the way they did," he said. "It's kind of tough to talk about the Purple Hearts because I look at some guys ... whose physical appearance and capabilities have been impaired for the rest of their lives, and I just got a few scars on me.
"So I don't like to make a big deal about it because there are those who got Purple Hearts ... whose lives were changed and affected by it a lot more than mine."
He said his close calls have given him a definite respect for the dangers soldiers face. He said he's not afraid to face those dangers head-on in the course of performing his duty, but some fear is healthy.
"If you're not fearful in some way, ... I think there's something wrong," he said matter-of-factly. "I think a little dose of fear or nervousness is normal. I go out knowing that I have to [go out], and I can see the bigger picture."
The "bigger picture" as far as Ruckman is concerned is making sure elements of the command group get where they need to go safely and without incident. This deployment has been relatively uneventful for the adventure seeker, and that's okay with him.
Uncertain as to whether he'll go for a fourth deployment to Iraq or look for a job as an instructor, Ruckman said he's leaving his options open right now. "I'm not sure what's next; there are so many possibilities out there," he said. "I really enjoy teaching younger soldiers how to tap into their full capabilities, to watch them rise up and become leaders."
With a family bursting at its seams with pride, Ruckman said he has a wonderful support system on which he can depend. "My dad ... is really proud of what I do; my sister loves it, she is both proud and petrified," he said with a laugh. "She shows me off ... when I go home. I'm like one of her heroes because of what I do."
His mom is somewhat torn, too, because of the dangers he faces in Iraq. But he said his mom is beside herself with pride. "She always calls me an honorable man," he said.
His older brother is a heavy-wheel mechanic in the Army Reserves, so the tradition continues.
Ruckman initially joined the Army for four years, but he has re-enlisted for five additional years. He said he's having fun now -- "living the dream," as so many soldiers like to say.
"For a commo guy to be able to go on numerous cordon and knocks, air-assault missions, and patrols is just my dream come true," he said, looking like a kid at Christmas. "I like being able to do a lot of what the infantry guys do."
Not yet willing to commit to being a "lifer" in the Army, Ruckman admitted he can't think of himself in another profession. "I'm almost afraid of getting out because I wouldn't know what to do," he said with a shrug. "It probably will end up being my career."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy is assigned to the public Affairs Office of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)
Future Military Docs Hone Field Medicine Skills
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences are getting a healthy dose of the challenges in providing battlefield medicine during two concurrent field exercises under way here. About 360 medical, public health and graduate-level nursing students from the Defense Department's only medical school are here at this central Pennsylvania training post, experiencing the rigors of caring for patients in a simulated combat environment.
Operation Bushmaster is exposing fourth-year students to the challenges of delivering medical care in support of warfighting, peacekeeping and humanitarian-assistance operations. Meanwhile, Operation Kerkesner is giving many students who just completed their first year of medical school their first tactical training in a field environment.
Both exercises began earlier this week and continue through July 24. The training will wrap up with a convoy coming under a simulated attack during a nighttime operation, resulting in mass casualties. As they triage, treat and evacuate patients, the students will come to recognize that part of being a military medical officer is the ability "to make order out of chaos," said Navy Capt. Trueman Sharp, chairman of the university's Military and Emergency Medicine Department and exercise director.
Sharp called the annual exercises the capstone of the Uniformed Services University curriculum.
"The field training aspect is essential for our students because we are more than a civilian medical school or graduate school of nursing," Sharp explained. "We produce a physician, but we are also producing a military medical officer. That requires a lot of additional knowledge and skills that you wouldn't get in a civilian medical school."
Operations Bushmaster and Kerkesner merge students' classroom training, with nearly 800 hours dedicated to military-unique subjects, in a field setting with realistic scenarios like those they'll encounter as Army, Navy and Air Force doctors.
This year's scenarios involve a United Nations force called in to conduct peacekeeping and stabilization operations in the fictitious Middle Eastern country of Pandakar in the throes of unrest. The doctors "deployed" as part of the force and were tasked to set up battalion aid stations and an expeditionary medical support station with surgical capabilities until a combat support hospital arrives.
Casualties started arriving before they finished setting up their operations. The wounded "patients" -- actually first-year students with realistic-looking simulated war wounds like those being seen in Iraq and Afghanistan -- put the students to the test.
Increased emphasis on treating patients as quickly and as far forward as possible presents challenges traditional medical students aren't likely to encounter, from treating patients while under fire to working with far less equipment than they'd find in fixed medical facilities.
First-year students role playing patients got a glimpse at the type of challenges they'll face later in their training. But Sharp said they also get to see firsthand what it feels like to be a wounded patient in the hands of a military doctor.
"What's going on here is pretty amazing," said Army 2nd Lt. John Francis, a first-year student at his first field exercise. Role-playing a patient with asthma earlier in the day and now with "shrapnel wounds" on his face, Francis said the exercise reinforced what he's learned so far at the university. "This brings it all together," he said. "I'm really excited about what we're getting out of this."
"This makes it real," said Navy Ensign Danielle Robins, a former Marine Corps captain now with a year at Uniformed Services University under her belt. "This training defines the uniqueness of what a military medical school means."
Across the post, other first-year students were getting a better understanding of that as many got their first experience firing a weapon, navigating an orienteering course, and wearing chemical protective gear after a mock attack. Many also were learning how to live and operate in the field for the first time.
Noncommissioned officers are leading the training, with Army Sgt. 1st Class Franklin Abram overseeing the training, which he said helps develop warrior skills in medical officers likely to serve on the front lines. "The bottom line is that we need doctors who can perform in the combat zone as well as the clinic," he said. "Don't think for one minute that because you are a doctor, that (enemy forces) are not going to shoot at you."
Air Force Maj. Glenn Burns, Operation Kerkesner course director, said the exercise teaches not only basic survival skills, but also leadership principles. "This is not a test of infantry skills, and we are not trying to develop them as infantry officers," Burns said. "But as we teach them the basics, what we expect to challenge them with is leadership."
Fourth-year students were facing those leadership challenges as they treated patients while rotating through a variety of roles they'll play as medical officers, from litter bearers to logistics officers to unit commanders.
The exercise reinforces the fact that doctors are just one part of a vast medical care network, Sharp said, while underscoring their broad responsibilities as military medical officers.
"Being a medical officer isn't just being a doctor," he said. "It's about leadership. It's about planning and organization. It's about communication. It's about situational awareness. It's about learning to prioritize because you never have enough resources or people, and you never have enough evacuation (capability)."
Navy Ensign Art Ambrosio got a taste of what it means to balance those challenges when casualties started arriving as he was serving as commander, overseeing the assembly of the expeditionary medical support unit.
A fourth-year student, Ambrosio had to resist the urge to drop everything and rush to the patients' needs rather than allowing his staff to do that. "As a medical person, when you see someone hurt, you want to run, and you want to play doctor," he said.
"But as the commander, you need to focus on what those responsibilities are," he said. "Your job is to keep the whole machine running: the medical, the transportation, the security, the communications, the logistics. You have to manage people, but do it without micromanaging."
For some of the students, the exercises offer a return to principles they learned during prior service in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, but with a new focus.
Among them is Army 2nd Lt. Gabriel Pavey, who spent 12 years in the Marine Corps before enrolling in Uniformed Services University. Pavey was a Marine staff sergeant working in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and remembers the frustration of not being much help to the medics scurrying to help the wounded. He said it led to a major life decision.
Now an Army second lieutenant about to enter his second year of medical school, Pavey said he's ready for the rigors of field medicine in a combat environment. "It's my brothers and sisters (in the force) who really do the hard part," he said. "We're here to support them. The folks here all have the same call to duty."
Army 2nd Lt. Barrett Campbell said the training he's receiving at the Uniformed Services University is providing a great foundation for what he hopes will be a 20-year career as a military medical officer.
"I want to be a military doctor first and foremost, and this is the place to prepare for that," he said. "I chose this school because of the military medical aspect. I wanted to be in a program that trained me for that, and that's what I'm getting here."
Robins said the exercise reinforces the connection she feels to her fellow Uniformed Services University students, but especially to the servicemembers she will treat as a Navy doctor. "We have a like-mindedness," she said. "They are taking care of me, and I am taking care of them. They are amazing people, and they deserve great care."
American Forces Press Service
July 18, 2008 - Medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences are getting a healthy dose of the challenges in providing battlefield medicine during two concurrent field exercises under way here. About 360 medical, public health and graduate-level nursing students from the Defense Department's only medical school are here at this central Pennsylvania training post, experiencing the rigors of caring for patients in a simulated combat environment.
Operation Bushmaster is exposing fourth-year students to the challenges of delivering medical care in support of warfighting, peacekeeping and humanitarian-assistance operations. Meanwhile, Operation Kerkesner is giving many students who just completed their first year of medical school their first tactical training in a field environment.
Both exercises began earlier this week and continue through July 24. The training will wrap up with a convoy coming under a simulated attack during a nighttime operation, resulting in mass casualties. As they triage, treat and evacuate patients, the students will come to recognize that part of being a military medical officer is the ability "to make order out of chaos," said Navy Capt. Trueman Sharp, chairman of the university's Military and Emergency Medicine Department and exercise director.
Sharp called the annual exercises the capstone of the Uniformed Services University curriculum.
"The field training aspect is essential for our students because we are more than a civilian medical school or graduate school of nursing," Sharp explained. "We produce a physician, but we are also producing a military medical officer. That requires a lot of additional knowledge and skills that you wouldn't get in a civilian medical school."
Operations Bushmaster and Kerkesner merge students' classroom training, with nearly 800 hours dedicated to military-unique subjects, in a field setting with realistic scenarios like those they'll encounter as Army, Navy and Air Force doctors.
This year's scenarios involve a United Nations force called in to conduct peacekeeping and stabilization operations in the fictitious Middle Eastern country of Pandakar in the throes of unrest. The doctors "deployed" as part of the force and were tasked to set up battalion aid stations and an expeditionary medical support station with surgical capabilities until a combat support hospital arrives.
Casualties started arriving before they finished setting up their operations. The wounded "patients" -- actually first-year students with realistic-looking simulated war wounds like those being seen in Iraq and Afghanistan -- put the students to the test.
Increased emphasis on treating patients as quickly and as far forward as possible presents challenges traditional medical students aren't likely to encounter, from treating patients while under fire to working with far less equipment than they'd find in fixed medical facilities.
First-year students role playing patients got a glimpse at the type of challenges they'll face later in their training. But Sharp said they also get to see firsthand what it feels like to be a wounded patient in the hands of a military doctor.
"What's going on here is pretty amazing," said Army 2nd Lt. John Francis, a first-year student at his first field exercise. Role-playing a patient with asthma earlier in the day and now with "shrapnel wounds" on his face, Francis said the exercise reinforced what he's learned so far at the university. "This brings it all together," he said. "I'm really excited about what we're getting out of this."
"This makes it real," said Navy Ensign Danielle Robins, a former Marine Corps captain now with a year at Uniformed Services University under her belt. "This training defines the uniqueness of what a military medical school means."
Across the post, other first-year students were getting a better understanding of that as many got their first experience firing a weapon, navigating an orienteering course, and wearing chemical protective gear after a mock attack. Many also were learning how to live and operate in the field for the first time.
Noncommissioned officers are leading the training, with Army Sgt. 1st Class Franklin Abram overseeing the training, which he said helps develop warrior skills in medical officers likely to serve on the front lines. "The bottom line is that we need doctors who can perform in the combat zone as well as the clinic," he said. "Don't think for one minute that because you are a doctor, that (enemy forces) are not going to shoot at you."
Air Force Maj. Glenn Burns, Operation Kerkesner course director, said the exercise teaches not only basic survival skills, but also leadership principles. "This is not a test of infantry skills, and we are not trying to develop them as infantry officers," Burns said. "But as we teach them the basics, what we expect to challenge them with is leadership."
Fourth-year students were facing those leadership challenges as they treated patients while rotating through a variety of roles they'll play as medical officers, from litter bearers to logistics officers to unit commanders.
The exercise reinforces the fact that doctors are just one part of a vast medical care network, Sharp said, while underscoring their broad responsibilities as military medical officers.
"Being a medical officer isn't just being a doctor," he said. "It's about leadership. It's about planning and organization. It's about communication. It's about situational awareness. It's about learning to prioritize because you never have enough resources or people, and you never have enough evacuation (capability)."
Navy Ensign Art Ambrosio got a taste of what it means to balance those challenges when casualties started arriving as he was serving as commander, overseeing the assembly of the expeditionary medical support unit.
A fourth-year student, Ambrosio had to resist the urge to drop everything and rush to the patients' needs rather than allowing his staff to do that. "As a medical person, when you see someone hurt, you want to run, and you want to play doctor," he said.
"But as the commander, you need to focus on what those responsibilities are," he said. "Your job is to keep the whole machine running: the medical, the transportation, the security, the communications, the logistics. You have to manage people, but do it without micromanaging."
For some of the students, the exercises offer a return to principles they learned during prior service in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, but with a new focus.
Among them is Army 2nd Lt. Gabriel Pavey, who spent 12 years in the Marine Corps before enrolling in Uniformed Services University. Pavey was a Marine staff sergeant working in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and remembers the frustration of not being much help to the medics scurrying to help the wounded. He said it led to a major life decision.
Now an Army second lieutenant about to enter his second year of medical school, Pavey said he's ready for the rigors of field medicine in a combat environment. "It's my brothers and sisters (in the force) who really do the hard part," he said. "We're here to support them. The folks here all have the same call to duty."
Army 2nd Lt. Barrett Campbell said the training he's receiving at the Uniformed Services University is providing a great foundation for what he hopes will be a 20-year career as a military medical officer.
"I want to be a military doctor first and foremost, and this is the place to prepare for that," he said. "I chose this school because of the military medical aspect. I wanted to be in a program that trained me for that, and that's what I'm getting here."
Robins said the exercise reinforces the connection she feels to her fellow Uniformed Services University students, but especially to the servicemembers she will treat as a Navy doctor. "We have a like-mindedness," she said. "They are taking care of me, and I am taking care of them. They are amazing people, and they deserve great care."
Friday, July 18, 2008
America Supports You: New Housing Facility Welcomes Wounded Warriors
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
July 17, 2008 - Servicemembers being treated at military medical facilities in the national capital region now can recuperate with their families thanks to one group's ingenuity and the generosity of corporate donors. Operation Homefront welcomed wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., to its new transitional housing facility July 15. The facility offers rent-free, fully furnished two- and three-bedroom apartment units.
"Operation Homefront provides tremendous aid to all servicemembers and their families," said Army Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho, commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "[The organization] knows how to harness the generosity of so many in the community and then quickly take action to fulfill individual or community needs."
The "OH Villages," as they are called, also feature extensive community centers, play space for children, and computers with specialized software to accommodate disabilities. Counselors are available to assist with filing benefit claims and educational needs, including scholarships and college enrollment, as well as to help servicemembers train for and find good-paying jobs.
"Servicemembers and their families are a proud 'can do' group who apply to Operation Homefront out of genuine financial need," said Mark Smith, president and chief executive officer of Operation Homefront. "This is where they can begin to build a real future for themselves and their families."
The villages are open to wounded servicemembers receiving treatment at a nearby military hospital. Those who will be medically discharged or retire within six months also are eligible, and they may stay up to two years after that occurs. Full eligibility guidelines for the villages can be found on the Operation Homefront Web site.
The Washington-area project follows the success of Operation Homefront Village-San Antonio, which opened earlier this year near Brooke Army Medical Center. Both projects were possible thanks to large corporate donations, Smith said.
"Bank of America believes in investing in the communities in which we live and work," said Patrick Rainey, Military Segment Executive for Bank of America. "We are proud to support an initiative that is giving back to the men and women who have sacrificed a great deal for our country. This facility will afford our veterans what is needed most: the support of loved ones nearby."
For defense contractor Lockheed Martin, helping make the facility a reality was a gesture of thanks for what servicemembers do on America's behalf.
"Lockheed Martin never forgets the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and the debt that we owe them for our freedom," said Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin president and CEO. "With this project, we are honored to assist our wounded warriors as they make the transition back to civilian life."
Operation Homefront, a troop-support organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops and their families, 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.
American Forces Press Service
July 17, 2008 - Servicemembers being treated at military medical facilities in the national capital region now can recuperate with their families thanks to one group's ingenuity and the generosity of corporate donors. Operation Homefront welcomed wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., to its new transitional housing facility July 15. The facility offers rent-free, fully furnished two- and three-bedroom apartment units.
"Operation Homefront provides tremendous aid to all servicemembers and their families," said Army Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho, commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "[The organization] knows how to harness the generosity of so many in the community and then quickly take action to fulfill individual or community needs."
The "OH Villages," as they are called, also feature extensive community centers, play space for children, and computers with specialized software to accommodate disabilities. Counselors are available to assist with filing benefit claims and educational needs, including scholarships and college enrollment, as well as to help servicemembers train for and find good-paying jobs.
"Servicemembers and their families are a proud 'can do' group who apply to Operation Homefront out of genuine financial need," said Mark Smith, president and chief executive officer of Operation Homefront. "This is where they can begin to build a real future for themselves and their families."
The villages are open to wounded servicemembers receiving treatment at a nearby military hospital. Those who will be medically discharged or retire within six months also are eligible, and they may stay up to two years after that occurs. Full eligibility guidelines for the villages can be found on the Operation Homefront Web site.
The Washington-area project follows the success of Operation Homefront Village-San Antonio, which opened earlier this year near Brooke Army Medical Center. Both projects were possible thanks to large corporate donations, Smith said.
"Bank of America believes in investing in the communities in which we live and work," said Patrick Rainey, Military Segment Executive for Bank of America. "We are proud to support an initiative that is giving back to the men and women who have sacrificed a great deal for our country. This facility will afford our veterans what is needed most: the support of loved ones nearby."
For defense contractor Lockheed Martin, helping make the facility a reality was a gesture of thanks for what servicemembers do on America's behalf.
"Lockheed Martin never forgets the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and the debt that we owe them for our freedom," said Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin president and CEO. "With this project, we are honored to assist our wounded warriors as they make the transition back to civilian life."
Operation Homefront, a troop-support organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops and their families, 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.
MILITARY CONTRACTS July 17, 2008
Navy
Canadian Commercial Corp., General Dynamics Land Systems, Canada, Ontario, Canada, is being awarded $552,081,274 for delivery order #0004 under previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for the purchase of 773 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles with Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) upgrades and associated Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. Work will be performed in South Africa (57 percent); Lansing, Mich. (22 percent) and Anniston, Ala. (21 percent), and work is expected to be completed no later than Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with nine offers received via Navy Electronic Commerce Office. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Fullerton, Calif., is being awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract with award fee provisions for a total estimated value of $232,767,343 for the System Development and Demonstration of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), including the delivery of eight fully functional Ship System Engineering Development Models and four Aircraft System Test Avionics Sets. Work will be performed in Fullerton, Calif., (45 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (38 percent); Indianapolis, Ind., (7 percent); Long Beach, Calif., (5 percent); Richardson, Texas, (3 percent); Woodland Hills, Calif., (1.8 percent); and Virginia Beach, Va. (0.2 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Sept. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0034).
BRDC a Joint Venture, Large, Pa., Islands Mechanical Contractor, Inc., Middleburg, Fla., PAE Government Services, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., Ratcliff Construction, Inc., Orange Park, Fla., TolTest, Inc., Maumee, Ohio, are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award design-build construction contract for general building type projects at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed is for general building projects including new construction, renovation, alteration, and repair of facilities and infrastructure, roofing, demolition, and routine renovation. Each contract consists of a base year and four option years for a maximum of 60 months or a maximum value of $100,000,000 for all contracts, whichever comes first with a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 for each contract. The aggregate of $100,000,000 will potentially be shared among all four contractors. BRDC a Joint Venture is being awarded the initial task order in the amount of $632,646 (including the minimum guarantee) for the design and construction of a new Temporary J6 Admin Facility with a gross building area of approximately 4900 square feet at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Jun. 2009. The remaining four contractors are being awarded the minimum guarantee of $10,000. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and work is expected to be completed Jul 2009 (Jul. 2013 with options). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with seven proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (contract numbers N69450-08-D-1279/1280/1281/1282/1283).
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP. Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded $60,252,370 for delivery order #0009 under previously awarded firms-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5025) for the purchase of 36 United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I vehicles including technical insertion engineering change proposals (ECPs), two RG33 MRAP Category II vehicles including technical insertion ECPs and two RG33 MRAP Category II Ambulance vehicles including technical insertion ECPs. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed Mar. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with nine offers received via Navy Electronic Commerce Office. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
I Garcia Construction, Inc.*, Fresno, Calif., is being awarded $6,789,000 for firm-fixed price Task Order #0005 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62473-07-D-2009) for the design and construction of the renovation of the Marine Corps Reserve Center (MCRC) San Bruno, Calif. The work to be performed provides for life safety, antiterrorism/force protection, and security improvements to the Center. Work will be performed in San Bruno, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The original contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 12 proposals received and award made on Dec. 21, 2006. The total combined maximum for all contracts awarded is $100,000,000. The multiple contractors (five in number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Air Force
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee, cost plus fixed fee, cost plus incentive fee, firm fixed price contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp., of Sunnyvale, Calif., not to exceed $119,160,000. This action will provide Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Communications System, which provides secure, survivable communications to the U.S. war-fighters during all levels of conflict and is the protected backbone of the Department of Defense Military Satellite Communications architecture. This contract action is for the advance procurement of long-lead parts of the AEHF Satellite Vehicle 4 in FY08. Advance procurement ensures that parts with significant lead times will be in place to begin SV4 full production on schedule. This action is an in-scope modification and will be awarded as an undefinitized contract action. At this time $59,580,000 has been obligated. MCSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-02-C-0002, P00315).
Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for an estimated $12,693,336. This contract action will provide operational test and evaluation, of Chemical Biological Radiology Nuclear Defense secure battle space management information and warning and reporting systems, and related contamination avoidance, collective and individual protection, decontamination, and medical and health services materials, equipment, and systems, and validate their performance against published Chemical Biological Defense operational requirements. At this time $217,392 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180, DO: 0561).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Sage Energy Trading, LLC, Tulsa, Okla.*, is being awarded a maximum $81,664,374.89 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply natural gas delivery. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Federal Civilian Agencies. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is Sept. 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-7501).
Army
EBV Explosives Environmental Co., Joplin, Mo., was awarded on Jul. 15, 2008, a $15,301,687 firm-fixed price contract for demilitarization of multiple launch rocket system M26 basic rocket and/or compounds. Work will be performed in Joplin, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven bids were solicited on Dec. 21, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0398).
ILC Dover, Inc., Frederica, Del., was awarded on Jul. 16, 2008, an $11,645,635 firm-fixed price contract for faceblanks, nosecups, eye lens retainer rings, front voicemitters and external drink tubes. Work will be performed in Frederica, Del., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 17, 2008. U.S. Army TACOM, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52H09-08-C-0139).
Canadian Commercial Corp., General Dynamics Land Systems, Canada, Ontario, Canada, is being awarded $552,081,274 for delivery order #0004 under previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for the purchase of 773 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles with Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) upgrades and associated Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. Work will be performed in South Africa (57 percent); Lansing, Mich. (22 percent) and Anniston, Ala. (21 percent), and work is expected to be completed no later than Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with nine offers received via Navy Electronic Commerce Office. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Fullerton, Calif., is being awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract with award fee provisions for a total estimated value of $232,767,343 for the System Development and Demonstration of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), including the delivery of eight fully functional Ship System Engineering Development Models and four Aircraft System Test Avionics Sets. Work will be performed in Fullerton, Calif., (45 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (38 percent); Indianapolis, Ind., (7 percent); Long Beach, Calif., (5 percent); Richardson, Texas, (3 percent); Woodland Hills, Calif., (1.8 percent); and Virginia Beach, Va. (0.2 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Sept. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0034).
BRDC a Joint Venture, Large, Pa., Islands Mechanical Contractor, Inc., Middleburg, Fla., PAE Government Services, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., Ratcliff Construction, Inc., Orange Park, Fla., TolTest, Inc., Maumee, Ohio, are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award design-build construction contract for general building type projects at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed is for general building projects including new construction, renovation, alteration, and repair of facilities and infrastructure, roofing, demolition, and routine renovation. Each contract consists of a base year and four option years for a maximum of 60 months or a maximum value of $100,000,000 for all contracts, whichever comes first with a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 for each contract. The aggregate of $100,000,000 will potentially be shared among all four contractors. BRDC a Joint Venture is being awarded the initial task order in the amount of $632,646 (including the minimum guarantee) for the design and construction of a new Temporary J6 Admin Facility with a gross building area of approximately 4900 square feet at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Jun. 2009. The remaining four contractors are being awarded the minimum guarantee of $10,000. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and work is expected to be completed Jul 2009 (Jul. 2013 with options). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with seven proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (contract numbers N69450-08-D-1279/1280/1281/1282/1283).
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP. Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded $60,252,370 for delivery order #0009 under previously awarded firms-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5025) for the purchase of 36 United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I vehicles including technical insertion engineering change proposals (ECPs), two RG33 MRAP Category II vehicles including technical insertion ECPs and two RG33 MRAP Category II Ambulance vehicles including technical insertion ECPs. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed Mar. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with nine offers received via Navy Electronic Commerce Office. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
I Garcia Construction, Inc.*, Fresno, Calif., is being awarded $6,789,000 for firm-fixed price Task Order #0005 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N62473-07-D-2009) for the design and construction of the renovation of the Marine Corps Reserve Center (MCRC) San Bruno, Calif. The work to be performed provides for life safety, antiterrorism/force protection, and security improvements to the Center. Work will be performed in San Bruno, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The original contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 12 proposals received and award made on Dec. 21, 2006. The total combined maximum for all contracts awarded is $100,000,000. The multiple contractors (five in number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Air Force
The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee, cost plus fixed fee, cost plus incentive fee, firm fixed price contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp., of Sunnyvale, Calif., not to exceed $119,160,000. This action will provide Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Communications System, which provides secure, survivable communications to the U.S. war-fighters during all levels of conflict and is the protected backbone of the Department of Defense Military Satellite Communications architecture. This contract action is for the advance procurement of long-lead parts of the AEHF Satellite Vehicle 4 in FY08. Advance procurement ensures that parts with significant lead times will be in place to begin SV4 full production on schedule. This action is an in-scope modification and will be awarded as an undefinitized contract action. At this time $59,580,000 has been obligated. MCSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-02-C-0002, P00315).
Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for an estimated $12,693,336. This contract action will provide operational test and evaluation, of Chemical Biological Radiology Nuclear Defense secure battle space management information and warning and reporting systems, and related contamination avoidance, collective and individual protection, decontamination, and medical and health services materials, equipment, and systems, and validate their performance against published Chemical Biological Defense operational requirements. At this time $217,392 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, 55 CONS/LGCD, Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180, DO: 0561).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Sage Energy Trading, LLC, Tulsa, Okla.*, is being awarded a maximum $81,664,374.89 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply natural gas delivery. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Federal Civilian Agencies. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is Sept. 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-7501).
Army
EBV Explosives Environmental Co., Joplin, Mo., was awarded on Jul. 15, 2008, a $15,301,687 firm-fixed price contract for demilitarization of multiple launch rocket system M26 basic rocket and/or compounds. Work will be performed in Joplin, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven bids were solicited on Dec. 21, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0398).
ILC Dover, Inc., Frederica, Del., was awarded on Jul. 16, 2008, an $11,645,635 firm-fixed price contract for faceblanks, nosecups, eye lens retainer rings, front voicemitters and external drink tubes. Work will be performed in Frederica, Del., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 17, 2008. U.S. Army TACOM, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52H09-08-C-0139).
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