Military Entrance Processing Stations Memorialize Fallen Troops

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - The Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station at Fort Meade, Md., will dedicate its ceremony room tomorrow to Marine Corps Cpl. Jennifer M. Parcell, a fallen hero who processed through its doors and into the Marine Corps two years after her 18th birthday. Parcell, a Maryland native, died protecting her fellow Marines during a deployment to Iraq in February 2007. She had volunteered for the Lioness program, in which she searched female Iraqis at a checkpoint in Anbar province. She was carrying out the mission when she died at the hands of a female suicide bomber.

Parcell will become the 30th fallen servicemember – and the first woman -- to be immortalized by a Military Entrance Processing Station within U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command's Eastern Sector. The initiative honors fallen troops at the facility where they swore their oath to protect and defend the United States and its Constitution, Army Col. Barrye Price, the Eastern Sector commander, said.

Price came up with the concept after escorting the remains of his mentor's son home from Dover Air Force Base, Del. He said the magnitude of that task drove home the significance of what the 34 MEPS stations he commands do every day.

"We process volunteers from across our country into our military services at a time when our nation and its military is embroiled in armed combat in two different theaters," he said.

The station, one of the three busiest in the country, serves as the link between the military and recruits from Maryland, the District of Columbia and parts of Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Its staff administers a flurry of tests– a medical exam, drug test and HIV test, among them – to ensure they're fit for duty. Another test, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, ensures they meet the military's aptitude standards.

By the day's end, recruits who entered the station as civilians before 5:30 a.m. leave as new members of the armed forces who have signed their military contracts and taken the oath of enlistment. From there, they proceed to their service's basic military training.

Price said he wants to ensure that his predominately civilian work force appreciates the commitment that the nation's young people are making and the sacrifices they stand ready to make.

These employees are "sending youngsters who could pay the last full measure of devotion for our nation -- possibly within just a year of duty," he said. "We must embrace and honor these warriors, as they are protecting the values and freedoms that we hold dear as a nation."

As future servicemembers process through the MEPS, Price said, he wants them to feel a personal connection to those immortalized there.

"This provides new enlistees with a real and tangible figure who they can identify with," he said. "This is somebody who walked these same halls, who sat in the same chairs and went through the exact same process that they're going through."

For example, all 12,000 future soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who will process this year at the Baltimore MEPS will learn Parcell's story and see her memorialized as they enter the ceremony room to take their oath of enlistment, Price said.

"Every one of them will know who Jennifer Parcell is as a result of that," he said. "Thousands of kids who process through this room will get to know who she was and what her contributions were to this nation."

Most importantly, Price said, he wants the dedication to assure the Parcell family that their daughter's sacrifice hasn't been forgotten.

"President Calvin Coolidge said that a nation that forgets its defenders will itself one day be forgotten," Price said. "This dedication will serve as absolute proof to the Parcell family that Jennifer was not just a name or Social Security number. Jennifer was an appreciated member of a team who will now be immortalized."

Missing at this weekend's dedication ceremony will be Parcell's brother, Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Parcell, who is based in Okinawa, Japan. Army Col. Robert S. Larsen, commander of the Baltimore MEPS, said he plans to send him a video of the ceremony.

Two additional dedications – one at the MEPS in Cleveland and one in Jacksonville, Fla. -- are slated for next week.

The Cleveland MEPS will honor Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes of Lorain, Ohio, during a June 10 ceremony. Barnes died June 10, 2007, near Forward Operating Base Scania in Iraq as a result of a roadside bomb attack.

Two days later, on June 12, the Jacksonville MEPS will honor Army Sgt. Bradley Crose. The Orange Park, Fla., native was killed in action March 4, 2002, during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.

Other fallen heroes honored at the MEPS ceremony rooms where they were sworn into the military, listed in the order in which the dedications occurred, are:

-- Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer of Hilton, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Syracuse, N.Y., MEPS on Feb. 28, 2008. Hasenauer was killed Dec. 28, 2005, when his Humvee rolled over during patrol operations near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

-- Marine Sgt. Shawn P. Martin of Delmar, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Albany, N.Y., MEPS on Aug. 1, 2008. Martin died June 20, 2007, while conducting combat operations in Saqlawiyah, Iraq.

-- Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch of Milltown, N.J., who was memorialized at the Fort Dix, N.J., MEPS on Jan. 14, 2009. Koch was killed March 3, 2008, in Afghanistan's Sabari district of wounds suffered during combat operations.

-- Army Pvt. Dwayne A. Covert Jr. of Tonawanda, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Buffalo, N.Y., MEPS Jan. 16, 2009. Covert died Nov. 3, 2007 in Iraq.

-- Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin, of Botavia, Ohio, who was memorialized Jan. 26, 2009, at the Columbus, Ohio, MEPS. Iraqi insurgents captured Maupin April 9, 2004, and his captors released a videotape showing him in captivity. His whereabouts remained unknown until the Army found and positively identified his remains in March 2008.

-- Marine Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme of North Miami Beach, Fla., who was memorialized Jan. 28, 2009, at the Miami MEPS. Preudhomme was killed in a suicide attack in Iraq's Anbar province June 26, 2008.

-- Army Pfc. Stephen D. Bicknell of Prattville, Ala., who was memorialized at the Montgomery, Ala., MEPS on Feb. 20, 2009. Bicknell died of injuries when land mines detonated near his Humvee in Samara, Iraq, Oct. 15, 2006.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brown of Mabscott, W.Va., who was memorialized at the Beckley, W.Va., MEPS on March 3, 2009. Brown died of injuries suffered in a Humvee accident in Mosul, Iraq, July 3, 2005.

-- Five members of the North Carolina National Guard's 1132nd Military Police Company who were memorialized at the Raleigh, N.C., MEPS on March 7, 2009. Army Sgt. Thomas Ray II, Sgt. David Stelmat Jr., Sgt. Blake Williams, Staff Sgt. Emanuel Pickett and Sgt. Lance O. Eakes died in March through April 2008 during their unit's deployment to Iraq.

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher L. Robinson of Brandon, Miss., who was memorialized at the Jackson, Miss., MEPS on March 16, 2009. Robison was killed in action near the Sangain district of Afghanistan's Helmand province March 25, 2006.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Morgan Kennon of Memphis, Tenn., who was memorialized at the Memphis MEPS on March 17, 2009. Kennon was killed in Mosul, Iraq, when his position came under rocket-propelled grenade attack, Nov. 7, 2003.

-- Army 1st Lt. Andrew Bacevich of Walpole, Mass., who was memorialized at the Boston MEPS on March 18, 2009. Bacevich was killed in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated, May 13, 2007.

-- Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, of Lincoln, Maine, who was memorialized at the Portland, Maine, MEPS March 20, 2009. Gordon was the only servicemember honored through the MEPS initiative who was not killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously after he was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 3, 1993.

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith of South Tampa, Fla., who was memorialized at the Tampa MEPS on April 4, 2009. Smith was the first Medal of Honor recipient in the global war on terror and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the honor posthumously for actions April 3, 2003, when he saved more than 100 soldiers in the battle for Baghdad's airport, a battle in which he lost his life.

-- Army Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, U.S. Army deputy chief of staff for personnel, who died Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into his Pentagon office. Maude was memorialized at the Indianapolis MEPS on April 15, 2009.

-- Army Sgt. Joseph Vanek of Elmhurst, Ill., who was memorialized at the Chicago MEPS on April 20, 2009. Vanek died of his wounds following a firefight in Baghdad, Nov. 12, 2007.

-- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jonathan Yale of Meherrin, Va., who was memorialized at the Fort Lee, Va., MEPS on April 24, 2009. Yale was killed in action stopping a suicide truck bomber from detonating inside his unit's compound April 22, 2008.

-- Marine Corps Sgt. Canaan J. Alicandro of Springfield, Mass., who was memorialized at the Springfield MEPS on May 7, 2009. Alicandro was killed in a vehicle accident while stationed at Camp Lejeune, N. C., in 2004.

-- Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace of Dry Ridge, Ky., who was memorialized at the Louisville, Ky., MEPS May 15, 2009. Wallace died of wounds suffered in a firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan on Oct. 31, 2008.

-- Army Spc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., who was memorialized at the Pittsburgh MEPS on May 18, 2009. McGinnis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a grenade to save the other occupants of his Humvee on Dec. 4, 2006.

-- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jason Lee Frye of Landisburg, Pa., who was memorialized at the Harrisburg, Pa., MEPS on May 19, 2009. Frye was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, when his vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device Oct. 6, 2005.

-- Marine Corps Cpl. Jonathan Ayers of Snellville, Ga., who was memorialized at the Atlanta MEPS on May 20, 2009. Ayers was killed in action defending Combat Outpost Bella in Afghanistan's Kunar province July 13, 2008.

-- Army Spc. Robert Trevithick of Gaines, Mich., who was memorialized at the Detroit MEPS on May 21, 2009. Trevithick died April 14, 2004, in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his convoy vehicle.

-- Marine Corps Pfc. Ryan Jarabek of Hobart, Wis., who was memorialized at the Milwaukee MEPS on May 22, 2009. Jarabek was killed by hostile fire in Ramadi, Iraq, April 6, 2004.

-- Marine Corps Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. of Maryville, Tenn., who was memorialized at the Knoxville, Tenn., MEPS on May 26, 2009. Ferschke was killed in Tikrit, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2008, while supporting combat operations.

Navy's Top Officer Marks Battle of Midway's 67th Anniversary

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - The Navy's top officer yesterday marked the 67th anniversary of World War II's Battle of Midway at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial here. The Battle of Midway, fought June 4-7, 1942, pitted U.S and Japanese naval and air forces in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Midway is part of the Hawaiian island chain; the battle was fought about 1,300 miles northwest of Oahu.

The United States lost the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and a destroyer at Midway, but the Japanese navy incurred more extensive losses, including the destruction of four aircraft carriers and their aircrews and a cruiser. The battle's results permanently weakened the Japanese navy; the momentum in the war's Pacific Theater of operations would now be with the U.S. and allied forces.

Navy Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded U.S. forces during the Midway battle, described its outcome as "'a glorious page in our history,'" Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, told a group of military veterans gathered at the Navy Memorial.

Midway "was a battle that seized the strategic initiative" in the Pacific, Roughead said, and demonstrated "the importance of naval power in conflict."

Most of all, the admiral said, Midway "showed the world what an American sailor could do." The battle is replete with scenes of courage and heroism, he said, from "the stories of those sailors who stayed at their posts until the bitter end to the stories of the sailors who rescued shipmates from the sinking Yorktown."

The USS Yorktown had been heavily damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea a month earlier. Shipyard workers at the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor had worked around the clock to repair the carrier. Consequently, the Yorktown would participate in the Midway battle, which would turn out to be its last fight.

At Midway, Japanese Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto had planned to draw out and destroy the U.S. Pacific fleet, thus opening the way for a negotiated peace settlement with the United States. Yamamoto realized that Japan couldn't compete industrially with the United States, and that his forces needed to win a decisive victory early in the war.

However, what Yamamoto didn't know was that U.S. and British cryptologists had broken the Japanese naval code. Therefore, Nimitz knew, before the battle, the approximate date of the Japanese attack on Midway, as well as the types of ships in Yamamoto's strike force and its location.

"The code breakers that gave us the location and date of the battle, the shipyard workers, the airmen and Marines who fought from Midway Island and the sailors who fought at sea" all were among the battle's many heroes, Roughead said.

The U.S. victory at Midway came just six months after the successful Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he pointed out.

"And in those months, the carrier Yorktown had been nearly sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea," Roughead said. Thanks to the shipbuilders at Pearl Harbor who repaired much of the damaged fleet, he said, the U.S. sailors at Midway "were able to overcome the enemy in battle."

Demand for Special Operators Could Strain Force, Commander Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Demand for the services of U.S. Special Operations Command could strain the force, the command's top officer said here yesterday. Navy Adm. Eric Olson testified before the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities.

Special Operations Command, with headquarters in Tampa, Fla., is responsible for organizing, equipping, training and providing fully capable special operations forces to serve under the operational control of geographic combatant commanders around the world. This gives the command many of the administrative details in managing the force.

In addition, the command is a combatant command in its own right, responsible for synchronizing Defense Department planning against global terrorism, and also is the department's proponent for security force assistance.

"In this role, we expect to foster the long-term partnerships that will shape a more secure global environment in the face of global challenges such as transnational crime, extremism and migration," the admiral said.

The command has broad responsibilities and capabilities, and this makes it "the force of choice," Olson said. While 86 percent of the overseas force is deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations – most in Iraq and Afghanistan -- the command must maintain a global presence. "In fiscal 2009, special operations forces have already conducted operations and training in 106 countries around the globe," Olson told the representatives.

This has put stress on the force, but the command – along with the services – is handling it for now. Rotations are different for different services and specialties, the admiral said.

"The service components have sort of evolved into different rotational paces," he said, "depending on the nature of the force, the type of equipment they use [and] the nature of the operations that they're conducting.

For example, Olson said, some aviators who fly a lot at night with night-vision goggles may deploy for periods as short as 90 days. Special Forces Operational Detachment "A" teams have battalion-level rotations of seven months. Still others, usually at higher levels, deploy for a year.

"The rate now is sustainable," Olson said. "We didn't think that we could sustain it at this pace this long, but the force is proving resilient beyond our estimate. I think, personally, that we are at about the maximum rate that we can sustain, but I think that we can sustain this rate for some time longer."

The current high deployment pace "has now become the new normal," Olson said. Retention remains high and recruiting remains healthy, he noted.

"So if the demand didn't increase, we're probably pretty OK," he said. "But what we see is an increasing demand for special operations forces, and so we've got a growth plan in place to accommodate that."

Working with interagency partners is integral to the command's mission. "The most important thing to push forward are structures that provide a forum so that the interagency community can provide the content to the discussions," Olson said. "These are relationships that are building over time. We are way better than we have ever been."

Even before the attacks of 2001, the command led in integrating personnel from other government agencies, Olson said. "We're even seeing now what I call second- or third-generation, or second- or third-order effects, as people [who] have worked together in one place now [are] coming together in another place and already having a relationship so that they can move much more quickly together," he added.

In addition, 85 uniformed members of Special Operations Command go to work each day in other agencies of government inside the national capital region.

"We also wake up every day at our headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa with about 140 members of other agencies coming to work in our headquarters," Olson told the subcommittee, "and this has provided a transparency in the interagency environment that's very helpful.

"It's hard now, having seen it in action for a few years, ... to remember back what it was like before," he continued, "back when we used to look around the room and see only uniformed members. It really is a good, solid team effort at this point."

Olson called the command "a team of teams." The force is suited to the irregular operating environments, "and its proven abilities have created an unprecedented demand for its effects in remote, uncertain and challenging operating areas," he said.

Special operators will continue to find, kill or capture irreconcilable enemies, and will continue to train, mentor, and partner global friends and allies, Olson said.

"United States Special Operations Command headquarters will continue to lead, develop and sustain the world's most precise and lethal counterterrorism force," the admiral said. "We will provide the world's most effective special operations trainers, advisors, and combat partners with the skills, leadership, and mindset necessary to meet today's and tomorrow's unconventional challenges."

Member of All-Black D-Day Battalion to Receive Overdue Honor

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Sixty-five years ago, he was a young black soldier whose role in the allied landing at Normandy would go largely ignored. But now William Dabney returns to France with due honors. Then a 20-year-old corporal, Dabney stormed the beleaguered Omaha Beach armed with a type of explosive-laden helium balloon the Army floated at low altitude to interfere with German aircraft. He represented the 320th Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion, the first exclusively African-American unit to fight in World War II.

Dabney, the lone surviving member of the 320th Battalion, will receive France's Legion of Honor tomorrow in conjunction with other D-Day ceremonies across France. The honor marks time the black soldiers of the battalion have been officially recognized for their role in the famed 1944 operation, a defense official said.

"Whether we got credit for it or not, we still felt that we did our job," the 84-year-old Dabney said in an interview yesterday at the French Embassy ahead of his flight abroad. "And we felt that maybe one day we would get recognition, and this has come that I'm getting some recognition for what I did.

"I'm very thankful for it," he said of receiving the Legion of Honor, the French's government highest award.

Dabney is one of about 40 Americans to receive the Legion of Honor during the D-Day anniversary ceremonies tomorrow. The event holds additional significance, since it will be presided over by President Barack Obama, the first African-American to hold the highest U.S. office, Dabney said.

"It's going to make me feel real proud. I feel as though that we – African-Americans -- have come a long ways," he said. "And it's not only me, but it's something that my grandchildren, my great grandchildren have seen already, and they are grateful."

For Dabney, Obama's ascension to the White House reflects the American values he felt he was fighting for during World War II.

"I never would have thought that I would see the day that we would have an African-American president," he said. "That sort of relieved me. I was over here fighting, and now I can look and see that we have an African-American president."

Dabney was one of five World War II veterans on hand yesterday with their families at the embassy for a luncheon before their voyage. Joining the elder Dabney was his son, Vinny Dabney, of Roanoke, Va.

"It's really an honor for me to be able to accompany him as he receives this magnificent honor," Vinny Dabney said. "He was able to attend the 60th anniversary, but this one is even more important because of the honor, the medals, that will be bestowed on the veterans.

"The contribution of my dad and other African-Americans was kind of something that was swept under the rug for a long time. And now they've finally pulled the rug back, and here's all this history."

The other veterans at the embassy yesterday who are attending the D-Day anniversary in Normandy include:

-- Burnett Bartley, who also took part in the D-Day landing. For 264 consecutive days, he fought with the 35th Infantry Division, in which more than 25,000 soldiers would lose their lives. During a battle to liberate the town of Destry, he was wounded in the throat; his vocal cords were severed, and the effects have endured to this day. Bartley distinguished himself during the war by his behavior, his courage and his keen judgment, as attested by the honors bestowed upon him by U.S. military officials.

-- Elmer De Lucia, who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion. During this operation, he saw dozens of his friends die; he witnessed the beach become a veritable mass grave, with hundreds of young soldiers mowed down by enemy fire. With his company, he spent 313 days in Normandy, including 60 consecutive days without a day of rest. He fought in five major campaigns -- Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Europe -- earning five Bronze Stars. Twice wounded in action, in France in October 1944 and in Germany in March 1945, he also received the Purple Heart.

-- James Huston, an intelligence officer with the 35th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 134th Regiment, who participated in the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach. During his first battle, in Saint-Lô, with a five-man patrol, he took Hill 122, a heavily fortified and mined position occupied by the enemy. This act earned him the Croix de Guerre avec Palme. He subsequently served as a commander when his unit crossed northern France toward Nancy. He then led the battalion that crossed the Meurthe as an operations officer. He carried out the attack and capture of Malzeville, east of Nancy, to establish a bridgehead for the region. His strategic abilities, sharp analyses and personal involvement during his command of this action earned Huston a Bronze Star.

-- Nathan Kline, who was 18 when he enlisted in the Army in 1942. After months of training, he was assigned to the 323rd Bomb Group of the 9th Air Force as a bombardier/navigator on a B-23. He took part in the D-Day landing, with subsequent missions taking him to Reims, Chartres, the Belgian border and, in May 1945, Valenciennes. He carried out no fewer than 65 bombing missions during World War II. His plane was hit twice during the battle of the Ardennes. Without abandoning his position, he continued bombing his target until the action was successful. He provided first aid to his radio operator, who was wounded, before returning to his navigator post and bringing the plane back down into allied territory. For this action, which was decisive to the outcome of the battle, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Before their departure, French Defense Attache Maj. Gen. Gratien Maire saw the veterans off and told them it was a pleasure to honor their sacrifice.

"Thank you for what you did for

World War II Veteran Copes with Memories Through Golden Age Games

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Nearly 65 years ago, Robert Blatnik found himself fighting for his life on a beach in Normandy, France, on what he called a day of miracles for those who survived. Today, Blatnik talks openly about the U.S. and allied invasion on June 6, 1944, as well as other World War II campaigns he was part of. He explains the amphibious landings, the paratroopers overhead, and how, even after all these years, he's still amazed that he lived to tell his experiences. However, it took almost 60 years of harboring those memories before he could ever really open up, he said.

"Up until about six years ago, I couldn't even talk about it," the retired soldier said of his D-Day and World War II experiences. "It was only when I got involved with the [Department of Veterans Affairs] and Golden Age Games that I was able to relate and talk about things."

The VA and National Veterans Golden Age Games have given Blatnik an outlet and release for his painful memories. Meeting fellow World War II veterans, as well as veterans from later wars, has showed him that he's not alone, the Rowlett, Texas, native said. He's learned that other veterans have gone through similar distress.

"I've met these guys from all over the country who've been through all kinds of things," he said. "And going to the VA and taking part in the games has kind of opened me up a little bit."

The energetic 89-year-old talks easily about being missing in action for four days in a North African desert, and says proudly that Gen. George S. Patton wouldn't fight the Germans in Sicily without Blatnik's 1st Infantry Division. He'll tell you how nothing in the world ever will compare to the barrage of German artillery he encountered on D-Day.

Blatnik admits to suffering the occasional flashback of combat or random bout of anger, but the Golden Age Games keep him focused, he said.

"The games are great for guys like me," he said. "There's no better therapy in the world than training for and competing in the Golden Age Games."

Blatnik trains for the games all year to relieve stress and improve his fitness, he said. He swims and exercises six days a week, and this year, in the 23rd annual games, he participated in the shot put, discus, shuffleboard and swimming events, he said proudly.

"I even bought my own discus and shot put to practice with," he said, adding that he also works out at local VA hospital.

Although the competitions can be pretty intense, Blatnik said, obviously nothing compares to the shelling of artillery rounds that greeted him and his fellow troops on D-Day. Omaha Beach was black and smoky and riddled with dust, he said. "How the hell I survived -- how anyone survived and got off that damn beach alive -- is a miracle," he said.

Blatnik eventually was medically retired after being wounded in Cologne, Germany, in November 1944. He retired again from the U.S. Postal Service in Ohio, and then relocated to south Texas where he was a volunteer fireman and paramedic.

He survived some of the bloodiest combat in modern military history, and was awarded the Silver Star and multiple Purple Hearts. He was even given an award in Ohio for rescuing a young couple from a house fire in 1963, he said.

But despite his decades of selfless service and personal sacrifice, it wasn't until he found the Golden Age Games that he felt a sense of closure, he said.

"I owe the VA and the games a lot," he said. "They gave me a way to relate and meet people who understand."

The Golden Age Games are open to all U.S. military veterans ages 55 and older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. The games are co-sponsored by the VA, the Help Hospitalized Veterans non-profit group and the Veterans Canteen Service. The Games also are a qualifying event every other year for the National Senior Olympic Games.

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 5, 2009

NAVY
Jacobs Technology, Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., is being awarded a $170,647,013 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for system engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD). Efforts to be provided include design studies and evaluations associated with research, development, production, and operations of weapons and weapons systems. The estimated level of effort for this requirement is 1,727,809 man-hours. Work will be performed in China Lake, Calif., (83 percent) and Pt. Mugu, Calif., (17 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 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 five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-09-D-0040).

Adept Process Services, Inc., Imperial Beach, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0003); Delphinus Engineering, Inc., Eddystone, Pa., (N55236-09-D-0005); Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0006); Fraser's Boiler Services, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0007); Integrated Marine Services, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0008); Marine Group Boat Works, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0009); Miller Marine, Inc., National City, Calif. (N55236-09-D-0010); Nielsen Beaumont Marine, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0011); South Bay Boiler Repair, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0012), are each being awarded a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract - Lot I, for marine boatyard services and industrial support for boats, craft, lighterage or service craft less than 50 feet in length. Al Larson Boat Shop, Inc., Terminal Island, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0004); Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0013); Fraser's Boiler Services, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-! D-0014); Marine Group Boat Works, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0015); Miller Marine, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0016); South Bay Boiler Repair, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0017), are each being awarded a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract - Lot II, for marine boatyard services and industrial support for boats, craft, lighterage or service craft greater than 50 feet in length. Each contractor shall furnish the necessary management, material support services, labor, supplies, and equipment deemed necessary to provide marine boatyard and industrial support which includes specific modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, craft, lighterage and service craft and their associated systems and periodic maintenance primarily in support of San Diego area Naval Facilities boats, craft, lighterage, and service craft custodians. The maximum value for each contract under Lot I is $58,300,000. The maximum value for each contract under Lot II is $139,000,000. Each contract has four additional option years to be exercised. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., or contractor's facility along the west coast. Work is expected to be completed Jun. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $27,000 for Lot I! and $18 ,000 for Lot II and contract funds in the amount of $3,000, for minimum obligation for each contract, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and advertised via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 20 proposals solicited and 15 offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nev., is being awarded a $36,479,655 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only contract for production of Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.1 dismounted systems to meet urgent requirements of the Department of Defense in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The dismounted JCREW systems are critical to protecting U.S. personnel from the threat posed by improvised explosive devices. Dismounted JCREW systems are electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED). This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of JCREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the Central Command area of responsibility. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $248,312,153. Work will be performed in Sparks, Nev. (90 percent) and Rancho Cordova, Calif., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. Contract funds will not expire at the end o! f the cu rrent fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-6306).

Praxis, Inc., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $14,159,541 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract for research, development and engineering support for specialized aerospace systems. The requirement is for highly skilled personnel to support applied research and development programs. The support includes system engineering and applications-oriented activities to preserve and enhance a strong aerospace systems technology base and to provide expert capabilities in the development, acquisition and operation of aerospace systems. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $75,926.335. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and work is expected to be completed June 2010 (June 2014 with options exercised). Contract funds in the amount of $85,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under Naval Research Laboratory solicitation number N00173-08-R-SE08, for which two offer were received. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00173-09-C-6004).

Marvin Engineering Co., Inc.*, Inglewood, Calif., is being awarded a $9,544,705 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-06-C-0050) to exercise an option for 328 production BRU-32B/A ejector bomb racks for the Navy (299) and the Royal Australian Air Force, (29) for the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Work will be performed in Inglewood, Calif., and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy, ($8,700,813; 91 percent) and the Government of Australia, ($843,892; 9 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., is being awarded a $7,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity cost type contract for services as requested for all specific product areas and specific technical capabilities related to the research and development (R&D) needs of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. This will entail performing R&D with regard to technologies related to Navy ships and combat systems. Specific tasks will range from applied research, and or exploratory development through technology assessments and engineering studies in support of surface combat systems development. Work will be performed in Blacksburg, Va., and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va. is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3017).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,782,874 modification to previously awarded time and material contract (M67854-02-C-2052) to increase field service support for the Combat Operations Center for Operation Enduring Freedom. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems TSS Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $6,144,776 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-F-B062) to provide engineering, technical, professional and operations support services for the Navy Above-Water Sensors Program. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $2,546,376 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Kaba Mas LLC, Lexington, Ky., is being awarded a maximum $8,919,600 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite quantity contract for high security digital combination locks. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The proposal was originally Web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 4, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM5L5-09-D-0058).

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract with BBN Technologies Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., for an estimated $29,711,669. This action is for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's machine reading program. The purpose of this effort is to develop a prototype machine reading system that transforms prose into knowledge that can be interpreted by an Artificial Intelligence application. At this time, $3,389,759 has been obligated. AFRL/RIKF, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-09-C-0179).

New Jersey Group Honors High School Students Joining Military

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2009 - During this season of graduation celebrations, high school seniors heading off to college normally are held in high regard by their teachers, families and friends. Sometimes overlooked are those seniors choosing to bypass college to serve their country. A man from Camden, N.J., started a crusade in his community to make sure these seniors also were recognized for their "honorable" career choice of joining the U.S. military.

"To join the military and serve your country is an awesome feat," said Ken Hartman, founder of Our Community Salutes, a troop-support group. "To serve your country at a time of war says a lot about your character and how much you love your country. This should never go unnoticed. Many high schools do not recognize or honor these students. I want this to change."

Hartman, also a member of the Cherry Hill School Board in Camden, decided to set up a committee and began mobilizing businesses, colleges, educators and veterans groups to plan and fund the county's first High School Enlistee Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony took place June 2, honoring 44 Camden County high school seniors who enlisted in the armed forces.

More than 220 people attended the event, including active duty servicemembers, veterans, college representatives, state lawmakers and special guest Army Maj. Gen. William Monk III, commanding general of the 99th Regional Support Command.

Many in attendance said the event was a success.

"These seniors have a tremendous challenge ahead of them," said Army Lt. Col. Ronald Tuczak, commander of the Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion. "[Considering] what they are about to undertake, what they are about to be charged with, this event can only inspire them. These kids need all the support they can get, especially from the start. I had to be a part of this. "

Jennifer Grimaldi, a counselor at Haddonfield High School and past president of the Camden County School Counselors Association, also attended the event.

"This was a great opportunity for school counselors to show their support for these students," Grimaldi said. "We really wanted to be a part of this. School counselors support these enlistees just like we support our students going off to college. Both groups will make a positive impact on our world."

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Al Bancroft also wanted to thank the seniors' families. "I have so much admiration for these young people," he said. "Their families have given them the support they need to move forward, and I know they will continue to uplift them. I am very proud of all of them."

A Marine Corps brass quartet performed for the reception, which was followed by a dinner ceremony. All parents of enlistees received the pamphlet, "A Parent's Guide to Education in the U.S. Armed Services." Each senior received a proclamation from the state senate and a commemorative gold coin.

"It was a tremendous evening," Hartman said. "The combination of everyone that attended made it perfect for the seniors. This was a chance to recognize all of them before the start of their service. We will continue to do this each year, and hope other communities will follow."

Senior Veterans Forge New Friendships at Golden Age Games

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2009 - At first glance, Angelo Athas and Harry R. Johnson looked as though they'd known each other their entire lives. They looked more like teenagers than senior citizens, talking and laughing and joking as they waited for their turn at shuffleboard. But the truth is they met just this week, and their quick bond developed through mutual experiences in their military service as well as their passion for competing each year in the National Veterans Golden Age Games, they said.

"It seems as though we've known each other for years," said Johnson, 76, a Navy veteran who served during the Korean War era. "That's one thing about the people you meet [at the Golden Age Games]; everyone enjoys each other's company and meeting fellow veterans."

Forging new bonds and reuniting with old friends has been a common theme among the senior veterans competing here this week in the 23rd Annual National Golden Age Games. And although many of them haven't served in the military or been a part of a team in decades, the camaraderie and brotherhood of the military community never really goes away.

Johnson served from 1951 to 1954, spending much of that time on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific Ocean. He said he and his shipmates were like one big family. But he found a new extended family after nearly 54 years when he decided to compete in the Golden Age Games for the first time in 2008, the Chula Vista, Calif., native said.

"This kind of camaraderie and easiness is something you tend to miss from the service once you go into the civilian world," he said, adding how much he's enjoyed being here for his second Golden Age Games.

More than 700 veterans, representing 38 states and every major American conflict from World War II to the Persian Gulf War are participating in this year's games. New bonds are being built at every event, said Athas, an 83-year-old Army and World War II veteran.

Even in the hotel where most of the veterans here are staying, new friendships are being made, as veterans can be found in the lobby and hallways playing dominoes or spades or having a cup of coffee with one another.

"[The Golden Age Games] gives us an opportunity to meet new friends, new acquaintances, and not only that, you have the camaraderie of being fellow veterans," Athas said.

But although they have their military experiences in common, "the old days" aren't talked about as much as one may think, said Athas, a Garland, Texas, native. Just knowing that so many other people can relate is enough to build new friendships, he said.

"We come here not to rehash what we did in the old days," he explained. "We come here to make new memories with our new friends. You look forward to seeing them next year."

The Golden Age Games are open to all U.S. military veterans 55 and older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. The games are co-sponsored by the VA, the Help Hospitalized Veterans nonprofit organization and the Veterans Canteen Service. They also serve as a qualifying event every other year for the National Senior Olympic Games.

Inbound Soldiers Will Help Afghan Mentoring, General Says

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

June 4, 2009 - Inbound soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team will be a welcome addition for the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix mission of mentoring and training Afghan soldiers and police officers, the task force commander said. "I think the additional soldiers, mainly the 4th Brigade out of the 82nd, which is going to be the second brigade to fall under Phoenix, is going to be a great help to allow us to meet the requirements to staff the different ... embedding training teams and police mentor teams," Army Brig. Gen. Steven Huber told participants in a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable June 2.

Huber said the task force's efforts are geared to helping Afghanistan's security forces build sustainable capacity and attain the capability to protect the Afghan populace.

Huber, a 30-year member of the Illinois National Guard, said about 3,000 Guardsmen from Illinois serve in CJTF Phoenix, along with another 4,000 U.S. servicemembers and coalition and Afghan partners.

Despite those numbers, Huber said, the task force lacks the resources to meet all of the current requirements for the police districts that they are asked to cover.

"That causes us to make smaller teams," he explained, "and some -- very few, but some districts ... go uncovered or are delayed in getting their mentors."

When the 82nd Airborne Division brigade arrives, Huber said, CJTF Phoenix should be able to satisfy its current mentoring and training responsibilities. Another brigade may be necessary later if Afghanistan's army continues to grow beyond the current projection of 134,000 soldiers, he said.

Huber said the effort to grow Afghanistan's security forces is on track. "It takes awhile, but training and fielding of units and equipment does take awhile, even in the United States," he said. For example, he said, the effort to equip Afghanistan's security forces with M-16 rifles is about one-third complete, and the Afghans now are receiving other equipment as well, such as Humvees.

"We've just started turning over those to them in lieu of their pickup trucks," he said, "which they really love and prefer to drive."

Noting that a force needs good leaders to be effective, Huber cited the June 2 opening of a new noncommissioned officers academy for Afghan sergeants major and first sergeants as an important development.

"I think that's a huge step towards building an NCO corps that actually runs the army or makes it operate, and then allowing the officers to do the planning and guiding for the military," the general said.

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

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 4, 2009

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Hartland Fuel Products, LLC, Onalaska, Wis.*, is being awarded a maximum $54,990,903 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas. Using services are Army, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4533).

Southern Counties Oil, Co.,/dba SC Fuels, Orange, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $13,370,337 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations throughout Midwestern states. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4538).

ARMY
Eyak Technology, LLC Dulles, Va., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $42,994,648 commercial firm-fixed-price contract for the Project Manager Defense Wide Transmission Systems, under the auspices of the Project Management Office Defense Communication and Army Transmission Systems, has a requirement to procure, deploy, and maintain 970 Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATS), manufactured by L-3 Global Communications Systems. These VSATS are for the Army modular was fighting force and other tactical and logistics units, mostly deploys to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Work is to be performed in Victor, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited using ASFI and FedBizOpps with three bids received. Army Contracting Command, Alexandria, Va., is the contracting activity (W91QUZ-09-C-0028).

Jacobs-Tetra Tech EC Joint Venture, Lincoln, Mass., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $27,188,894 cost reimbursable contract for the total environmental restoration at New Bedford Harbor Superfund site to perform additional work associated with the dredging, treatment, transport, and disposal of the upper harbor of the Acushnet River. Work is to be performed in New Bedford, Mass., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. Corps of Engineers-New England District, Concord Mass., is the contracting activity (DACW33-03-D-0006).

Tyonek Fabrication Corp., Madison, Ala., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $6,822,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 344 each, de-ice control and indicator unit, NSN 1680-01-541-1782 / PR 53251000 for the UH-60 A/L Blackhawk. Work is to be performed in Madison, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-D-0061).

URS Group, Inc., Columbus, Ohio was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $6,065,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the development of 35 percent design documents for the FY11 military construction Army 59044, United States Military Academy Science Center. Work is to be performed in West Point, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 2, 2010. Proposals were solicited using FedBizOpps with thirty-two (32) proposals received. Corp of Engineers, CENAN-CT, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-09-C-0008).

Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc., Pasadena, Calif., was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $69,469,476 cost-plus-award-fee (base year) and firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for base operations and services in support of all National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's East facilities to include Bethesda, Washington Navy Yard, and Springfield campuses. Work is to be performed in Bethesda, Md., (35 percent), Springfield, Va., (35 percent), and Washington, D.C., (30 percent) with an estimated completion date of Apr. 28, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, ACF-N, Springfield, Va., is the contracting activity (HM0176-09-C-0001).

Bell Helicopter Textron Incorp., Hurst, Texas was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $51,460,178 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 5 each bell helicopter 412EP aircrafts along with logistical support, spare parts package, special tools, and training. Work is to be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (4 percent), Piney Flats, Tenn., (8 percent), and Quebec, Canada (88 percent) with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0173).

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Andover, Mass., was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $5,924,428 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort contract for FY09 Patriot engineering services contract option award for 34,963 man-hours effort. Work is to be performed in Andover, Mass., (21.44 percent), Burlington, Mass., (0.24 percent), Huntsville, Ala., (46.17 percent) and Tewksbury, Mass., (32.17%) with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2014. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-C-0057).

NAVY
Iridium Government Services, LLC, Tempe Ariz., is being awarded a $21,688,808 indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity cost type contract to provide enhanced Iridium services in support of over-the-horizon, tactical communications in support of expeditionary maneuver warfare and distributed operations. Iridium will provide a communications capability that will support multiple user nets. They will design, develop, fabricate and deliver a distributed tactical communications system to support the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory experimentation. Work will be performed in Bethesda Md., (75 percent and Tempe Ariz., (25 percent)), and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $200,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3007).

The Center for Transportation and Environment, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded an $8,327,359 cost no fee contract for research and development into hydrogen generation using digester gas, hydrogen fuel cell-powered material handling equipment, and hydrogen fuel cell powered bus at Fort Lewis, Wash. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $8,504,859. Work will be performed at Ft. Lewis, Wash., (25 percent), Chicago, Ill., (20 percent), Allentown, Pa., (20 percent), Golden, Colo., (20 percent), and Latham, N.Y., (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $7,847,359 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-09-C-GS18).

Science Applications International Corp., St. Petersburg, Fla., is being awarded a $5,556,809 firm-fixed-price contract for the fabrication, assembly, and testing of compact solid state antennas in support of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system, including the Marine Corps Composite Track Network (CTN) and the U.S. Army Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS). The CEC compact solid state antenna is a small, lightweight antenna that supports mobile applications of the CEC system, including the Marine Corps CTN and the U.S. Army JLENS system. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $18,409,860. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with two proposals received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-5213).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Western Petroleum Co., Eden Prairie, Minn.*, is being awarded a maximum $7,379,126 fixed price with economic price adjustment for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations throughout Midwestern states. Using service is Army. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4537).

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Inc. of Bethesda, Md., and L-3 Services, Inc. of Alexandria, Va. This contract action is for the USAFE advisory and assistance services contract shall serve as a vehicle to provide broad technical and analytical services, to support and improve policy development; decision making; management and administration; program and or project management and administration as well as improve the operation of systems. At this time, $5,000 has been obligated. 700 CS, APO, AE is the contracting activity (FA5613-09-D-5001, FA5613-09-D-5000).

The Air Force is awarding a broad agency contract to SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif., for an estimated $43,796,834. This action is for the development of a prototype machine reading called Flexible Acquisition and Understanding System for text. At this time, $4,000,000 has been obligated. AFRL/RIKF, Rome, New York is the contracting activity (FA8750-09-C-0181).

The Air Force is awarding a cost plus incentive fee contract to Lockheed Martin Corp., of Gaithersburg, Md. This contract action will transfer the satellite broadcast management functions of the Global Broadcast Services to the Defense Enterprise Computing Center with new hardware and software architecture by FY 2010. At this time, $5,931,000 has been obligated. 653 ELSG/KCK, Bedford, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8726-09-C-0006).

Army Announces Decision To Delay Inactivation of V Corps Headquarters

The Department of the Army announced today that Secretary of the Army Pete Geren has delayed the inactivation of the V Corps Headquarters and the conversion of U.S. Army Europe Headquarters into a deployable field army headquarters. A corps headquarters is the primary organization that synchronizes the operations of Army, joint, and coalition forces within its designated area of responsibility. This decision will allow time for the Army to assess its overall command and control requirements.

The decision is not tied to any other force structure or stationing issues. The one-year retention of V Corps Headquarters in Germany does not fall under the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, nor will it have any impact on the two heavy brigade combat teams currently stationed in Europe.

This action is part of a larger effort to relieve the extraordinary demands that are being placed on the Army's corps headquarters and that have reduced 'dwell time' to unacceptably low levels. Geren's decision calls for the delay of force structure actions for the V Corps and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters for a period of one year, from July 2009 to July 2010. Under this directive, both organizations will remain in their current approved designs and at current resourcing levels. V Corps Headquarters will maintain its current military authorization of 411 personnel, and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters will retain its current military authorization of 377 personnel.

When the inactivation of V Corps was announced last year, certain staff sections were merged to create efficiencies as the inactivation date approached. The inactivation delay does not affect those mergers.

At this point, V Corps Headquarters will continue to provide oversight of its subordinate units, and will continue to report to the commanding general, U.S. Army Europe. V Corps' priority function will be to ensure units that deploy from Europe for operational missions are trained and ready. Both V Corps and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters will continue to operate under their current structures.

The Army leadership is committed to informing all members of the U.S. Army Europe family (soldiers, family members, civilian employees, and the public) as developments occur.

For more information please call LTC Lee Packnett, Office of Public Affairs, Media Relations Division, (703) 614-2487.

Obama in the Right Place

President Obama spoke in Cairo today.

The military history of Egypt since WWII illustrates everything wrong with the Muslim world today. Over the course of the Cold War, Egypt received billions in Soviet hardware, from small arms to tanks to cutting edge radars. During the 50's and 60's thousands of Soviet advisers helped train the Egyptian army.


In is masterpiece on the subject, Kenneth Pollack detailed Egypt's colossal military failures, not only against Israel, but also in Yemen, where that country was involved in an eight year insurgency. Historian Michael Oren points out that the Vietnam war could easily be called 'America's Yemen'. The Egyptians also failed to live up to their potential in Operation Desert Storm. Two Egyptian divisions fought with American forces. Their officers lacked initiative, insisted in deploying the entire division to attack minor Iraqi positions, and in one case, would not advance without a direct order from President Mubarak.


In his own book, 'The Crossing of the Suez', General Saad el Shazli descibes how the operation was meticulously planned down to the minute, and brilliantly executed. Several divisions were put on the east bank of the canal within 12 hours, and the ensuing counterattack saw the destruction of three Israeli armored brigades. However, after the initial success the Egyptian operation lacked purpose and Egyptian commanders were unable to adapt to Israeli tactical changes. Seeking to take pressure off Syria, whose own offensive had floundered, President Sadat ordered a thrust deep into the Sinai. Israel armor and air power chopped Egyptian armored units to bits. Israel forces, led by the great Arial Sharon, crossed the Suez, and at the Battle of the Chinese Farm, utterly destroyed what remained of the Egyptian army.


The flaws of the army seem to be replicated in the rest of Egyptian society.

Egypt's is a corrupt government, a nation stagnated by judenhaus on one end, and the failed ideology of Arab-Marxism on the other. Any election would no doubt put the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to office. With no other option the United States supports the cleptocracy of Hosni Mubarak. We also supported the Shah of Iran.

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.

City in Oklahoma Appoints Ambassador to Military Families

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2009 - Having been part of their tightly knit community all her life, Teresa Vance always has had an interest in military families. Her father made a career out of the Army, serving in World War II and Korea. Her husband was a career surface warfare officer in the Navy, and her son spent four years in the Marine Corps. "I have not been in active duty service, but I have served on the home front by supporting my husband's military career, raising two very well-adjusted Navy 'brats' and helping other military families find ways to meet the challenges of the military lifestyle," Vance said.

From 1999 through 2002, Vance had what she considered her "dream job" as a deployment specialist at the Navy Fleet and Family Service Center in Norfolk, Va. This position gave her the opportunity to work with commands, servicemembers and military families.

After her husband's retirement, the couple moved to Lahoma, Okla., outside of Enid, where they both grew up. She quickly accepted a position as Family Readiness Group trainer with the Oklahoma National Guard.

"This gave me an opportunity to still work with military families," Vance said. "Throughout my husband's career, I have been an involved spouse and advocate for quality-of-life issues facing military families. I still wanted that connection after he retired."

Through her work with the Oklahoma National Guard and the Enid City Council, Vance was instrumental in getting the community to start recognizing Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Military Appreciation Month every year.

"She has always advised me on issues relating to military families," Eric Benson, Enid city manager, said. "She has the compassion and she has the drive to get things done. You can depend on her."

Honoring her steadfast work with military families, Vance was appointed last month by the Enid City Commission as Enid's ambassador to military families.

"This new leadership role fits her perfectly," Benson said. "She has always advised me on military issues, so I wanted to make it official. I was a former base commander, and I've known her husband for four years, so I've always known her capabilities. I know the value of her in this new role, and I know she understands the military and the community. It just made good sense to do this."

The goals of Vance's new position are to build upon existing partnerships between the city and servicemembers and families associated with Vance Air Force Base, the National Guard armory and the U.S. Army Reserve Center. She will market and promote Enid to local military families, asking them to participate in events throughout the community. She will survey local military spouse organizations to get their input on issues most important to them, and she'll also act as city representative at military events.

"This ambassadorship is just the latest in a long list of efforts to continually improve the quality of life of servicemembers and their families that live in our community," Vance said. "Enid has always been supportive of our military. We understand the military has an important economic impact on our community and our community's identity. For 41 consecutive years, we've held an enlisted appreciation night."

Vance said she believes she will bring a different perspective to the city's partnership with military families because she really has "been there, done that."

"With my personal background and professional experience, I can relate to the challenges that military families face with each relocation to a new community," Vance said. "My goal is to have military families' stay here in Enid [be] a positive one. A local community's support can have a big impact on a military family's quality of life, whether they are stationed here for a short time or extended duty."

Face of Defense: Paratrooper, Ex-boxer, Earns Citizenship

By Army Spc. Michael J. MacLeod
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2009 - Irony, our English teachers told us, often is confused with odd coincidence. Just ask Army Pfc. Wenderson Jangada of the 82nd Airborne Division, who will tell you it is ironic that the benefits of enlisting in the U.S. Army can be more significant to immigrants than to citizens. Jangada, who became a U.S. citizen in Raleigh, N.C., on May 22, has a knack for linguistics. Not only does he speak six languages, but he also has written an historic novel about Attila the Hun.

The well-spoken, 34-year-old Brazilian immigrant who serves with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, also is a former professional boxer.

Every enlistee has a story, but the tracks laid by older enlistees often are the most colorful. Jangada's is a love story, for a woman and a country.

"I was in Paris sparring the French heavyweight champion and teaching soldiers in the French Foreign Legion to box when I met my wife," he said.

A likely story.

"I met him at a bar," said Susan Jangada. An American from the small town of Linn Grove, Ind., she was a star volleyball player, the second best pro "middle" in all of France.

Jangada introduced himself and gave the attractive American his phone number. She stuck it in her pocket, she said, intending to throw it away at first chance.

"I didn't want anything to do with someone I met at a bar, and besides, I didn't want to be tied down in France," she said, noting the irony.

Jangada began his fighting career studying muay thai at Chute Boxe, the same Brazilian gym that spawned mixed martial-arts champs Wanderlei and Anderson Silva.

People said he had "heavy hands."

"Anyone you touch, you put to sleep," a friend said of Jangada's quick knockouts. He suggested the 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound Brazilian try boxing.

Jangada's first boxing match ended in a knockout. "I broke the guy's nose and knocked him down. There was blood everywhere. But I had no technique," he said.

He became a student of the sport. He trained hard, went pro and became the transcontinental heavyweight champion for 2001 and 2002. He aspired to make Brazil's Olympic team, but the soccer-loving country had no money for boxers.

A friend suggested he move to Europe. "There are too many obstacles for foreigners to fight in the U.S.," Jangada said. "Europe is easier, and the money's the same."

Coincidentally, a certain pro volleyball player from Indiana was in Paris at the same time. The phone number that she intended to throw away — the one a friend encouraged her to dial, the number she texted two weeks later — would connect her to her future husband and father of her children.

Now pregnant with the couple's second child, Susan Jangada recounted their journey to her husband's enlistment in the Army and eventual U.S. citizenship as one that only true love could endure.

A doctor advised Jangada to quit boxing before recurring health issues became serious. Facing similar issues on the court, Susan Jangada suggested that starting a family would be easier in the United States.

"She took me to a Starbucks and fed me cheesecake and hot chocolate. I could not believe how good it was, and this came from America," he said, laughing. "I wanted to go to this country."

Each went home -- Jangada to Brazil for a visa, Susan to Indiana, where she worked three jobs to save money to start a family.

"It took seven months for him to get the visa interview," Susan Jagada said. Once his application was approved, he was in Indiana within 24 hours. The couple was married two weeks later on Nov. 27, 2005.

Jangada submitted paperwork for a green card so that he could find work. Susan took a job in Shreveport, La., coaching college volleyball, but the $15,000 salary wasn't enough. The couple moved in with Susan's parents, and Susan taught high school as a substitute teacher. When she landed a coaching job at Houston Baptist University, a Division One school with a more generous salary, the couple moved again.

"But I was pregnant, and my husband wanted to take care of me and the baby," she said. A short while later, Jangada's green card was approved.

"I went to the Marine recruiter, but since I did not speak any English, they would not take me. They suggested I try the Army," Jangada said. He guessed his way through the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and passed.

"He asked me what job he should choose in the Army, and I suggested cook, plumber or electrician," Susan Jangada said. "Anything but infantry."

Jungata chose infantry. "I am a fighter," he said. "I want to be in the lead. It's my nature."

At basic training, he learned his sixth language – English – from fellow recruits and earned Soldier of the Cycle honors. Airborne school was easy, the ex-athlete said, though he acknowledged landings for the big man always were hard.

Assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 82nd's 1-504th, Jangada was hand-picked by Army Sgt. Maj. Frank Hacker to serve on the team that provides security for the battalion's senior leaders.

"I was impressed with his boxing background and the way he presented himself," said Hacker, who, with his wife, attended Jangada's citizenship ceremony. "The man knows six languages, and now he is teaching himself Arabic — not just to speak it, but to read and write it."

Jangada said it just makes sense to him. "It is like in boxing," he explained. "When I am deployed, my opponent will speak Arabic. I want to know him."

Set to deploy to Iraq in August with 1st Brigade, Jangada said he believes that, in his absence, his pregnant wife and 16-month-old daughter will be well cared for by the Army family. With readily available health care, his steady Army income, and other resources available to his family, he will be able to stay focused on his job, he said. When he returns from Iraq, he may use his GI Bill to go to college, he added.

"I come into the Army, and they don't care that I am not a citizen. They accept me anyway," he said. Even better, the Army made it easy for him to become a citizen, he noted.

"I am so grateful for all that I received that I will put my life on the line for this country," Jangada said.

"Sometimes I can't believe that he used to be a professional boxer," his wife said. "But then we run into some of his old acquaintances, and they holler, 'Jangada, where have you been?' And they cannot believe he is in the Army."

Life is full of the unexpected, she said.

(Army Spc. Michael J. MacLeod serves with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)

Wounded Veteran Hopes to Inspire Others in Mountain Quest

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2009 - The loss of his right arm while serving in Iraq made something as simple as eating a challenge for retired Marine Capt. Jonathan F. Kuniholm, who recently set out with three other wounded veterans to conquer Mount McKinley, also known as "Denali" because it's located in Alaska's Denali National Park and Reserve. "Following the loss of my right arm in Iraq on New Year's Day 2005, the most basic of things became a challenge -- writing my name, putting on a pair of pants in the morning, tying my shoes, cutting a steak," he said. "After putting up a ceiling fan that spring with my 5-year-old son, I realized that as long as I was patient enough, I could do whatever I wanted."

By the end of that year, Kuniholm had resumed many of the things he'd done before his injury, though he finds some activities difficult enough that he doesn't pursue them much, including playing the guitar or sports with his son.

In fact, it's affected just about every other area of his life as well.

"All of it is impacted in some way, from the moment I get up in the morning," he said. "I can do many things, ... and many take much longer or I do inexpertly."

Kuniholm was dismounted from a riverine craft on the shore of the Euphrates River south of Haditha, Iraq, when insurgents used a homemade bomb to initiate what he described as a sophisticated ambush on the platoon. The platoon, which was not his assigned unit, handled the ambush effectively, but three servicemembers suffered serious injuries and one was killed. One sailor, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan Rubio, earned a Silver Star during the engagement.

Kuniholm had played his guitar the night before in a talent show. He described himself as pretty rusty, since he hadn't played in months. In retrospect, he said, it was interesting, considering what would happen the next day.

"It took about a year before I was done with surgeries, fitted with prostheses, and ready to get back to my life," Kuniholm said. "Prosthetic arms are, as I discovered, still very much a work in progress, and if you want to call that part of my rehabilitation, my work to improve prosthetic arms continues."

This, he said, has become his new calling in life. Realizing the deficiencies in prosthetic arms, he began working as an engineer on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 program. He also started Open Prosthetics Project, a nonprofit group, to further innovations in arm prosthetics.

"While my professional goal is to improve the technology amputees all over the world use to replace their arms, I have a new personal goal as well," Kuniholm said.

Human beings are incredibly resilient and capable of nearly anything they set their minds to, he said.

"People with disabilities have a greater set of challenges, and while the road may be longer and harder, [we] have just as few limits to what we can achieve," he said. "Climbing Denali is a task that many able-bodied folks would never undertake. By being part of a team tackling that task while sharing the additional challenges of disability, I hope to inspire others with similar challenges.

"I hope as well to remove the limits placed on their expectations of what they can achieve," he added. "This won't make getting dressed, eating, or anything else any easier, but it's my hope that it will make any challenge seem possible and less of a chore to undertake."

Kuniholm already has started to set an example for others who have disabilities and big dreams.

With the help of his flight instructor, he recently renewed his pilot's license and has returned to flying as a private pilot. Earning a private pilot's license is possible for those with disabilities who have never flown before, he said.

The successes occasionally are tempered by the public's reaction, which he said his cousin likened to being out and about with a pregnant woman.

"It's undeniable [that I'm missing an arm], and many people assume that this fact means you want to talk about it," Kuniholm said. "As you might imagine, being involved in prosthetic arm research, I'll always talk about prosthetic arms, but I have had that conversation before, and sometimes it's nice to talk about something else."

Kuniholm lives in Durham, N.C., with his wife, Michele, and son, Sam, 7. He served as the engineer officer and platoon commander of the 2nd Platoon, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, in Iraq's Anbar province from Aug. 17, 2004, until his injury.

He is part of a seven-member team -- four wounded veterans, two mentors and one guide – whose attempt to reach North America's highest peak began this week.

Senior Veterans Compete to Win at Golden Age Games

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2009 - Military veterans competing in the National Veterans Golden Age Games each year have their own reasons for participating. Some come out for the camaraderie, while others come to socialize and catch up with old friends. But others simply come to win.

This year's 23rd Annual National Golden Age Games here are no different.

"I train for the games all year long," Don Starler, a 74-year-old Korean War-era veteran, said. "Working out and staying in shape is a large part of my life, and I love to compete."

With 19 years of experience in the Golden Age Games, Starler is a fierce competitor who's tallied more than 50 medals. He's competed in a variety of events throughout the years, and has even qualified for the National Senior Olympics. His favorite events, he said, are the shot put, discus throw and cycling.

And despite having to learn to deal with a pacemaker over the past two years of games, he's still focused on competing and winning gold. Back home in California, he works out every morning at his local Veterans Affairs hospital and urges other veterans regularly to make stronger efforts to improve their health and fitness. He credits the Golden Age Games for keeping him motivated.

"The Golden Age Games keeps me in shape all year long, because I work at it," he said. "It's definitely fun, and it's good to keep going and pushing yourself for as long as you can."

Even if senior veterans can't compete in the physical competitions, Starler said, the less-strenuous games are just as fun to compete in and train for. This year's games feature checkers, bowling, shuffleboard and table tennis as well as the biking, swimming and running events.

"There's a huge variety of events here to participate in, and if you're good at them, compete," he said. "If you're not good at them, start training and practicing. You'll be happy you gave it a shot."

Samuel J. Hicks Jr. is one of the younger competitors at 57, and is competing in his third Golden Age Games. The retired Marine said his first experience was an overall good time, and he quickly learned that even beyond youth, the spirit of competition never really dies.

"My first year was fun, because I just came out and enjoyed myself," the Fresno, Calif., native said. "But then I quickly found out these guys are out for blood, and they want yours. They want that medal.

"It's competitive," Hicks said, "but it's for a good purpose and to have a good time."

Hicks shared Starler's sentiment that the need to stay active and goal-oriented doesn't go away with time. Being involved in as many activities as possible leads to a longer, healthier life, he added.

"You don't have to be the strongest or the fastest," he said. "You just have to keep yourself going and motivated. You'll be healthier and feel better about yourself."

Frank Dixon, a 28-year Air Force veteran, got into the Golden Age Games to give him a goal to work toward in his workouts. Before he learned about the games, he said, he trained for his health. Though that's reason enough to stay fit, he added, he now he has an objective and a new mission.

"The games provide me with a positive reward for training and aids my physical condition," Dixon, 63, said. "Hopefully, the event inspires my grandchildren to live an active life."

Fitness is such a big part of Dixon's life, he said, that he feels guilty on the occasional day he misses a workout.

"Once you get into the routine, focusing on your health is easy," he said. "Just give the games and competition a shot and start out easy. Eventually, you may get into the medal running."

The Golden Age Games are open to all U.S. military veterans 55 and older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. The games are co-sponsored by the VA, the Help Hospitalized Veterans nonprofit group and the Veterans Canteen Service. The games also are a qualifying event every other year for the National Senior Olympic Games.

Demonstration to Showcase Life-saving Information-sharing Technologies

American Forces Press Service

June 3, 2009 - Wildfires in California, hurricanes battering the East Coast and insurgents attacking a U.S. convoy are among simulated real-time events that will put life-saving information-sharing technologies on center stage during the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration scheduled June 15-25. New and emerging technologies are positioned for testing as military members, emergency first responders and coalition partners determine which technologies could solve their near-term information-sharing and communications problems, officials said.

The annual event, directed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, evaluates cutting-edge information technology that focuses on criteria defined by combatant commanders and government agencies, organizers said. Technologies are approved for participation because they address a new information-sharing capability or might improve an existing capability, officials explained.

U.S. Joint Forces Command is the host combatant command for the event, and its Joint Systems Integration Center in Suffolk, Va., is among the sites for demonstration events. Other sites include the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Dahlgren Division at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Va., and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific at San Diego State University in California.

"Coalition participation is the cornerstone of U.S. CWID 2009 and the entire CWID enterprise," said Army Lt. Gen. Carroll F. Pollett, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, which manages the demonstration's daily operations.

U.S. Joint Forces Command is the primary site, and command officials will work with coalition partners running their own interoperability trials and assessments, targeting information technologies that can be moved into operational use within 18 months of the execution period, officials said.

At Dahlgren's execution site, the battle lab will host various simulated military combat operations centers. Visitors to the demonstration will see a cross-section of real-world warfighters collaborating in real time on military activities and national emergency scenarios, officials said.

On the West Coast, the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific will team with the San Diego Office of Disaster Preparedness and San Diego State University to find potential solutions to local emergency response capability gaps, officials said.

U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo., also will collaborate with the Pacific center. Northcom is the demonstration's primary homeland security and homeland defense site.

The air operations center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., will set the stage for interactive support technology development and interoperability during the demonstration. Hanscom provides warfighting commanders with battlefield situational awareness and information on the global information grid, officials said.

Registration information is accessible on the CWID Web site.

(From a Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration Joint Management Office news release.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 3, 2009

NAVY
L. C. Gaskins Construction Co., Jacksonville, Fla., (N69450-09-D-1270); DCK North America LLC, Large, Pa., (N69450-09-D-1271); DTC Engineers & Constructors, LLC Hamden, Conn., (N69450-09-D-1272); Harry Pepper & Associates, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., (N69450-09-D-1273); and Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., (N69450-09-D-1274), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award design-build construction contract for general building type projects at Department of Defense activities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of responsibility of Southern Fla., and Andros Island, Bahamas. The work to be performed provides for general building type projects (new construction, renovation, alteration, and repair of facilities and infrastructure, roofing, demolition, and routine renovation) including but not limited to: aviation and aircraft facilities, marine facilities, barracks and personnel housing facilities, administrative facilities, warehouses and supply facilities, training facilities, personnel support and service facilities, security level facilities, abatement and handling of hazardous/regulated materials. Projects may also require comprehensive interior design and incorporation of sustainable features. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all five multiple award contracts combined is $100,000,000. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of Jun. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 20 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.

Alutiiq 3SG, LLC*, Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded an $86,675,584 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for logistics product data lifecycle management services and products in support of the Naval Air Systems command's Logistics Product Data Division. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., (41 percent); North Island, Calif., (32 percent); Jacksonville, Fla., (10 percent); Patuxent River, Md., (8 percent); China Lake, Calif., (6 percent); and Lakehurst, N.J., (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-D-0011).

Suffolk Construction Co., Inc., Boston, Mass., is being awarded a $12,969,443 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a new Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. The project will include the design and construction of the BEQ, associated storage, utilities, parking, site improvements, built-in equipment requirements, access, and anti-terrorism force protection. Work will be performed in Albany, Ga., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Website with 21 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-09-C-1757).

Solpac Construction Inc., dba Soltek Pacific Construction, Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,392,000 modification to exercise Option Items 3, 4, 5, and 6 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8615) firm-fixed price task order which provides for the construction of ordnance storage facilities at the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake. The work to be performed under these options provides for construction of pre-engineered metal buildings and earth covered type "E" magazines, access roads, parking expansion, site improvements, and utilities (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and telephone) to support the building facilities, fencing and incidental related work. The total task order amount after exercise of these options will be $18,989,500. Work will be performed in China Lake, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8615).

B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc.*, Redmond, Wash., is being awarded a $8,991,185 firm-fixed-price contract for fabrication and delivery of GLARE LA-9/P Laser Systems for Navy forces in support of Naval Sea Systems Command, PEO Littoral and Mine Warfare, Anti-Terrorism Afloat Program. The GLARE LA-9/P laser system is a Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation illuminator system that emits a highly visible green beam when focused on surfaces, or used within fog and smoke. The systems' purpose is to hail and warn coalition forces, non-combatants, and enemy forces entering restricted areas thus providing enhanced Force Protection for security operations. Work will be performed in Redmond, Wash., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $8,991,185 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-C-3014).

Kollmorgen Corp., Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $6,743,386 modification to previously awarded contract (N66604-05-C-0572) for spare parts that includes 12 units of infra red module assemblies, ten Type 8 field change kits and one operator viewer as a provisioned item for the Integrated Submarine Imaging System (ISIS) is to be the imaging system for all Navy submarines. The Type 8 Mod 4 periscope set with its infrared imaging capabilities is to be the ISIS Sensor #1 on SSN 688 and SSN 21 class submarines. The purpose of this contract is to convert Type 8B Mod 3 masts from the fleet into Type 8K Mod 4 visual masts. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is modifying a firm fixed price contract with L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Greenville, Texas for an estimated $81,000,000. This contract modification is for non recurring engineering from preliminary design review through critical design review to include both A & B kits for the Airborne Information Management System for the VC-25A aircraft. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 727 ACSG/PKB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-08-C0005, P00010).

The Air Force is awarding a time and material, cost reimbursement no fee contract to Scientific Research Corp., of Atlanta, Ga., for an amount not to exceed $30,000,000. This contract action will provide for engineering services for the AN/ALR-46/69 Class IV warning receiver for Air Force. At this time, $25,000 has been obligated. 542 CBSG/PKS, Robins Air Force Base Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8523-09-D-0001)).

Missile Defense Agency Contract Award
Raytheon Missile Systems Co., of Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-award-fee contract modification under contract HQ0276-08-C-0001 for $49,642,186. The services are to continue the Block IIA Standard Missile – 3 cooperative development technology developments. This sole source award is a modification to extend the CLIN 0003 period of performance through Oct. 31, 2009. The amount obligated on this action is $16,521,739 using fiscal year 2009 research, development, test and evaluation funds. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (HQ0276-08-C-0001).