March 29, 2024

Another Race to Avoid Government Shutdown

government shutdown

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Congress returns to another budget stalemate, reports Defense News, with only three more weeks in session before the August recess both houses need to reach a deal to ease statutory spending caps and avoid an Oct. 1, 2019, government shutdown.

Ukraine asks, for the first time, to buy US military equipment through the Pentagon’s weapons sales program, reports Stars and Stripes. The request is under consideration as Kiev continues its battle against Russian-backed separatists, America’s top diplomat in the country said.

Who’s the Navy’s next CNO? asks Navy Times. Sunday’s surprise announcement by ADM Bill Moran to retire rather than become the next chief of naval operations rocked the highest echelons of the sea service. Picked by President Donald Trump and confirmed without a whiff of scandal by the Senate, his elevation to CNO was derailed by an ongoing Pentagon probe into emails he allegedly exchanged with his former spokesman Chris Servello.

Two Marines were arrested by US Border Patrol and face federal charges of smuggling three undocumented immigrants for “financial gain,” reports Marine Corps Times.

DoD delays implementing new limits on which service members can transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children, reports Military.com. Implementation has been delayed until Jan. 12, 2020. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CN) is putting forward legislation requiring the Pentagon to drop the change altogether.

Iran breaches a key uranium enrichment limit in nuclear deal, reports The Associated Press. While still seeking European help to bypass US sanctions as tensions between Tehran and Washington rise, Iran began Monday enriching uranium to 4.5 percent, just breaking the limit set by its nuclear deal with world powers.

Germany rebuffs US request for ground troops in Syria to fight ISIS, reports The Associated Press. A German official cited the country’s years of contribution to the coalition that includes training Iraqi troops, doing aerial reconnaissance and refueling allied aircraft, but not ground troops.

Southern California’s  7.1 magnitude earthquake Friday, damaged the tower at Edwards Air Force Base. Crews are still assessing China Lake base, reports Stars and Stripes. When the July 5 earthquake struck, China Lake was already closed and crews were cleaning up from Thursday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake, also centered at fault lines on the base.

The Paladin’s howitzer barrel just got a whole lot longer. Army Times reports recent testing showed adding six feet to the howitzer cannon didn’t affect mobility and the piece can still operate in dense urban terrain.

Brig. Gen. Joel Carey takes over Air Force’s largest combat wing, reports Stars and Stripes. The new commander took over from outgoing Brig. Gen. Case Cunningham, just as he’d done six years ago, as vice commander of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Marine Corps rolled out its fiscal 2020 bonus package, offering big bonus bucks for ground combat Marines, reports Marine Corps Times, including cash incentives to lateral move into high demand job fields from Raiders, recon, and intelligence all the way to initiatives to develop infantry squad leaders. The bonuses and extra kicker payments could total nearly $90,000, for eligible Marines.

On Saturday, thousands of motorcyclists ride in honor of seven Marine bikers killed, reports The Associated Press, in New Hampshire where, in June, they were killed in a collision with a truck.

A federal program to help injured veterans and their spouses conceive children through invitro fertilization is being hobbled by anti-abortion forces that oppose how the process can lead to embryos being destroyed, reports Military Times.

Coast Guard calls for ships to update systems after a February malware attack, reports The Hill. The alert follows a February malware attack on a “deep draft vessel” that “significantly degraded” its computer system. The vessel involved in the cyber incident was inbound to the Port of New York and New Jersey during an international trip when it reported that its onboard network was being impacted by a cyber incident.

The Virginia-based Put Vets First! PAC filed termination paperwork Saturday with the Federal Election Commission, shutting its doors amid fundraising scrutiny, reports Military.com. According to a report by the Center for Public Integrity, the PAC appears to have followed the same fundraising and expense patterns as two affiliated nonprofits, all established by a retired Army Reserve major. The organizations raised millions but donated little to veterans causes or candidates.

A junior sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln pleaded guilty at court-martial last month to pointing a loaded firearm at a fellow sailor, reports Navy Times. Machinist’s Mate Fireman Apprentice Michael Crosby copped to two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon March 2, 2019, in Virginia Beach. No victims’ names were made public.

Contracts:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $92,905,016 ceiling increase and option modification (P00027) to previously awarded FA4600-14-D-0004 for systems engineering, management, and sustainment supporting weather-related missions; increasing the ceiling of the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract and providing for the establishment of options to increase the ordering period by six months. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $392,905,016 from $300,000,000. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2022. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Combat Command 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.

Maersk Line Limited, Norfolk, Virginia, has been awarded an estimated $170,116,349 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contract for international ocean and intermodal distribution services (HTC711-19-D-W026). Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2020. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 and 2020 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

American President Lines LLC, Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded an estimated $140,308,984 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contract for international ocean and intermodal distribution services (HTC711-19-D-W014). Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2020. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 and 2020 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Farrell Lines Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded an estimated $61,956,899 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contract for international ocean and intermodal distribution services (HTC711-19-D-W021). Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2020. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 and 2020 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $12,175,878 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contract for international ocean and intermodal distribution services (HTC711-19-D-W031). Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2020. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 and 2020 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $17,630,160 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for the storage, overhaul, assessment, repair and industrial activity to make ready for issue critical steam plant valves to support Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, engineering, technical, production and subsequent logistic support services (including personnel and facilities) required to develop and integrate technological improvements for Steam Safety and Reliability Program critical spares and 2SCOG program for steam valves installed onboard current LHD-1 class and LCC-19 class, as well as support system life cycle requirements required by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Code 412. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,000,000 will be obligated at award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-19-D-4026).

Cardno-Amec Foster Wheeler Public Works JV, Charlottesville, Virginia, is awarded a $10,934,892 firm-fixed-price task order N62470-19-F-4093 under a previously indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-18-D-3009) for inventory existence and completeness of operating materials and supplies at various Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) public works departments. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $14,868,095. The work to be performed provides for all management, labor, supplies, equipment, information technology, materials and transportation necessary to perform screen of undocumented materials to include identification, inventory, organization, assigning unique locations, and recommendations for disposal. The options, if exercised, provides for the work to be performed at additional NAVFAC locations including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sigonella, Italy, Naples, Italy, and Manama, Bahrain. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (22%); Great Lakes, Illinois (9%); Ventura County, California (9%); Norfolk, Virginia (7%); Kingsville, Texas (5%); Coronado, California (5%); Earle, New Jersey (5%); Washington, District of Columbia (4%); Kittery, Maine, (4%); Lemoore, California (3%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (3%); Seal Beach, California (2%); Indian Head, Maryland (2%); Crane, Indiana (2%); Monterey, California (2%); Fort Worth, Texas (2%); Dahlgren, Virginia (2%); Panama City, Florida (2%); Kitsap, Washington (1%); Corpus Christi, Texas (1%); Everett, Washington (1%); New London, Connecticut (1%); Key West, Florida (1%); China Lake, California (1%); New Orleans, Louisiana (1%); Gulfport, Mississippi (1%); Portsmouth, Virginia (1%); and Yorktown, Virginia (1%). The work is expected to be completed by December 2019. Fiscal 2019 Navy working capital fund contract funds in the amount of $10,934,892 are obligated at the time of this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. NAVFAC AVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Synensys LLC, Peachtree City, Georgia, is awarded a $9,142,957 firm-fixed-price contract for patient safety services at naval military treatment facilities within and outside of the contiguous United States to include: Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia (25%); Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California (25%); Naval Health Clinic Annapolis, Maryland (10%); Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida (10%); Naval Health Clinic, Quantico, Virginia (10%); Naval Health Clinic New England, Newport, Rhode Island (10%); and Naval Hospital Naples, Italy (10%). Fiscal 2019 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $2,198,241 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a five-year single award contract and work is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2024. The contract was competitively procured as a total small business set-aside via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N62645-19-C-0004).

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