Archives Sleuths Track Military Valor Theft
Special Agent David Berry, center, led a team of investigators that tracked down stolen artifacts from the National Archives. Berry is pictured here with Jason Metrick, assistant inspector general for investigations, right, and Chris Naylor, deputy chief operating officer for the National Archives and Records Administration. (National Archives photo)
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River 
economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
Identity theft and now valor theft: Investigators at the National Archives have taken steps to make their research resources more available to federal and local law enforcement to deal with what they suspect is an uptick in “stolen valor” cases to obtain benefits or loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Military.com The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a crime punishable by up to one year in jail to make false claims about military service and awards with the intent of seeking monetary gain, employment, or other benefits available to veterans.
Trade groups urge lawmakers to extend the window for reimbursing government contractors for costs related to COVID-19, reports Defense News. The current window is set to close Sept. 30.
In written testimony to Congress, Maj. Adam DeMarco of the Army National Guard says Park Police began the violent clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square last month without apparent provocation or adequate warning to demonstrators, immediately after AG William Barr spoke with Park Police leaders, reports Army Times. “From what I could observe, the demonstrators were behaving peacefully,” when Park Police, the Secret Service, and other, unidentified forces turned on the crowd,” reads Maj. DeMarco’s written testimony.
NASA’s Mars 2020 mission has passed its final review ahead of a July 30 launch that will kick off an ambitious effort to return samples of the red planet to Earth, reports SpaceNews. The launch is scheduled for 7:50 am Eastern July 30.
DoD has released guidance regarding the upcoming ban on contracting with companies that use telecommunications equipment made by Huawei and other China-based companies, such as ZTE or Hikvision, reports FCW. In a 15-page memo, DoD outlines what companies and contracting officers must do once the Aug. 13 ban goes into effect.
NASA selects five companies for the potential 10-year, $6 billion re-compete of a contract to provide spacecraft systems, related components and other services to the agency in a faster and more agile manner, reports Washington Technology. Those selected are Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Maxar Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Southwest Research Institute, and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems.
Military contractors linked to the Kremlin have seized control of two of Libya’s largest oil facilities in recent weeks, heightening tensions between Russia and the US over Moscow’s growing footprint in the turbulent North African nation, reports The Wall Street Journal. [Paywall.]
The F/A-18 and EA-18G fleets are now 80% mission-ready, after less than half were able to fly in 2017. The dramatic turn-around involved fixing a single component within the General Electric F414 engine, reports Aviation Week.
A P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on July 16, according to officials and Navy records. Navy Times reports the aircraft suffered an engine compressor stall. No personnel were injured and the Poseidon landed safely.
DoD increases health protection requirements in at least 21 bases in recent weeks, particularly across Texas and Florida, as the COVID-19 rate continues to spike among service members, more than doubling in the last month, reports Military Times.
A House amendment to the NDAA forces an examination of emergency medical services at all military bases, following the “very preventable death” of a 20-year-old US soldier in South Korea, according to Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan. In addition to emergency medical shortcomings were training lapses associated with the soldier’s death. The “serious deficiencies and failures” that led to Spc. Nicholas C. Panipinto’s training death need to be addressed, Rep. Buchanan said. His letter referenced a Congressional Research Service report from May 2019 that stated 32% of active-duty military deaths between 2006 and 2018 were the result of training accidents, a number that far outpaces combat deaths.
Iran has moved its mock aircraft carrier — likely for live-fire drills — to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the US, reports Military Times. Satellite photographs show an Iranian fast boat speeding toward the mock aircraft carrier, sending waves up in its wake, after a tugboat pulled her out into the strait from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
The Department of Homeland Security is testing counter-drone systems under authority granted in 2018 enabling DHS to track, disrupt, disable, and destroy unmanned aircraft that threaten assets covered by the law – including the mission of the Federal Protective Service to safeguard government buildings. FPS has been in the news of late because of its prominent role in policing ongoing protests outside the Mark Hatfield courthouse in Portland, OR, reports FCW.
Contracts:
Progeny Systems Corp., Manassas, Virginia, was awarded an $18,063,794 cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6265 to exercise options for engineering and technical services for Navy submarines that will include software development, commercial off-the-shelf products and hardware and software integration. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Middletown, Rhode Island (25%); and San Diego, California (10%). The supplies under this contract, Small Business Innovative Research Topic N96-278, will lead to the development of new designs that will replace obsolete subsystems, provide recommendations to reduce acquisition life cycle costs and improve reliability. The scope of work will involve the application of engineering disciplines required to analyze, design, fabricate and integrate hardware and software solutions for commercial off-the-shelf based subsystems that collectively provide capabilities to Naval platforms. Work is expected to be completed by July 2021. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,637,309 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 24, 2020)
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $13,833,549 firm-fixed-price task order (N40085-20-F-5948) under a multiple award construction contract for repairs and improvements to the industrial wastewater treatment plant at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina. Work will be performed in Havelock, North Carolina. The work to be performed provides for improvements and repairs to the industrial wastewater treatment plant; repairs to process equipment including the influent flow meter; grit removal system; primary clarifiers; equalization basins; scum pumps; up-flow clarifiers; continuous treatment facility; chemical ventilation systems; sludge dewatering system; construction of a new effluent Parshall flume; new sludge storage tank; and chemical storage tanks. Repairs to structural components include the chemical tote area, various equipment pads, concrete tank patching and handrails. Repairs to the existing electrical and process control systems include new conduit, wire and site lighting. Site improvements include drainage issue correction and the repair and upgrade of fences around the complex. Work is expected to be completed by July 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $13,833,549 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Cherry Point, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (N40085-20-D-0036).
Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $15,000,000 modification (000271) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0028 for Army prepositioned stock logistics support services in support of maintenance, supply and transportation at Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. Work will be performed in Mannheim, Germany, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 20, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $15,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Ad HOC Research Associates, Havre de Grace, Maryland, was awarded an $11,040,092 firm-fixed-price, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide support for the Cyber Battle Lab, Capabilities Development Integration Division, Futures and Concept Center, Army Futures Command development and experimentation in support of all areas of cyber electromagnetic activities to include cyberspace operations, electronic warfare, Department of Defense Information Network-Army (DODIN-A), and information operations. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work will be performed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2025. No funding was obligated at time of award. Funding will be obligated by delivery orders under the contract. Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Gordon, Fort Gordon, Georgia, is the contracting office (W91249-20-D-0006).
