March 29, 2024

Best, Worst States for Military Retirees

Military Retirees

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.

A recent report compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their ability to provide a comfortable military retirement. WalletHub’s analysis used a data set of 29 key metrics, ranging from veterans per capita to number of VA health facilities to job opportunities for veterans. See where Maryland fared on the list.

The US Navy has started a series of video tours of its ships and their features. Second Line of Defense takes viewers on a visit on the USS Gerald Ford in a video released May 15.

The Navy announced earlier this month that the USS Ford has started the second round of carrier qualifications, reports Navy Recognition. It is the Navy’s first aircraft carrier to be completely designed using a 3-dimensional product model.

The US Air Force has reopened its competition for cities that want to become the home for the new US Space Command, reports Defense News. But for now, the command will be housed in Colorado Springs for at least six years, reports Air Force Times.

The US Space Force launched a secret mission space plane Sunday morning, dedicating the flight to frontline workers and victims during the coronavirus pandemic, reports NBC News. Officials won’t say why or how long it will remain in orbit, but the last mission lasted a record-breaking two years in space, reports The New York Post.

As the US Army urgently develops its top-priority technologies for future war, service leaders are studying a proposal to field-test some of them together later this year, Army officials told Breaking Defense. Last year, the Army had reallocated $33 billion over five years to kick-start 31 high-priority programs (grouped in six categories), according to Breaking Defense.

At least one person was killed and another seriously injured when a Canadian Snowbirds jet crashed into a house, causing a fire, during a flyover Sunday to honor frontline workers, reports The Washington Post.

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter crashed Friday at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during a routine training flight, reports ABC News. The pilot was able to eject safely and is said to be in stable condition.

 

 

The Defense Department says troops are starting to recover at a higher rate than new cases are being diagnosed, reports Military Times. More than 5,500 service members have tested positive for coronavirus since late February. The services are working with a plan that tests asymptomatic members of some key units, including those with nuclear deterrent missions, as well as those preparing for deployment or redeployment.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Maryland reached a three-week low on Sunday, reports WTOP News.

As many states take steps toward reopening their economies, a new survey reveals the majority of Americans are worried about states lifting their coronavirus restrictions too quickly, reports WTOP News. The study, released by Pew Research Center, indicates only about three-in-10 US adults who lost their job or took a pay cut expressed more concern that restrictions would not be lifted quickly enough.

The US is on track to meet its commitment to the Taliban to withdraw several thousand troops from Afghanistan by summer, reports Military Times, even as violence continues to erupt and the peace process is stalled.

Medal of Honor recipient and Army Special Forces veteran former Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer died last week, reports Army Times. He was honored in October 2018 for his actions as a Green Beret medic with 3rd Special Forces Group during the Battle of Shok Valley in northeastern Afghanistan a decade earlier.

The Navy granted its first waiver that will allow a transgender service member to continue serving despite a 2019 policy that would have seen the sailor discharged, reports Navy Times.

The US Naval Academy holds the second swearing-in event for the Class of 2020. The Class of 2020 will graduate approximately 1,000 midshipmen during five swearing-in events and one virtual ceremony. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Levingston Lewis/Released)

The Navy is wrapping up HURREX/Citadel Gale 2020, its annual hurricane preparedness/disaster response and recovery exercise, reports dcmilitary.com. The Atlantic is getting an early start on hurricane season as Tropical Storm Arthur threatens the East Coast, reports CBS News. The storm formed Saturday off the coast of Florida and is expected to turn away from the North Carolina coast by today, May 19.

Contracts:

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a five-year, $800,000,000 task order contract (47QFCA20F0032) to deliver the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) artificial intelligence (AI) enabled products to support warfighting operations and be instrumental in embedding AI decision-making and analysis at all tiers of Department of Defense (DOD) operations. This is a General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant 2 government-wide acquisition contract for AI products that will leverage the power of DOD data to enable a transformational shift across the DoD that will give the US a definitive information advantage to prepare for future warfare operations. Specific tasks of this order will encompass a wide mix of technical services and products across the full spectrum of technical support to the JAIC Joint Warfighter National Mission Initiative. This will include data labeling, data management, data conditioning, AI product development, and the transition of AI products into new and existing fielded programs and systems across the DoD. The task order contract award has a base period through May 2021 with option years that run through May 2025. GSA Federal Systems Integration and Management Center, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Clear Resolution Consulting, Baltimore, Maryland (HHM402-20-D-0018); NextGen Federal Systems, Morgantown, West Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0019); S2 Technologies, Smithfield, North Carolina (HHM402-20-D-0020); LBO Technology LLC, Leesburg, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0016); Lock4 LLC, Red Springs, North Carolina (HHM402-20-D-0017); Parra Consulting Group, Middletown, Maryland (HHM402-20-D-0014); and SHINE Systems, Charlottesville, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0021), have been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $99,500,000 for facility management, logistics, administrative, readiness, executive and security support services to support the National Media Exploitation Center. Task orders will be competed among all awardees. The contract has a base period of performance from May 29, 2020 to May 28, 2025, with an optional ordering period from May 28, 2025 to May 27, 2030. All task orders must be completed no later than one year after the end of the ordering period. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000 are being obligated on task order after award. This contract has been awarded through a HUBZone set-aside competitive acquisition and sixteen offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

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