March 28, 2024

Bill Aims to Cut DoD Workforce by 15%

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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.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) has reintroduced the Rebalance for an Effective Defense Uniform and Civilian Employees Act, reports Federal Times. The legislation would require DoD to cut its civilian workforce by 15% by 2025, a move that would result in the elimination of over 100,000 federal jobs based on current numbers. “Like everything else in government, personnel is your biggest cost, and the civilian-to-uniform ratio … is an all-time high,” Calvert said. “Our inability to correct that trend is eating away at our military, our procurement, our readiness, all the above, and so we need to do this.” In a news release, Calvert cited a Washington Post report on a Defense Business Board study that found that modest cuts to the back end bureaucracy at DoD could save $125 billion over five years.

Most teleworking federal employees are expected to put in a full day’s work no matter how much snow and ice is on the ground, reports Federal News Network.

The Italian Navy’s aircraft carrier ITS Cavour arrived at Naval Station Norfolk, VA, for a series of operations last week, reports pilotonline.com. A team of about 200 people with the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force at Naval Air Station Patuxent River will be on board conducting flight testing.

The F-35A will participate in fewer air shows in 2021, reports Military.com, as the military deals with an engine shortage for the jet.

ADM Robert Burke, addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies, drew attention to the rate at which Russia is modernizing its navy, reports The National Interest. Burke said Russian submarines in the Arctic could drift down to the Atlantic to potentially “hold Europe and the continental United States at risk with land-attack cruise missiles.”

Russia has built military bases in the Arctic and also conducted a large number of patrol and training operations there, reports The National Interest, a series of maneuvers that has upped US preparations for increasing Arctic activity.

The US Army has conducted its first Arctic Warrior military exercise, reports Alaska Public Media. An Army spokesman said the service has always conducted smaller-scale winter training in Alaska, but nothing as big as the 11-day Arctic Warrior.

Michael Hayden, former National Security Agency director, and other retired military members have signed on to legal brief asking that the US Supreme Court rule that the military draft is unconstitutional, reports Military Times. Mike Hayden, Army GEN Stanley McChrystal; Army LT GEN Claudia Kennedy and others are challenging the constitutionality of the Selective Service System’s male-only registration restriction, reports Military.com.

 

 

A recent study found that white service members are more likely to have behavioral health troubles than their non-white counterparts, reports Military Times. Among the key findings of the RAND Corp. study: Military women exhibit greater prevalence of mental health conditions but lower prevalence of substance use problems relative to military men, and sexual-minority service members report the greatest number of disparities; these are largely accounted for by sociocultural stressors.

The White House say it is “intention” of the Biden administration to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, reports The Associated Press.

There is no word yet on when the thousands of troops deployed to the US-Mexico border will be going home, reports Military Times. Funding for the border mission is in place until the end of the year.

The Pentagon approved the deployment of 20 more military vaccination teams that will be prepared to go out to communities around the country, reports Military Times, putting the department on pace to deploy as many as 19,000 troops.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was expected to sign the Recovery for the Economy, Livelihoods, Industries, Entrepreneurs, and Families (RELIEF) Act late Monday, reports WBAL. The bill includes stimulus payments of up to $750 for 400,000 low-income Marylanders who qualify for the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.

Parler is relaunching its platform and it will no longer have to rely on “big tech” to operate, reports The Hill. The online platform was suspended last month from Amazon’s web hosting services and from Apple’s app store after the riot when it was found that it was full of discussions by members about invading the US Capitol.

USA Today had its readers vote on their favorite new attractions in 2020 across the country. Among those in the top 10 are the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC; the National Museum of the US Army in Fort Belvoir, VA; and the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, WY.

Capital Gazette explains why nothing at the US Naval Academy is named after former President Jimmy Carter, the only president to graduate from the Annapolis institution.

Maryland Sens. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles) and Obie Patterson (D-Prince George’s) have introduced legislation to rename Route 210, Indian Head Highway in Prince George’s and Charles counties, President Barack Obama Highway, reports Maryland Matters.

Take this Defense Department quiz to see how much you know about the first president’s military prowess.

Army Spc. Alexis Ruth, a health care specialist assigned to the Maryland Army National Guard Medical Detachment, prepares to administer a vaccine at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore on Jan. 30, 2021. (MD Air National Guard photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Enjoli Saunders)

Contracts:

Association of Consultants and Engineers, Leonardtown, Maryland, is awarded a maximum amount $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-media environmental compliance services, with an emphasis on storm water, wastewater and drinking water for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Washington, D.C., area of operations (AO) and US territories. All work on this contract will be performed in the Washington, DC, AO and US territories. The term of the contract is not to exceed 66 months with an expected completion date of August 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) (OM,N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 for guaranteed minimum are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by OM,N. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with eight proposals received. NAVFAC Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-21-D-0013).

AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (FA8903-21-D-0002); APTIM Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia (FA8903-21-D-0001); Atkins Black & Veatch FSB JV, Denver, Colorado (FA8903-21-D-0003); Benham – Mead & Hunt, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (FA8903-21-D-0005); Burns & McDonnell Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (FA8903-21-D-0006); HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction Inc. Spring Branch, Texas (FA8903-21-D-007); Jacobs Government Services Co., San Antonio, Texas (FA8903-21-D-0008); OTIE-Merrick JV, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (FA8903-21-D-0010); Michael Baker International Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania (FA8903-21-D-0004); Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California (FA8903-21-D-0011); Leo A Daly Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota (FA8903-21-D-0009); Pond-CDM Smith JV LP, Peachtree Corners, Georgia (FA8903-21-D-0012); Tetra Tech Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts (FA8903-21-D-0013); TransSystems GHD JV, Berkeley, California (FA8903-21-D-0014); Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions Inc., Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (FA8903-21-D-015); Woolpert RS&H LLC, Dayton, Ohio (FA8903-21-D-0016); and WSP Mason Hanger JV, Washington, DC (FA8903-21-D-0017), have collectively been awarded a $2,000,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award task order contract for architect and engineering services. This contract supports the Air Force worldwide infrastructure design and construction missions, specifically for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Army Installation Management Command directorates. Work is expected to be completed by February 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $51,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

SURVICE Engineering Co. LLC, Belcamp, Maryland, has been awarded an $87,800,749 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Department of Defense (DOD) Information Analysis Center (IAC) Basic Center of Operations. This contract provides for the acquisition, storage, retrieval, synthesis, analysis and dissemination of 22 technical focus areas and scientific technical information for the DOD IAC mission. Work will be performed in Belcamp, Maryland, and is expected to be completed February 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. No specific funds are being obligated on the basic contract. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $147,340 will be obligated shortly after award on a separate task order. Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (FA8075-21-D-0001). (This contract was originally announced May 19, 2020, but was not awarded until Feb. 12, 2021)

Acierto LLC, Farr West, Utah (FA4686-21-D-0001); Amplified Industrial Inc., Sacramento, California (FA4686-21-D-0002); Polu Kai Tidewater JV, Falls Church, Virginia (FA4686-21-D-0003); Trinity Builders LLC, Plumas Lake, California (FA4686-21-D-0004); and V Lopez Jr & Sons, Santa Maria, California (FA4686-21-D-0005), will compete for each order of a $9,200,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for infrastructure repair requirements. Work will consist of multiple disciplines in general construction categories for the military base facilities of Beale Air Force Base, California. Bids were solicited via the government-wide point of entry via solicitation and 10 bids were received. Exact work location and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated contract completion date of Feb. 11, 2029. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds will be used with no funds being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Beale Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.

Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,681,160 modification (P00002) to contract FA2517-20-C-0003 for Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system support. Work will be performed in Socorro, New Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; and Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed April 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the full amount will be obligated the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $57,097,418. The 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Maryland, is awarded a $236,941,008 modification for the firm-fixed-price portion of previously awarded contract M67854-19-C-0043. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $686,355,923. This modification provides for the exercise of three option contract line items to procure eight Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar Gallium Nitride full rate production systems with associated travel and one lot of the initial provisioning package (spares) in support of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2024. Fiscal 2021 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $236,941,008 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract modification was not competitively procured. The base contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 US Code § 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-C-0043).

L3 Harris Technologies Inc. Anaheim, California, is awarded an $8,203,414 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00038) for options under previously awarded and announced contract N00030-18-C-0001. The work will provide services and support for Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI) systems. Work will be performed in Anaheim, California (60 %); Cape Canaveral, Florida (25 %); and Washington, DC (15%), with an expected completion date of Oct. 12, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,021,941 will be obligated at time of this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,423,298; fiscal 2021 weapons (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,814,175; and fiscal 2021 United Kingdom funds in the amount of $944,000, are being obligated at time of this award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract modification is being awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (now beta.SAM.gov) website. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

International Flooring and Protective Coatings Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-21-D-2101); Main Industries Inc., Hampton, Virginia (N50054-21-D-2102); Surface Technologies Corp., Atlantic Beach, Florida (N50054-21-D-2103); and UHP Projects Inc., Newport News, Virginia (N50054-21-D-2104), are awarded a combined $41,425,862 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to furnish management, administrative and production services, materials, tools, equipment and required support to accomplish removal of old deck covering and underlayment (including rubber base if present), abrasive blast, ultra-high pressure water jet and power tool clean decks; and prepare surfaces, apply primer coatings and install new non-skid deck covering onboard Navy or other military type vessels. International Flooring and Protective Coatings Inc. is being awarded a $10,887,224 estimate and if all options are exercised, the total value will be $58,889,922. Main Industries Inc. is being awarded a $9,616,068 estimate and if all options are exercised, the total value will be $50,102,014. Surface Technologies Corp. is being awarded a $9,410,280 estimate and if all options are exercised, the total value will be $47,110,600.  UHP Projects Inc. is being awarded an $11,512,290 estimate and if all options are exercised, the total value will be $65,057,475. Work will be accomplished onboard Navy vessels located primarily within a 50-mile radius of Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed in February 2022, and February 2026 if all options are exercised. The maximum dollar value for all four contracts is $65,057,475. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,000 ($2,500 per awardee) will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The requirement was competitively procured as a small business set-aside solicited through the beta.SAM.gov website with five offers received. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $13,435,247 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. This contract procures advanced submarine research and development (R&D) including studies to support assessments, development, design studies and tests; provide on-site engineering, logistics and technical services; and integrate/incorporate technologies for land-based or at-sea tests/demonstrations.  Development and design of advanced submarine R&D technologies include integration/incorporation of developing technologies as well as advanced development models into the designated R&D test platform(s) and current and future submarine platforms. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $117,332,071. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2025. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $250,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $35,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and is a sole-source award pursuant to 10 US Code 2304(c)(3) – Industrial Mobilization. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-2104).

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