Capitol Needs Permanent Guard Team
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.
The US Capitol needs a permanent Guard team in case of security emergencies, according to the task force reviewing security in the wake of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on Congress, reports Military Times. Among proposed reforms is a permanent military police battalion staffed by rotating Guard and reserve troops to help provide “quick reaction” support in case of future violence.
The security review also recommends more authority for the Capitol Police chief and the DC National Guard, reports Stars and Stripes. Retired Army LT GEN Russel L. Honoré leads the task force which further recommends deployment of a mobile fencing option, an upgrade in member security, and changes to how law enforcement in the region interact.
A new executive order signed by President Joe Biden to expand voting rights requires the Pentagon to better track absentee and military ballots from overseas, reports Military.com.
SpaceX moves to beam Starlink internet into trucks, boats, and aircraft, reports The Verge. The request was filed last Friday with the Federal Communications Commission. With over 1,000 satellites in space, SpaceX’s Starlink has at least 10,000 users through an invite-only beta program it started last year. The beta program is currently aimed at rural parts of the US that have little to no internet connectivity.
Military Times reports on the Pentagon’s plan to keep extremists from joining up. A June 2020 report to the armed services committees, posted online March 2, paints a detailed picture of the military’s recruit background check process, including profiles of different extremist groups. It also includes seven recommendations to tighten up DoD’s policies.
The Air Force has established new interim height standards for flying enlisted aviator career fields — broadening the pool for flight engineers, special-mission aviators, and other specialties, reports Air Force Times. The interim height standards range from 4′10″ to 6′8″ — depending on career field. An ongoing study will determine position-specific requirements for 32 different types of aircraft.
Recent Guard UH-60 crashes do not indicate a systemic problem, the Army says. The Army National Guard has seen three UH-60 L-model Black Hawk utility helicopter crashes on US soil in just over a year, two within the first five weeks of 2021, reports Defense News.
The military is resuming the diversity training halted in September, reports Military.com, including critical race theory and white privilege. The Trump administration banned the training programs denouncing them as “un-American propaganda training sessions.”
The US vows to stand by Saudi Arabia after drone and missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthi separatists in Yemen, reports The Hill. The announced support underscores American commitment to its Gulf ally despite human rights concerns. “The heinous Houthi attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure demonstrate their lack of respect for human life and their interest in the pursuit of peace,” said the US Embassy.
The US Navy joined Oman, France, and Britain in mine countermeasures exercises, reports UPI. Five US ships were involved in the five days of drills led by Oman and involving underwater diving, searching, mine identification, demolition, and maritime explosive ordnance disposal operations.
The risk of fatal traffic accidents increases by 6% during the transition in spring from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time– which is coming up next week. CNN health has advise on a week’s preparation to avoid unhealthy sleep disruptions when the clocks abruptly spring forward — in most places in the US — on March 14. For the very curious here are some Daylight Saving Time facts.
The CDC has announced that vaccinated people can safely gather indoors without masks, reports The Hill. New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are limited, only aimed at what people are safe to do in private. “If you and a friend, or you and a family member are both vaccinated, you can have dinner together” without wearing masks or without distancing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Monday.
Additional US troops will be involved in administering COVID-19 vaccinations to the civilian population, reports UPI. The next COVID-19 deployment will be to Georgia and Ohio. That’s more than 1,000 additional troops to help with the COVID-19 vaccination effort, says Military.com. About 6,235 active-duty service members, across 40 teams, have been tapped to support COVID-19 vaccination centers, though fewer than one-third of them have actually deployed so far.
Over 300 layoffs are announced at Newport News Shipbuilding, reports gCaptain. The division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, America’s largest military shipbuilder, is the only shipyard in the US capable of building and servicing the nation’s fleet of aircraft carriers. It is also one of two yards tasked with designing and building the Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines.
Huntington Ingalls picks Kari Wilkinson to lead Ingalls Shipbuilding, reports USNI. She is currently Ingalls’ vice president, program management, and will take charge of the yard April 1, replacing outgoing president Brian Cuccias who has served as the head of the shipyard since 2014.
After an exercise with the Moroccan Navy and Air Force last week and interaction with Italian Navy frigate ITS Luigi Rizzo (F 595) on March 5, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the Mediterranean Sea after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, reports USNI, RADM Scott Robertson, commander of the IKE Carrier Strike Group said, “Exercises like Lighting Handshake enhance the foundation of our interoperability and continued support of our long-term commitment to security in the region.”
Contracts:
Eagle Systems Inc., California, Maryland, is awarded a $26,903,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering, technical, administrative and program management support services, including support equipment test technology design and integration, support equipment test and evaluation, laboratory and facility operations and maintenance, integrated program teams engineering and technical assistance and modification/repair of support equipment end items/components. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (75%); Lakehurst, New Jersey (9%); Point Mugu, California (3%); Oceana, Virginia (3%), and various locations within the continental US (10%), and is expected to be completed in March 2026. No funds will be obligated at time of award and funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-21-D-0013).
Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp., Bothell, Washington, is awarded a $20,141,872 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5392 to exercise options for technical engineering services and sustainment labor for High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with surveillance system. Work will be performed in Bothell, Washington (52%); Moorestown, New Jersey (31%); Owego, New York (9%); Marion, Massachusetts (3%); Clearwater, Florida (3%); Manassas, Virginia (1%); and various other locations totaling 1% and is expected to be completed by September 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,100,000 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, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $15,326,863 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification under previously-awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61331-18-D-0007 to exercise options for the development, integration, testing and evaluation of prototype systems into existing or emerging unmanned vehicles, unmanned weapons and unmanned weapons control systems related to mine warfare, amphibious warfare, surface warfare, diving and life support, coastal and underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and other missions in the littoral and riverine environments. Work performance locations will be determined with each order and is expected to be completed by March 2023. No funding will be obligated at time of award. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity.
Leebcor Services LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price task order N69450-21-F-0112 at $9,428,335 under a multiple award construction contract for bulkhead repair and restoration at Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, Bahamas. Work will be performed in Andros Island, Bahamas, and is expected to be completed by August 2022. The work to be performed includes repair and restoration construction services for the marine fuel facilities bulkhead rehabilitation. This includes removal of existing hardware and extruded fenders in assigned areas, installation of new arch fenders in assigned areas, repair of concrete facing and deck slab, cleaning and recoating eight cleats and one mooring bollard, installation of approximately 264 feet of combi-wall and construction of a concrete cap. Fiscal 2021 Navy working capital fund contract funds in the amount of $9,428,335 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-16-D-1113).
Federal Prison Industries, doing business as UNICOR, Washington, DC, has been awarded a maximum $12,879,000 modification (P00006) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-F055) with two one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform jackets. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are Florida and Washington, DC, with a March 18, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs LLC, doing business as CNT, Catoosa, Oklahoma, was awarded a $10,197,911 firm-fixed-price order (HT0011-18-F-0022). This order is the third option of a four option contract first awarded on March 15, 2018. This order provides services to assist the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, the Defense Health Agency’s Healthcare Operations Directorate, Public Health Division, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, in its mission to conduct comprehensive health surveillance efforts for the Department of Defense (DOD). The scope of this award is to maintain established infrastructure and capabilities; respond to inquiries from the DOD medical and health authorities; assist in analyzing, interpreting and disseminating information regarding the status, trends and determinants of the health and fitness of armed forces and other DOD approved target populations; and enable DOD health surveillance activities to strengthen its global infectious disease reduction efforts through: centralized coordination, improved preventive health programs and epidemiological capabilities, and enhanced involvement with DOD overseas laboratories. CNT will provide on-site scientific, professional and technical service support, including epidemiology and analysis support, global emerging infections surveillance support; integrated bio-surveillance support; Army satellite support; and Air Force mortality registry support. Work will be performed at the primary location in Silver Spring, Maryland, with some personnel located at DHA satellites at Aberdeen, Maryland; and Dayton, Ohio. The estimated completion date of the primary contract is March 2023. This option period of performance is one year ending on March 14, 2022. Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 – extension of services applies. The initial award was made on a competitive basis to CNT. This contract was competitively solicited via the General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Small Business Pool 1 as authorized by Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.505 – ordering with three quotations received in response to solicitation HT0011-18-R-0008. Funds in the amount of $10,197,911 are obligated on this award. The type of appropriations are fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance. The Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
