Congress Awaits Briefing on Airstrikes

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.

Democrats are renewing their push for a war powers overhaul after President Joe Biden’s call for military airstrikes in Syria last week, reports Politico. The administration is taking heat from fellow Democrats as lawmakers pressure the White House to provide a legal justification for the  airstrikes launched against Iran-backed militia groups.

The administration says it briefed congressional leadership before ordering the strikes and will give lawmakers a full briefing next week, reports The Hill.

Israel has decided to purchase Lockheed Martin’s CH35K as its new heavy-lift helicopter, rather than Boeing’s CH-F47 Chinook, reports Globes. The cost for more than 20 of the Sikorsky helicopters is likely to be more than $2 billion.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group are heading home, reports Navy Times, completing the US Navy’s longest deployment since the Vietnam War.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is calling for closer cooperation and a forward-looking approach with Japan, reports UPI. He made the remarks Monday in a speech commemorating the start of Korea’s independence movement against Japanese colonizers over a century ago.

The Pentagon says China has “continued to flout international rules,” and the US would work with its allies to address such challenges, reports Military Times. This follows US criticism of the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels in Japanese-claimed territorial waters in recent days.

COL Jack Perrin, program manager of PMA-261 H53 Heavy Lift Helicopters at NAS Pax River gave an update on the program at last week’s International Military Helicopter Conference. Perrin was able after a year of COVID-19 disruptions to report significant progress on the program, reports Second Line of Defense.

The US Navy is testing its long-range cargo transport Blue Water UAS prototype, reports Navy Recognition. The long-range cargo transport is designed to operate with naval forces that typically operate in heavy winds over open water and require aircraft to land on pitching vessels at sea.

 

 

Chief of Naval Operations ADM Michael Gilday in his “CNO Navigation Plan” said robotic ships will play a vital role in the future of the US Navy, reports National Defense.

The Pentagon’s sexual assault review committee wants troop input on policy and culture change, reports Military Times. Every option is on the table, said Lynn Rosenthal, chair of the committee.

US Air Force B-1B Lancers conducted a mission over Norway late last week, report Air Force Times, the first such mission this year and the first time Lancers have flown out of that country.

The US House approved Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan in a 219-212 vote Saturday, sending the measure to the Senate, reports Politico, as Democrats race to pass it into law before boosted unemployment payments expire this month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, reports The Hill. The shot can be given to people 18 and older in the US.

Recent research shows that troops exposed to military explosive shockwaves are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, reports Army Times, even if they didn’t receive a traumatic brain injury from the blast. The research was published in Brain Pathology, a medical journal.

Beginning Wednesday, the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees will receive updates from veterans service advocacy groups, reports Military Times, for the first time virtually. March is usually when groups advocate for issues with members of Congress.

New European Union restrictions could threaten some US food shipments to its military commissaries and exchanges in Europe, reports Military Times.

The bill introduced by St. Mary’s County Del. Brian Crosby (D), which would make voters in five counties, including St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles, elect their commissioners based on which district they live in, rather than at-large, is making its way through the Maryland House of Delegates, reports heraldmailmedia.com. Last week, the St. Mary’s commissioners voted to ask for a referendum on the matter.

A space firm in Lexington, KY, that conducts science experiments on the International Space Station says it has plans to launch its own miniature, automated orbital research platform in about two years, reports UPI.

Several thousand military members are among Texas residents who have received a two-month extension for filing their federal income tax returns and making tax payments, reports Military Times, because of the recent winter storm that slammed many areas of the state.

Contracts:

Avantti Builders Group LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (W91278-21-D-0018); Blue Cord Design and Construction LLC, Orlando, Florida (W91278-21-D-0019); DMCA Inc., Arlington, Texas (W91278-21-D-0020); Doyon Project Services LLC, Federal Way, Washington (W91278-21-D-0021); ESA South Inc., Cantonment, Florida (W91278-21-D-0022); Global Engineering & Construction LLC, Renton, Washington (W91278-21-D-0023); Herman Construction Group Inc., Escondido, California (W91278-21-D-0024); J&J Maintenance Inc., Austin, Texas (W91278-21-D-0025); John C. Grimberg Co Inc., Rockville, Maryland (W91278-21-D-0026); Lego Construction Co., Miami, Florida (W91278-21-D-0027); Royce Construction Services LLC, Reston, Virginia (W91278-21-D-0028); StructSure Projects Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W91278-21-D-0029); Valiant Government Services LLC, Clarksville, Tennessee (W91278-21-D-0030); and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland (W91278-21-D-0031), will compete for each order of the $230,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design build projects in support of US Army Medical Command. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 29, 2024. US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Mar-Len Environmental Inc., Westminster, Maryland, was awarded a $9,083,985 firm-fixed-price contract for critical area forestry support services at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2026. US Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56ZTN-21-D-0001).

CACI Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $15,203,989 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded task order N39040-20-F-3000 for engineering, technical, administrative and managerial (support) services in support of Ships Availability Planning and Engineering Center, non-nuclear waterfront and Deep Submergence Systems programs at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by March 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,351,964 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, is the contracting activity.

Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS, Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $100,000,000 firm‐fixed‐price, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract for patient monitoring systems, accessories and training. This was a competitive acquisition with 54 responses received. This is a five-year contract with one five‐year option period. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Feb. 28, 2026, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1‐21‐D‐0007).