COVID Increasing & Complicating Vet Homelessness
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.
Coronavirus complicates efforts to help homeless veterans, reports Military Times. Housing advocates aren’t wondering whether the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will lead to an increase in homeless veterans, but instead how big the increase will be. “There’s major anxiety already,” said Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. “We’re seeing increases in unemployment, eviction moratoriums not being honored.”
The Pentagon’s two most senior figures were so angry about President Donald Trump’s remarks about DoD leadership waging wars to boost the profits of weapons manufacturer, they spoke directly to the White House chief of staff. Since then, says CNN, DefSec Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman GEN Mark Milley appear to have adopted different strategies to deal with Trump as the election approaches.
NASA and the Space Force are about to announce details of their collaboration surrounding NASA’s Artemis program to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2024, reports Breaking Defense.
Military Times reports that PFAS contamination has become a military-wide problem, with more than 700 military installations having either confirmed or suspected cases of contamination. In 2019, Congress ordered the military to phase out the use of AFFF, “forever chemicals,” by 2024, in the hopes of preventing further contamination. The House Armed Services Committee met this month to discuss DoD’s progress in replacing PFAS and dealing with past contamination sites.
NYPD officer, an Army reservist, worked as a spy for China, federal prosecutors allege, reports The Washington Post. Baimadajie Angwang, 33, was charged with being an “intelligence asset” for the Chinese government to spy on US supporters of the Tibetan independence movement. Officials allege his spying efforts began in 2014. He faces 55 years if convicted.
At Fort Sill, OK, two 22-year-old trainees were promoted to private 2nd class after they stopped a fellow trainee from hanging himself Sept. 3, one week into basic combat training, reports Army Times.
A $1 billion fund Congress gave the Pentagon in March to build up the country’s supplies of medical equipment has instead been mostly funneled to defense contractors and used to make things such as jet engine parts, body armor, and dress uniforms, says The Washington Post.
Cleanup on USS Bonhomme Richard continues as ship’s fate remains unclear, reports USNI News. Four investigations are taking place in parallel: a Naval Criminal Investigative Service criminal investigation, which now includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Naval Sea Systems Command is conducting two investigations: a failure review board and a safety investigation board; and VADM Scott Conn, the commander of US 3rd Fleet, is also leading a command investigation.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an advocate for military women, will be buried at Arlington, reports Stars and Stripes. Justice Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the court, advocated for military women during her career.
An online troll saying US public health leaders should be executed for a “massive fraud” and calling Dr. Anthony Fauci a “mask nazi” worked for Fauci, reports The Daily Beast. William B. Crews, a press officer at NIAID, has been reportedly moonlighting as an anonymous blogger at RedState, making outlandish claims about Dr. Fauci.
An initiation developed during the Army’s draft years to help drill sergeants establish “psychological dominance” over infantry trainees has been replaced by a new event intended to emphasize teamwork and trust, reports Army Times. The old intimidation event was seen as necessary, given the large number of draftees who served in the Army during the Vietnam War. The new event is intended for an all-volunteer force.
US forces in the Middle East have not raised their alert status, but are prepared for any aggressive response from Iran to new sanctions ordered by President Trump, DefSec Esper has announced. In remarks at the State Department with other cabinet members, Esper said US regional forces already “maintain a high state of alert.”
Iran vows “hit” on all involved in US killing of a top general, reports Military Times. The chief of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Saturday to go after everyone who had a role in a top general’s January killing during a US drone strike in Iraq. The guard’s website quoted Gen. Hossein Salami as saying, “Mr. Trump! Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious, serious and real.”
Norfolk Naval Shipyard CO removed over on-time maintenance rates, reports USNI News. Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command VADM Bill Galinis removed CAPT Kai Torkelson due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.
The Age of Electric Cars is dawning ahead of schedule, reports The New York Times. Battery prices are dropping faster than expected. Analysts are moving up projections of when an electric vehicle won’t need government incentives to be cheaper than a gasoline model.
Contracts:
Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Suffolk, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $804,744,193 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a five-year contract. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Sept. 20, 2025, ordering period end date. Using military services are Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-3286).
O&M Halyard, Mechanicsville, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $35,188,397 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical and surgical products. This was a competitive acquisition with 18 responses received. This is a one-year base contract with nine one-year option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Sept. 21, 2021, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 Warstopper funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D0-20-D-0018).
Life Cycle Engineering Inc., Charleston, South Carolina (N64498-20-D-4036, $44,312,721); and McKean Defense Group LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N64498-20-D-4037, $33,941,662), are awarded a combined total $78,254,383 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical services to support the shipboard Electronic Chart Display and Information System and the Situational Awareness Bridge Display System for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (20%); Norfolk, Virginia (10%); San Diego, California (10%); Washington, DC (5%); Mayport, Florida (5%); Charlottesville, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (4%); Yokosuka, Japan (4%); the Kingdom of Bahrain (4%); Bremerton, Washington (2%); Rota, Spain (2%); and the remainder of the work (30%) will be performed at the contractor sites according to each awarded task order, and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $500,000 ($250,000 obligated on each contract) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
Etolin Strait Partners LLC, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract modification for the exercise of Option Year One under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington, D.C., area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for various maintenance, repair, alteration and minor new construction projects for facilities located primarily within the NAVFAC Washington, D.C., AOR in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The total contract amount after this modification will be $60,000,000. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by fiscal 2021 military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); O&M (Defense Logistics Agency); and Navy working capital funds. NAVFAC Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-19-D-0007).
Centerra Integrated Services LLC, Herndon, Virginia, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for minor construction, alteration and repair of real property and utilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. An initial task order is awarded at $64,194 to provide new high density polyethylene pile fenders at the Windward and Leeward Ferry Landing. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, general construction projects including new construction, repair, alteration, renovation, demolition and other construction-related operations or projects. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2021. All work for this contract will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of September 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $64,194 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N and O&M (Army). This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov Contract Opportunities website with three proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0072).
Bette & Cring LLC, Latham, New York, is awarded a $23,064,843 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a co-generation plant at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. This work to be performed is a construction project for the co-generation plant with a combined heat and power system to generate electricity and steam at the Naval Research Laboratory. Site preparation includes above-ground site demolition and relocations, underground site demolition and utility relocations, excavation, grading preparation for construction and paving. Mechanical systems will include water, steam, sewer, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2016 and 2017 military construction contract funds in the amount of $23,064,843 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with four proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-20-C-0023).
Pacific Maritime Industries (PMI) Corp., San Diego, California (N00189-20-D-0030); TST Fabrications LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (N00189-20-D-0031); and Tri-Way Industries (TWI) Inc., Auburn, Washington, (N00189-20-D-0032), are awarded an estimated $15,984,115 multiple award for a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price task orders to provide a means to purchase shipboard lockers and related materials in support of the Shipboard Habitability Improvement Program at competitive prices in accordance with the delivery schedules listed on the Statement of Work. The contracts will run concurrently and will include a 60-month base ordering period with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8, which if exercised, will bring the total estimated value of this contract to $19,540,057. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by September 2025; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by March 2026. Specific requirements for habitability support cannot be predicted at this time; therefore, the various locations of where the supplies will be delivered cannot be determined at this time. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,500 ($2,500 on each of the three contracts) will be obligated to fund the contracts’ minimum amounts and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on beta.SAM.gov as a small business set-aside for the award of multiple contracts pursuant to the authority set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.504, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk Office, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Oceaneering International Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded a $7,733,142 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6413 to exercise options for configuration changes, engineering services, material maintenance and repair. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Defense-wide; 80%), and fiscal 2020 procurement (Defense-wide; 20%) in the amount of $497,000 will be obligated at the time of award, of which, funds in the amount of $397,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
