DoD: Percentage of Women in Military Rises

Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 3rd Class Theresa Scheff stands phone-talker watch on the forecastle aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey during an underway replenishment with the oiler USNS Big Horn while operating in the South China Sea last month. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Greg Johnson)

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The number of service members in the US military declined last year by 2.7%, reports UPI. A total of 2,077,630 service members were in the active-duty and selected reserve population — a decrease of 58,282 from 2021, while the percentage of women in the military inched upward. The Defense Department’s 2022 Demographics Profile of the Military Community, released earlier this month, found that since 2005, the percentage of active-duty military women has increased by 2.9% while the percentage of women in the selected reserve has risen by 4.4%.

Defense One reports that the Pentagon’s efforts to recruit more young Americans are receiving a boost from service members with large online followings. Deputy DefSec Kathleen Hicks said when it comes to the Defense Department’s Gen Z-focused military recruitment initiatives on social media, “where we’ve seen the most success is with — I feel so out of my lane here — with influencers.”

US Marine Corps 2nd LT Matthew Weiss, 25, wants to be part of the military’s solution to recruiting Gen Z, reports Fox13News in Tampa. He wrote a book called “We Don’t Want YOU Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z.” Weiss said that today’s service leaders don’t understand some of the Gen Z specific perspectives. “We’re the social media generation we’re looking for connection, we’re looking for meaning in life. We’re pinging online on Instagram and Facebook,” he said.

Washington, DC, think tank Rand Corp. conducted a study that found the US Army should focus its recruiting efforts on television outreach rather than on bonuses, reports Military.com on MSN. The report found that putting more ads on TV could be 10 times more beneficial than enlistment bonuses. The Army also should consider other policies, such as more flexibility in recruit eligibility, according to the findings.

A recent survey by USAA, Endeavor Analytics, and YouGov finds that young veterans are tired of the withering barrage of thanks, reports Military Times. Most young vets think it’s time to retire “Thank you for your service,” saying it makes them feel “uncomfortable or awkward.”

Defense contractor Leidos announced the layoff of 130 employees at its location in Baltimore, Technical.ly reports. The Reston, VA-based defense services company had announced a corporate reorganization, Homeland Security Today reported last week.

Frank Rafaraci, a defense contractor who pleaded guilty to bribery, was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison for slipping envelopes stuffed with $33,500 in cash to a US Navy official, reports The Washington Post. Rafaraci was the chief executive of Multinational Logistics Services. The guilty plea came after the US government dropped the claim that Rafaraci had defrauded the Navy of at least $50 million.

Boeing is investigating a cyberattack claimed by the Russian LockBit ransomware group, reports CPO Magazine. “We are actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities. We are notifying our customers and suppliers,” Boeing said. Boeing’s customers include American and international airlines, the US Department of Defense, and NASA.

The B-21 Raider took its first test flight last week, moving the warplane closer to becoming the nation’s next nuclear weapons stealth bomber, reports AP on Yahoo!Finance. The Raider has been under testing and development by Northrop Grumman.

Lockheed Martin will be the lead corporate sponsor of the 35th annual edition of the National Memorial Day Concert to be held May 26, 2024, reports The Daily Record. The concert will be televised by the Public Broadcasting System.

Israel has agreed to pause military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip for at least four hours at different times to allow for the evacuation of civilians, reports The Hill.

The US carried out an airstrike on a weapons warehouse in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias, reports The Associated Press. The strike was in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing American troops in the region for the past several weeks.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels shot down a US MQ-9 drone off the Yemeni coast last week, reports BBC. It comes as the US is on alert for activity by Iran-backed groups in the Middle East.

US Marine Corps commandant GEN Eric Smith is making “progress as he continues on his path to full recovery” after suffering a heart attack on Oct. 29, according to a statement from the Corps. “Based on his baseline physical health and his rapid improvement over the last week, his medical team has recommended that he transition to inpatient rehabilitation to expedite his recovery. They are confident that with focused attention and daily interaction, he will be back to full duty status sooner than if utilizing outpatient rehabilitation,” reads the statement.

While Veterans Affairs leaders report record-high levels of benefits applications and health care appointments last fiscal year, VA Secretary Denis McDonough still wants to reach more veterans, reports Military Times. His goal is that the VA has a relationship with “every veteran in the country.”

Veterans Affairs is already the second-largest federal employer and one of the largest employers in the country, growing to almost 450,000 workers after a rush of new hiring over the last year. But McDonough thinks the department needs to grow even larger, reports Military Times.

A veteran support group Healing Breakthrough is advocating for the use of MDMA (more commonly known as ecstasy or molly) and other psychedelic assisted therapies for veterans suffering from a range of mental health problems, reports Military Times. Researchers from the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies said they have already received promising initial results.

The US Navy has joined other services in allowing camouflage, or woodland cammies, for its Pentagon sailors, reports Navy Times. As Naval District Washington, DC, moved into winter uniform mode this fall, Pentagon workers are now seeing the green Navy Working Uniform Type III on sailors assigned to the Defense Department headquarters.

Hundreds more airmen — 355 in all — who orchestrated the evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan as US forces withdrew in 2021, will receive medals honoring those efforts, reports Air Force Times. The latest round of recognition — and the largest batch of awards to date — is for the pilots, maintainers, loadmasters, security forces, medics, and others who participated in what the service said is the largest air evacuation of noncombatants in US history.

The US State Department said that passport processing times have been reduced for the second time since early October, reports The Hill. The department announced processing times are down to seven to 10 weeks. That’s down from eight to 11 weeks earlier in the month.

The Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism reports that more than 43.5 million people visited Maryland in 2022 and spent $19.4 billion, topping pre-pandemic levels. In total, the economic impact of tourism was $30.3 billion and generated $2.3 billion in state and local taxes. “Our office has focused its efforts on marketing and promoting the things that make Maryland unique, such as the Most Powerful Underground Railroad Storytelling Destination in the World; the Chesapeake Bay; Fish and Hunt Maryland; our Trail System Second-to-None; and our Scenic Byways,” said Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director of the state’s tourism office.

Contracts:

IntelliDyne LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded $13,707,089 for a bridge contract of previously awarded firm-fixed-price bridge task order (HT001124F0057 under GS-35F-0151S) to continue network support services at the Defense Health Agency (DHA) headquarters. The extent of the information technology support services to be provided includes operating and maintaining, and the transition to, a fully integrated site, and enterprise IT support model for all current DHA headquarters (DHHQ) sites, network domains currently referred to as the DHA Network, as well as all respective IT network, systems support services, associated infrastructures, and enclaves. Continued support services include, but are not limited to, desk side support, remote or onsite troubleshooting, onsite IT touch labor, local IT support activity program/project management support, network security and infrastructure assurance activities to include Risk Management Framework/Authorization to Operate support, in room/on-site video teleconferencing support and assistance, DHHQ site asset management activities, and limited network/systems engineering support where required. Work will be primarily performed at Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Virginia, along with other locations in Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; San Diego, California; Great Lakes, Illinois; Silver Spring, Maryland; and Fort Detrick, Maryland. The total contract value is $27,414,178. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funds are obligated to fund the base period of performance. The task order was not competitively procured and was prepared under the authority of the multiple award schedule program, 41 US Code 152(3) and 40 US Code 501, and regulatory authority, as implemented by Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6(a)(1)(B). Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized. The task order was awarded on Oct. 31, 2023, with a base period of performance of Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, and one option period from May 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024. DHA, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Alaska Slope Regional Corp. Federal Facilities Logistics LLC, successor-in-interest to Science Applications International Corp., Beltsville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $95,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for facilities maintenance, repair, and operations supplies. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 309-day bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, with a Sept. 15, 2024, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-24-D-0002).

Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $98,883,173 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for business management support services such as data analysis, data engineering, executive management, business, organizational, process, technical management, communications, market research, consulting on digital transformation, data enablement processes, and others in support of the Navy Digital Transportation Office, Washington, DC. The contract is a five-year base ordering period with no options. All work will be performed in Washington, DC. The ordering period is expected to be completed by November 2028. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $1,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount, 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 to the SAM.gov website, with nine offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Pentagon Directorate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-24-D-Z004).

Amentum Services Inc., located in Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $49,800,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide certified, trained, and qualified entry control monitors, observers, and construction surveillance technician support for a re-construction site. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 8, 2031. This contract was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. Fiscal 2024, operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000 are being obligated at the time of award. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (FA4600-24-D-0001).