Japan Struggles to Accept Osprey Role After Recent Crash

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.

Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera seeks to persuade the Okinawa Prefectural Government to permit Osprey flights despite strong local concern about the aircraft’s safety following the fatal crash off Australia on Aug. 5. The tilt-rotor transport aircraft is “very important for our country’s security,” reports The Japan Times.

A federal judge dismisses vets lawsuit against defense contractor KRB open burn pit operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that plaintiffs said caused chronic and sometimes deadly respiratory diseases and cancer, reports Military.com. The decision says the company could not be held liable for a military decision to use burn pits for waste disposal.

Senators propose TRICARE beneficiaries pay higher co-pays for drug prescriptions not filled on base, reports Military.com. Also, with removal of simple “grandfathering” language, current retirees and currently serving members who eventually retire, would see higher TRICARE fees and deductibles.

DOD officials say they are making progress on finding a suite of identity management tools to eventually replace the chip-based Common Access Card, reports FCW.

A five-mile buffer zone around military bases worked the compromise the Texas legislature needed to pass a protective annexation bill for communities near major cities, reports mysanantonio.com.

In his second stern warning to North Korea in a week, DefSec James Mattis said war would follow a  missile targeting any US soil, including Guam, reports Army Times.

A sex scandal continues to writhe aboard the guided missile cruiser Hue City, reports Navy Times.

Vets groups decry hatred, racism in wake of Charlottesville violence, reports Military Times. American Legion National Commander Charles Schmidt says, “The disgusting displays of hatred and bigotry on display in Charlottesville dishonor all veterans who fought and died to stamp out fascism.”

Military Spouse Fellowship Program gives family members career options, reports Military Times. The fellowship, started in 2006, offers an Accredited Financial Counselor certificate, which will aid in lowering the unemployment rate of military families on the move within the services.

One-fifth of Americans find their workplace hostile or threatening, according to an in-depth study of 3,066 workers by the Rand Corp., Harvard Medical School, and the University of California, Los Angeles, reports USA Today. This environment can include sexual harassment and bullying. Workers who have to face customers endure a disproportionate share of abuse.

SpaceX successfully launched and re-landed its Falcon 9 rocket on a resupply mission to the International Space Station, reports Wired.com. The Dragon capsule bolted on top of the Falcon 9 rocket  carried more than 6,400 pounds of supplies, reports spaceflightnews.com, as well as computer and camera gear, components to maintain the station’s life support system and medical equipment, and provisions for the six-person crew, including clothing, fresh food, and ice cream.

FCW reports on what contractors can do to prepare for the array of disarray a Sept. 30 government shutdown could cause, even the disarray if last-minute efforts are deployed to prevent the shutdown. On Sept. 30, the statutory limit on federal borrowing is reached. That is also the last day of the federal 2017 fiscal year. Thus far, there is not an FY18 spending appropriation to open the new fiscal year.

Contracts:

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $91,499,780 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (including options) for advisory and assistance services for Ballistic Missile Defense System cybersecurity management (CSM) and computer network defense in support of technical, engineering, advisory and management support.  This contract will ensure Missile Defense Agency (MDA) information technology services, management and resources are administered, acquired, managed, and operated in compliance with the priorities set by the MDA director and the goals and directives of existing statutes and Department of Defense regulations. This procurement is managed by the MDA Consolidated Support Services Program office. These locations include, but are not limited to Colorado Springs, Colorado; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts; Kirkland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Virginia; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.  Expected completion date of August 2022. Fiscal year 2017 research development test & evaluation funds in the amount of $2,064,058 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitively awarded acquisition with two offers being received.  The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-17-C-0055).

John C. Grimberg Co. Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $44,490,000 firm-fixed-price contract for repair of building systems at Rickover Hall, Building 590, US Naval Academy, Annapolis. The work to be performed provides for the restoration and modernization of the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection systems, and ancillary interior finishes. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by October 2019. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $44,490,000 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. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-17-C-0036).

Delphinus Engineering Inc., Eddystone, Pennsylvania (N4523A-17-D-0006); ORBIS Sibro, Inc., Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (N4523A-17-D-0007); Q. E. D. Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N4523A-17-D-0009); Tecnico Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia (N4523A-17-D-0010); and Transtecs Corp., Arlington, Virginia (N4523A-17-D-0011), are being awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for shop support, private sector, depot and intermediate level industrial facility support and capacity for the repair, maintenance, alteration, and modernization of equipment, systems, and sub-system components onboard waterborne and /or dry-docked vessels, surface ships, and submarines. Delphinus Engineering Inc. will be awarded a $9,782,230 contract that includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $51,286,321. ORBIS Sibro Inc. will be awarded a $9,003,509 contract that includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $46,388,481. Q.E.D. Systems Inc. will be awarded a $10,806,664 contract that includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $58,496,815.  Tecnico Inc. will be awarded $11,092,453 contract that includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $58,890,031. Transtecs Corp. will be awarded $7,831,541 contract that includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $40,349,521. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Everett, Keyport and Naval Base Kitsap Bangor (Silverdale), Washington.  Work at all locations is expected to be completed by August 2022. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,000 ($1,000 minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The total value of all task orders issued under these multiple award contracts, when combined, shall not exceed the value of the highest proposal received. These contracts were competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with eight offers received. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity.

Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,582,613 modification (P000185) to contract W31P4Q-15-A-0024 for systems and computer resources support for the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center’s Software Engineering Directorate. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 14, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $9,582,613 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.