March 28, 2024

Mass Vax Clinics Open at Pax

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River will be hosting mass vaccination clinics September 8-17 to meet the new requirement that all service members be vaccinated against COVID-19, reports Tester.

NAS Patuxent River has transitioned back to HPCON Bravo Plus due to rising cases of COVID-19, reports The BayNet, which means less than 40% of normal occupancy in the workplace and to be prepared for limited installation access by visitors and for canceled events should conditions warrant.

The House Armed Services Committee wants DoD to explain how it plans drive down the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s astronomical sustainment costs as enumerated in more than 30 recommendations proffered by the Government Accountability Office since 2013, reports Breaking Defense. Or, if the Pentagon won’t follow through, to explain why not. The HASC added the requirement to its version of the National Defense Authorization Act.

The HASC version of the $778 billion defense bill also includes multiple provisions for the National Guard, reports Star Advertiser, including the establishment of a Space National Guard as a reserve component of the US Space Force — as well as a feasibility study for the establishment of a Hawaii Air Guard aeromedical squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Who would win in a dogfight? The F-22 or F-35? SOFREP compares and reports, it may not matter. They were built for two distinct roles. They were designed and built at different times in history, for different needs and future projections. The Raptor is the air-superiority fighter made to out-maneuver and out-perform in a dogfight. The Lightning II is a strike-fighter, meant to strike ground targets hard and fast, and clear the way for advancing forces. The F-22 program is over; and the F-35 is just beginning.

The HASC approved a bill this week that would take the decision to prosecute sex crimes away from commanders and hand it to attorneys, reports Military.com. This matches the DoD’s current reform plan but falls short of Senate legislation giving military attorneys the prosecutorial decisions for all serious crimes, including rape, kidnapping, murder, and other serious felonies, reports Military.com.

The US Coast Guard’s duo-status as a service and law enforcement agency permits military actions and maritime law enforcement in the Indo-Pacific region. As a military service of the United States, the Coast Guard can integrate seamlessly into defense operations and is fully interoperable with US allies, reports USNI.

 

 

Deployed to Africa, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams’ serves as the platform to train partners to fight a piracy hotspot off western Africa’s coast, reports USNI. In a practice drill a small, rigid-hulled inflatable boat sped from a Brazilian Navy frigate carrying a visit-board-search-seize team which climbed onto expeditionary sea base Hershel “Woody” Williams for training exercises underway in the Gulf of Guinea.

A privately designed, unmanned rocket built to carry satellites exploded off the California coast, reports The Associated Press. In its first attempt at reaching Earth’s orbit, Firefly Aerospace said its Alpha rocket suffered an “anomaly” and “terminated” over the Pacific Ocean, shortly after its 6:59 pm Thursday liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to call on Yokosuka Naval Base during its visit to Japan, reports Stars and Stripes. The flagship of the UK Carrier Strike Group is in the middle of a nearly eight-month maiden deployment that’s expected to span 26,000 nautical miles and include stops in 40 countries.

The Air Force is fighting in-flight physiological issues but can’t end them, a Pentagon watchdog says. Air Force Times reports the Air Force has made dozens of changes to reduce the risk of flight sickness among airmen who fly five types of military aircraft, but says it can’t erase the problem altogether after more than a decade of studies. According to an August 31 report from the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office, “It cannot completely eliminate [physiological events] caused by unanticipated aircraft malfunctions or human factors.”

South Korea launches $13B space power scheme, reports Defense News, following US approval earlier this year to lift a restriction on the country’s missile production program.

Veterans unemployment is well-below national levels, matchings pre-pandemic levels, reports Military Times. Vets unemployment rate fell last month to pre-pandemic levels as national jobless rates continued a steady decline as well. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for all veterans dropped from 4.0% in July to 3.6% in August. That’s the first time the mark has been below 4% since February 2020, before the outbreak of coronavirus in America prompted widespread business closings and layoffs.

While unemployment benefits ended for millions, extended pandemic programs can provide help to those still out of work, reports CNBC, or offset some of the loss of the extra money. Specific eligibility requirements apply, so not all unemployed Americans will necessarily be able to access them.

President Joe Biden tours Ida damage in Louisiana, reports The Hill and reiterated his call for private insurance companies to assist those who voluntarily evacuated their homes ahead of the storm.

Contracts:

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded an $11,899,240 modification (P00007) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001919F2972) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0029). This modification provides non-recurring engineering to include investigations, systems engineering support, risk analysis and integration development in support of the CH-53K Data Transfer Unit and Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System Replacement Phase III, to replace existing subsystems within the CH-53K production aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (54.5%); Stratford, Connecticut (28.5%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (11.5%); Fort Worth, Texas (4.5%); and Vergennes, Vermont (1.0%), and is expected to be completed in June 2024. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,079,034 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

KBR Services LLC, Houston, Texas, was awarded a cost-plus-award-fee task order (N6247021F9101) at $72,815,718 under the global contingency service multiple award contract for providing expeditionary staging area services at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. The work to be performed includes, but is not limited to, providing all management, supervision, labor, materials, and equipment necessary to perform expeditionary staging area services. The task order also contains 10 unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $416,298,812. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $29,000,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2021 overseas humanitarian, disaster, civic aid (OHDACA) in the amount of $43,815,718 are the intended funds to be used and will be obligated in fiscal 2021. Fiscal 2022 OHDACA funding is the intended funding for the options. The options that remain are for monthly operation and maintenance of the staging area and are available on a monthly basis for a period of 10 months. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62742-16-D-3551). (Awarded Aug. 28, 2021)

Leebcor Services LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price task order (N6945021F0668) for $14,893,445 under a multiple award construction contract for repairs to buildings at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The work to be performed provides for the design build repair of Buildings 607, 648, 680, 3690, and 3912 damaged during Hurricane Sally. The scope includes roof repair and replacement, replacement of interior finishes, replacement of doors and windows, repairs to fire suppression and fire alarm systems, electrical and communications systems, mechanical system, building site, lead/asbestos abatement and mold remediation. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Florida, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $14,893,445 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-17-D-0508).

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc. (GDIT), Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a competitive, firm-fixed-price, single award blanket purchase agreement (BPA) for air defense communication services. This BPA was awarded against GDIT’s General Services Administration’s Multiple Award Schedule Information Technology contract with a total ceiling amount of $92,993,000. The minimum amount of $2,500 will be satisfied through an initial task order awarded using fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance funds. Primary performance will be at the contractor’s facility. The period of performance is April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2027, with four one-year option periods. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-21-A-0006).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $13,000,000 modification (P00040) to contract W58RGZ-20-C-0024 for system operations and sustainment services for the Saturn Arch Aerial Intelligence Systems Quick Reaction Capability Program. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia; and Bridgewater, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

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