More Deployments as Tensions Remain High in Middle East

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.

Thousands more paratroopers were preparing to be deployed to the Middle East on Friday amid heightened tensions with Iran, reports Army Times. That was after more than 700 were deployed earlier last week. Since the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike near Baghdad last week, the US military is taking defensive action, Military Times reports, after Iran has made threats to avenge Soleimani’s death. The Washington Post reports StateSec Mike Pompeo dismissed calls by Iraq for all foreign troops to exit that country in the wake of the airstrike. The secretary said that the Iraqis want the US to remain.

The Marine Corps changes its concealed carry rules, reports Marine Corps Times. Qualified active Marine law enforcement personnel, such as military police and criminal investigators, may conceal carry on base while off-duty.

DefSec Mark Esper said the US still sees a political agreement on denuclearization as the best path forward on North Korea, reports Reuters, but that American forces remained prepared to fight if necessary.

The US Department of Labor did not properly report cybersecurity incidents containing personally identifiable information to the federal emergency response team, the agency’s inspector general found in its annual review of the department’s cybersecurity practices, reports Fifth Domain.

Federal News Network reports that in the past eight years military service members, their families, and veterans lost more than $405 million to scammers.

 

 

The US Navy and Coast Guard in Hawaii rang in the New Year by teaming up to rescue a 69-year-old passenger from a cruise ship, reports Navy Times.

NAVAIR Program Support Manager Darrell White has been named the 2019 Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment PSM of the Year for increasing the number of mission-capable V-22 Ospreys available to the fleet, reports The BayNet.

For the 4.1 million new people now eligible for shopping privileges on military installations, defense officials have provided some more details on access to the new shopping and recreation benefits, reports Military Times.

The VA will no longer issue star ratings for its 146 medical centers, reports Military Times. The hospitals will instead post measures such as wait times, patient satisfaction ratings, medical services, and quality assessments on their individual websites.

Lockheed Martin announced the delivery of its 134th F-35 fighter jet in 2019 late last month, exceeding its goal of 131 for the year, reports UPI News.

Aviation history was made in Cobb County, GA, late last month when the last operational model of a unique Lockheed aircraft landed for the very last time, reports Rome News-Tribune. The JetStar 1329, built in Marietta in 1966 and once owned by the Saudi Arabia royal family, touched down at Cobb County International Airport McCollum Field.

Maryland will continue to accept refugees, Gov. Larry Hogan told the White House last week, reports WTOP News. The Trump administration has limited the number of refugees who will be taken in during fiscal 2020 to 18,000.

Contracts:

BAE Systems Ship Repair, Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $175,047,658 firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of USS Vicksburg (CG 69) fiscal 2020 modernization period (MODPRD). This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Vicksburg. This is a chief of naval operations-scheduled MODPRD. This is a “long-term” availability and was solicited on a coast-wide (East and Gulf coasts) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel’s homeport. BAE will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating and integrating multiple areas of ship maintenance, repair and modernization for USS Vicksburg. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $175,143,215. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy; 76.6%) and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy; 23.4%) funding in the amount of $175,047,658 was obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $134,050,249 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website with one offer received in response to Solicitation No. N00024-19-R-4446. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Awarded Dec. 23, 2019.

Bushido Associates, Inc., Centerville, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,500,000 firm-fixed-price, cost plus fixed-fee, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for cyber threat analysis and reporting from the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF). This contract is for forensic analysis reports and recommendations provided by embedded cyber threat forensic and cyber threat intelligence analysts in the NCIJTF. Work will be performed at Chantilly, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 20, 2025. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $330,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8726-20-D-0003).