More Troops Headed to the 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.
More US troops are on their way to the Middle East, reports Military Times. Less than a thousand service members consisting of intelligence aircraft, engineers, and fighter pilots are heading to the region as a “prudent defensive measure” against Iran. Media reports late last week had put the number of troops being sent at between 5,000 and 10,000, reports Military Times.
The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to authorize $750 billion in defense spending for the 2020 fiscal year in a bill that also bans the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey until the nation stops a purchase of Russian surface-to-air missile defense systems, reports The Washington Post. The SASC also approved the establishment of a space force, potentially setting up a clash with House lawmakers who have questioned the need for a sixth military branch.
The US Navy has deactivated its F-35C training squadrons at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and will consolidate its activities at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, reports USNI News. RADM Roy J. Kelley said the consolidation will support the development of Navy F-35C squadrons and assist in testing and evaluation of the carrier-variant fighter jet, reports Northwest Florida Daily News.
Coherent Technical Services Inc. (CTSi) of Lexington Park was among 26 companies honored with the “E” Award for Exports for demonstrating a sustained increase in export sales over a four-year period, the US Commerce Department announced late last week.
Aviation services company AAR delivered the first P-8A Poseidon to the US Navy, reports Naval Technology, following completion of a planned overhaul, age exploration, and inspection.
President Trump is feeling optimistic about relations with North Korea following his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reports The Hill. “I personally think lots of good things will come with North Korea. I may be right. I may be wrong,” Trump said. “There’s good respect built between the US and North Korea. We’ll see what happens.” The president appears to be at odds with National Security Adviser John Bolton regarding how serious North Korea is about moving toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, reports US News & World Report.
Some military law experts believe presidential pardons for American servicemembers convicted or accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the killing of unarmed enemy fighters, could undermine military leadership and might complicate US relationships with some of its allies, reports Stars and Stripes. The Washington Times reports Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said President Trump should be “very careful” in weighing pardons to soldiers accused or found guilty of war crimes.
The California man who joined the Taliban and was captured by US forces in Afghanistan in 2001 was released last week after serving more than 17 years in a federal penitentiary, reports Military Times. John Walker Lindh, 38, will remain under tight restrictions that reflected government fears he still harbors radical views.
Long-serving troops and reservists have a little less than two months remaining to transfer their Post 9-/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouse or children before a new restriction kicks in July 12, reports Military Times Reboot Camp.
Air Force Magazine reports on key US Air Force leaderships appointments, including Maj. Gen. Eric Fick’s promotion as the service’s new program executive officer of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.
John Pinto, a Navajo Code Talker in World War II who became one of the nation’s longest serving Native American elected officials as a New Mexico state senator, has died, reports Marine Corps Times. He was 94.
Contracts:
BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded an $84,341,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for up to 898,320 man-hours of direct labor engineering services. These services are in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Special Communications Mission Solutions Division to perform projects for Special Operations Forces command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Services include requirements definition, solution definition, integration, installation verification and validation, and operation and sustainment. Work will be performed in California, Maryland (70 percent); St. Inigoes, Maryland (13 percent); Fayetteville, North Carolina (6 percent); Little Creek, Virginia (5 percent); Coronado, California (4 percent); and Tampa, Florida (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0055).
Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $63,701,527 for a cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for business and technology management support services required to facilitate the overall Transformation Management Support Services effort in support of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPTE), OPNAV N1, and subordinate commands. The contract is a five-year base ordering period with no options. All work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia. The ordering period is expected to be completed by May 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-Z023).
C.E.R. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0016); EGI HSU JV LLC, Gaithersburg, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0017); G-W Management Services LLC, Rockville, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0018); Huang-Gaghan JV Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0019); Kunj Construction Corp., Mechanicsville, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0020); Ocean Construction Services Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0021), are awarded Option One under a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, multiple award construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington, District of Columbia, area of operations (AO). The combined total value of all six contractors is $49,500,000. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $99,000,000. Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the NAVFAC Washington, District of Columbia AO, including but not limited to, Maryland; Washington, District of Columbia; and Virginia, and is expected to be completed May 29, 2020. 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 military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. NAVFAC Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $14,425,217 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Iraq) contract for computer hardware, services and MEMEX software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $14,425,217 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-19-C-5024).
DRS Global Enterprise Solutions Inc., Dulles, Virginia, was awarded a competitive single-award blanket purchase agreement (GS-35F-0148S / HC101319A0003) for the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Deployed Operations telecommunication program. The total cumulative face value of the blanket purchase agreement is $977,000,000 (ceiling amount). Quotations were solicited via the General Services Administration’s Information Technology Schedule 70, and one quotation was received from 39 quotations solicited. Performance will be at Headquarters USSOCOM, Florida. The period of performance is one five-year base period from May 24, 2019, through May 23, 2024, and three one-year option periods. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois is the contracting activity.
Calibre Systems, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $7,676,467 for task order M67854-19-F-7885 under previously awarded contract M67854-19-D-7871 to provide support services for the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Support Service, Marine Corps Logistics Group. The contractor will be providing training services to the Marine Corps Logistics Group, such as facilitating and management logistics education programs; performing Instructional Systems Development; creating and modifying instructional material, exercise scenarios, and training curricula; and maintaining computer networks and information technology equipment. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed January 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $1,301,528 will be obligated to fund the initial task order award and these funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was competitively awarded under a multiple award task order contract with six offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contract activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Azusa, California, has been awarded a $7,307,533 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract modification (P00010) to previously awarded contract FA8803-17-C-0001 for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensor sustainment. This modification provides for the exercise of an option for sensor sustainment of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program on-orbit constellation being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Azusa, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Boulder, Colorado; and Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $21,468,713. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.
Guidehouse LLP, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $14,091,857 modification (P00014) to previously awarded contract HQ042316F5002 for audit readiness, audit liaison and systems support for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $70,147,250 from $56,055,393. Work will be performed at the Pentagon and other locations within the National Capital Region, with an expected completion date of May 25, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Defense) funds in the amount of $14,091,857 were obligated at the time of the award. Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
