Nation Commemorates 9/11 22nd Anniversary

Officers salute an American flag unfurled over the side of the Pentagon at sunrise on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon on September 11, 2021. (DoD photo by EJ Hersom)

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.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City will host its annual commemoration ceremony honoring the people killed in the 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93, reports ABC7 New York on MSN.com. The ceremony begins at 8:30am.

The Defense Department will unfurl the American flag at 6:20am this morning, September 11, at the Pentagon. At 8:50am, DefSec Lloyd Austin and other department officials will participate in ceremonies honoring the 184 lives lost in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Ceremonies will stream live on the DoD website.

President Joe Biden will observe the anniversary at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, reports Los Angeles Times. He will be on his way back to Washington after he attends a summit in New Delhi, India, with other world leaders and visits Vietnam on September 10. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the NYC event, her husband Doug Emhoff will participate at the ceremony in Shanksville, PA, and first lady Jill Biden is schedule to be at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, reports The Washington Times.

National cemeteries across the US will host 9/11 National Day of Service events in recognition of the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, reports UPI News.

Plans to build a 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center in Arlington National Cemetery could be gaining momentum, reports ARLnow.com. The center is set to be built within the cemetery and is estimated to cost roughly $100 million.

President Biden rejected last week proposed conditions for a plea deal for five Guantanamo Bay detainees who are accused of aiding in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, reports ABC News.

Slow moving deployment of cutting-edge technologies is hampering the US military, reports C4ISRNET. “We would love to have access to capabilities in less than two years. That would be really great,” said the US Central Command’s chief technology officer. “The fact that we’re talking about fiscal year ’25, and given the speed at which we watch the problems evolve, based on what we put into theater … is faster than what our budget cycles move at.”

The White House is moving forward on a proposed 5.2% raise for federal workers in 2024, reports Federal News Network. If it isn’t blocked or altered by Congress, the pay raise would be the largest since 1980.

Last month, the General Services Administration said that per diem rates for federal workers will increase in the fall, reports Government Executive.

Four former US Navy officers who were convicted of felonies in the “Fat Leonard” bribery scandals had their convictions vacated last week, reports The Hill.

CAPT Paul Choate, commanding officer of Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, has been relieved of his command “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” reports Navy Times. CAPT Richard Foster, executive officer of Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, was scheduled to take over for Choate in December and is now serving as commanding officer.

The BayNet reports that major upgrades are on the way for Millison Plaza in Lexington Park. Among the changes: a new supermarket, small retail space, a mixed-use retail building, and a name change to Pax River Village Center.

BAE Systems announced that its next-generation vehicle management computer was successfully flight tested on the F-35 Lighting II, reports Seapower Magazine. Testing took place at NAS Patuxent River and Edwards Air Force Base. Raytheon has completed first flight test of its AIM-120C-8 missile. Recently, the Air Force awarded Raytheon a $1.15 billion Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) contract to produce AIM-120D-3 and C-8 missiles for 19 countries.

The US Navy has asked Raytheon for missile seeker upgrade kits to enable BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles to hit moving ships at sea, reports Military-Aerospace Electronics.

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first of Slovakia’s Block 70 F-16s, reports Aviation Week. The jet is the first of 14 to be delivered to the Slovak Republic, according to the company.

As Ukraine prepares to get F-16s, the US will also be providing AMRAAM missiles, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine. The provision of AMRAAMs would go one step further, potentially arming those aircraft with radar-guided air-to-air missiles.

The US Navy and Marine Corps will now have an executive agent for maritime fires, reports Seapower Magazine. The services announced the new role last week. “This is naval integration in action. Maritime fires integration is absolutely something we have to get right, and this is a great step forward for our services,” said Acting Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations MAJ GEN Roger Turner.

The DreamPort Facility in Columbia, MD, will present “Hack the Railroad: Safeguarding the Future of Rail Systems” October 25-26, reports misi.tech. Hack the Railroad — a hybrid cybersecurity event sponsored by the US Cyber Command, Cylus, MISI, and Amtrak — aims to bring together that brightest minds in the railway cybersecurity industry.

TEDCO has been chosen as an Empowering Women honoree by The Daily Record. The Maryland Technology Development Corp., a state-created tech investor, “believes in creating a diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem, a mission that requires us to intentionally design programs and funding opportunities that will support women entrepreneurs,” said TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall in a news release.

Two classes remain in the Women Veterans Healing Art Program, reports The BayNet. The program is a series of free art classes designed for women veterans in Southern Maryland. These guided art sessions will involve an empowering self-expression, healing, and community journey.

Stacker has compiled a list of the best counties to raise a family in Maryland using data from Niche, reports Ocean City Today. Niche ranks counties based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Find out where St. Mary’s County falls in this ranking here.

Audiologists at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Naval Air Station Pax River are using scanners and silicone models to create earplugs that protect air crew from noise damage, reports USNI News.

Contracts:

The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $70,554,525 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, excluding one unexercised option, for the Glide Breaker Phase 2 program. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama (36%); Seal Beach, California (21%); St. Louis, Missouri (18%); Elkton, Maryland (14%); Buffalo, New York (4%); Gardner, Massachusetts (3%); College Station, Texas (2%); West Lafayette, Indiana (1%); and Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%), with an expected completion date of February 2027. Fiscal 2023 research and development funds in the amount of $8,169,311 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original Broad Agency Announcement HR001122S0036. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001123C0044).

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $10,955,171 hybrid (cost-no-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for training support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2024. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,955,171 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-23-C-0038).

Jacobs/B&V JV (Federal Services), Arlington, Virginia, is awarded an $85,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to previously awarded contract N62478-20-D-5036 for architect-engineer services. This award brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $170,000,000. Work will be performed at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii area of responsibility, including Hawaii (95%); and other South Pacific Islands (5%), with an expected completion date of June 2025. Task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance, Navy; and military construction funds. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. NAVFAC Hawaii, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62478-20-D-5036).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $46,705,533 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-17-C-6311 for Littoral Combat Ship Mission Module engineering and sustainment support. This modification includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this modification to $161,210,500. Work will be performed in Bethpage, New York (57%); Mayport, Florida (14%); Oxnard, California (14%); San Diego, California (14%); and Portsmouth, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by March 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2026. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,211,936 (72%); fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,574,000 (23%); and fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $810,111 (5%), will be obligated at the time of award, of which $11,211,936 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

CCS Lintech JV LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is awarded a single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ0034-23-D-0037) with firm-fixed-price contract-line-item-numbers. The ceiling of this contract is $50,000,000. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. The contractor shall provide secure on-site contractor information technology support services for the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC). Services include information technology (IT) services essential for the engineering, implementation, and operations and maintenance of the RRMC IT systems to include, but not limited to, virtual desktop infrastructure, joint consolidated server room, audio visual conference room, network, and security camera systems, as well as providing IT equipment and supplies. The work will be performed at the RRMC, and other locations throughout the National Capital Region. The estimated contract completion date is Sept. 7, 2028. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Barbaricum LLC, Washington, DC (H92401-21-D-0001-P00002); iGov Technologies Inc., Reston, Virginia (H92401-21-D-0002-P00002); and NexTech Solutions LLC, Orange Park, Florida (H92401-21-D-0003- P00004), were awarded a $161,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract ceiling increase for Targeted Requirement Execution (TREX) contracts. The contractors provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) related equipment solutions and related incidental development and/or other related services to the government in system integration, hardware and modifications, specialized communications solutions and networks, and signal processing capabilities. The TREX multiple award contract was originally awarded on Oct. 16, 2020. J&A 23-3676 (Federal Acquisition Regulations 6.302-2) was approved on July 19, 2023. US Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Allen Integrated Solutions LLC, Stafford, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0007); Advanced Management Solutions Group Inc., Dumfries, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0008); Cervello Global Corp., Safety Harbor, Florida (M00264-23-D-0009); Claxton Logistics Services LLC, Stafford, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0010); Innovative Reasoning LLC, Orlando, Florida (M00264-23-D-0011); People, Technology & Process LLC, Tampa, Florida (M00264-23-D-0012); SimIS Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0013); Strategic Ventures Consulting Group LLC, Falls Church, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0014); and Targeted Approach LLC, Alexandria, Virginia (M00264-23-D-0015), are awarded a 100% small business set-aside, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with an aggregate ceiling value of $99,391,488. The contract will include hybrid task orders consisting of firm-fixed-price arrangements for services and cost reimbursement for travel. The scope of the contract is to provide technical, analytical, and engineering support to the Marine Corps Capabilities Development Directorate. The preponderance of work will be performed at the contractors’ facilities. The ordering period will commence on or around Sept. 7, 2023, with a completion date of Sept. 6, 2028. If the task order is exercised during the fifth ordering period the work may continue until Sept. 6, 2033. Each contract includes a 60-month ordering period which, if consumed, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $99,391,488. These contracts were competitively procured via solicitation on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) web site under solicitation number M00264-23-R-0003 and nine proposals were received. The Marine Corps Installations Command, National Capital Region, Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.