Trump Tweets DefSec Esper Is ‘Terminated’

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.

DefSec Mark Esper got the boot on Monday, reports Defense News. President Donald Trump made the announcement in a Tweet. Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be the acting secretary.

President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has been vetting potential candidates for cabinet posts, reports Politico, and Michele Flournoy, a former Defense Department under secretary for policy, is already the frontrunner to lead the Pentagon. She was in line to become the first woman to serve as defense secretary had Hillary Clinton been elected in 2016. Four years later, Mr. Biden is widely expected to choose Ms. Flournoy to lead the US military, reports Defense News.

A Military Times commentary makes the case that the next secretary of defense should be a woman.

The president-elect is known to be a strong supporter of NATO, reports The Hill. His election was “warmly” welcomed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said he looks forward to the Biden-Harris administration to “further the bond between North America and Europe.”

President Moon Jae-in said South Korea will ensure there is no gap in the alliance with the US and the process of building peace on the Korean peninsula, reports Reuters.

Some analysts say that the Biden administration will likely be as tough at President Trump on the South China Sea issue, reports South China Morning Post. Experts said Washington was likely to proceed with its ongoing policy of holding freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.

William Bookless will take over as acting head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, reports Defense News, after the resignation of Lesa Gordon-Hagerty late last week. She became the first woman to lead that agency in February 2018.

The US Space Force has created a unit dedicated solely to orbital warfare — and it includes handling the secret experimental X-37B space plane, reports Military.com. Space Force members who oversee the spacecraft are part of the newly established Delta 9 unit.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics October 2020 jobs report reveals the unemployment estimate for veterans in October was 5.5%, down almost a full point from the month before (6.4% in September) and less than half of its highest point in 2020 (11.7%, in April), reports Military Times.

The US Marine Corps usually celebrates its birthday in a lively way. This year, military balls are canceled and ceremonies will be virtual as the corps celebrates it 245th birthday today, Nov. 10, reports Star and Stripes. The corps has released a birthday video, reports Defense News.

 

 

Due to a spike in coronavirus cases in the El Paso, TX, area, a public health emergency has been declared for Fort Bliss, reports KFOX 14. Three US Air Force medical specialty teams have been deployed to El Paso.

Two San Antonio, TX, Military Health System facilities are in need of volunteers for a COVID-19 vaccine trial, which is part of the military’s Operation Warp Speed, reports ksat.com

GEN Gustave Perna, the US Army supply officer leading Operation Warp Speed, told “60 Minutes” that his group is stockpiling vaccines from six drug makers in anticipation of the authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to distribute them.

Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer said Monday that an early peek at the data on its coronavirus vaccine suggests the shots may be a robust 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, reports The Associated Press, putting the company on track to apply later this month for emergency-use FDA approval.

The Army is adapting its infrared sensor technology, routinely used to locate targets on the battlefield, to help stop the spread of the novel ­coronavirus at many of its bases, reports FedTech.

US State Department workers not considered a high-risk for COVID-19 will return to the office by Nov. 16, reports Federal News Network.

Gov. Larry Hogan has renewed an executive order enabling medical students and people with an out-of-state or expired in-state medical licenses to practice in the medical relief effort because of a shortage in nurses amid the pandemic, reports WTOP News.

Chief of Naval Operations ADM Mike Gilday visited NAS Patuxent River earlier this month to meet with sailors and civilians and see their work first-hand, reports Seapower Magazine.

Qualified naval special warfare officers can apply for retention bonuses in exchange for another three or five years of service, reports Navy Times.

Contracts:

General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $138,545,759, firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the USS New York (LPD 21) fiscal 2021 docking selected restricted availability (DSRA). This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS New York (LPD 21). This is a Chief of Naval Operations scheduled DSRA. The purpose is to maintain, modernize, and repair the USS New York (LPD 21). This is a “long-term” docking availability and was solicited on a coast-wide (East and Gulf coasts) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel’s homeport. NASSCO will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating, and integrating multiple areas of ship maintenance, repair, and modernization for USS New York (LPD 21). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $161,341,858. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $138,545,759 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website; two competitive proposals were received in response to Solicitation No. N00024-20-R-4417. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-4417).

Three Wire Systems LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price Department of Defense Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms’ General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contract GS-35F-0300T. The estimated overall value of this BPA is $74,500,000. DOD ESI is a joint DOD project to streamline the acquisition process and provide information technology (IT) products and selected services that are compliant with applicable standards and represent the best value for DOD. Under ESI, the DOD leverages aggregate buying power to establish enterprise agreements with IT manufacturers and resellers for high demand, commercial off-the-shelf IT products and services. This awardee will join the rest of the fiscal 2018 multiple awardees Carahsoft (Reston, Virginia); Immix (McLean, Virginia); and Alamo City Engineering Services (San Antonio, Texas), to provide commercially available Forescout brand-name software licenses, proprietary appliances, and maintenance support to the DOD, intelligence community, and Coast Guard. The products offered through this BPA will meet functional requirements and capabilities in the following categories: Forescout Integration Modules, CounterAct, Forescout Training and Solution Support, and ActiveCare Support Services. The ordering period will be from Nov. 9, 2020, to Dec. 20, 2022. This BPA is issued under DOD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated via delivery orders using operation and maintenance (DOD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy web site among 679 vendors. One offer was received and one was selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-21-A-0030).

AERMOR LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded $44,913,739 for a firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide test and evaluation support services for Commander, Operational Test & Evaluation Force Surface Warfare Division. The contract will include a 60-month base ordering period with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 – option to extend services, which if exercised, will bring the total ceiling value to $49,901,968. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by November 2025. If the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by May 2026. All work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on beta.SAM.gov as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-21-D-G001).