Turnover at the Pentagon. What’s Next?

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.

Following the removal of some top Pentagon officials last week, theories abound about why those firings occurred, reports Defense News. Is this to speed up the removal of troops from Afghanistan, to use the military to subvert the election results, or to punish those disloyal to the administration? In a tweet Thursday, a Fox News reporter wrote this from Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jim Inhofe (R-OK): “I’ve been told by the administration that I don’t think there’s going to be any more after this. So, if it were to go a lot further, yes, I’d be very concerned.”

Two members of Congress are urging President-elect Joe Biden not to appoint any defense contractors as defense secretary, reports Federal News Network. In a letter dated Nov. 10, Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) noted that Mark Esper had been a lobbyist for Raytheon, Patrick Shanahan had been a 30-year Boeing employee, and Jim Mattis had served on the board of General Dynamics before being appointed to the DefSec position. “Time to shut the revolving door that built a $740 billion Pentagon budget,” Rep. Pocan tweeted.

President-elect Biden is considering Sen. Angus King (I-ME) to serve as director of national intelligence in his administration, reports Politico.

A helicopter belonging to international peacekeeping force Multinational Force and Observers crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing five US Army soldiers and two others, reports The Washington Post. Capt. Seth Vernon Vandekamp, 31, of Katy, TX; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dallas Gearld Garza, 34, of Fayetteville, NC; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Sameh Ghabour, 27, of Marlborough, MA; Staff Sgt. Kyle Robert McKee, 35, of Painesville, OH; and Sgt. Jeremy Cain Sherman, 23, of Watseka, IL, were among seven killed when the helicopter crashed, reports Army Times.

Two people were killed in an explosion at a Veterans Affairs hospital in West Haven, CN, on Friday morning, reports Military Times. The explosion occurred in a non-patient area of the facility.

The guided-missile cruiser Antietam is back in Yokosuka, Japan, following a 260-day deployment in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Indian Ocean, reports Navy Times.

The 325th Security Forces Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida will be using semi-autonomous droids, or robot dogs, for extra security while guarding the base, reports Military Times. The unit will be the first to acquire the technology. The robot dogs are manufactured by Ghost Robotics of Philadelphia, PA.

Air Force GEN John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will step down after just two years on the job, reports Breaking Defense, thanks in part to a change in the law in the 2017 defense bill. Being considered as a replacement is the commander of US Fleet Forces Command ADM Chris Grady, reports USNI News.

 

 

The US Naval Academy is restricting liberty for its midshipmen following a rise in coronavirus cases in Anne Arundel County, reports Capital Gazette. The academy is also returned to online classes.

As COVID-19 continues to surge across the nation, Gov. Larry Hogan dispensed more federal money to boost the state’s emergency response to the virus, reports Maryland Matters.

With coronavirus cases spiking, Maryland public health officials are imploring people to wear their masks and skip big Thanksgiving gatherings, reports The Baltimore Sun. Maryland reported 2,321 new cases Saturday, a record.

Puerto Rico is activating additional members of the National Guard to help enforce a curfew aimed at curbing a rise in COVID-19 cases and other measures, reports Military Times.

President Donald Trump has stepped up a conflict with China over security and technology by barring Americans from investing in companies that US officials say are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, reports The Associated Press.

SecState Mike Pompeo arrived in Paris over the weekend for the first stop on a planned seven-country tour, reports UPI. Plans are for visits to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to sell dozens of F-35 Lightning IIs to the United Arab Emirates, reports The National Interest. Some members of Congress say they are concerned over the sale of military equipment totaling $23.4 billion, reports UPI.

Cmdr. Ian Lilyquist is the new commander of the US Naval Research Laboratory’s Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1, reports The Tester. The change of command ceremony was held at Naval Air Station Pax River on Nov. 6.

A former Army officer was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, followed by three more years of supervised release, for stealing $1.4 million from a veterans charity he organized, reports Army Times. Kevin Creed, 69, founded the charity in 2010 with the stated purpose of building and maintaining a Fisher House comfort home in Connecticut.

The Miami Marlins made history as the team welcomed Major League Baseball’s first female general manager, Kim Ng, reports Patch.com.

Contracts:

Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $19,531,096 modification (P00028) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N61340-17-C-0014. This modification is for the production and delivery of one 2F211 S/N 5 aircrew procedures trainer device, associated technical data and proposal preparation in support of the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training System program. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed in April 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $19,531,096 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded an $8,419,297 definitive bridge contract containing cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only provisions. This contract provides services and supplies for the operation of the Naval Array Technical Support Center facility. Work will be performed in Newport, Rhode Island, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. This contract includes an option, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $14,858,959 and would extend the period of performance to June 2021. Service Cost Center funding in the amount of $4,475,297 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c) (1); only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity (N66604-21-C-0106).

US Foods Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $17,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 97-day bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Virginia, with a Feb. 23, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-21-D-3302).