US Scrambling to Get Personnel Out of Kabul

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.

US President Joe Biden’s plan for ending the US presence in Afghanistan is “quickly falling apart,” reports The Washington Post. The Taliban was taking control of more and more of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, and on Sunday morning, NBC News reports, the Taliban entered the Afghanistan capital, Kabul. Afghan officials said that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani left the country, reports The Associated Press.

More American troops have headed to the Middle East. Three infantry battalions were sent to Kabul, reports The Associated Press, as the US moves to evacuate civilians from its embassy there. The United States is pulling out all US personnel from its embassy in Kabul over the next 72 hours, CNN was told on Sunday morning. Also, 1,000 US service members are being sent to Qatar, one of the partners for processing the special immigrant visas, to help with medical screenings, and other steps in the process. And an 82nd Airborne Division brigade is heading to Kuwait as a back-up force.

China and Russia are expanding their military cooperation, reports New York Post. The Sibu/Cooperation-2021 drills were conducted in China’s Ningxia region last week between the two countries.

The US Navy’s future littoral combat ship Nantucket has been christened in Wisconsin and launched into the Menominee River at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard, reports Navy Times.

The latest supply run to the International Space Station included a special treat. The Northrup Grumman launch last week from Wallops Island, VA, included kiwi, apples, tomatoes … and the makings for a pizza, reports 13newsnow.com.

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, DC, was locked down for a little over an hour on Friday, after an armed man ran onto the grounds during a local police investigation of gunshots on the streets surrounding the base, reports Navy Times.

Harpoon Ventures has landed in San Diego, CA, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune, with the hope of investing in early stage technologies that have applications in commercial markets and with the federal government. Harpoon’s founders include a former Navy SEAL and a former Marine Corps officer.

Two retired Navy aviators say they have found their true calling in their new business venture. Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins have open their own distillery, reports Military.com. “After more than a decade of flying off of aircraft carriers and being stationed all over the world, they independently decided to settle down in the mid-Atlantic to focus on family, but ended up in the same Navy reserve Prowler squadron, according to Old Line Spirits’ website. “With a healthy stint of travel and adventure behind them, sitting still in their new civilian desk jobs just wasn’t enough. Their shared love of whiskey and, at the time, a dearth of craft distilleries in Maryland led them to their true calling: starting their own distillery.”

 

 

The US 3rd Fleet moved its headquarters from San Diego to Hawaii to serve as the tactical nerve center during the Navy’s Large Scale Exercise 2021, reports UPI.

The first operational TH-73A Thrasher training helicopter landed at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida earlier this month, reports Seapower Magazine. The Thrasher will replace TH-57B/C Sea Ranger. Leonardo Helicopters is contracted to deliver 31 more Thrashers this year.

The US Air Force said it had another successful launch of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile last week, reports Air Force Times. The ICBM launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and was detonated about 4,200 miles away near the Marshall Islands. “Test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions,” said LT COL Aaron Boudreau.

Army LT GEN Laura Richardson will be the new commander of US Southern Command, reports Military.com. She will be the second woman in history to lead a combatant command. Richardson, who now leads US Army North, will receive a fourth star before taking command of SOUTHCOM. That will make her the second female four-star general in the Army’s history.

Military relief societies — including the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and the Air Force Aid Society — are helping service members with pet transportation costs to expenses related to extended temporary hotel stays. Reassigned service members are finding themselves facing a hot housing market, long waits for military housing, and rents higher than their housing allowance, in some cases.

moveBuddha, a moving rate aggregation website, released a survey that shows the challenges service members moving to new orders are facing, reports Federal News Network. “A lot of people are waiting a very long time on their household goods to get delivered, that is probably the number one complaint. The other issue we are seeing is cancellations,” said Ryan Carrigan, co-founder of the site.

The 2021 European Best Sniper Competition, a US Army Europe and Africa-Directed, 7th Army Training Command-hosted contest, concluded last week, reports Military Times. The winner was Team Lynx from Slovenia, reports Stars and Stripes. Coming in second was a team from Turkey, followed by a Latvian team.

Contracts:

ABM Federal Sales Inc., Chesterfield, Missouri (SP7000-21-D-0017); Cartridge Technologies LLC, Rockville, Maryland (SP7000-21-D-0007); Harris Technologies Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (SP7000-21-D-0013); HPI Federal LLC, Washington, DC (SP7000-21-D-0009); JTF Business Systems Corp., Springfield, Virginia (SP7000-21-D-0016); Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Inc., Vienna, Virginia (SP7000-21-D-0010); Lexmark International Inc., Lexington, Kentucky (SP7000-21-D-0012); Omni Business Systems-Fax Plus Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (SP7000-21-D-0011); Ricoh USA Inc., Exton, Pennsylvania (SP7000-21-D-0014); Trident E&P LLC, Pottstown, Pennsylvania (SP7000-21-D-0008); and Xerox Corp., Honolulu, Hawaii (SP7000-21-D-0015), are sharing a maximum $702,153,470 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SP7000-21-R-1001 for up to the 60-month leases of A3, A4 and production level multifunctional devices, accessories, and office document devices and services. These were competitive acquisitions with 17 proposals received. These are five-year contracts. Locations of performance are the contiguous US, Missouri, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and Alaska, with an Aug. 11, 2026, ordering period end date. Using customers are Air Force, Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2026 working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (N00189-21-D-Z036); Ancilla Technologies and Services Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland (N00189-21-D-Z037); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (N00189-21-D-Z038); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (N00189-21-D-Z039); Universal Consulting Services Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (N00189-21-D-Z040); and Whitney, Bradley and Brown Inc., Reston, Virginia (N00189-17-D-Z041), are awarded an estimated $91,902,830 multiple award of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts that will include terms and conditions for the placement of both cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders to provide program management support services in order to facilitate Navy Medicine’s mission to provide well-trained medical experts, operating as high-performance teams, to project medical power in support of the Surgery, Operation, Plans, & Readiness Directorate, Naval Bureau of Medicine. Each contract will run concurrently and will include a 48-month ordering period. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Virginia (10%); at government facilities; and 90% in contractor facilities in response to awarded task orders which cannot be reasonably estimated at the time of contract award. The ordering period of the contract will begin in September 2021 and is expected to be completed by August 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,000 will be obligated (estimated $3,333) on each of the six contracts to fund the contracts’ minimum amounts), 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 to the Navy Electronic Business Opportunities and beta.sam.gov websites, with 13 offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $12,127,144 modification (P00006) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HR001120C0110 to exercise Phase 1 option of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $18,577,721 from $6,450,577. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (67%); Chicago, Illinois (17%); Niskayuna, New York (9%); Pontiac, Michigan (3%); Columbia, Maryland (2%); Tulsa, Oklahoma (1%); and East Hartford, Connecticut (1%), with an estimated completion date of May 2022. Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $10,135,107 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $10,365,669 modification (P00003) to previously awarded labor-hour contract HQ042320F0099 for comptroller mission systems support for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). This modification exercises the remaining 10 months of Option Year 1 with a period of performance of Aug. 16, 2021, through June 15, 2022. The first two months of the period of performance were incrementally funded at $2,103,462, and this action in the amount of $10,365,669 funds the balance of the option period. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $22,704,985 from $12,339,317. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia, with an expected completion date of June 15, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) defense-wide operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,365,669 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-20-F-0099).

BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair LLC, Jacksonville, Florida (N00024-21-D-4457); and Fincantieri Marine Systems North America, Chesapeake, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4458), are awarded a combined $1,300,061,738 maximum ceiling value, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract (MAC I) to support sustainment execution efforts for littoral combat ships homeported in Mayport, Florida. These efforts consist of chief of naval operations dry docking selected restricted availabilities and selected restricted availabilities, continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, ship assessments, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control in the contiguous US; and continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control, outside the continental US. Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under these contracts, which are expected to be performed in Mayport, Florida (58%); outside the continental US (28%); and other contiguous US (14%) locations as appropriate. Each contract has an estimated ordering period of five years, which is expected to end in August 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $20,000 ($10,000 minimum guarantee per contract) is being obligated at each contract’s initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured using full and open competition with 16 offers received via the beta.sam.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama (N00024-21-D-4459); Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4460); East Coast Repair & Fabrication LLC, Portsmouth, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4461); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4462); General Dynamics NASSCO-Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida (N00024-21-D-4463); North Florida Shipyards Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (N00024-21-D-4464); and Tecnico Corp., Chesapeake, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4465), are awarded a combined $965,030,816 maximum ceiling value, firm-fixed price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract (MAC II) to support sustainment execution efforts for littoral combat ships homeported in Mayport, Florida. These efforts consist of chief of naval operations dry docking selected restricted availabilities and selected restricted availabilities, continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, ship assessments, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control in the contiguous US; and continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control, outside the continental US Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under these contracts, which are expected to be performed in Mayport, Florida (58%); outside the continental US (28%); and other contiguous US (14%) locations as appropriate. Each contract has an estimated ordering period of five years, which is expected to end in August 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $70,000 ($10,000 minimum guarantee per contract) is being obligated at each contract’s initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured using full and open competition with 16 offers received via the beta.sam.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Life Cycle Engineering Inc., Charleston, South Carolina (N00024-21-D-4466); Neal Technical Innovations LLC, Daphne, Alabama (N00024-21-D-4467); and Valkyrie Enterprises Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00024-21-D-4468), are awarded a combined $499,245,545 maximum ceiling value, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract (MAC III) to support sustainment execution efforts for littoral combat ships homeported in Mayport, Florida. These efforts consist of chief of naval operations dry docking selected restricted availabilities and selected restricted availabilities, continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, ship assessments, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control in the contiguous US; and continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control, outside the continental US. Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under these contracts, which are expected to be performed in Mayport, Florida (58%); outside the continental US (28%); and other contiguous US (14%) locations as appropriate. Each contract has an estimated ordering period of five years, which is expected to end in August 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $30,000 ($10,000 minimum guarantee per contract) is being obligated at each contract’s initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured using full and open competition with 16 offers received via the beta.sam.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Management Services Group Inc., doing business as Global Technical Systems (GTS), Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded an $81,339,518 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the procurement of one lot of DLQ-9 pods, associated hardware for DLQ-9 pod modifications, and technical data in support of electronic attack/electronic warfare threat simulation for weapons development, test, and evaluation, fleet training, and target applications for the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed in August 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract is a small business set-aside, competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N6893621D0026).

Machine Tools Marketing Inc., Bixby, Oklahoma (N6893621D0044); Machine Tools USA Inc., Mathews, Virginia (N6893621D0045); and Pacific IC Source, Yucaipa, California (N6893621D0046), are each awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. These contracts procure various machine tools, work holding devices and peripheral equipment for conventional, computer numerically controlled equipment and provide support, to include maintenance, repair, relocation, delivery, installation, and training associated with acquired machinery in support of earthquake recovery efforts for the Navy. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $40,000,000, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. Work will be performed in China Lake, California, and is expected to be completed in August 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.

Nakupuna Solutions LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $28,987,467 firm-fixed-price contract for modernization efforts of base area networks for Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, and Marine Corps Recruiting Depot (MCRD) Parris Island. This contract provides modernization and sustainment of the base area network/local area network and the unified communications at Marine Corp installations. The combined systems shall provide a fully converged, net-centric enterprise architecture supporting the migration of applications, services, and networks on a common infrastructure that satisfies Department of Defense unified capabilities requirements. Work will be performed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina; and MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina, with an expected completion date of February 2023. The maximum dollar value is $28,987,467; no option periods are included in the contract. Fiscal 2020 overseas contingency operations (Marine Corps) procurement funds in the amount of $28,987,467 are being obligated at time of award and funds will expire Sept. 30, 2022. This procurement is a direct 8(a) sole-source award to an Alaskan Native Corp. in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5, authorized or required by statute. The Marine Corp Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-21-C-4905).

NewBridge Partners Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $10,634,861 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) software and computing architecture assessment. This contract provides for investigation, design, assess, and coordination for various GEOINT space and network architectures to provide more timely and relevant products to military and other users. The location of performance is Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and work is expected to be completed by Aug. 12, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition; offers were solicited electronically via an open broad agency announcement and two offers were received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $765,900 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8750-21-C-1515).

Greenland Enterprises, Hampton, Virginia, was awarded a $29,150,299 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of a chrome-plating facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Watervliet Arsenal, New York, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 3, 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $29,150,299 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-21-C-0011).

Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $14,638,671 modification (000199) to contract W52P1J-14-G-0023 for the Army Prepositioned Stock Four, Japan Watercraft, Logistics Support Services under the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise program. Work will be performed in Yokohama, Japan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 16, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, defense-wide funds in the amount of $1,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.