Vets Can Prepare Own Online Memorials
US Navy sailors fold an American flag during an interment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, May 8, 2024. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and other attendees honored the life of Fire Controlman 1st Class Robert Corn, who was assigned to the USS Oklahoma when the ship was attacked during World War II. Corn was accounted for Jan. 29, 2019. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry)
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.
Veterans Affairs planners expect to expand their Veterans Legacy Memorial platform by the end of the year, reports Military Times. The project allows living veterans to prepare their own tribute pages with the personal information about their time in the service and allows family members to update online memorials of deceased veterans. The memorial pages include nearly 10 million veterans interred in VA-run cemeteries, Department of Defense sites, and thousands of private cemeteries.
On Thursday, 1,500 service members placed more than 260,000 American flags at every gravesite and niche column at Arlington National Cemetery, VA, in advance of Memorial Day weekend, WTOP News reports. All flags are removed after Memorial Day, before the cemetery opens to the public.
Explorers have found what they believe is World War II flying ace Richard Bong’s downed plane in the South Pacific, reports APNews. The search to find Bong’s Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter began in March. Another pilot, Thomas Malone, was flying the plane in March 1944 over what is now known as Papua New Guinea when the engine failed. Malone bailed out before the plane crashed in the jungle.
Legislation introduced last week in the US Senate, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive Purple Heart award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001, to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents, reports Washington State Standard. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members. “As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, I’ve seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said in a statement.
House lawmakers move to automate Selective Service registration for all men, reports Military Times. A new plan would automatically register men for a potential military draft when they hit age 18, avoiding potential legal consequences connected to failing to file at the proper time.
An amendment to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act would push the Department of Defense to rehire US service members who were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, reports The Hill. The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday adopted the amendment that would require the Pentagon to create a plan for rehiring those service members.
Another amendment included in the House draft of the defense policy bill calls for the creation of a pilot program allowing some Air Force and Space Force members to grow beards, reports Military Times.
A draft version of the bill also has several provisions targeting China-made critical materials, reports Defense One. Lawmakers are concerned about where defense companies get critical materials for military technologies. But industry is worried about pressure to buy domestic materials — without extra funding to make that possible.
The US Navy has selected RADM Scott Pappano as its new acquisition adviser, reports Breaking Defense. He is currently the program executive officer for strategic submarines, which oversees the construction of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. Pappano’s predecessor was VADM Frank Morley.
NavSec Carlos Del Toro said the Navy will increase funding for directed energy solutions, like lasers, to reduce the cost of intercepting enemy missiles, reports Defense One. This comes after he told lawmakers last month that shooting down drones and missiles in the Red Sea has cost the service nearly $1 billion.
Five PEO(A) programs win NAVAIR Commander’s Awards, reports NAVAIR News. Program Executive Office (PEO), Air, Anti-submarine Warfare, and Special Mission Programs (A) was the majority PEO winner at the ceremony Wednesday at NAS Pax River. NAVAIR also recognized 11 teams and individuals who “changed the game.” The winners were selected from 118 nominees from across NAVAIR in categories structured “to recognize and reward those who delivered outcomes that matter to the warfighters and who demonstrated the behaviors and actions that enable those results.”
Retired US Navy RADM Scott Sanders has joined the advisory board of Ironwave Technologies LLC, a provider of RF and microwave solutions, reports yahoo!finance. Sanders has held a variety of technical and management positions, from engineering test pilot through senior management including as senior vice president at Wyle/KBR. Sanders graduated from the Naval Academy, is a 2011 MIT Seminar XXI fellow in international and strategic policy, and serves as chairman of Congressman Steny Hoyer’s Service Academy Selection Committee.
The University of Maryland brought together some of the country’s top transit and infrastructure minds as they worked to answer the question: What lessons have the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster taught us? Dr. Nii Attoh-Okine, chair of the University of Maryland’s engineering school, helped gather the experts for the roundtable discussion last week, reports WUSA9.
Defense News reports F-35 customers in the Asia-Pacific region — Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea — are monitoring the delay in delivery of Lockheed Martin’s upgrade packages. Lockheed paused F-35 deliveries pending acceptance of the TR-3 software suite, which comprises a mission system avionics upgrade to boost the aircraft’s data storage, display processing, and throughput capabilities.
The US Marine Corps’ Program Executive Office Land Systems is developing new radars and leveraging its counter-drone systems as it looks to modernize and expand key capabilities, reports C4ISRNET. The program is eyeing its newly reorganized portfolios — including ground-based air defense, expeditionary radars and light armored vehicles — to build upon existing technology.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs said that 1 million claims have been granted for benefits under the toxic exposure law that Congress approved less than two years ago, following the military’s use of open-air burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, reports Maryland Matters. The VA has approved 19,274 of the 31,440 claims filed by veterans in Maryland and an additional 3,072 people have enrolled in VA health care, according to VA data.
Maryland’s land conservation organizations have reached their goal for protecting nature from development — and they’ve done it six years ahead of schedule, reports Bay Journal. Under the Maryland the Beautiful Act of 2023, the state set targets of conserving 30% of its land by 2030 and 40% by 2040. The state has met 30% of the goal with a total of 1.85 million acres put under protection.
NASA and the Government Accountability Office topped a recent federal employees survey looking for the best places to work, reports ABC News. NASA has held the top spot for 12 years. Agency administrator Bill Nelson praised the staff as a “team of wizards.” The survey uses information from the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Wayne Kacher Jr., owner of Baltimore County contracting companies, was convicted of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud nonprofit internet provider Maryland Broadband Cooperative, reports The Baltimore Sun via MSN. Kacher had been arrested in May 2021 in the case involving the broadband nonprofit’s former CEO William Mitchell using money from MdBC for his personal use, The Sun reported at the time. Mitchell was accused of taking money from a US Navy contract to build out fiber optic cable from Wallops Island, VA, to NAS Pax River.
Contracts:
The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ003424D0003) valued at $500,000,000. The purpose of the contract is to provide for operation of the University of Maryland Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security University Affiliated Research Center and serve as the primary sponsor contract. The University of Maryland will execute activities consistent with the University Affiliate Research Center mission and provide essential research and development capabilities in human and social systems applied artificial intelligence, automation, and augmentation, and advanced computing and emerging technologies for a wide variety of security and intelligence applications. This vehicle will enable the contractor to respond to evolving government requirements; maintain comprehensive knowledge of government requirements and problems; and acquire broad access to necessary information, including proprietary data, to meet and anticipate the government’s current and future needs. The contracting agency is Washington Headquarters Agency, Alexandria, Virginia.
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,898,028 task order modification (P00009) to previously awarded contract FA8650-21-F-1007 for research and development for Open Digital Automated Architecture. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by April 16, 2025. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $804,394 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Dynamic-HHS JV LLC, Winnebago, Nebraska (HT940824D0001); Forefront Healthcare LLC, St. Clair Shores, Michigan (HT940824D0002); Frontline King George JV LLC, Silver Spring, Maryland (HT940824D0003); IG Solutions LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina (HT940824D0004); Main Building Maintenance Inc, San Antonio, Texas (HT940824D0005); Teya Support Services LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (HT940824D0006); TFOM Corp., Austin, Texas (HT940824D0007); Titan Facility Services LLC, Gilbert, Arizona (HT940824D0008); Truleader Services JV LLC, Grovetown, Georgia (HT940824D0009); and The Victor Group Inc., San Antonio, Texas (HT940824D0010) have been awarded these healthcare environmental cleaning (HEC) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts with an estimated combined value of $4,100,000,000. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) supports the delivery of integrated, cost effective, and high-quality health services to military beneficiaries of the Military Health System (MHS). Patient care services are provided in a variety of settings within the MHS, including military clinics, hospitals, and medical centers, which are collectively referred to as military medical treatment facilities (MTF). The DHA Enterprise requires highly specialized healthcare environmental cleaning services, conforming to the highest standards of quality and complying strictly with all applicable certification requirements and with rigorous and exacting medical industry standards for maintaining an aseptic space for the administration of healthcare ranging from clinical to surgical. The DHA Enterprise HEC multiple-award contracts will provide such services for MTFs in the US, and outlying areas such as Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and minor outlying islands. The highly specialized, aseptic cleaning services to be acquired are Q901-healthcare environmental cleaning, defined as “cleanliness, disinfection and aesthetic maintenance of public and patient care spaces within Department of Defense MTFs.” The contractor is responsible for the performance of the entire scope of HEC operations including management activities such as planning, scheduling, cost accounting, report preparation and submission, establishing and maintaining records, quality control, and performance management. The period of performance is June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2031. This competitive acquisition was a total small business set aside and was solicited through sam.gov, with 13 proposals originally received. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $2,500 to each awardee was obligated at time of award. The Defense Health Agency, Southern Markets Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.
Qbase LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a sole source, fixed-price contract (HT001524C0006) with a value of $13,925,414. This contract provides network sustainment and deployment support services to Military Health System military treatment facilities inside and outside the continental US. This work includes functions such as network performance measurement and monitoring, assistance with network design and development, network measurement, customer service in the form of trouble tracking and troubleshooting at the Tier 0 level, onsite support for both contractor and government support teams for escalated trouble tickets, as well as maintenance and sparing support. This is a six-month base contract with one six-month option period, with a June 27, 2025, performance completion date. The base year is funded with fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,833,617. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded May 23, 2024.)
Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $143,330,865 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-6419) for the production, spares, production support material, engineering support, and hardware repair of components for MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo All Up Round in support of the MK 48 MOD 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. This contract combines purchases to support the Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Bedford, Indiana (80%); and Middletown, Rhode Island (20%), and is expected to be completed by July 2027. Multiple lines of funding totaling $141,543,379 to include fiscal 2024 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $101,894,602 (72%); fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,832,118 (8%); and Foreign Partner Funds in the amount of $28,816,659 (20%), will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
FFI Aerospace and Defense, doing business as Flight Fab, Westminster, Maryland, is awarded a $13,866,723 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of plastic waste processing equipment for use on Navy Ships. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facility in Westminster, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by May 2029. Fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $665,770 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-24-D-4008).
Elbit Systems of America–Night Vision LLC, Roanoke, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviator’s night vision imaging system support. The was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in the Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The ordering period end date is May 23, 2029. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen, Maryland (SPRBL1-24-D-0006).
National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,642,500 modification (P00010) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-21-D-B112) with four one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform pants. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Tennessee, with a June 9, 2025, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wisconsin, is awarded a $1,044,529,113 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-20-C-2300) to exercise options for detail design and construction of two Constellation-class guided-missile frigates, FFG 66 and FFG 67. Work will be performed in Marinette, Wisconsin (51%); Camden, New Jersey (17%); Chicago, Illinois (7%); Green Bay, Wisconsin (4%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (3%); Hauppauge, New York (3%); Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (3%); Cincinnati, Ohio (3%); Kaukauna, Wisconsin (2%); Charlotte, North Carolina (2%); Bethesda, Maryland (2%); Millersville, Maryland (2%); and Atlanta, Georgia (1%), and is expected to be completed by April 2030. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,044,529,113 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Conquest USA Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a maximum-value $176,083,405 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity asphalt paving and minor concrete contract for various government sites in the Hampton Roads area. An initial task order is being awarded for $5,000 to satisfy the minimum guarantee. Work will be performed in the greater Hampton Roads, Virginia, area and is expected is to be completed by May 2029. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with two offers received. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-24-D-0062).
Civileon Research and Technology LLC, Centreville, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, single award contract (M6739924D0002) for the Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group (MCTOG) training support. This contract provides for training support services for the Marine Corps authorized programs or projects of record in 14 technical areas that are implemented across MCTOG and the Training Education Command. Work will be performed at Twentynine Palms, California, with an expected completion date of Aug. 25, 2029. The contract includes a five-year ordering period and a six-month extension under Federal Acquisition Regulation clause 52.217-8 with a maximum value of $47,995,814. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $3,500 is being obligated under the contract’s initial task order to fund the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website with four proposals received. The Regional Contracting Office, Twentynine Palms, California, is the contracting activity.
FFI Aerospace and Defense, doing business as Flight Fab, Westminster, Maryland, is awarded a $13,866,723 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of plastic waste processing equipment for use on navy ships. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facility in Westminster, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by May 2029. Fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $665,770 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-24-D-4008).
K&K JL Services Inc., Concord, California, was awarded an $11,969,643 firm-fixed-price contract in support of Joint Base Langley-Eustis’ (JBLE) grounds maintenance services. This contract provides non-personal services to include all personnel, equipment, tools, supervision, and other items and services necessary to ensure that grounds maintenance is performed at JBLE in a manner that will ensure habitat management in accordance with the JBLE Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard plan, promote the growth of healthy grass, trees, shrubs, and plants, and present a clean, neat, and professional appearance. Work will be performed on Fort Eustis, Newport News, Virginia, and Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 8, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,205,354 are being obligated at time of award. 633rd Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4800-24-F-0042).
Leota Professional Resources LLC, Lanham, Maryland, was awarded a $10,527,348 firm-fixed-price contract for dining facility attendant contract services. This contract provides for project management, transportation, tools, supplies, equipment, and labor necessary to perform the mess attendant services required in dining facilities at buildings B140 and B759. Work will be performed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2029. This contract was a competitive 8(a) set-aside posted on the Government Point of Entry and ten proposals were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $615,698 are being obligated at time of award. 633rd Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4800-24-C-0009).
