Vet Suicides Could Be Double Earlier Reports
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’ suicide rate may be double annual federal estimates, reports Military Times, the result of under-counting drug overdose deaths and service record errors, according to a new analysis just released. Officials from America’s Warrior Partnership, in a joint study with University of Alabama and Duke University, reviewed census death data from 2014 to 2018 for eight states and found thousands of cases of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in federal calculations.
China sanctions the CEOs of Raytheon and Boeing over the potential $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, reports Breaking Defense. The Biden administration, through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, approved earlier this month, a series of potential sales, including more than $665 million in advanced radar-related tech primarily made by Raytheon and more than $350 million in Harpoon missiles and equipment made by Boeing. It is unclear what practical impact the sanctions will have on Raytheon Technologies CEO Gregory Hayes and Boeing Defense, Space & Security CEO Ted Colbert, who Beijing said were “involved” in the deals. Previous similar sanctions were seen mostly as symbolic, according to The Associated Press.
Maryland Matters reports on legislation, momentum, and money converging to force Maryland to establish the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project. Next phase determines rail or bus. Advocates insist the region deserves a light rail line, saying it would draw more riders and lead to more job creation.
Valley Protein, a chicken rendering plant on the Eastern Shore will fix water and air pollution violations and pay a penalty, reports The Bay Journal. Maryland regulators and three environmental groups have reached an out-of-court settlement with the owner of Valley Protein, to fix wastewater treatment violations at its Linkwood plant, curb polluted runoff from the site, and investigate whether its pollution is seeping into groundwater.
Trial to start for sailor accused of setting Navy warship USS Bonhomme Richard on fire, reports Military Times. Ryan Sawyer Mays has been charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He has denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors say he was a young, arrogant sailor angry about being assigned to deck duty after failing to become a Navy SEAL — and he made the Navy pay in a big way.
China is testing a magnet-powered floating car that goes up to 143 miles per hour—take a look on CNBC. Chinese researchers at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan province, performed road tests last week for modified passenger cars that use magnets to float 35 millimeters above a conductor rail, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Einstein’s theory of relativity passes yet another huge test, reports CNET.com. In 1916, Albert Einstein declared Isaac Newton wrong, gravity did not emanate from Earth; rather, space and time are twisted in an interdimensional grid and because we exist inside this intangible grid our bodies experience the facade of a force holding us to the ground. His peers called his Theory of Relativity “absurd,” but this test marks yet another validation of Einstein’s premise.
The Air Force celebrated 75 years with a birthday showcase, reports Military Times. The service traces its history back to 1907, when the earliest version was created as part of the Signal Corps. The showcase, at Audi Field in Washington, DC, included musical performances and special recognition to veterans, including James H. Harvey III, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen from World War II, and a flyover by the Air Force’s Thunderbirds.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid tribute to the USAF 75th Anniversary wearing Air Force One jackets on Saturday as they departed Joint Base Andrews on their way to attend the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, reports CNN. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed legislation aboard the first dedicated presidential aircraft, officially establishing the US Air Force as a branch of the military.
The Air Force discloses procurement fraud probe, but provides few details, reports Military Times. The Air Force has been quietly investigating potential procurement fraud for nearly two years, service officials has revealed. The Office of Special Investigations opened its probe in January 2021, spokesperson Linda Card told Air Force Times. She declined to provide details on the scope of the case or whether fraudulent products were used in military aircraft. “This investigation is still open and ongoing,” Card said. “Complex fraud investigations like this one generally take a very long time to conclude.”
US engineer Mark Frerichs, a hostage since 2020, has been swapped for an Afghan leader linked to Taliban, reports BBC. The Taliban released Frerichs in exchange for Bashir Noorzai, an Afghan tribal leader held in US custody since 2005 and serving a life sentence for drug trafficking. Frerichs was handed over at Kabul airport on Monday, according to the Taliban.
Poland intends to acquire almost 100 new attack helicopters, having selected the Boeing AH-64E Apache for its long-running Kruk requirement, reports Flight Global.
Germany has made a preliminary decision to buy Israel’s Arrow 3 air-defense system instead of a rival product manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., reports Bloomberg.
A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet flew with a Northrop Grumman AAQ-28(v) Litening Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) for the first time last week, after it was selected to replace Raytheon ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pods across the USN Super Hornet fleet earlier this year, reports AustralianDefence.com. Naval Air Systems Command released a request for replacing ATFLIR in 2019.
COVID-19 dismissals are suspended for Marines seeking religious exemptions, reports Marine Times, similar to what the Navy did earlier this year, administrative actions are being suspended. The guidance follows a preliminary injunction that a US federal district court judge issued in August blocking the Marine Corps from separating, discharging or retaliating against any Marine for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds, provided they meet certain qualifications.
Contracts:
Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a hybrid firm-fixed-price/labor hour call order in the amount of $138,077,939 under Carahsoft’s Department of Defense Enterprise Software Initiative blanket purchase agreement N6600119A0120 for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). The call order, HS0021-21-F-0073, provides DCSA ServiceNow licenses, learning credits, and implementation and tailoring services. One quotation was received for this call order. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion of Sept. 16, 2027 (with options). Fiscal 2022 DCSA defense working capital funds in the amount of $19,392,903; and operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,878,162 were obligated at the time of award. The cumulative face value of the contract to date is $138,077,939. DCSA Acquisition and Contracting, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Strategic Analysis Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $14,446,314 modification (P00025) to previously awarded contract HR0011-19-F-0101 for engineering, artificial intelligence / machine learning, social science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, materials and front office technical and administrative support services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $43,956,836 from $29,510,522. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of September 2023. Fiscal 2022 funds are being obligated in the amount of $5,456,445. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Chimes District of Columbia Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $7,826,887 modification to exercise an option year on a firm-fixed-price contract (HQ003422C0009) to provide custodial services to the Pentagon’s third and fourth floors. The total amount of this action if all options are exercised is $96,137,612, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2031. Fiscal 2022 Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving Funds in the amount of $7,826,887 are being obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed at the Pentagon. Chimes District of Columbia Inc. is an AbilityOne contractor. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $26,448,240 firm-fixed-price modification (P00072) to previously awarded contract FA8615-17-C-6047 for Active Electronically Scanned Array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification is for the exercise of an option to include 13 production radars. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be completed July 31, 2025. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,244,428,218. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $26,448,240 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
MetroStar Systems Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $155,000,000 single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M95494-22-D-0013) with a five-year ordering period in order to provide the Marine Corps Technology Services Organization with Business Information Systems support services. This contract includes a five-year ordering period with a maximum value of $155,000,000. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana (99%); and various places below one percent (1%). Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $5,925,411 will be obligated at the time of award. Subsequent funding will be provided on a task order basis with an estimated ordering period expiration date of September 2027. This contract was competitively solicited on the System for Award Management website, with three proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
ManTech Advanced Systems International Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $99,341,433 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for ongoing engineering and technical services, to include research, development, integration, analysis, acquisition, and technical training support, as well as configuration management, technical and programmatic documentation development, program management, and project planning in support of the Naval Air Systems Command Weaponeering Integration, Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization, Naval Aviation Technical Information Product Team. Work will be performed in Oceana, Virginia (26%); Herndon, Virginia (18%); Patuxent River, Maryland (17%); LeMoore, California (17%); Whidbey, Washington (17%); and Fallon, Nevada (5%), and is expected to be completed in September 2027. 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; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Aviation Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042122D0101).
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $51,700,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure the final 51 Advanced Capabilities Mission Computers retrofit kits (49 kits for EA-18G aircraft and two kits for software integration labs) in support of meeting the Navy’s mission requirements for the EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Bloomington, Minnesota (68.3%); St. Louis, Missouri (21.8%); and Linthicum Heights, Maryland (9.9%), and is expected to be completed in September 2025. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,150,980; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,233,333; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,315,686 will be obligated at the time of award, $23,315,686 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii)(B). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001922C0013).
Gibbs & Cox Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N6449822D4008); HII Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N64498-22-D-4009); NDI Engineering Co.,* Thorofare, New Jersey (N64498-22-D-4010); Noblis Mission Solutions for Defense LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N64498-22-D-4011); and VISTA Technology Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N64498-22-D-4012), are awarded a combined $47,458,616 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of engineering and technical services for the design of small to large-scale test sites at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD). The procurement includes design planning for hull, mechanical, and electrical systems and equipment, the DDG-51 land-based engineering site, and current and future test sites at NSWCPD and the required design support may range in scope from design of small test stands to full scale land based test and engineering sites, replicating actual shipboard systems and ancillary equipment to be installed at NSWCPD. Each awardee will be awarded $500 (minimum contract guarantee per awardee) at contract award. Work will be performed primarily off-site at the contractor’s facilities, in either New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Virginia (83%). The remaining work will be performed at the government site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (15%); and other government sites (2%) including Washington, D.C.; Newport News, Virginia; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Bath, Maine; Bremerton, Washington; Marinette, Wisconsin; and other sites as directed. Work will be assigned according to the selected awardee for individual task orders and is expected to be completed by September 2028. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and evaluation appropriation account funds in the amount of $500.00 will be obligated at time of award. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $28,599,980 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for maintenance and installation services for intrusion detection, fire dialer communication, card access, and closed-circuit television systems for approximately 300 buildings at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Webster Field Annex, and Naval Recreation Center Solomons Annex, Maryland. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (70%); St. Inigoes, Maryland (28%); and Solomons, Maryland (2%), and is expected to be completed in August 2027. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Aviation Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042122D0099).Acuity International LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $21,621,150 firm-fixed-price contract for medical examination services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 19, 2027. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-22-D-0016).
Acuity International LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $21,621,150 firm-fixed-price contract for medical examination services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 19, 2027. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-22-D-0016).
