March 29, 2024

WWII Warbirds Arrive at Pearl Harbor

Warbirds
Courtesy of US Air Force, photo by Donald R. Allen

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Stars and Stripes has video of the massive cranes hoisting 14 World War II-vintage warplanes from an amphibious assault ship at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, two weeks before they will take to the sky for a series of aerial parades over Oahu to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The Navy’s problems over the last several years have done little to change the average American’s view of the service, according to an internal Navy survey reviewed last week by USNI News. Since 2009, the Navy has maintained a 76% to 82% approval rating with the American public that has been largely unaffected by episodes like the fatal collisions in the Western Pacific in 2017, the ongoing fallout in the service from the federal corruption case against Leonard Francis, a string of incidents in the last several years involving members of the Naval Special Warfare community, and the COVID-19 outbreak aboard carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

The DoD has requested 30 extra days for re-awarding the JEDI cloud contract, reports C4ISRNET. The DoD is currently reviewing new revised proposals for its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract, which it awarded to Microsoft over Amazon Web Services in October last year. In the filing, the DoD said that it “recently identified the need to reopen limited discussions related to certain aspects of the offerors’ pricing proposals.”

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pressing President Donald Trump to restore full federal funding for National Guard forces that are tasked with responding to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic across the US.  The Hill reports that this comes after the president announced last week that he was extending the deployment of National Guard forces until the end of the year, but after Aug. 21, the federal government would go from paying 100% of the deployment costs to 75%, leaving states to foot the remaining 25%.

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Aug. 10, 2020

 

 

When developing the Army’s much-vaunted new service dress uniform, officials took an unprecedented step: They assembled an all-female panel to assess the uniform’s fit and feel and provide feedback. Military.com reports that as a result, the Army’s new Greens uniform will have pants as the default option for women, rather than a skirt, as with previous dress ensembles. While women will still be able to purchase a uniform skirt as an option, the board’s indication of preference was significant, said Col. Stephen Thomas, project manager for soldier survivability at PEO Soldier.

The Air Force is adding 100 more full scholarships for students to attend historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, through its Reserve Officer Training Corps program, the latest move in its efforts to improve diversity in the ranks. The Air Force is also studying the possible effects of removing photos and other identifying information from the packets sent to promotion boards, as DefSec Mark Esper has suggested. Esper and other Pentagon officials have expressed concern that photos of promotion candidates — and possibly even their names or sex — could trigger unconscious bias in those sitting on the selection boards and unintentionally hurt minority or female candidates.

Three soldiers — two from Fort Hood — have been arrested and charged with prostitution involving under-age girls, reports Stars and Stripes. Spc. Anthony Xavier Antwon, 25, and Pfc. Timmy Jones Jr., 30, received a felony charge of prostitution under the age of 18. The third, Staff Sgt. Pierre Jean, 32, received a Class A misdemeanor charge for prostitution. Staff Sgt. Jean, a combat medic, is assigned to the Army Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, about 140 miles south of Killeen, TX, which is located alongside Fort Hood.

The United Kingdom’s economic output shrank by 20.4% in the second quarter of 2020, the worst quarterly slump on record, pushing the country into the deepest recession of any major global economy. CNN reports that this crash in GDP in the April-June period is the worst since quarterly records began in 1955.

Postal workers, unions, and some congressional members are alarmed by new decisions affecting mail delivery, reports NPR. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plans to shake up the agency are gathering opposition. “Mail is beginning to pile up in our offices, and we’re seeing equipment being removed,” said Kimberly Karol, president of the Iowa Postal Workers Union and a postal clerk in Waterloo, IA. Congressional members are concerned about the prospect of big changes at the Postal Service during an election that’s expected to see more mail-in voting than ever before.

The State Department did not fully consider the risk of civilian casualties when it approved more than $8 billion in arms sales to Middle Eastern countries last year, according to a redacted inspector general report. An unredacted version of the report, obtained by POLITICO, also raised questions about SecState Mike Pompeo’s assertions that an emergency situation existed, allowing him to greenlight the sales over congressional objections. The Washington Post reports the State Department announced Pompeo was cleared in a report signed by the acting inspector general finding no violation of the law when Pompeo declared a state of emergency to bypass congressional refusal to approve the arms sale.

Maryland’s seven-day average coronavirus caseload drops to lowest level in weeks, reports The Washington Post. Maryland’s rate dropped Tuesday to 3.5%, the lowest level since the start of the pandemic. Baltimore city and Baltimore County — which had seen a recent rise in infections — notched their lowest positivity rates since late March.

Russian coronavirus vaccine given green light, reports POLITICO. A coronavirus vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute has been approved for use in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to the news agency TASS, but there are concerns that it has not yet been properly tested on humans. The vaccine has skipped one phase of testing in people to help accelerate its development.

Big Ten and Pac-12 are first marquee conferences to postpone football, reports The New York Times. The conferences plan to not play football or other sports this fall, and might attempt to hold seasons in the spring, even as other top leagues were publicly poised to begin games next month. On Fox Sports Radio, President Trump called in to say colleges are “making a tragic mistake” if they cancel their seasons, reports The Washington Post.

Contracts:

Total Technology Inc., Cherry Hill, New Jersey (W15QKN-18-D-0073, P00001); Logisys Technical Services Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15QKN-18-D-0077, P00001); and Pioneering Decisive Solutions Inc., California, Maryland (W15QKN-18-D-0078, P00002), will compete for each order of a $92,992,323 modification for an automated test system testing/diagnostics and netcentric support program. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 20, 2023. US Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

HGL-APTIM JV, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $110,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for environmental construction activities in support of the Welsbach General Gas Mantle Superfund Site in Camden and Gloucester City, Camden County, New Jersey. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 11, 2025. US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-20-D-3003).

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, is awarded a $430,016,852 cost-plus-award-fee, cost reimbursement and firm-fixed-price contract for the operation and maintenance of the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). AUTEC is the Navy’s large-area, deep-water, undersea test and evaluation range. Underwater research, testing and evaluation of anti-submarine weapons, sonar tracking and communications are the predominant activities conducted at AUTEC. The contractor performs AUTEC range operations support services and maintenance of facilities and range systems. In addition, the contractor is responsible for operating a self-sufficient one square mile Navy outpost. Work will be performed on Andros Island, Commonwealth of the Bahamas (64%); and West Palm Beach, Florida (36%), and is expected to be complete by August 2025. With all options exercised, work will continue through August 2030. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and not 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 with six offers received in response to Solicitation No. N66604-18-R-0881. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity (N66604-20-C-0881).

Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Greenbelt, Maryland, is awarded a $149,115,855 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of Hurricane Florence Recovery Package 1 located in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The contract also contains 21 planned modifications and six unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $161,250,305. This project provides replacements for various buildings damaged during Hurricane Florence. The proposed replacements are divided into five separate projects: (1) construction of a 23,000 square foot, two-story security building and a 15,000 square foot, two-story headquarters and headquarters squadron (H&HS) and Marine wing headquarters squadron (MWHS-2) facility. The new security facility will be comprised of the following areas: a command staff, operations division, accident investigation section, special reaction team, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, provost marshal office supply, traffic court, services/administrative division, weapons storage, emergency dispatch center, motor transport, animal control, training, physical security, detention cells, exercise/fitness room, galley/breakroom, and male and female lockers/shower area and bunk rooms. The H&HS and MWHS-2 headquarters facility will consist of administration space for both squadron’s personnel and for the safety and standardization department. Site improvements include demolition, paved roads, parking, and fencing. (2) Construction of a 36,000 square foot vehicle maintenance shop. The new facility will include a vehicle maintenance shop, tool rooms, communication maintenance shop, storage areas, a classroom, exterior elevated vehicle wash rack with associated oil/water separator, enclosed battery storage and administrative offices. Site improvements include roads, parking, utilities, and fencing. (3) Fire stations replacement involving construction of a 32,000 square foot main fire station with five bays and a 12,000 square foot satellite fire station with two bays. Construction will include a fire hose drying rack, storage room, dayroom, training area, dining room, kitchen, exercise room, medical supply storage area, boat storage, administrative space, dispatch center, workroom, laundry, fire extinguisher maintenance room, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) room, toilets and shower rooms for male and females and individual sleeping quarters with personnel lockers. Built-in equipment includes a compressed air system for vehicle maintenance, firefighter gear lockers, overhead vehicle doors, equipment racks, raised flooring, fire pump, vehicle bay radiant heating, grease trap, overhead hose reels, gear washer/dryer/extractor, cascade system for SCBA room testing, public address system, built-in work benches, vehicle exhaust system and emergency generator. Site improvements include utilities, parking, roadway and intersection improvements. (4) Range operations center (ROC) replacement involving construction of a 15,000 square foot ROC to support range management activities at Bombing Target 11. This facility will house the range operations and support center, weapons impact scoring system, electronics maintenance shop, public works maintenance shop, general purpose warehouse and appropriate support spaces. Site improvements include utilities and roadway. The site is only accessible by boat. (5) Station academic facility/auditorium involving construction of a 21,000 square foot general-purpose auditorium to provide an assembly area for instruction, training, and movies. The new facility will include adequate space for instruction/training, entrance and support spaces. Built-in equipment includes a stage, overhead doors, projector, screen, sound system, noise attenuation, seats and retail kitchenette. Site improvements include demolition, utilities and a parking lot. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by August 2025. Fiscal 2019 military construction (MILCON), Marine Corps (MC) contract funds in the amount of $132,325,843; and fiscal 2020 MILCON, MC contract funds in the amount of $16,790,012, are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with 11 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-20-C-0055).

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded a $12,825,294 modification (P00178) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00019-14-C-0067. This modification provides non-recurring and recurring engineering for development and integration of a modified Nose Radome into the P-8A aircraft in support of Lot 10 full rate production VI for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Meza, Arizona (59%); Seattle, Washington (40%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,306,274; and FMS funds in the amount of $5,519,020, will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Deloitte Consulting LLC, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation prime integrator task order (HC102820F2000) for an estimated $106,352,518 to design and build the Joint Common Foundation artificial intelligence development environment for the Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. The period of performance is a one-year base period from Aug. 17, 2020, through Aug. 16, 2021, valued at approximately $31,000,000, with three one-year option periods through August 16, 2024. Work will be performed in the greater Washington, DC, area. The contracting activity is the Defense Information Systems Activity/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $59,296,656 labor-hour contract for comptroller mission systems support. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia; and Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of June 15, 2021. The contract has a 10-month base period with three individual one-year option periods. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition for which one quote was received. Fiscal 2020 defense-wide operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,830,074 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).

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