13 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 12, 2020

AIR FORCE

Canadian Commercial Corp., Ottawa, Canada, has been awarded a $225,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for F-138 engine and component depot repair. This contract provides the Air Force with the depot repair support required for the F-138 engine and components. Work will be performed at Richmond, British Columbia, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 11, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of below $1,118,975 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8124-20-D-0004).

The Victor Group, San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $10,564,430 modification (P00016) to previously-awarded contract FA8052-18-C-0010 for Healthcare Aseptic Management Services to exercise Option Year One for medical aseptic housekeeping, waste management and linen management. Work will be performed at Dover Air Force Base (AFB), Delaware; Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts; Andrews AFB, Maryland; Bolling AFB, Washington, District of Columbia; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Langley AFB, Virginia; Scott AFB, Illinois; Whiteman AFB, Missouri; Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, and is expected to be completed Feb. 13 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,564,430 will be obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative value of this contract including Option One is $24,234,322. The 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Main Building Maintenance Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $10,400,074 modification (P00015) to contract FA8052-18-C-0006 for Healthcare Aseptic Management Services to exercise Option Year One for medical aseptic housekeeping, waste management and linen management. Work will be performed at the Air Force Academy, Colorado; Buckley Air Force Base (AFB), Colorado; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Schriever AFB, Colorado; Beale AFB, California; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Fairchild AFB, Alaska; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; FE Warren AFB, Wyoming; Hill AFB, Utah; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; McConnell AFB, Kansas; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Nellis AFB, Nevada; and Offutt AFB, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed on Feb. 13, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,400,074 will be obligated at time of award. The total cumulative value for this contract, not including Option One, is $9,677,258. The 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Titan Facility Services LLC, Gilbert, Arizona, has been awarded a $10,012,679 modification (P00019) to contract FA8052-18-C-0009 for Healthcare Aseptic Management Services to exercise Option Year One for medical aseptic housekeeping, waste management and linen management. Work will be performed at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB), Arkansas; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; Keesler AFB, Mississippi; Eglin AFB, Florida; Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida; MacDill AFB, Florida; Tyndall AFB, Florida; Patrick AFB, Florida; Charleston AFB, South Carolina; Shaw AFB, South Carolina; Moody AFB, Georgia; Robins AFB, Georgia; Columbus AFB, Mississippi; Altus AFB, Oklahoma; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; and Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed Feb. 13, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,012,679 will be obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative value of this contract including Option One is $19,858,371. The 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

TFOM HHS Group JV, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a $9,843,221 modification (P00010) to contract FA8052-19-C-A002 for Healthcare Aseptic Management Services to exercise Option Year One for medical aseptic housekeeping, waste management and linen management. Work will be performed at Cannon Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico; Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Luke AFB, Arizona; Dyess AFB, Texas; Goodfellow AFB, Texas; Lackland AFB, Texas; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Randolph AFB, Texas; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Los Angeles AFB, California; Edwards AFB, California; and Vandenberg AFB, California, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 13, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds for $9,843,221 will be obligated at time of award. The total cumulative value of this contract, including Option One is $18,784,172. The 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $40,000,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-only modification to a previously-awarded delivery order N00024-19-F-6201 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-19-D-6200) for the design, prototyping and qualification testing for electronic warfare systems equipment. This effort will award the design of Navy equipment. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be completed by February 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding for $8,207,000 will be obligated at time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $35,874,452 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously-awarded contract (N00024-18-C-5432) for over-the-horizon weapon systems. Under this contract, Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, will manufacture and deliver over-the-horizon weapon systems that consist of encanistered missiles (EM) loaded into launching mechanisms (LM) and a single fire control suite (FCS). This contract consists of firm-fixed-price EMs (tactical, telemetered and inert operational); FCSs; LMs; mission support equipment; training equipment and courses; cost-plus-fixed-fee engineering services; and cost-only travel and other direct costs. Work will be performed in Kongsberg, Norway (75%); Tucson, Arizona (15%); Schrobenhausen, Germany (4%); Raufoss, Norway (3%); McKinney, Texas (2%); and Louisville, Kentucky (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2020 weapon procurement (Navy) for $34,369,290 (95.8%); and other procurement (Navy) for $1,505,162 (4.2%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Childs Engineering Corp.,* Bellingham, Massachusetts, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for underwater and above-water inspection, material condition assessment, engineering and design services in support of sustainment, restoration and modernization and military construction projects at Department of Defense waterfront and ocean facilities at various locations. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: field investigations; underwater inspections; engineering analysis of waterfront and ocean facility structural, mechanical and electrical systems and component conditions in comparison to design requirements, previous inspection reports and/or existing drawings of the facilities; review of construction plans and specifications of engineering features and related work associated with waterfront and ocean facility construction and repair; engineering calculations for structural analysis with or without previous design calculations; failure analysis and forensic engineering; waterfront and ocean facility engineering feasibility studies; design of facility repairs; preparation of design/build requests for proposals and invitation for bid contract plans and specifications; environmental studies in support of permit applications to federal, state, and local regulatory agencies; preparation of required permit documentation; design of underwater instrument and cable arrays, associated power and data cable installation and termination, including fiber optic elements; design of underwater instrument support structures and assemblies; design of termination junction boxes and support structures; design of underwater cable installation using horizontal direction drilling technology, including the establishment of directional drilling monitoring and response criteria to minimize environmental effects of directional drilling; documentation of findings and report preparation; cost estimation for waterfront and ocean facility rehabilitation; construction and installation schedules, development of maintenance action plans, underwater geotechnical and above water surveying. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities predominantly in the U.S. but also worldwide to include Florida (15%); Connecticut (10%); Georgia (10%); Massachusetts (10%); Maine (10%); New Hampshire (10%); New Jersey (10%); Pennsylvania (10%); Rhode Island (10%); Illinois (2%); Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (1%); South Carolina (1%); and Tennessee (1%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2207).

Marine Solutions Inc.,* Nicholasville, Kentucky, is awarded as a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for underwater and above water inspection, material condition assessment, engineering and design services in support of sustainment, restoration and modernization and military construction projects at Department of Defense waterfront and ocean facilities at various locations. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: field investigations, underwater inspections; engineering analysis of waterfront and ocean facility structural, mechanical and electrical systems and component conditions in comparison to design requirements, previous inspection reports and/or existing drawings of the facilities; review of construction plans and specifications of engineering features and related work associated with waterfront and ocean facility construction and repair; engineering calculations for structural analysis with or without previous design calculations; failure analysis and forensic engineering; waterfront and ocean facility engineering feasibility studies; design of facility repairs; preparation of design/build requests for proposals and invitation for bid contract plans and specifications; environmental studies in support of permit applications to federal, state, and local regulatory agencies; preparation of required permit documentation; design of underwater instrument and cable arrays, associated power and data cable installation and termination, including fiber optic elements; design of underwater instrument support structures and assemblies; design of termination junction boxes and support structures; design of underwater cable installation using horizontal direction drilling technology, including the establishment of directional drilling monitoring and response criteria to minimize environmental effects of directional drilling; documentation of findings and report preparation; cost estimation for waterfront and ocean facility rehabilitation; construction and installation schedules, development of maintenance action plans, underwater geotechnical and above water surveying. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities in Mid-Atlantic region including Maryland (40%); Virginia (40%); and Washington, District of Columbia (20%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2208).

Lloyd Collins JV, Houston, Texas, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for underwater and above water inspection, material condition assessment, engineering and design services in support of sustainment, restoration and modernization and military construction projects at Department of Defense waterfront and ocean facilities at various locations. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: field investigations, underwater inspections; engineering analysis of waterfront and ocean facility structural, mechanical and electrical systems and component conditions in comparison to design requirements, previous inspection reports and/or existing drawings of the facilities; review of construction plans and specifications of engineering features and related work associated with waterfront and ocean facility construction and repair; engineering calculations for structural analysis with or without previous design calculations; failure analysis and forensic engineering; waterfront and ocean facility engineering feasibility studies; design of facility repairs; preparation of design/build requests for proposals and invitation for bid contract plans and specifications; environmental studies in support of permit applications to federal, state, and local regulatory agencies; preparation of required permit documentation; design of underwater instrument and cable arrays, associated power and data cable installation and termination, including fiber optic elements; design of underwater instrument support structures and assemblies; design of termination junction boxes and support structures; design of underwater cable installation using horizontal direction drilling technology, including the establishment of directional drilling monitoring and response criteria to minimize environmental effects of directional drilling; documentation of findings and report preparation; cost estimation for waterfront and ocean facility rehabilitation; construction and installation schedules, development of maintenance action plans, underwater geotechnical and above water surveying. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities in various states to include Florida (28%); California (25%); Hawaii (25%); Texas (15%); Louisiana (5%); and Mississippi (2%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2209).

Appledore Marine Engineering LLC,* Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for underwater and above water inspection, material condition assessment, engineering and design services in support of sustainment, restoration and modernization and military construction projects at Department of Defense waterfront and ocean facilities at various locations. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: field investigations, underwater inspections; engineering analysis of waterfront and ocean facility structural, mechanical and electrical systems and component conditions in comparison to design requirements, previous inspection reports and/or existing drawings of the facilities; review of construction plans and specifications of engineering features and related work associated with waterfront and ocean facility construction and repair; engineering calculations for structural analysis with or without previous design calculations; failure analysis and forensic engineering; waterfront and ocean facility engineering feasibility studies; design of facility repairs; preparation of design/build request for proposals and invitation for bid contract plans and specifications; environmental studies in support of permit applications to federal, state, and local regulatory agencies; preparation of required permit documentation; design of underwater instrument and cable arrays, associated power and data cable installation and termination, including fiber optic elements; design of underwater instrument support structures and assemblies; design of termination junction boxes and support structures; design of underwater cable installation using horizontal direction drilling technology, including the establishment of directional drilling monitoring and response criteria to minimize environmental effects of directional drilling; documentation of findings and report preparation; cost estimation for waterfront and ocean facility rehabilitation; and construction and installation schedules, development of maintenance action plans, underwater geotechnical and above water surveying. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the Northwest states and all Pacific U.S. territories including Washington state (80%); Alaska and American Pacific territories (18%); and Oregon (2%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2210).

Jacobs Government Services Co., Irvine, California, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for underwater and above water inspection, material condition assessment, engineering and design services in support of sustainment, restoration and modernization and military construction projects at Department of Defense waterfront and ocean facilities at various locations outside of the continental U.S. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: field investigations, underwater inspections; engineering analysis of waterfront and ocean facility structural, mechanical and electrical systems and component conditions in comparison to design requirements, previous inspection reports and/or existing drawings of the facilities; review of construction plans and specifications of engineering features and related work associated with waterfront and ocean facility construction and repair; engineering calculations for structural analysis with or without previous design calculations; failure analysis and forensic engineering; waterfront and ocean facility engineering feasibility studies; design of facility repairs; preparation of design/build requests for proposals and invitation for bid contract plans and specifications; environmental studies in support of permit applications to federal, state, and local regulatory agencies; preparation of required permit documentation; design of underwater instrument and cable arrays, associated power and data cable installation and termination, including fiber optic elements; design of underwater instrument support structures and assemblies; design of termination junction boxes and support structures; design of underwater cable installation using horizontal direction drilling technology, including the establishment of directional drilling monitoring and response criteria to minimize environmental effects of directional drilling; documentation of findings and report preparation; cost estimation for waterfront and ocean facility rehabilitation; construction and installation schedules, development of maintenance action plans, underwater geotechnical and above water surveying. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2211).

Client Solution Architects LLC, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $7,560,402 modification to a previously-awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee task order issued by the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. This modification increases the value of the basic contract by $7,560,402; the contract's new total value is $26,964,672. This modification provides for the exercise of a cost-plus-fixed-fee option for an additional year of acquisition management, program management and integrated logistics support services for the Undersea Communications and Integration Program Office. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N); research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and other procurement (Navy) funds for $1,530,328 will be obligated at the time of award. O&M, N funds for $374,000 will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by February 2021. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-17-F-3001).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Carter Industries,* Olive Hill, Kentucky, has been awarded a maximum $30,294,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for men's and women's sage-green flyer coveralls. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is an 18-month base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Kentucky, with an Aug. 11, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-1238).

ARMY

Bencor Global Inc., Frisco, Texas, was awarded a $24,500,000 modification (P00031) to contract W911WN-14-C-0002 for work related to East Branch Dam Cutoff Wall. Work will be performed in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 7, 2020. Fiscal 2020 funds in the amount of $24,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Crosby Dredging LLC, Galliano, Louisiana, was awarded a $12,492,900 firm-fixed-price contract to dredge and remove approximately 1.3 million cubic yards of shoal material from the Turning and Anchorage Basin in the Sabine Neches Waterway. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Port Arthur, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 11, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-20-C-0004).

*Small business

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2082835/source/GovDelivery/

Sur le même sujet

  • One KC-46 delivery has been halted due to electrical system problems

    2 octobre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    One KC-46 delivery has been halted due to electrical system problems

    Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force halted a delivery of the KC-46 yet again after problems with the electrical system were found on one new tanker slated to make its way to the service. The issue was first disclosed during an Oct. 1 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said that a KC-46 that was supposed to have been delivered Sept. 25 by Boeing to Pease Air National Guard Base had been delayed. “They just learned that that delivery was canceled due to electrical problems with the aircraft,” she said to Ellen Lord, the Pentagon's top acquisition official. In a statement, Boeing said a “minor electrical issue” on a single KC-46 was found by the company during acceptance tests. “In flight, one of the radar warning receivers is indicating a fault through the plane's fault management system,” Boeing spokesman Larry Chambers said. “We think it may be a poor electrical connection that needs to be re-seated. We are currently evaluating a fix. Resolving this has caused a minor delay to delivery of this single airplane. Boeing expects to conclude this activity within the next several days and is working with the Air Force on a new delivery schedule.” The issue is not a design or safety-of-flight issue that would pose risk to the aircrew, he added. But Shaheen, speaking at the hearing, expressed frustration with Boeing over its repeated difficulties designing and building the new tankers, with challenges over the life span of the program that have included wiring issues and problems with the vision system that allows boom operators to safely refuel other planes. “I've spoken to a whole number of officials from Boeing from our military leadership as recently as last week with Gen. [Jacqueline] Van Ovost, who is the head of Air Mobility Command, all of whom have assured me that we've had good conversations between the [Department of Defense] and Boeing, and that the problems are being worked out. We're not going to continue to see these challenges,” Shaheen said. “And yet we've got another aircraft that's not being delivered because of another problem. So how do we fix this? Because it is an ongoing challenge that's affecting our ability to our national security, long term if we don't get these refueling tankers up and running.” Lord responded that KC-46 problems have included design and engineering flaws as well as issues occurring during the manufacturing of the jet. “The KC 46 has been an extremely problematical program. I speak with Leanne Caret, the CEO of the defense side of Boeing, on a regular basis about it,” Lord said. “One issue is frankly the technical solution. That was the original design [and] is now being redesigned, but also we have had a myriad of manufacturing issues with [foreign object debris] and other issues.” However, she said the root cause of the problems is the fixed-price firm contract used for the KC-46 program, which makes Boeing financially responsible for any costs beyond the $4.9 billion ceiling. So far, Boeing has spent more than $4.7 billion in company funds on the KC-46 program — almost equivalent to the Air Force's own investment in the program. The Air Force plans to buy 179 tankers, 38 of which have already been delivered to the service. Seven KC-46s have gone to Pease ANGB. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/10/01/kc-46-deliveries-have-been-halted-due-to-electrical-system-problems/

  • COVID-19 Federal Funds, Benefits Lag For National Guard

    9 avril 2020 | International, Terrestre

    COVID-19 Federal Funds, Benefits Lag For National Guard

    President Trump has authorized only 34 states to receive federal funding and benefits for their Guard troops. While all of them get paid -- many out of rapidly depleting state coffers -- most aren't yet getting full health coverage. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR WASHINGTON: Legal arcana and the narrow wording of President Trump's orders are complicating the mobilization of National Guard troops to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus. The Pentagon, the White House, and the states are working urgently to increase the number of troops with federal funding and full benefits, said Gen. Joseph Lengyel, the four-star chief of the National Guard Bureau, in a phone briefing with reporters this afternoon. Part of the problem is that President Trump has not actually authorized federal funding and benefits for every state. Only 34 states and three territories are currently covered by his call-up orders, with 16 states and the District of Columbia still ineligible. (The full list is at the end of this article). Indeed, it's not clear that all states have even requested federal support for their Guard troops, especially in rural areas where the spread of the virus has been slower and suspicion of the federal government can be high. Even once the president authorizes a given state, FEMA must still approve each request for funding. Finally, until yesterday, President Trump's orders only permitted Guard troops to operate under federal orders for up to 30 days – one day too short to qualify for federal health coverage and other benefits. So how many servicemembers are affected? 28,400 personnel from both the Army and Air National Guard have been called up to help with the pandemic, Lengyel reported, a figure that's now rising by more than 1,000 troops every day. However, more than 13,000 of those troops are currently mobilized under state legal authorities, at their states' expense. While their pay in this status is usually consistent with federal payscales — some states are less generous – their benefits are typically limited to basic workers' compensation. Worse, whatever they get may not be sustainable since state coffers are being rapidly depleted by the crisis. Not quite 11,000 are currently mobilized under Title 32, Section 502(f), which allows state governors to retain command-and-control of their Guard in local emergencies but provides federal funding – a number that is “growing rapidly,” Lengyel said. But even among Guard troops on those federal Title 32 orders, it appears that most don't yet enjoy the same benefits as members of the regular active-duty military and reserve working alongside them. In particular, most Guard troops aren't getting the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), which helps troops on duty far from home pay for lodging if the military can't provide it, and they don't get access to the military's nationwide healthcare network, Tricare. (Guard troops can go to military hospitals for free, but few of the coronavirus hotspots they've been called to are anywhere near a base). Some 349 Guard troops have tested positive for COVID-19, although many of those were infected in civilian life and aren't being called up. Why aren't all troops on federal orders already? And why aren't all the troops on federal orders getting full benefits? That has to do with the often-obscure laws governing the National Guard and the way President Trump has chosen to invoke them. First, Trump hasn't yet authorized federally funded Title 32 call-ups across the country. Instead, on March 22, he authorized them only for Washington State, California, and New York – the three initial hotspots – and then began adding states a few at a time in subsequent orders on March 28, March 30th, April 2nd and April 7th. “FEMA generally gives shorter duration mission assignments, normally two weeks,” Lengyel explained, since most domestic disasters take less than a month to resolve. “We in the National Bureau and the Department of Defense saw this [coronavirus] clearly is going to go into May and maybe beyond, [but] FEMA was restricted [in] writing the mission assignments to what was authorized in the presidential memorandum. “I don't want to speculate on why they chose 30 days, but the difference between 30 and 31 is significant,” the general said. “We recommended a longer period of time at the beginning.” The National Guard Association of the US, an influential independent advocacy groups for Guard units, members, and families, has been watching the situation intently and pressing for an expansion of the Title 32 orders. Consistency has been lacking, lamented John Goheen, NGAUS's chief spokesman: “It's really a patchwork as you look around the country, and states are going to interpret things differently. “Section 502(f) of Title 32 was never designed for this. As a result, we are seeing of lot of bureaucratic obstacles and inflexibility,” Goheen told me this afternoon. “Case in point is the limitation on the number of days. NGAUS will be looking to change the law in the future to provide more flexibility.” The last time Title 32 was used on such a scale was Hurricane Katrina, Goheen said “There were some concerns [after Katrina] about the Defense Department being reimbursed so the Defense Department's been reluctant to use it,” he said. However reluctant the Pentagon bureaucracy in general may be, Gen. Lengyel made clear he is trying to fix the situation. “We're authorized now to bring on up to 44,000 total members of the National Guard covered under ...Title 32 ... which gives them federal pay but state control, and now — because the [April 7th] memorandum allows them to be covered for up to 31 days — they will have full insurance and medical benefits,” he said. But troops who were authorized earlier on shorter orders will have to be switched to 31 days, and making sure all new call-ups are for 31, is an ongoing process, Lengyel acknowledged: “There was some sand in the gears on making sure that we had the cost figures right so that FEMA had the exact numbers.” Meanwhile, he said, his staff and the states have started planning for the annual hurricane season. “By hurricane season, which starts in June, obviously, we're hopeful this begins to lull,” he said, “[but] we in fact are looking at implications of what it might be like to do a hurricane response in a COVID environment.” His staff and the states Guard headquarters, he said, are conducting their planning by telephone and video-teleconference (VTC) instead of the usual in-person meetings. Below is the full list of which states President Trump authorized for federally-funded National Guard callups, by date: March 22, three states: California, New York, and Washington. March 28, five states and two territories: Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey; Guam and Puerto Rico. March 30, three states: Connecticut, Illinois, and Michigan. April 2, 10 states, one territory: Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas; US Virgin Islands. April 7, 13 states: Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/04/covid-19-federal-funds-benefits-lag-for-national-guard

  • Airbus and TNO to Develop Aircraft Laser Communication Terminal
Toutes les nouvelles