Gives me goosebumps every single time I hear Mr. Charles sing this song. The utmost respect... "America, The Beautiful"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USfEOblpZt8
Thursday, March 27, 2014
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” ~John Lennon
I need to leave you now. I am sure my co-conspirator is up by now. Don't give her any backtalk ... between her and me, I think we're both ready to hit someone upside the head ... with a 2x4.
With that said ... Good morning, Good Afternoon, and Good evening to each and every one of the 10,790 members of the worldwide PEA family! We are so glad you are with us
I leave you with this...
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” ~Frank Herbert
With that said ... Good morning, Good Afternoon, and Good evening to each and every one of the 10,790 members of the worldwide PEA family! We are so glad you are with us
I leave you with this...
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” ~Frank Herbert
On 27 March 2014, Private Eyes Advocacy Honors...
Pfc. Darrell W. Butts, United States Army
Darrell Wayne Butts was born on March 27, 1948 and hailed from Wichita, Kansas.
During the Vietnam Theater, Darrell Butts was recruited by the United States Army where he achieved the rank of Private First Class.
On June 22, 1967, Pfc Darrell Butts was killed in action in the Kontum province. He was 19 years old.
Darrell Wayne Butts is honored on Panel 22E, Row 36 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Comments at The Wall: We Remember POSTED ON 9/27/09 - BY ROBERT SAGE RSAGE@AUSTIN.RR.COM
Darrell is buried at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas
Comments at The Wall: Jump School Photo POSTED ON 9/5/00 - ERIC BUTTS
(Posted Jump School picture. Before 9/5/2000 there was no picture of record by the VVM).
#HonorTheFallen #PfcDarrellWButts #USArmy #Vietnam#TheWall #Panel22E_Row36 #Military #History #NeverForgotten
Pfc. Darrell W. Butts, United States Army
Darrell Wayne Butts was born on March 27, 1948 and hailed from Wichita, Kansas.
During the Vietnam Theater, Darrell Butts was recruited by the United States Army where he achieved the rank of Private First Class.
On June 22, 1967, Pfc Darrell Butts was killed in action in the Kontum province. He was 19 years old.
Darrell Wayne Butts is honored on Panel 22E, Row 36 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Comments at The Wall: We Remember POSTED ON 9/27/09 - BY ROBERT SAGE RSAGE@AUSTIN.RR.COM
Darrell is buried at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas
Comments at The Wall: Jump School Photo POSTED ON 9/5/00 - ERIC BUTTS
(Posted Jump School picture. Before 9/5/2000 there was no picture of record by the VVM).
#HonorTheFallen #PfcDarrellWButts #USArmy #Vietnam#TheWall #Panel22E_Row36 #Military #History #NeverForgotten
On 27 March 2014 Private Eyes Advocacy Honors...
Medal of Honor Recipient, Lt. Thomas G. Kelly, United States Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Organization: U.S. Navy
Company:
Division: River Assault Division 152
Born: 13 May 1939, Boston, Massachusetts
Departed: No
Entered Service At: Boston, Massachusetts
G.O. Number:
Date of Issue: 05/14/1970
Accredited To: Boston, Massachusetts
Place / Date: Ong Muong Canal, Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 June 1969
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in the afternoon while serving as commander of River Assault Division 152 during combat operations against enemy aggressor forces.
Lt. Comdr. (then Lt.) Kelley was in charge of a column of 8 river assault craft which were extracting 1 company of U.S. Army infantry troops on the east bank of the Ong Muong Canal in Kien Hoa province, when 1 of their moored troop carriers reported a mechanical failure of a loading ramp.
At approximately the same time, Viet Cong forces opened fire from the opposite bank of the canal. After issuing orders for the crippled troop carrier to raise its ramp manually, and for the remaining boats to form a protective cordon around the disabled craft, Lt. Comdr.
Kelley realizing the extreme danger to his column and its inability to clear the ambush site until the crippled unit was repaired, boldly maneuvered the monitor in which he was embarked to the exposed side of the protective cordon in direct line with the enemy's fire, and ordered the monitor to commence firing.
Suddenly, an enemy rocket scored a direct hit on the coxswain's flat, the shell penetrating the thick armor plate, and the explosion spraying shrapnel in all directions.
Sustaining serious head wounds from the blast, which hurled him to the deck of the monitor, Lt. Cmdr. Kelley disregarded his severe injuries and attempted to continue directing the other boats.
Although unable to move from the deck or to speak clearly into the radio, he succeeded in relaying his commands through 1 of his men until the enemy attack was silenced and the boats were able to move to an area of safety.
Lt. Comdr. Kelley's brilliant leadership, bold initiative, and resolute determination served to inspire his men and provide the impetus needed to carry out the mission after he was medically evacuated by helicopter.
His extraordinary courage under fire, and his selfless devotion to duty sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
#HonorOurVeterans #LtThomasGKelly #USNavy #MoH #MedalofHonor #Vietnam #Military #History #NeverForgotten
Medal of Honor Recipient, Lt. Thomas G. Kelly, United States Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Organization: U.S. Navy
Company:
Division: River Assault Division 152
Born: 13 May 1939, Boston, Massachusetts
Departed: No
Entered Service At: Boston, Massachusetts
G.O. Number:
Date of Issue: 05/14/1970
Accredited To: Boston, Massachusetts
Place / Date: Ong Muong Canal, Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 June 1969
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in the afternoon while serving as commander of River Assault Division 152 during combat operations against enemy aggressor forces.
Lt. Comdr. (then Lt.) Kelley was in charge of a column of 8 river assault craft which were extracting 1 company of U.S. Army infantry troops on the east bank of the Ong Muong Canal in Kien Hoa province, when 1 of their moored troop carriers reported a mechanical failure of a loading ramp.
At approximately the same time, Viet Cong forces opened fire from the opposite bank of the canal. After issuing orders for the crippled troop carrier to raise its ramp manually, and for the remaining boats to form a protective cordon around the disabled craft, Lt. Comdr.
Kelley realizing the extreme danger to his column and its inability to clear the ambush site until the crippled unit was repaired, boldly maneuvered the monitor in which he was embarked to the exposed side of the protective cordon in direct line with the enemy's fire, and ordered the monitor to commence firing.
Suddenly, an enemy rocket scored a direct hit on the coxswain's flat, the shell penetrating the thick armor plate, and the explosion spraying shrapnel in all directions.
Sustaining serious head wounds from the blast, which hurled him to the deck of the monitor, Lt. Cmdr. Kelley disregarded his severe injuries and attempted to continue directing the other boats.
Although unable to move from the deck or to speak clearly into the radio, he succeeded in relaying his commands through 1 of his men until the enemy attack was silenced and the boats were able to move to an area of safety.
Lt. Comdr. Kelley's brilliant leadership, bold initiative, and resolute determination served to inspire his men and provide the impetus needed to carry out the mission after he was medically evacuated by helicopter.
His extraordinary courage under fire, and his selfless devotion to duty sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
#HonorOurVeterans #LtThomasGKelly #USNavy #MoH #MedalofHonor #Vietnam #Military #History #NeverForgotten
No: CR-055-14 | March 26, 2014 | CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Siemens Medical Solutions Inc., Malvern, Pa., has been awarded a maximum $1,789,537,539 modification (P00101) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8314) with seven one-year option periods for radiology systems, subsystems, accessories, service, and repair and parts. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Pennsylvania with a March 30, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Hitachi Medical Systems America Inc., Twinsburg, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $90,254,284 modification (P00017) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8331) with seven one-year option periods for radiology systems, components, upgrades, accessories, and installation. This is a fixed-price with economic-price adjustment contract. Location of performance is Ohio with a March 29, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
AIR FORCE
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga., has been awarded a maximum $102,062,349 modification (P00002) exercising option period one on firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8106-13-D-0002) for contractor logistics support services to the C-20 and C-37 fleet for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard funds in the amount of $60,841,191 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
The Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., has been awarded a maximum $33,680,614 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the hypertemporal imaging space experiment payload. The primary objective of the hypertemporal imaging space experiment payload effort is to design, fabricate, test, and deliver a space-flight ready instrument capable of conducting hypertemporal imaging from a geosynchronous earth orbit. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed in January 2017. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,387,630 are being obligated at award. This award is the result of a broad agency announcement, and two proposals were received. Detachment 8, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-14-C-0211).
Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kan., has been awarded a $24,500,000 firm-fixed-price and cost- reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for King Air 350 aircraft maintenance training. Contractor provided training shall be based on standard commercial-off-the shelf configured King Air 350 proline 21 avionics. Work will be performed at New Al-Muthana Airbase, Iraq and Wichita, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This is 100 percent foreign military sales for Iraq. 338 Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-14-D-0003).
Newbegin Enterprise Inc.*, Johnson City, Tenn., has been awarded a $15,000,000 modification (P00005) on indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract (FA4803-11-D-0001) to exercise option year three for U.S. Air Forces Central (USAFCENT) Internet-Based Contractor Operated Part Store. The contract modification provides for the contractor to provide automotive and related vehicle parts, automotive chemicals, corrosion control materials, upholstery material, and accessories for USAFCENT vehicles/equipment located in USAFCENT area of responsibility. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funding for this modification will be issued against individual delivery orders. Work will be performed at Johnson City, Tenn., and is expected to be completed March 31, 2015. 20th Contracting Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., is the contracting activity.
NAVY
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $58,488,748 indefinite-delivery, requirements contract to provide logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance required to support T45TS aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss.; NAS Kingsville, Texas; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. This requirement also includes the support and maintenance of the T-45 aircraft at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (58 percent); Meridian, Miss. (36 percent); and Pensacola, Fla. (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2014. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-14-D-0019).
Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a $39,599,668 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-10-C-0020) for the procurement of 26,495 V-22 flight hours and 26 low power MV-22 repairs under the Mission Care™ contract. Work will be performed in Oakland, Calif. (70 percent) and Indianapolis, Ind. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and U.S. Special Operations funds in the amount of $39,599,668 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
CasePro Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5003); Catalyst Professional Services Inc.*, Colorado Springs, Colo. (N62645-14-D-5004); Cherokee Medical Services LLC*, Stillwell, Okla. (N62645-14-D-5005); Chesapeake Educational Services LLC*, Vienna, Va. (N62645-14-D-5006); OMV Medical Inc., Takoma Park, Md. (N62645-14-D-5007); Professional Performance Development Group Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5008); Saratoga Medical Center Inc.*, Fairfax, Va. (N62645-14-D-5009); TCMP Staffing Services LLC, Springfield, Va. (N62645-14-D-5010) are each being awarded a nine-month, firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award task order bridge contract to continue extending physician, allied health, nursing, technologist, technician and assistant services currently being provided in support of the Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla.; Naval Health Clinic Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, Texas, and their affiliated clinics within Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts combined is $28,000,000. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla. (46 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (44 percent); Corpus Christi, Texas (10 percent) and affiliated clinics within Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, and work is expected to be completed January 31, 2015. Fiscal 2014 Defense Health Program contract funding in the amount of $21,391,455 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $5,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Other funding initiatives such as psychological health/traumatic brain injury, overseas contingency operations and wounded, ill, and injured may be used. These contracts were issued as sole source requirements in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)-only one responsible source or only a limited number of responsible sources. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics-Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Mass., is being awarded a $10,485,397 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6206) for fiscal 2014 and 2015 multi-purpose processor (MPP) cabinet and the Total Ship Monitoring System (TSMS). The contract provides funding for the development and production of the MPPs and TSMS (TI-14) for the U.S. submarine fleet. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Mass. (70 percent), and Fairfax, Va. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy; fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation; and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount $5,736,478 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $10,242,104 modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-13-C-0016) for long-lead components, parts and materials associated with the low rate initial production Lot VIII of eight F135 conventional take off and landing propulsion systems for the governments of Japan (6) and Israel (2). Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (67 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (16.5 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (16.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2016. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,242,104 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the governments of Japan; ($7,681,578; 75 percent); and Israel ($2,560,526; 25 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Detyens Shipyards Inc.*, North Charleston, S.C., is being awarded an $8,529,497 firm-fixed-price contract for a 55-calendar day regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Laramie (T-AO 203). Work will include clean and gas free tanks, voids, and cofferdams; deck non-skid resurfacing; ballast tank preservation, cylinder head and liner overhaul, main engine turbo overhaul, cargo system wire replacement; cargo console mechanical support; auxiliary boiler maintenance and inspection; annual lifeboat certification; house ventilation system cleaning; docking and undocking; propeller system maintenance and hub replacement; overhauling sea valves; and underwater hull cleaning and painting. Laramie’s primary mission is to provide fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel to aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $9,520,492. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C., and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $8,529,497 are obligated and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside, with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two proposals received. The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N32205-14-C-1001).
ARMY
Olin Corp.-Winchester Division, East Alton, Ill., was awarded a $28,748,479 modification (P00036) to contract W52P1J-11-C-0038 to exercise option period three to procure .50 caliber and 5.56mm ammunition. Fiscal 2013 other procurement funds in the amount of $2,132,226 and fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $21,124,202 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Sept 30, 2016. Work will be performed at East Alton, Ill. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Holland and Holland, Hinesville, Ga., was awarded a $9,035,374 modification (P00004) to indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W9124M-12-D-0005 for paving at Fort Stewart, Ga. Funding and performance locations will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Fort Stewart, Ga., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Siemens Medical Solutions Inc., Malvern, Pa., has been awarded a maximum $1,789,537,539 modification (P00101) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8314) with seven one-year option periods for radiology systems, subsystems, accessories, service, and repair and parts. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Pennsylvania with a March 30, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Hitachi Medical Systems America Inc., Twinsburg, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $90,254,284 modification (P00017) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8331) with seven one-year option periods for radiology systems, components, upgrades, accessories, and installation. This is a fixed-price with economic-price adjustment contract. Location of performance is Ohio with a March 29, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
AIR FORCE
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga., has been awarded a maximum $102,062,349 modification (P00002) exercising option period one on firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8106-13-D-0002) for contractor logistics support services to the C-20 and C-37 fleet for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard funds in the amount of $60,841,191 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLB, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
The Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., has been awarded a maximum $33,680,614 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the hypertemporal imaging space experiment payload. The primary objective of the hypertemporal imaging space experiment payload effort is to design, fabricate, test, and deliver a space-flight ready instrument capable of conducting hypertemporal imaging from a geosynchronous earth orbit. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed in January 2017. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,387,630 are being obligated at award. This award is the result of a broad agency announcement, and two proposals were received. Detachment 8, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-14-C-0211).
Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kan., has been awarded a $24,500,000 firm-fixed-price and cost- reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for King Air 350 aircraft maintenance training. Contractor provided training shall be based on standard commercial-off-the shelf configured King Air 350 proline 21 avionics. Work will be performed at New Al-Muthana Airbase, Iraq and Wichita, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This is 100 percent foreign military sales for Iraq. 338 Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-14-D-0003).
Newbegin Enterprise Inc.*, Johnson City, Tenn., has been awarded a $15,000,000 modification (P00005) on indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract (FA4803-11-D-0001) to exercise option year three for U.S. Air Forces Central (USAFCENT) Internet-Based Contractor Operated Part Store. The contract modification provides for the contractor to provide automotive and related vehicle parts, automotive chemicals, corrosion control materials, upholstery material, and accessories for USAFCENT vehicles/equipment located in USAFCENT area of responsibility. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funding for this modification will be issued against individual delivery orders. Work will be performed at Johnson City, Tenn., and is expected to be completed March 31, 2015. 20th Contracting Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., is the contracting activity.
NAVY
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $58,488,748 indefinite-delivery, requirements contract to provide logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance required to support T45TS aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss.; NAS Kingsville, Texas; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. This requirement also includes the support and maintenance of the T-45 aircraft at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (58 percent); Meridian, Miss. (36 percent); and Pensacola, Fla. (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2014. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-14-D-0019).
Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a $39,599,668 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-10-C-0020) for the procurement of 26,495 V-22 flight hours and 26 low power MV-22 repairs under the Mission Care™ contract. Work will be performed in Oakland, Calif. (70 percent) and Indianapolis, Ind. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and U.S. Special Operations funds in the amount of $39,599,668 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
CasePro Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5003); Catalyst Professional Services Inc.*, Colorado Springs, Colo. (N62645-14-D-5004); Cherokee Medical Services LLC*, Stillwell, Okla. (N62645-14-D-5005); Chesapeake Educational Services LLC*, Vienna, Va. (N62645-14-D-5006); OMV Medical Inc., Takoma Park, Md. (N62645-14-D-5007); Professional Performance Development Group Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5008); Saratoga Medical Center Inc.*, Fairfax, Va. (N62645-14-D-5009); TCMP Staffing Services LLC, Springfield, Va. (N62645-14-D-5010) are each being awarded a nine-month, firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award task order bridge contract to continue extending physician, allied health, nursing, technologist, technician and assistant services currently being provided in support of the Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla.; Naval Health Clinic Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, Texas, and their affiliated clinics within Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts combined is $28,000,000. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla. (46 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (44 percent); Corpus Christi, Texas (10 percent) and affiliated clinics within Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, and work is expected to be completed January 31, 2015. Fiscal 2014 Defense Health Program contract funding in the amount of $21,391,455 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $5,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Other funding initiatives such as psychological health/traumatic brain injury, overseas contingency operations and wounded, ill, and injured may be used. These contracts were issued as sole source requirements in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)-only one responsible source or only a limited number of responsible sources. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics-Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Mass., is being awarded a $10,485,397 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6206) for fiscal 2014 and 2015 multi-purpose processor (MPP) cabinet and the Total Ship Monitoring System (TSMS). The contract provides funding for the development and production of the MPPs and TSMS (TI-14) for the U.S. submarine fleet. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Mass. (70 percent), and Fairfax, Va. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy; fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation; and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount $5,736,478 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $10,242,104 modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-13-C-0016) for long-lead components, parts and materials associated with the low rate initial production Lot VIII of eight F135 conventional take off and landing propulsion systems for the governments of Japan (6) and Israel (2). Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (67 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (16.5 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (16.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2016. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,242,104 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the governments of Japan; ($7,681,578; 75 percent); and Israel ($2,560,526; 25 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Detyens Shipyards Inc.*, North Charleston, S.C., is being awarded an $8,529,497 firm-fixed-price contract for a 55-calendar day regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Laramie (T-AO 203). Work will include clean and gas free tanks, voids, and cofferdams; deck non-skid resurfacing; ballast tank preservation, cylinder head and liner overhaul, main engine turbo overhaul, cargo system wire replacement; cargo console mechanical support; auxiliary boiler maintenance and inspection; annual lifeboat certification; house ventilation system cleaning; docking and undocking; propeller system maintenance and hub replacement; overhauling sea valves; and underwater hull cleaning and painting. Laramie’s primary mission is to provide fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel to aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $9,520,492. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C., and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $8,529,497 are obligated and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside, with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two proposals received. The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N32205-14-C-1001).
ARMY
Olin Corp.-Winchester Division, East Alton, Ill., was awarded a $28,748,479 modification (P00036) to contract W52P1J-11-C-0038 to exercise option period three to procure .50 caliber and 5.56mm ammunition. Fiscal 2013 other procurement funds in the amount of $2,132,226 and fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $21,124,202 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Sept 30, 2016. Work will be performed at East Alton, Ill. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Holland and Holland, Hinesville, Ga., was awarded a $9,035,374 modification (P00004) to indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract W9124M-12-D-0005 for paving at Fort Stewart, Ga. Funding and performance locations will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Fort Stewart, Ga., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
DoD Strives for Balance Between Military Lifestyle, Readiness
By Terri Moon Cronk | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – The Defense Department must slow compensation and benefits growth to balance military lifestyle with readiness and modernization, DOD’s top personnel specialist testified on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Jessica L. Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel subcommittee that DOD’s vision for balance is reflected in its recommendations for pay and benefits in the department’s fiscal year 2015 budget proposal.
Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel; Lt. Gen. Samuel D. Cox, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services; Navy Vice Adm. William F. Moran, chief of naval personnel and deputy chief of naval operations, manpower, personnel, training and education; and Sheryl E. Murray, the Marine Corps’ assistant deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, also testified at the hearing.
Service members’ lifestyles are good, Wright said, and the budget proposal seeks to slow the rate of growth in compensation.
“And that's why we're asking for a 1 percent [military pay raise], as opposed to a higher percentage, so we can slow that growth of a military member's pay, and also be able to bolster their readiness and bolster [the] force and bolster their modernization,” she added.
“Our going-in proposition is to provide benefits to the service member and the family, but also to keep them trained and well-equipped so they can do their jobs,” she said.
Paraphrasing Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wright said, “Instead of doing a Band-Aid approach … we wanted to go in with a holistic package [for] what we would like to do for compensation and benefits, so we can take that balance and use it for readiness.”
Photo L to R: (courtesy of DoD)
Jessica L. Wright, Undersecretary of Defense For Personnel and Readiness
Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, The Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff For Personnel
Lt. Gen. Samuel D. Cox, The Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Staff For Manpower, Personnel and Services
Navy Vice Adm. William F. Moran, Chief of Naval Personnel And Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Manpower, Personnel, Training And Education.
Sheryl E. Murray, The Marine Corps’ Assistant Deputy Commandant For Manpower And Reserve Affairs [No Picture Found]
By Terri Moon Cronk | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – The Defense Department must slow compensation and benefits growth to balance military lifestyle with readiness and modernization, DOD’s top personnel specialist testified on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Jessica L. Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel subcommittee that DOD’s vision for balance is reflected in its recommendations for pay and benefits in the department’s fiscal year 2015 budget proposal.
Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel; Lt. Gen. Samuel D. Cox, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services; Navy Vice Adm. William F. Moran, chief of naval personnel and deputy chief of naval operations, manpower, personnel, training and education; and Sheryl E. Murray, the Marine Corps’ assistant deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, also testified at the hearing.
Service members’ lifestyles are good, Wright said, and the budget proposal seeks to slow the rate of growth in compensation.
“And that's why we're asking for a 1 percent [military pay raise], as opposed to a higher percentage, so we can slow that growth of a military member's pay, and also be able to bolster their readiness and bolster [the] force and bolster their modernization,” she added.
“Our going-in proposition is to provide benefits to the service member and the family, but also to keep them trained and well-equipped so they can do their jobs,” she said.
Paraphrasing Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wright said, “Instead of doing a Band-Aid approach … we wanted to go in with a holistic package [for] what we would like to do for compensation and benefits, so we can take that balance and use it for readiness.”
Photo L to R: (courtesy of DoD)
Jessica L. Wright, Undersecretary of Defense For Personnel and Readiness
Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, The Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff For Personnel
Lt. Gen. Samuel D. Cox, The Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Staff For Manpower, Personnel and Services
Navy Vice Adm. William F. Moran, Chief of Naval Personnel And Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Manpower, Personnel, Training And Education.
Sheryl E. Murray, The Marine Corps’ Assistant Deputy Commandant For Manpower And Reserve Affairs [No Picture Found]
Hagel, Dempsey Stress Leaders’ Roles in Ethical Issues
By Jim Garamone | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – Leadership is key to eliminating ethical lapses that have tarnished the reputation of the American military, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast today.
The secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff both reiterated that encouraging ethical behavior and strengthening the profession of arms has their full attention. Reports of sexual misconduct at many levels and cheating on proficiency exams brought the issue to the fore, and senior department leaders are concerned.
Setting high standards and then meeting them are what the U.S. military is all about, Hagel said. “We’ve always had quality people in the military, and we will continue to have them,” he added.
But it will require constant and laser-like focus on the issue, the secretary said.
“This is a force that has endured tremendous pressures and strain over the last 13 years,” Hagel said. “That’s not an excuse for bad behavior or certainly illegal behavior. We need to reinvigorate our ethics and our character. Chairman Dempsey has done a tremendous job on this, and I want to help him and our chiefs accomplish that mission.”
The chairman said it was not the war itself that caused the issue, but rather the pace at which the military has been operating. That pace caused leaders to neglect “some of the safety nets, if you will, that we’ve traditionally relied upon to make sure we’re living up to the values of our profession,” he said.
Those safety nets include command climate surveys and deployments not to war, but to schools. It also includes giving service members the time to reflect on experiences and to examine those experiences for lessons, he said.
“As well, it is time for us to take a look at ourselves as a profession, because we haven’t done so for about 20 years,” Dempsey said. “This is the right time, in the right place, with the right people to make sure we are doing what’s right for the country.”
If the military can get a handle on these lapses, it will retain the good will of the American people, the chairman said.
“I think the American people are enormously supportive of the military,” he added, “and of course the reason we’re taking this issue so seriously -- the issue of ethical behavior and professionalism -- is precisely because we don’t want to lose the esteem and trust of the American people.”
U.S. service members come from society and bring to the military all that society teaches them, Hagel said. “You are not born a military professional,” the secretary said. “You are nurtured and shaped and molded by the society you come from. But when you project yourself into the military and you take an oath of office, you immediately hold yourself to a higher standard.”
This doesn’t mean military personnel are better people, he added, but that they are committing themselves to the highest possible standards of professionalism and ethical behavior. “That’s conducting yourself always in an ethical way,” Hagel said.
Both men stressed that character and competence are not incompatible. “They must go hand in hand,” Hagel said. “Every institution is only as good as its people.”
Dempsey said the military must pay as much attention to character as it does to competence. This will continue to define the U.S. military long into the future, at war or at peace, he added.
Hagel announced yesterday that he asked Navy Rear Adm. Margaret “Peg” Klein to be his special advisor for military professionalism. She will report directly to the secretary and will head an office that works with the chairman and his team and with all of the services’ civilian and military leaders. She will look to incorporating ethics and character training everywhere it is needed.
“I’ve done this in coordination with Chairman Dempsey and the other chiefs to establish this office that would help coordinate, integrate and help define these programs,” Hagel said.
In closing, both men stressed leadership.
“All the issues we have been talking about are going to be solved through good solid leadership of a kind that has always marked us as a profession,” Dempsey said. “I suppose the message would be to pay particular attention now as we conclude a decade of conflict and as we struggle with changes to resources that are creating uncertainties in the ranks.
“We’ll get through all this,” the chairman continued, “and we’ll do what’s right for the nation if, and only if, we lead.”
Hagel stressed leadership and accountability.
“Leadership is about holding people accountable to high standards,” he said, “and I don’t know of an institution in the world that has higher standards -- personal standards -- than the military.”
Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey (right) and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel shown in the Pentagon Briefing Room last year.
By Jim Garamone | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – Leadership is key to eliminating ethical lapses that have tarnished the reputation of the American military, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast today.
The secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff both reiterated that encouraging ethical behavior and strengthening the profession of arms has their full attention. Reports of sexual misconduct at many levels and cheating on proficiency exams brought the issue to the fore, and senior department leaders are concerned.
Setting high standards and then meeting them are what the U.S. military is all about, Hagel said. “We’ve always had quality people in the military, and we will continue to have them,” he added.
But it will require constant and laser-like focus on the issue, the secretary said.
“This is a force that has endured tremendous pressures and strain over the last 13 years,” Hagel said. “That’s not an excuse for bad behavior or certainly illegal behavior. We need to reinvigorate our ethics and our character. Chairman Dempsey has done a tremendous job on this, and I want to help him and our chiefs accomplish that mission.”
The chairman said it was not the war itself that caused the issue, but rather the pace at which the military has been operating. That pace caused leaders to neglect “some of the safety nets, if you will, that we’ve traditionally relied upon to make sure we’re living up to the values of our profession,” he said.
Those safety nets include command climate surveys and deployments not to war, but to schools. It also includes giving service members the time to reflect on experiences and to examine those experiences for lessons, he said.
“As well, it is time for us to take a look at ourselves as a profession, because we haven’t done so for about 20 years,” Dempsey said. “This is the right time, in the right place, with the right people to make sure we are doing what’s right for the country.”
If the military can get a handle on these lapses, it will retain the good will of the American people, the chairman said.
“I think the American people are enormously supportive of the military,” he added, “and of course the reason we’re taking this issue so seriously -- the issue of ethical behavior and professionalism -- is precisely because we don’t want to lose the esteem and trust of the American people.”
U.S. service members come from society and bring to the military all that society teaches them, Hagel said. “You are not born a military professional,” the secretary said. “You are nurtured and shaped and molded by the society you come from. But when you project yourself into the military and you take an oath of office, you immediately hold yourself to a higher standard.”
This doesn’t mean military personnel are better people, he added, but that they are committing themselves to the highest possible standards of professionalism and ethical behavior. “That’s conducting yourself always in an ethical way,” Hagel said.
Both men stressed that character and competence are not incompatible. “They must go hand in hand,” Hagel said. “Every institution is only as good as its people.”
Dempsey said the military must pay as much attention to character as it does to competence. This will continue to define the U.S. military long into the future, at war or at peace, he added.
Hagel announced yesterday that he asked Navy Rear Adm. Margaret “Peg” Klein to be his special advisor for military professionalism. She will report directly to the secretary and will head an office that works with the chairman and his team and with all of the services’ civilian and military leaders. She will look to incorporating ethics and character training everywhere it is needed.
“I’ve done this in coordination with Chairman Dempsey and the other chiefs to establish this office that would help coordinate, integrate and help define these programs,” Hagel said.
In closing, both men stressed leadership.
“All the issues we have been talking about are going to be solved through good solid leadership of a kind that has always marked us as a profession,” Dempsey said. “I suppose the message would be to pay particular attention now as we conclude a decade of conflict and as we struggle with changes to resources that are creating uncertainties in the ranks.
“We’ll get through all this,” the chairman continued, “and we’ll do what’s right for the nation if, and only if, we lead.”
Hagel stressed leadership and accountability.
“Leadership is about holding people accountable to high standards,” he said, “and I don’t know of an institution in the world that has higher standards -- personal standards -- than the military.”
Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey (right) and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel shown in the Pentagon Briefing Room last year.
Comptroller: Budget Seeks Balance in Reducing Security Risk
By Cheryl Pellerin | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – If Congress turns down changes to force structure and military pay and benefits in the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2015 budget request, the legislators will have to find $2.1 billion in other cutbacks in 2015 and $31 billion more over five years, Comptroller Robert F. Hale said today.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel subcommittee, Hale said the additional cuts will be needed so the Defense Department can live within budgetary limits, and that cuts will have to come out of readiness and modernization.
“There's nowhere else to go,” he added, “and this will harm the balance we believe is needed to minimize risk to national security.”
The subcommittee met to hear testimony from department officials on active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian personnel programs detailed in the administration's fiscal 2015 budget request and the future years defense program.
Testifying alongside Hale was Jessica L. Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Her opening remarks represented other DOD officials present at the hearing -- Dr. Jonathan A. Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Frederick E. Vollrath, assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management, and Richard O. Wightman, acting assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.
For the subcommittee, Wright reviewed the changes proposed in the department’s budget request.
“More than a third of the Department of Defense's base budget supports our military personnel pay and benefits package,” she said, adding that the department's priority for the budget is to balance pay and benefit compensation with force readiness.
The budget plans for a capability favoring a smaller force that is trained properly and modernized to accomplish the mission, Wright said, and it reflects long and careful deliberations and sobering, but critical, choices.
The budget calls for a 1 percent raise in base pay for military personnel, except for general and flag officers, whose pay will be frozen for a year, she said. Other proposals include a slowdown in growth of the tax-free basic allowance for housing until it covers 95 percent rather than all of the average service member's housing expense. The allowance will no longer include renters insurance, and the changes will be phased in over several years, Wright added.
“We propose a $1 billion decrease over three years to the annual budget to operate commissaries. Our plan does not direct the closure of any commissaries, [and] overseas commissaries and those in remote locations will continue to receive subsidies,” she told the panel.
The budget request simplifies and modernizes the TRICARE health program by consolidating all plans and adjusting deductibles and co-pays to encourage members to use military treatment facilities, preferred providers and generic prescriptions. The proposed single TRICARE system consolidates various TRICARE options into one plan, the undersecretary said.
“We know that compensation and benefits are only part of what attracts and retains people in our military, Wright said. “Our members join our service also to learn and exercise their skills. We believe that readiness and training are clearly the ultimate care we can give our service members.”
The department, she said, has an obligation to ensure service members and their families are fairly and appropriately compensated and to care for them during and after their time in uniform. It also has a solemn responsibility to give troops the finest training and equipment possible.
“The president's budget fulfills both of these promises to our service members and their families,” Wright added.
In his remarks before the subcommittee, Hale said that department officials sought a balanced combination of military readiness, size and technical capability to minimize risks imposed by the budget, and did so while meeting stringent budget limits.
“Achieving this balance required a lot of difficult decisions,” he told the panel, focusing on two decisions particularly related to personnel.
“Even under the budget proposed by the president, we had to reduce the size of our military forces,” he said. “Compared to levels expected at the end of this year, total active duty military personnel will decline by about 6 percent by fiscal year 2019. Guard and Reserve personnel decline by … 4 percent. Civilian personnel decline about 5 percent.”
The personnel cutbacks will be larger if sequester-level budgets return, Hale said. If Congress does not increase Budget Control Act caps to accommodate the president's proposed budget levels, military forces will have to decline by larger amounts. Active duty would decline 9 percent rather than 6 percent, for example, he explained.
Under the proposed budgets, the Air Force will retire more than 300 aircraft, including its A-10 and U-2 fleets. The Navy will put 11 ships into phased modernization and eliminate crews while ships are in that status. The Army will reduce the number of brigade combat teams and combat air patrols, and force reductions will be even larger under sequester-level budgets, the comptroller said.
“We believe that a smaller military force, even though it means accepting more risk in some missions, is necessary so that we can comply with the budget limits while still having enough funds to modernize and provide a high level of readiness,” Hale said.
“Smaller forces are one key to maintaining the balance. That's the theme of this budget. Balance also requires some reductions and re-balancing in the Guard and Reserve,” he said. “We intend to maintain the Reserve components as full wartime partners, in addition to their homeland defense mission and the other important things they do.”
Referring to Wright’s testimony, Hale said the difficult decisions about military compensation are also key to balance. They were made to comply with budgetary limits while preserving funds for training and maintenance, allowing a return to a high state of military readiness.
“Our compensation proposals follow some clear principles,” the comptroller said. “We’ll slow the growth, but we'll not cut pay and allowances. We will ensure that compensation is sufficiently generous to attract and retain the people we need … in a very demanding profession. We will make sure that we support the all-volunteer force.”
Hale added, “The funds saved by slowing the growth in military compensation all will be reinvested in training and maintenance. That's a commitment we made to the Joint Chiefs when they developed these proposals, and we've kept it.”
This budget features difficult choices, Hale said.
“They were difficult for us … and they're also very difficult for you,” he told the panel. “But we believe we've created a balanced package of changes that meet budgetary limits while permitting us to carry out the current defense strategy though with some added risks in certain missions. We ask for your support for these budgetary proposals.”
Photo: Robert F. Hale, the Under Secretary of Defense-Comptroller, Courtesy
By Cheryl Pellerin | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – If Congress turns down changes to force structure and military pay and benefits in the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2015 budget request, the legislators will have to find $2.1 billion in other cutbacks in 2015 and $31 billion more over five years, Comptroller Robert F. Hale said today.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel subcommittee, Hale said the additional cuts will be needed so the Defense Department can live within budgetary limits, and that cuts will have to come out of readiness and modernization.
“There's nowhere else to go,” he added, “and this will harm the balance we believe is needed to minimize risk to national security.”
The subcommittee met to hear testimony from department officials on active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian personnel programs detailed in the administration's fiscal 2015 budget request and the future years defense program.
Testifying alongside Hale was Jessica L. Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Her opening remarks represented other DOD officials present at the hearing -- Dr. Jonathan A. Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Frederick E. Vollrath, assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management, and Richard O. Wightman, acting assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.
For the subcommittee, Wright reviewed the changes proposed in the department’s budget request.
“More than a third of the Department of Defense's base budget supports our military personnel pay and benefits package,” she said, adding that the department's priority for the budget is to balance pay and benefit compensation with force readiness.
The budget plans for a capability favoring a smaller force that is trained properly and modernized to accomplish the mission, Wright said, and it reflects long and careful deliberations and sobering, but critical, choices.
The budget calls for a 1 percent raise in base pay for military personnel, except for general and flag officers, whose pay will be frozen for a year, she said. Other proposals include a slowdown in growth of the tax-free basic allowance for housing until it covers 95 percent rather than all of the average service member's housing expense. The allowance will no longer include renters insurance, and the changes will be phased in over several years, Wright added.
“We propose a $1 billion decrease over three years to the annual budget to operate commissaries. Our plan does not direct the closure of any commissaries, [and] overseas commissaries and those in remote locations will continue to receive subsidies,” she told the panel.
The budget request simplifies and modernizes the TRICARE health program by consolidating all plans and adjusting deductibles and co-pays to encourage members to use military treatment facilities, preferred providers and generic prescriptions. The proposed single TRICARE system consolidates various TRICARE options into one plan, the undersecretary said.
“We know that compensation and benefits are only part of what attracts and retains people in our military, Wright said. “Our members join our service also to learn and exercise their skills. We believe that readiness and training are clearly the ultimate care we can give our service members.”
The department, she said, has an obligation to ensure service members and their families are fairly and appropriately compensated and to care for them during and after their time in uniform. It also has a solemn responsibility to give troops the finest training and equipment possible.
“The president's budget fulfills both of these promises to our service members and their families,” Wright added.
In his remarks before the subcommittee, Hale said that department officials sought a balanced combination of military readiness, size and technical capability to minimize risks imposed by the budget, and did so while meeting stringent budget limits.
“Achieving this balance required a lot of difficult decisions,” he told the panel, focusing on two decisions particularly related to personnel.
“Even under the budget proposed by the president, we had to reduce the size of our military forces,” he said. “Compared to levels expected at the end of this year, total active duty military personnel will decline by about 6 percent by fiscal year 2019. Guard and Reserve personnel decline by … 4 percent. Civilian personnel decline about 5 percent.”
The personnel cutbacks will be larger if sequester-level budgets return, Hale said. If Congress does not increase Budget Control Act caps to accommodate the president's proposed budget levels, military forces will have to decline by larger amounts. Active duty would decline 9 percent rather than 6 percent, for example, he explained.
Under the proposed budgets, the Air Force will retire more than 300 aircraft, including its A-10 and U-2 fleets. The Navy will put 11 ships into phased modernization and eliminate crews while ships are in that status. The Army will reduce the number of brigade combat teams and combat air patrols, and force reductions will be even larger under sequester-level budgets, the comptroller said.
“We believe that a smaller military force, even though it means accepting more risk in some missions, is necessary so that we can comply with the budget limits while still having enough funds to modernize and provide a high level of readiness,” Hale said.
“Smaller forces are one key to maintaining the balance. That's the theme of this budget. Balance also requires some reductions and re-balancing in the Guard and Reserve,” he said. “We intend to maintain the Reserve components as full wartime partners, in addition to their homeland defense mission and the other important things they do.”
Referring to Wright’s testimony, Hale said the difficult decisions about military compensation are also key to balance. They were made to comply with budgetary limits while preserving funds for training and maintenance, allowing a return to a high state of military readiness.
“Our compensation proposals follow some clear principles,” the comptroller said. “We’ll slow the growth, but we'll not cut pay and allowances. We will ensure that compensation is sufficiently generous to attract and retain the people we need … in a very demanding profession. We will make sure that we support the all-volunteer force.”
Hale added, “The funds saved by slowing the growth in military compensation all will be reinvested in training and maintenance. That's a commitment we made to the Joint Chiefs when they developed these proposals, and we've kept it.”
This budget features difficult choices, Hale said.
“They were difficult for us … and they're also very difficult for you,” he told the panel. “But we believe we've created a balanced package of changes that meet budgetary limits while permitting us to carry out the current defense strategy though with some added risks in certain missions. We ask for your support for these budgetary proposals.”
Photo: Robert F. Hale, the Under Secretary of Defense-Comptroller, Courtesy
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Air Force Secretary Discusses Service’s Top Priorities
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James today provided a congressional panel with an overview of her top priorities for the Air Force.
Joined by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, James laid out the framework for her three top priorities for the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
“Those three priorities are taking care of people, balancing today’s readiness with tomorrow’s readiness,” she said, “and ensuring that our Air Force is the most capable at the least cost to the taxpayer.”
Every job she’s ever had always has come down to people, 100 percent of the time, James said. “So taking care of people, to me, means we need to recruit the right people, retain the right people,” she added.
The secretary said developing people inside the force, and having a diversity of thought and backgrounds at the leadership table are needed to make innovative decisions and solutions going forward.
“We need to protect the most important family programs,” she said. “We need dignity and respect for all -- and that includes combating sexual harassment and assault.” It’s also important to ensure everyone in the Air Force is living the service’s core values of integrity, service and excellence all the time, James added.
The secretary noted two areas of that have generated controversy lately: force reductions and compensation.
“We are coming down in all of our components -- active, [Air National] Guard, Reserve and civilians,” James said. “And we will rely more, not less, in the future on our Guard and Reserve.”
That makes sense from both the mission standpoint and the budgetary standpoint, she said. “But as we draw down it’s not good enough just to get lower numbers,” she added. ”We have to reshape the force.” At the moment, James told the panel, the Air Force needs balance -- it has too many people in certain types of career fields and too few in others.
On compensation, James said the fiscal year 2015 budget request includes “reasonable ways” to slow the growth in military compensation across the Defense Department.
“This was one of those hard decisions that nobody is really happy with,” James said. “But it’s necessary to ensure that we free up some money to plow back into both the readiness of today as well as the modernization of tomorrow.” Fair compensation going forward, she added, also is part of taking care of the force.
James said her second priority is balancing today and tomorrow’s readiness. Air Force readiness has suffered over the years, she said, particularly last year, when flying squadrons were grounded, civilians were furloughed and maintenance was delayed because of sequestration spending cuts.
“In [fiscal year 2015], we have fully funded our flying hours and other high-priority readiness issues,” James said. “And if approved, we will see gradual improvements of readiness over time.”
While it won’t be overnight or in a year, the secretary said, “we’ll be on a good path of getting toward where we need to be.”
At the same time, the Air Force is looking to tomorrow, James said, and remains committed to programs such as the F-35 joint strike fighter, the KC-46 refueling tanker, the long-range strike bomber, and two-thirds of the nation’s nuclear triad: bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“We’re committed to all of this,” the secretary said. “We’re funding these going forward as well as beginning to replace aging platforms.”
The secretary noted her final priority is making every dollar count for the taxpayer. “To me, this means keeping acquisition programs on budget, on schedule,” she explained. “It means audit-ability as a fundamental principle of our good stewardship.”
It also means trimming overhead in the Air Force, including the 20 percent headquarters reduction Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed, she said, noting that she believes the Air Force will do even better than that.
James also emphasized the “very serious” impacts of reverting to sequestration-level budgets in fiscal 2016 and beyond, as current law requires.
“We do not recommend this,” she said. “We feel it would compromise our national security too much.” The bottom line is it’s a bad deal for the Air Force, the Defense Department and the country, James said, as she urged Congress to support the higher levels of defense spending under President Barack Obama’s budget.
James shared her vision of the Air Force in 10 years, projecting that it will be a highly capable, innovative and ready force.
“We will be a good value in everything that we do for our taxpayers,” she said. “We will be able to respond overseas decisively through unparalleled air power, and we’ll also stand ready to defend here at home when disaster strikes.
“We’ll be more reliant, not less, on our Guard and Reserve,” James continued, “and we will be powered by the very best airmen on this planet who live the culture of dignity and respect for all, integrity, service and excellence.”
Photo: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James speak at a Pentagon briefing last week. (Scott Ash/Air Force)
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2014 – Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James today provided a congressional panel with an overview of her top priorities for the Air Force.
Joined by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, James laid out the framework for her three top priorities for the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
“Those three priorities are taking care of people, balancing today’s readiness with tomorrow’s readiness,” she said, “and ensuring that our Air Force is the most capable at the least cost to the taxpayer.”
Every job she’s ever had always has come down to people, 100 percent of the time, James said. “So taking care of people, to me, means we need to recruit the right people, retain the right people,” she added.
The secretary said developing people inside the force, and having a diversity of thought and backgrounds at the leadership table are needed to make innovative decisions and solutions going forward.
“We need to protect the most important family programs,” she said. “We need dignity and respect for all -- and that includes combating sexual harassment and assault.” It’s also important to ensure everyone in the Air Force is living the service’s core values of integrity, service and excellence all the time, James added.
The secretary noted two areas of that have generated controversy lately: force reductions and compensation.
“We are coming down in all of our components -- active, [Air National] Guard, Reserve and civilians,” James said. “And we will rely more, not less, in the future on our Guard and Reserve.”
That makes sense from both the mission standpoint and the budgetary standpoint, she said. “But as we draw down it’s not good enough just to get lower numbers,” she added. ”We have to reshape the force.” At the moment, James told the panel, the Air Force needs balance -- it has too many people in certain types of career fields and too few in others.
On compensation, James said the fiscal year 2015 budget request includes “reasonable ways” to slow the growth in military compensation across the Defense Department.
“This was one of those hard decisions that nobody is really happy with,” James said. “But it’s necessary to ensure that we free up some money to plow back into both the readiness of today as well as the modernization of tomorrow.” Fair compensation going forward, she added, also is part of taking care of the force.
James said her second priority is balancing today and tomorrow’s readiness. Air Force readiness has suffered over the years, she said, particularly last year, when flying squadrons were grounded, civilians were furloughed and maintenance was delayed because of sequestration spending cuts.
“In [fiscal year 2015], we have fully funded our flying hours and other high-priority readiness issues,” James said. “And if approved, we will see gradual improvements of readiness over time.”
While it won’t be overnight or in a year, the secretary said, “we’ll be on a good path of getting toward where we need to be.”
At the same time, the Air Force is looking to tomorrow, James said, and remains committed to programs such as the F-35 joint strike fighter, the KC-46 refueling tanker, the long-range strike bomber, and two-thirds of the nation’s nuclear triad: bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“We’re committed to all of this,” the secretary said. “We’re funding these going forward as well as beginning to replace aging platforms.”
The secretary noted her final priority is making every dollar count for the taxpayer. “To me, this means keeping acquisition programs on budget, on schedule,” she explained. “It means audit-ability as a fundamental principle of our good stewardship.”
It also means trimming overhead in the Air Force, including the 20 percent headquarters reduction Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed, she said, noting that she believes the Air Force will do even better than that.
James also emphasized the “very serious” impacts of reverting to sequestration-level budgets in fiscal 2016 and beyond, as current law requires.
“We do not recommend this,” she said. “We feel it would compromise our national security too much.” The bottom line is it’s a bad deal for the Air Force, the Defense Department and the country, James said, as she urged Congress to support the higher levels of defense spending under President Barack Obama’s budget.
James shared her vision of the Air Force in 10 years, projecting that it will be a highly capable, innovative and ready force.
“We will be a good value in everything that we do for our taxpayers,” she said. “We will be able to respond overseas decisively through unparalleled air power, and we’ll also stand ready to defend here at home when disaster strikes.
“We’ll be more reliant, not less, on our Guard and Reserve,” James continued, “and we will be powered by the very best airmen on this planet who live the culture of dignity and respect for all, integrity, service and excellence.”
Photo: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James speak at a Pentagon briefing last week. (Scott Ash/Air Force)
On Wednesday, March 26, 2014 we are thankful to learn US Central Command has confirmed NO new casualties.
Please remember to keep our service members who remain in harm's way in your thoughts and prayers. They DO THIS for YOU!!
As of 03/26/2014 in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn as confirmed by US Central Command, the combined casualty count stands at 6,785.
On 03/26 in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn HISTORY, we lost 12 HEROES:
1. Maj Kevin Nave, 36 of Union Lake, Michigan, USMC 3/5, OIF, 2003
2. Pfc Leroy Sandoval Jr, 21 of Houston, Texas, USMC IMEF, OIF, 2004
3. Capt Michael T Fiscus, 36 of Milford, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
4. Sgt Lee M Godbolt, 23 of New Orleans, Louisiana, US Army, LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
5. Spc Brett M Hershey, 23 of State College, Pennsylvania, US Army IN NtlGuard, OEF, 2005
6. Sgt Michael T Hiester, 33 of Bluffton, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
7. Sgt Isiah J Sinclair, 31 of Natchitoches, Louisiana, US Army LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
8. Pfc Norman K Snyder, 21 of Carlisle, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
9. Cpl Steven I Candelo, 20 of Houston, Texas, US Army, OIF, 2008
10. Spc Gregory B Rundell, 21 of Ramsey, Minnesota, US Army, OIF, 2008
11. Cpl Justin D Ross, 22 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, US Army WI Reserves, OEF, 2011
12. SSgt William R Wilson, 27 of Getzville, New York, US Army, OEF, 2012
Please pray for ALL of our fallen and their families so they are NEVER FORGOTTEN!
Please pray for our #POW #Bowe #Bergdahl, his Father, his Mother and his Sister.
Please pray for our #BurnPitVictim, some still deployed, others veterans.
Please pray for the families of the Ones Left Behind, our MIAs or KIAs from #Korea and #Vietnam, so the families can seek solace knowing they are Not Forgotten by the American's for whom they fought to ensure the Freedom of all families .. Past, Present, and Future.
Always remember our veterans and their families, our fallen and their families. And please, PLEASE - NEVER forget to pray for those who remain in harm's way.
Thank you always for supporting our Page, but more importantly, Semper Fi to everyone of you who always carry our troops & their families in your hearts and souls.
We Are The Never Ending Patriots!!!
#HonorOurTroops #HonorWomenWarriors #HonorK9Warriors#HonorWoundedWarriors
#HonorPOWBoweBergdahl#HonorBurnPitVictims #HonorOurVeterans #HonorTheFallen
#FamiliesServeToo #USArmy #USNavy #USMC #USAF #USCG#OIF #OND #OEF #Military #History#Iraq #Afghanistan#PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
Please remember to keep our service members who remain in harm's way in your thoughts and prayers. They DO THIS for YOU!!
As of 03/26/2014 in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn as confirmed by US Central Command, the combined casualty count stands at 6,785.
On 03/26 in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn HISTORY, we lost 12 HEROES:
1. Maj Kevin Nave, 36 of Union Lake, Michigan, USMC 3/5, OIF, 2003
2. Pfc Leroy Sandoval Jr, 21 of Houston, Texas, USMC IMEF, OIF, 2004
3. Capt Michael T Fiscus, 36 of Milford, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
4. Sgt Lee M Godbolt, 23 of New Orleans, Louisiana, US Army, LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
5. Spc Brett M Hershey, 23 of State College, Pennsylvania, US Army IN NtlGuard, OEF, 2005
6. Sgt Michael T Hiester, 33 of Bluffton, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
7. Sgt Isiah J Sinclair, 31 of Natchitoches, Louisiana, US Army LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
8. Pfc Norman K Snyder, 21 of Carlisle, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
9. Cpl Steven I Candelo, 20 of Houston, Texas, US Army, OIF, 2008
10. Spc Gregory B Rundell, 21 of Ramsey, Minnesota, US Army, OIF, 2008
11. Cpl Justin D Ross, 22 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, US Army WI Reserves, OEF, 2011
12. SSgt William R Wilson, 27 of Getzville, New York, US Army, OEF, 2012
Please pray for ALL of our fallen and their families so they are NEVER FORGOTTEN!
Please pray for our #POW #Bowe #Bergdahl, his Father, his Mother and his Sister.
Please pray for our #BurnPitVictim, some still deployed, others veterans.
Please pray for the families of the Ones Left Behind, our MIAs or KIAs from #Korea and #Vietnam, so the families can seek solace knowing they are Not Forgotten by the American's for whom they fought to ensure the Freedom of all families .. Past, Present, and Future.
Always remember our veterans and their families, our fallen and their families. And please, PLEASE - NEVER forget to pray for those who remain in harm's way.
Thank you always for supporting our Page, but more importantly, Semper Fi to everyone of you who always carry our troops & their families in your hearts and souls.
We Are The Never Ending Patriots!!!
#HonorOurTroops #HonorWomenWarriors #HonorK9Warriors#HonorWoundedWarriors
#HonorPOWBoweBergdahl#HonorBurnPitVictims #HonorOurVeterans #HonorTheFallen
#FamiliesServeToo #USArmy #USNavy #USMC #USAF #USCG#OIF #OND #OEF #Military #History#Iraq #Afghanistan#PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
Private Eyes Advocacy honors TWELVE servicemembers who fell on March 26th in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn history.
1. Maj Kevin Nave, 36 of Union Lake, Michigan, USMC 3/5, OIF, 2003
2. Pfc Leroy Sandoval Jr, 21 of Houston, Texas, USMC IMEF, OIF, 2004
3. Capt Michael T Fiscus, 36 of Milford, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
4. Sgt Lee M Godbolt, 23 of New Orleans, Louisiana, US Army, LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
5. Spc Brett M Hershey, 23 of State College, Pennsylvania, US Army IN NtlGuard, OEF, 2005
6. Sgt Michael T Hiester, 33 of Bluffton, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
7. Sgt Isiah J Sinclair, 31 of Natchitoches, Louisiana, US Army LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
8. Pfc Norman K Snyder, 21 of Carlisle, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
9. Cpl Steven I Candelo, 20 of Houston, Texas, US Army, OIF, 2008
10. Spc Gregory B Rundell, 21 of Ramsey, Minnesota, US Army, OIF, 2008
11. Cpl Justin D Ross, 22 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, US Army WI Reserves, OEF, 2011
12. SSgt William R Wilson, 27 of Getzville, New York, US Army, OEF, 2012
#HonorTheFallen #USArmy #INNtlGuard #LANtlGuard#WIReserves #USMC #OEF #OIF
#Afghan #Iraq #Military #History #NeverForgotten
1. Maj Kevin Nave, 36 of Union Lake, Michigan, USMC 3/5, OIF, 2003
2. Pfc Leroy Sandoval Jr, 21 of Houston, Texas, USMC IMEF, OIF, 2004
3. Capt Michael T Fiscus, 36 of Milford, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
4. Sgt Lee M Godbolt, 23 of New Orleans, Louisiana, US Army, LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
5. Spc Brett M Hershey, 23 of State College, Pennsylvania, US Army IN NtlGuard, OEF, 2005
6. Sgt Michael T Hiester, 33 of Bluffton, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
7. Sgt Isiah J Sinclair, 31 of Natchitoches, Louisiana, US Army LA Ntl Guard, OIF, 2005
8. Pfc Norman K Snyder, 21 of Carlisle, Indiana, US Army IN Ntl Guard, OEF, 2005
9. Cpl Steven I Candelo, 20 of Houston, Texas, US Army, OIF, 2008
10. Spc Gregory B Rundell, 21 of Ramsey, Minnesota, US Army, OIF, 2008
11. Cpl Justin D Ross, 22 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, US Army WI Reserves, OEF, 2011
12. SSgt William R Wilson, 27 of Getzville, New York, US Army, OEF, 2012
#HonorTheFallen #USArmy #INNtlGuard #LANtlGuard#WIReserves #USMC #OEF #OIF
#Afghan #Iraq #Military #History #NeverForgotten
"Angelversaries" for the day of March 26, 2014. Please keep these Fallen Warriors and their families in your thoughts and prayers on this difficult day. We are so grateful for our Fallen Warriors and their families.
Please listen to the AFWMF THEME SONG
"21 Guns" Some Give All by Nathan Osmond and SHARE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLzRYwh5r4Q
Please listen to the AFWMF THEME SONG
"21 Guns" Some Give All by Nathan Osmond and SHARE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLzRYwh5r4Q
Please join us in a moment of silence, reflection and prayer for our active, our deployed, our wounded warriors, our veterans, our #POW#BoweBergdahl, and our fallen.
Here is our friends at Operation Ooh-Rah's prayer for this evening.
The casualty report will be ready in a few moments. Thank you.
#HonorOurTroops #HonorWomenWarriors #HonorK9Warriors #HonorWoundedWarriors
#HonorOurVeterans #HonorPOWBoweBergdahl #USArmy #USNavy #USMC #USAF #USCG
#OIF #OND #OEF #Military #History #Iraq #Afghanistan #FamiliesServeToo
#PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
Here is our friends at Operation Ooh-Rah's prayer for this evening.
The casualty report will be ready in a few moments. Thank you.
#HonorOurTroops #HonorWomenWarriors #HonorK9Warriors #HonorWoundedWarriors
#HonorOurVeterans #HonorPOWBoweBergdahl #USArmy #USNavy #USMC #USAF #USCG
#OIF #OND #OEF #Military #History #Iraq #Afghanistan #FamiliesServeToo
#PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
Dear Lord we come together tonight to say a prayer for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Ladies of the United States Military, All Guardsmen, Submariners, and all of Our Allied Forces. Our voice is becoming stronger with each passing night, as we are praying together to keep them all safe.
Lord we follow Your guidance as we join together each night, we come together to pray for our loved ones near and far, some are deployed right now to other countries, and some are right here in the United States, getting the training they need to defend us, to keep us all safe, and we thank them all for the jobs they are doing. Lord we humbly ask that You watch over them all, surround them with the Shield of Protection that will keep them all safe. Give them the strength they need each day to get through, give them the courage they need to keep themselves and those around them safe. We pray every night that they have all they need, food, shelter, ammo. We know they are in a hostile place Lord, help guide them to safety each night.
We pray for our Veterans and all of the families that support and honor. We pray that they have all that they need, all that has been promised to them, give them Lord, the things that they have earned with their sacrifices of time and well being.
We pray for our Wounded Warriors and all of their families, they are suffering, Lord help them be strong together, help them hold each other up and give each other the courage they need to get to the finish line.
Lord we need our world leaders to come together and bring peace to us all, we are tired of being treated badly, we are tired of the war, we are tired of the death and destruction, guide them Lord, to the right choices for all of us, make them listen, make them understand all that is at stake.
As always Lord, when I come to the end of the prayer, I pray for our Gold Star families and friends, not because I put them last, but because I pray that there will be no more loss, no more pain and suffering to our families. We pray together Lord, that Your healing powers are with them all right now, that You guide them to each day with renewed faith, we pray that You help us all to remember the sacrifice that they bear, Lord give them peace and rest, until they are reunited with their loved one, in Your Glorious Heaven, in the name of Jesus, Amen
Private Eyes Advocacy wishes to send our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the the #families of the #two #firefighters who #lost their #lives in the #LineofDuty. #Eighteen others were #injured (some #minor) other's #major but #ALL are #hospitalized.
We ask that all of our family members (PEA) pray for the families of those that lost their lies and also to the 18 families of those who have been hospitalized because of this tragic event.
18 First Responders Hurt, 2 Firefighters Killed in 9-Alarm Boston Fire
Lt. Edward J. Walsh of West Roxbury, a father of two boys and a girl, all younger than 10, and firefighter Michael Kennedy, a U.S. Marine veteran, were killed in the fire. They would have been among the first firefighters to respond to the blaze, officials said.
Both men were apparently trapped in the basement as the fire raged, at one point making an explosion-like backdraft, officials said. The fire "was blowing like a blowtorch from the front," Boston Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Finn told reporters.
Emergency radio traffic painted fragments of a dramatic scene at the building, with one emergency official telling responders, "All companies out of the building, now!
Officials said 13 of the 18 people hospitalized from the fire were firefighters, and Nick Martin, spokesman for the Boston Public Health Commission, told the Los Angeles Times that the other five were first responders.
Fire officials said they weren't aware whether any of the injuries were serious.
Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boston-firefighters-casualties-20140326,0,4826667.story
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/26/2-boston-firefighters-reportedly-killed-in-blaze/
#HonorTheFallen #2LineofDuty #HonorFireFighters #18Firemen_or_1stRespondersWounded #Honor1stResponders #Boston #FireDept #FallenFormerUSMC #FamiliesServeToo #PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
We ask that all of our family members (PEA) pray for the families of those that lost their lies and also to the 18 families of those who have been hospitalized because of this tragic event.
18 First Responders Hurt, 2 Firefighters Killed in 9-Alarm Boston Fire
Lt. Edward J. Walsh of West Roxbury, a father of two boys and a girl, all younger than 10, and firefighter Michael Kennedy, a U.S. Marine veteran, were killed in the fire. They would have been among the first firefighters to respond to the blaze, officials said.
Both men were apparently trapped in the basement as the fire raged, at one point making an explosion-like backdraft, officials said. The fire "was blowing like a blowtorch from the front," Boston Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Finn told reporters.
Emergency radio traffic painted fragments of a dramatic scene at the building, with one emergency official telling responders, "All companies out of the building, now!
Officials said 13 of the 18 people hospitalized from the fire were firefighters, and Nick Martin, spokesman for the Boston Public Health Commission, told the Los Angeles Times that the other five were first responders.
Fire officials said they weren't aware whether any of the injuries were serious.
Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boston-firefighters-casualties-20140326,0,4826667.story
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/26/2-boston-firefighters-reportedly-killed-in-blaze/
#HonorTheFallen #2LineofDuty #HonorFireFighters #18Firemen_or_1stRespondersWounded #Honor1stResponders #Boston #FireDept #FallenFormerUSMC #FamiliesServeToo #PrayerWarriors #NeverForgotten
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